Nothing makes your house feel more like a battlefield than the impacts of fire and smoke. Even though you might want to conceal somewhere and flee, it is best to start tidying up as soon as you can. However, it could be beneficial to think about whether the harm will be covered by an insurance claim before you start.
If so, talk to the insurance company before starting any cleaning and capture lots of pictures of the harm to later present to your insurers.
How to start cleaning after a fire
Before you start cleaning after fire, ventilate the space and ensure to safeguard your eyes from grit by donning a face shield and safety eyewear. To prevent your hands from coming into touch with dangerous substances, put on protective gloves.
Opening all of the windows and doors, as well as any skylights, will help to circulate the air and will greatly better the situation. To prevent further contamination of the area, things that were partially or completely burned by the blaze should be discarded right away. However, keep in mind that experts might suggest ways to sanitize something you might believe is beyond repair when choosing what things should be tossed away. If unsure, keep it somewhere well-aired until you’ve gotten the chance to consult an expert.
How do the experts handle cleaning jobs?
When certain materials are burned, they release specific gases and spill substances onto nearby surfaces, leaving behind marks and odors that can be challenging or even impossible to get rid of. Expert firms are typically hired to handle restoration after significant fires and employ special techniques to clean all the crevices that harbor odors, but sometimes minor mistakes can be fixed by disinfecting the surfaces with one tablespoon of trisodium phosphate cleaner mixed per water gallon, to remove stains and odors and restore color. Use this mixture to completely clean surfaces and paints before allowing everything to dry.
Rugs should, if at all feasible, be taken outside and cleaned completely both wet and dry. Fitted rugs should also be damp and dry hoover shampooed. Try not to use a regular hoover cleaner. Since soot is oil-based, regular vacuuming could push the soot further into rugs and textiles.
Lightweight curtains made of natural materials may be cleaned in a regular laundry machine. It may be essential to seek the advice of a professional dry cleaner having expertise in cleansing smoke-damaged garments for more refined materials.