Have you recently experienced a fire accident in your home? Here are a few things that should be discarded right away.
After a fire accident, the hardest part is to decide whether or not to throw away a particular item or to salvage it for the future. Throwing away the things you are emotionally attached to can be heart-wrenching. Plus, throwing away untouched food items feels like such a waste. However, after a fire accident, you must not worry about the restoration cost of your pantry. That cost is nothing compared to what you may go through if you eat contaminated food. In this article, we will identify the items which must be thrown away after a fire accident.
Let’s break it down.
Burned Fabric
After a fire accident, clothing materials like bedding, pillow covers and blankets can be salvaged. However, they require thorough cleaning and disinfecting before they are used again. In case something is burnt, it should be through away. You must be even more careful if it is your child’s clothing or bedding.
Here is how you can remove smoke odor from clothes:
- To clean clothes damaged by fire, take 4 to 6 teaspoons of tri-sodium and a cup of bleach with a gallon of water.
- Mix the concoction well and then apply it to damaged clothing.
- Wash the clothes with clean water, and allow them to dry.
Cosmetics and Medicines
After a fire accident, check your medical bag and your medicine cabinet. The products should be checked whether or not they are exposed to fire, smoke, or soot. If any of the cosmetics or medicines are exposed to fire, there is no other option but to throw them away.
Perishable Food Items
Most of the perishable food items are salvageable after a fire if they are refrigerated. If the fridge is perfectly sealed, it can keep the food items safe for several hours. However, if you open the fridge and notice a smoky stench and soot, throw the food away. You should also throw the food away if the food has been in the freezer for more than 2 hours at 40 degrees, if the food in the freezer is no longer cold and has no ice crystals and if it gives off a pungent stench when you try to cook it.
Non-Perishable Food Items
It is a no-brainer that open food items should be thrown away. But, what about the food items which are tightly sealed within containers? They shouldn’t be damaged for they haven’t been touched by fire, right? Not quite. Heat can activate bacteria and ruin the food even if it is packed. Also, toxic fumes can easily contaminate your food through glass and aluminum packaging. After a fire accident, thoroughly check your food items, whether they are packed or unpacked, and throw them away if they look contaminated.
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