Wondering what to do in the aftermath of a house fire? Here are the steps that you need to take!
A house fire isn’t just an emotionally scarring event, but it also tends to leave behind a lot of destruction and damage that one has to clean up. It also tends to leave behind lots of contaminants, soot, smoke odor, and other debris, which needs to be cleaned up. You must clean up your home quickly after a fire so that the debris, soot, and smoke doesn’t settle too deep into your home.
In case you have experienced a fire, here is what you need to do:
Prepare Protective Gear
Before you begin the cleaning process, you need to wear proper protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, full-length trousers, and shoes with heavy soles. You also need to wear plastic gloves and face masks to protect yourself from soot residue and smoke odor.
Remove the Soot from Walls, Ceilings, and Floors
Remove the soot from the walls, floors,ceiling, and furniture. The method of cleaning depends on the type of fire. For example a dry electrical fire may only need to be dry wiped and HEPA vacuumed, while a grease fire may need more concentrated specialty degreasers for cleaning. For hard non porous surfaces you can use a mild detergent or soap to clean these surfaces. Don’t forget to rinse the surfaces with clean warm water afterward and then allow them to dry completely. Then, you can repaint the walls and ceilings.
If your drywall has been soaked by water from fire hoses, then consult a professional restoration service about removing it. This is because it can’t be dried effectively and can lead to mold growth in your home.
Remove the Smoke Odor from Fabrics and Carpeting
To remove the strong smoke odor from your varied possessions such as garments, carpeting, upholstery, etc., you will need to clean them as per the manufacturer’s instructions. If your fabric is bleach and TPS friendly, then prepare the aforementioned TPS and bleach solution to remove the smoke odor from it. However, since it’s not easy to remove smoke odor form certain objects, it’s also a good idea to hire a professional that understands the deodorization process to take care of the job for you.
Hire a Fire Cleanup Service
Even though some people prefer to take the DIY cleanup route, the best course of action after a house fire is to hire a home restoration company right away. They will take care of restoring your property to its former glory and enable you to avoid reliving the incident, which you’d have to do with a DIY cleanup job. They will also make sure to remove all signs of soot, smoke, and other debris from your property, which could act as painful reminders of the incident and are also quite hard to get rid of completely.
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