6 Fire Damage Restoration Tips

8/30/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Bear / New Castle specializes in fire and water damage restoration.

To DIY or Not to DIY, That is the Question

Fire damage restoration is tough work. People call SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle frequently to ask for advice on how to clean up after a fire. In this article, we’re sharing seven of the best tips we give people who ask about fire damage restoration.

Most people can put these tips into practice. But remember that fire damage restoration takes time, work, and skill. Realistically consider whether you want to try these ideas on your own or whether you’d be better off hiring a certified cleaning and restoration specialist.

Remove Smoke Damage

With any fire you’ll have a degree of smoke damage to your walls, wallpaper, and paint. If the smoke damage is not too serious, you should be able to scrub it clean with detergents and bleach. Soot from smoke damage is greasy stuff, so always try to dust as much of it off from a surface before trying to scrub the surface clean. Often, you’ll want to repaint, but make sure all surfaces are clean and dry before you paint.

Limit Activity and Other Simple Fire Damage Restoration Steps

Until your house is restored, limit your activity and movement in the house. This helps prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpets. Keep people’s hands clean so you don’t further soil upholstery, walls, and woodwork. Protect your things by placing clean towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery, and carpet traffic areas. Before you clean, know the best cleaning method for that particular cleaning job (for example, you can clean and protect chrome with a light coating of petroleum jelly or oil.) Wash both sides of the leaves on your houseplants. Change your HVAC filter and tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers.

Get Rid of Mold and Mildew

Firefighters are great. They save many lives and many homes. But they do introduce mold and mildew into houses when they must use water to extinguish a fire. SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle highly recommends you hire fire damage restoration professionals to deal with mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can cause serious health problems. It’s difficult for a nonprofessional to know for certain if he has thoroughly cleaned up all the areas affected by mold and mildew. And mold and mildew can contaminate your furniture, carpets, clothing, mattresses, walls, and vents. The best thing you can do immediately is to air out every room and clean out all vents and filters.

Replace Carpets. Clean and Dry Your Floors.

Your floors and carpets end up absorbing the worst of the damage from the water used to put out a fire. In almost every case, SERVPRO of Bear/New Castle recommends that you pull up any carpets that have water damage and replace them. Water can also seep underneath vinyl flooring and into the cracks in hardwood. You must address this. If you have experience with flooring, you can lift it up and clean under it. But you may want to call a professional fire damage restoration company to assist you.

Avoid Smearing Soot Into Clothing

Cleaning smoke damage from clothing is one of the biggest jobs you’ll have after a fire. Make sure you don’t smear the greasy soot into your clothing or just throw the smoky clothes into the wash. Oftentimes dry cleaning is the best bet; look for a dry cleaner that has experience with post-fire laundry. Removing smoke odor is another issue, which we’ve covered it in another blog post.

Scrub, Soak, and Clean Dishes

You should thoroughly clean your dishes after a fire, because they will be in contact with your food. Scrub all dishes well, let them soak in a solution of bleach and water (2 tablespoons of bleach per gallon) for at least 20 minutes, and scrub some more for safety. When in doubt, if a dish, pot, or pan won’t come clean, cut your losses and throw it out—especially rubber or wooden dishes that absorb smoke.

Why Choose SERVPRO of Bear / New Castle?

- 24/7 Fire Damage Restoration Service - 24/7 Water Damage Restoration Service - 24/7 Flood Damage Service - 24/7 Sewage Damage & Sewage Removal Service - 24/7 Mold Remediation Service - 24/7 Bio-hazard Cleanup - 24/7 Suicide & Crime Cleanup - 24/7 Board-up and Roof Tarping