Fire Clean Up Tips from the Pros

When it comes to a home or business, nothing is more damaging than fire and water damage. Unfortunately, after a fire, you often must deal with both types of damage – both from the flames and the water used to put out the fire. Understanding how the pros tackle this kind of mess is helpful in figuring out what to do after a fire. So, how do fire restoration professionals handle fire cleanup?

Here are some fire restoration tips from local fire cleanup experts:

• Get started right away! Damage will worsen over time as soot gets carried throughout your home through air ducts and vents
• Always wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job
• Dry up water damage before beginning work on soot and smoke damage
• Do not turn on lights or appliances in fire damaged areas until they can be inspected by a professional to ensure they won’t cause electrical shock
• Open windows and doors to let odors out and ventilation in
• Avoid touching damaged materials as much as possible to avoid transferring ash and soot
• Do not wash fire damaged bedding or rugs (these will likely need to be dry cleaned)
• Use the right clean up products and techniques for the specific item you’re trying to clean to avoid causing more damage or locking in odors
• Use a humidifier to lower the moisture content in the affected area
• Move furniture and decorative items out the area to protect them as you try to clean up the fire damage
• Cover the floor with a protective cloth
• Remove drawers and open up cabinets to keep them from trapping odors in small spaces
• Vacuum soot off surfaces being careful not to make damage worse by smearing stains
• Use a vacuum or dry-cleaning sponges to remove collections of soot, treat affected areas with the right kind of cleaner for the job, wipe down treated areas with a clean wet cloth, dry areas, repeat as needed
• Use an air purifier or vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean air of lingering smoke particles
• Work from the top of the room down – starting with the ceiling and then moving to the walls and finishing with baseboards and flooring
• Wipe down fixtures, ceiling fans, and other decorative elements
• Avoid the use of room sprays, which will just temporarily mask odors
• Call the experts for help – water and fire restoration companies know what they’re doing and can help with any kind of fire emergency