A house fire can completely destroy a home, sometimes making it a total loss. But there are other times when smaller fires are extinguished quickly and many of the items inside a home can be saved. Even in these cases, there is typically still a lot of fire damage in the home because of all the smoke and soot. If a home does suffer damage from a fire, the pros at PuroClean Certified Restoration can help restore as much of the contents in the home as possible. Learn more about all the steps that should be taken to clean up smoke damage in Springfield Missouri after a house fire.
Always Stay Safe During Cleaning
Before starting any smoke damage cleanup, ensuring safety comes first is crucial. Our smoke damage restoration team makes sure that our workers entering the home are safe and that the structure is sound before they can begin evaluating damage and what is needed for restoration. Indoor air after the fire will still contain particles from the smoke and soot, which are carcinogens. It’s vital to wear a respirator, use gloves, and other personal protective equipment, and ventilate the home during the smoke cleaning process.
Evaluating the Smoke Damage
Before cleaning, items need to be evaluated to see if cleaning is even possible or if a replacement will be necessary. Both the cost to replace and the age of the item is taken into consideration. The evaluation needs to be done fast, as materials can suffer further damage the longer soot is left on them. Smoke can actually be cleaned from most items. Food items in the original package and far from the fire may be able to be saved, but any food items that were open or too close to the fire should be thrown away. Anything that is melted or discolored may need to be tossed as well.
Create an Inventory of Items Being Cleaned
As your smoke damaged items are being evaluated, an inventory needs to be created of everything that will be going to a cleaning facility. This is done when these items cannot be cleaned in the home to ensure that everything is accounted for during the fire cleaning process and when the items are returned. It’s also necessary to create an inventory of everything being discarded, so it can be claimed through insurance.
Start the Fire Cleaning Process
Our fire damage restoration specialists determine which items can be cleaned based on the material and the damage. We use environmentally friendly cleaning products and work to gently remove all soot from the items. The fire cleaning method used will vary based on the type of item and can vary based on whether it’s done in the home or at a cleaning facility.
Removing the Smoke Smell from Items
Once the items are cleaned, most of the smoke smell in the home will be removed. However, deodorizing may be necessary if there is any lingering smoke odor left from the smoke damage in the home. This can be done using different techniques and can completely remove the remaining smoke smells from the fire.
Cleaning items damaged by smoke and soot after a fire is a job best left to restoration professionals. If you ever need help with smoke damage restoration, call the pros at PuroClean Certified Restoration to do the job right.