Tips To Follow For Cleanup After A Fire

13 March 2015

Alexa Morales

After a fire has damaged your home, you have to pick up the pieces. If you are lucky, the fire and efforts to extinguish it didn't do too much damage to your home. Either way, you will have to work with a company to restore your home back to normal and recover from fire and smoke damage. Unfortunately, restoration efforts can do more harm than good if you don't go about it the right way. Continue reading to learn about the steps you should follow after a fire.

Immediately After the Fire

Before you try to do any clean up, contact your insurance agency and a reputable fire restoration company. Both companies can come in and assess the damage before anything is done and your insurance company can get pictures and information to file a claim.

Do not go inside your home unless the fire marshal has given you the all clear that the building is safe. Keep in mind that even though the fire is extinguished, the smell and toxins will still linger so you need to wear protective gear over your mouth and nose.

Clean Up

Do not try to clean up anything on your own until you know exactly what you are doing or have help from professionals. Fabrics such as draperies, carpets, and upholstered furniture can be damaged further if you do not clean the smoke off of them correctly. Smoke is oily and can easily smear into the fabric and it may not come clean.

Be sure to check the filter on your furnace and change it each day until there are no visible signs of soot. This will help keep the air you breathe as clean as possible.

Keep in mind that smoke can penetrate most surfaces and linger on unless it is properly eliminated. A professional ozone treatment is one of the best ways to make sure there is not smoke between the walls and in your furniture.

Have the carpets cleaned by a professional and keep in mind that they may need several cleanings before they are okay again. Worst case scenario, you will have to replace the carpet entirely.

As you can see, clean up after a fire is not as simple as sweeping up the ashes and wiping away the soot. It is much more detailed and not something that you should do without professional help unless you want to take the risk of damaging your home and belonging further.  

Talk to experts like ServiceMaster Restore for more information.

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