Cleaning Up After a Fire

If a house sustains fire damage, proper cleanup is crucial since the ash, soot and water will wreak havoc on what remains. It’s bad enough there was a fire, but the water and chemicals used to extinguish it can cause secondary damage. The remnants will continue to do damage long after the flames are extinguished. Conventional cleaning methods include renting a steam cleaner and using common cleaning products available at the store. Unfortunately, this could cause bigger issues. Chemical agents could react with the residue and cause permanent damage, and in some cases, cause toxic fumes. Fire damage cleanup is one of the most difficult jobs out there and might require professional service to restore the home.

Smoke particles are incredibly small and may be smaller than .01 microns in size.

This is typically too small for standard residential air filters to catch. If the smoke particles are allowed to settle inside the home’s walls, they will create odors that are difficult to track down. Smoke is also acidic in nature, so it will slowly deteriorate various materials within the home. Therefore, a homeowner should contact a professional fire damage restorer as soon as possible; acting quickly is the best defense in reversing the damage.

Removing smoke and soot requires the proper machinery and expertise.

Homeowners should only consider professionals who have been certified through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, or IICRC. This agency has overseen the certification of fire damage restoration companies for decades and is responsible for regularly updating the best practices in the industry. Technicians with IICRC certification are aware of the most advanced techniques and technologies in the industry. They are among the most knowledgeable members of their field.

The fire may be gone, but the ash, soot and smoke odors that remain can continue to do harm. Certified firms will use their knowledge of fire restoration to accurately test the damage and apply the proper repair techniques to bring the items back to a pre-loss condition when possible.

Contact reputable fire restoration services immediately after the flames die down.

The acidic ash residue left behind by the disaster will make a bad situation even worse if it is not removed within a few days, and the only way to do so is with a thorough cleaning. This isn’t an undertaking that home or business owners are equipped to handle on their own, and professionals have access to special equipment and cleaning products to make the job much easier.

Fire restoration services have the manpower to quickly approach a full-scale cleanup.

During cleanup, the technicians will treat walls, ceilings and anything else that has been affected by ash. If smoke odors are present, and they usually are, they will also require removal to make it possible for people to inhabit the building once again. Smoke odors, though, are extremely hard to remove and can’t be done with standard equipment. Fortunately, experienced firms keep thermal foggers and other sophisticated odor removal equipment on hand to counter noxious smoke odors. They can reach into all parts of the home, including inside floors and walls.

Consult About New Cleaning Methods

Ultrasonic cleaning is a rapid process of complete removal of contaminants from objects by immersing them in a tank of liquid while high-frequency sound waves create a scrubbing brush-like action. Ultrasonic technology has changed the contents cleaning industry by making precision cleaning faster, safer, and less expensive. Ultrasonic cleaning greatly surpasses the results of traditional cleaning methods, for everything from medical instruments to precious antiques. Non-toxic ultrasonic bubbles remove microscopic contaminants in the tiniest crevices. This type of contents cleaning process doesn’t require harsh chemicals or hand cleaning.