The smoke damage restoration process can be a stressful one, but you don’t have to do it alone. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of cleaning up after a fire and getting your home back into shape!
Remove soot from wood and wood furniture
Soot is a black residue that can be easily removed with a vacuum cleaner, but if you don’t have access to one or if your soot is dried and caked on, then there are other methods of removal available. Simply dampen your rag with cold water, then use it to wipe off any remaining soot from wood surfaces or furniture. If this doesn’t work well enough for you, try using a wire brush instead—it will roughen up the surface enough for you to scrape off all traces of smoke damage !
Clean walls and floors
Once you’re sure that the fire has been extinguished and all the smoke has been cleared, it’s time to begin cleaning up. You can start by removing any remaining soot from your walls and floors with a wet vacuum or dry vacuum. If you don’t have either of these tools, consider using a damp cloth instead—just make sure not to use water that is too hot on your surfaces as this could cause damage!
Clean clothing, curtains and other fabrics
In the days following a fire, you may have clothes that are still sooty and need to be cleaned. The best way to do this is by washing them in cold water on a low heat setting. This removes any soot or smoke residue that may have built up during the fire without damaging the fabric itself. If your clothes are stained with hard-to-remove stains like grease or blood, you can use a stain remover such as Barkeepers Friend before washing them again for additional removal power.
If there were curtains in your home at the time of the fire and they are damaged by smoke or water damage from cleaning up after an incident like this one then consider replacing them before anything else!
Air out your house
The first step of smoke damage restoration Clackamas OR to let the air out. Open windows and doors to allow smoke smell to dissipate, but don’t be afraid to ask for help from neighbors or friends if you need it! Don’t use fans or air purifiers, as this can spread the smoke smell further into your house.
Clean appliances
If you have a gas oven and stove, it’s important to clean them thoroughly before cooking. You may also want to consider cleaning the refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave as well. If there are any food particles on these appliances that could cause smoke damage later on in your home during repairs or reconstruction efforts, they should be removed at this time. Another important step is cleaning any exhaust fans in your home so that there are no lingering smoke odors left behind for weeks after the fire has been put out!
First things first, call your insurance provider
If you have renters insurance, it will cover any damage to your home. If you don’t, call your insurance provider and tell them what happened. You can also contact a Smoke damage restoration Clackamas OR company if they are available in your area. Both companies come out quickly and assess the extent of the damage so that they know how much money they need to pay out on their end before moving forward with restoration services for you. Once these two entities have assessed the situation and determined what needs immediate attention (such as fixing broken windows), then they will work with other professionals like cleaners who can help restore order inside and outside of homes after fires occur!
Open the windows and doors to get some fresh air in
- Open the windows and doors to get some fresh air in.
- If you have a basement, open all of the windows there as well.
- Open all of the exterior doors, including garage doors if applicable (if your home has one). This will allow more space for outside air to flow through your home’s ventilation system—and if it’s an older home with no central heating or cooling system running through it, this can be very helpful in keeping things cool during these hot summer months!
Call a Smoke damage restoration company
If you are in need of a smoke damage restoration Clackamas OR company, there are several things you should do before hiring them. First, check reviews and references from other clients who have used the company. You can also ask friends or family members if they know any good companies that they would recommend.
Once you’ve found a few great firms to choose from, look into their training and certifications (if applicable). This will help ensure that the workers who come out to restore your home are trained properly and competent enough to handle delicate tasks like removing smoke stains from walls and ceilings.
You should also make sure that any potential contractor has insurance coverage for all liabilities associated with their services—including property damage caused by accidents while working on-site—and bonding coverage against lawsuits related to injuries sustained during cleanup efforts at your property site location (this is especially important if there were any minors present during initial cleanups).
Remove any unsalvageable items
Once you’ve assessed the damage, it’s time to begin the cleanup process. You’ll need to remove any unsalvageable items from your home. This includes anything that has been damaged beyond repair by smoke or fire—such as electronics, curtains or furniture. It’s also vital to remove any items that have been exposed to smoke or heat because they can be dangerous if left inside of walls or ceilings where there might still be dangerous pockets of air trapped inside them.
If possible, try not to throw anything away just yet; instead take pictures of all your valuables and save them in case they become lost in the future (you never know).
Tackle smaller smoke damage repair jobs yourself
- Tackle smaller smoke damage repair jobs yourself
- What tools you will need:
- A vacuum cleaner or shop vac (this can be used to suck up dust) and a wet/dry vac with attachments. Great for cleaning up water damage and picking up stubborn debris.
- Prepare the area for cleaning: Make sure there are no open flames in your house or garage, which could cause more harm than good when it comes to cleaning up after a fire. If there were any electrical appliances that caught on fire, turn off all power switches immediately before starting any cleanup job so as not to light anything else on fire!
Hire a cleaning service to professionally clean your home after a fire.
When smoke and soot are present in your home, they can easily penetrate through the walls and carpeting to cause damage. A professional cleaning service is needed to properly clean your home after a fire. Smoke damages both interior surfaces (flooring, walls) as well as furnishings such as furniture and electronics. This type of damage is often ignored at first glance because it appears minor compared to other types of damage caused by fires such as water damage or structural collapse but it’s actually quite serious!
If left untreated for long periods of time then smoke can cause health problems for you or your family members including respiratory problems like shortness of breath caused by breathing in too much smoke particles; irritation on eyes due to burning eyes; headaches related directly back down into their brain stem area where neurons reside which causes pain throughout entire body when exposed over long periods such as 24 hours per day until removed from exposure source altogether.”
Conclusion
We hope that you have found this information to be helpful and informative. The next time a fire occurs in your home, remember that there are professionals who can help clean up the damage so that you can move on with life as usual.
