RestorationsSOS.com - Fire and Water Damage Restoration

Cleaning, Repairing, and Disinfecting

By Jonathan Meyer
Published: April 24, 2006

As anxious as you may be to clean your home after a fire damage, you must keep in mind that while certain techniques and cleaning materials are safe to use after afire, other techniques and materials may cause further damage.

Hire a Professional Restoration Company

Cleaning up after a fire damage presents a few challenges. The biggest challenges are to safely remove all soot and other chemicals, created by fire, and eliminating smoke odors.

In addition, in many fire damage cases there is additional water damage from extinguishing the fire. A professional restoration company will have the experience and the equipment to deal with water damage as well.

Hiring a professional restoration company will also help you with assessing the damage and supporting you insurance claim. As most restoration companies are experienced in working with insurance providers, your restoration company will often offer help by dealing directly with you insurance company.

A restoration company will offer a large array of services, depending on the extent of the damage. For example: if the structure is badly damaged, a restoration company will offer rebuilding services. In general, most restoration companies will offer all services required to return your property to its pre-loss condition.

Cleaning, Repairing, and Disinfecting - the Basics

Whether you choose to hire a restoration professional or to do the job yourself, follow these basic steps:

Safety First
Be sure to read the fire damage safety guide before engaging any cleanup processes.

Ventilation
Smoke contains carbon particles, and the smell of smoke will persist as long as these particles remain. If possible open doors and windows to allow air to free flow and to ventilate the room by creating a through draught.

Using fans will allow faster ventilation, helping to remove the smoke smell. To prevent further damage, don't aim the fans directly at burnt areas to prevent soot and dust from flying in the room.

HEPA vacuums
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums are vacuums that has a type of filtration that can remove 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns and larger. Use HEPA vacuums to remove the dry soot and any chemical residue left by extinguishers.

Cleaning
After all soot and debris is removed, move on to cleaning the room and salvaging your personal belongings.

Deodorizing
Once the room is clean, you can take more steps to eliminate all remaining odors using deodorizing products.

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