4 Steps to Remove Fire and Smoke Odor From your Kalispell Home
After you have a fire it will be overwhelming. Walls, windows, and floors will be covered in black soot and items that were once shiny will start to tarnish. Cleaning everything seems like a daunting task and one that many professional cleaning and restoration companies can do at little to no cost to you, if you have home insurance.
The process can be long and tedious, but in the end you get back much of the items restored to their previous loss condition or sometimes cleaner.
The process starts with packing and inventorying items. Grouping like items together to make the cleaning process more effective. For many items like ceramics, glass, and metals that would normally be cleaned in a dishwasher we use an ultrasonic cleaning system that breaks down heavy soot and disinfects even the hard to reach areas of surfaces.
Unfortunately, not every item in your home is like that. There may be delicate china, prints, photos, and items made out of wood. For those items it is good to handle those with more care.
Before you start any cleaning job or handling of soot covered items always remember to wear cloves. Not wearing gloves can result in the soot setting into the surfaces and materials and making it even harder to clean.
Use a Dry Sponge
First, it is good to take a dry sponge. These are sold at Home Depot or most major hardware stores. Use the sponge to initially wipe the surfaces of the item to break down the soot and even get most of it off.
Use a Degreaser Solution
Second, it is good to purchase a degreaser solution to wipe down the item with a soft cloth. After this part is done it is a good idea to wipe with a clean damp rag the excess solution from the surfaces to avoid making them become sticky. Some solutions can leave a residual element that becomes sticky.
Repolish Tarnished Metals
Third, you can repolish tarnished silver or brass with household polish or make your own with hot water and pickling salt and rub the item with steel wool. For leathers, you can polish with a leather cleaner.
Deodorize Items
Depending on the extent of the fire damage, doing steps one through three can be good enough to restore the item and have the soot and the small 100% dissipate, it can be an option to use an ozone machine to further break down the soot molecules to eliminate the odor. Ozone machines can have warnings and should be used in isolated and enclosed spaces that shouldn't be entered when running. After it is done it is a good idea for the items to air out before placing them in boxes or bringing them into your home.
High end degreaser solutions, dry spongers, and ozone machines can be expensive and not always common for most houses. For extensive fires it is still a good plan to consult a content restoration specialist and your insurance before starting. Restoration professionals have the expertise and the resources to get the job done fast and more effective.