Cleaning Up Smoke Damage After a House Fire in Your San Rafael Home

5/5/2021 (Permalink)

Tips For Smoke Damage in Your San Rafael Home

Smoke damage cleanup after a house fire may seem like a breeze, but cleaning smoke damage can be much more complicated than most think. The stubborn smell that smoke leaves in its wake on different surfaces found throughout the house is very tough to remove altogether. SERVPRO of S. San Rafael/Sausalito has vast experience in this process and offers methods to clean up smoke damage following a house fire.

Smoke Damage Cleaning Tips

After a house fire, especially in warmer temperatures, the odor left by the fire doesn’t go altogether. It is common to believe that aerosols, air fresheners, and perfumes get the job done. They only serve to dilute the odor and are not capable of cleaning it thoroughly. Before beginning the smoke damage cleanup and restoration process, stop spreading soot by turning off the A/C and opening all the doors and windows to allow clean air to run throughout the entire house. Setting up an air purifier to run throughout the clean-up can protect you from inhaling harmful fumes.

If you have not already reached out to your local fire cleanup company, like SERVPRO of S. San Rafael/Sausalito, give us a call at (415) 479-2900 and set up an appointment to address your needs. A good fire restoration company should have well-trained and IICRC-certified technicians that have a great deal of experience and can save you more time and money than doing it yourself.

Tips on Smoke Damage Cleanup

First, go through the house and lightly remove and vacuum any loose soot remaining after the house fire. Next, you will need a dry-cleaning sponge (chemical sponge) for any walls and other hard surfaces. This is a vital part of the cleanup process because the special chemicals within the sponge can remove the heavy smoke and soot stains from walls and other hard surfaces. Using single strokes in one direction, gently wipe the surface with a clean side of the sponge. When the sponge side is stained after use, you can use scissors to cut off a segment of the sponge to make it look brand new. Remember to not use water or soot cleaner before using the sponge because that only serves to spread the soot around and won’t allow you to utilize the chemicals in the sponge. White vinegar for fire damage cleanup is a very effective solvent. SERVPRO advises you to place bowls of white vinegar in all rooms that the fire affected.  

The next step is to add 1 to 3 tablespoons of a mild degreaser or dish soap to a gallon of water and use the same cleaning strategy as the cleaning sponge to wipe down all the affected hard surfaces. It might be necessary to repeat these cleaning steps a large fire produced a lot of smoke. Continually rinse the rag or sponge so that you do not enable the spread of soot and smoke damage. Additionally, use a new bucket of the solution once it appears darker in color. Then repeat the process with just a clean cloth soaked in solely pure water.

After completing all these steps correctly, there are instances where the odorous smell persists. This calls for using an ozone generator, which is available to rent, buy, or borrow, which is very effective in removing the odor left behind after a fire in your home. To make this process run smoothly, it might be more beneficial to have a fire restoration company provide ozone generators to complete this process for you.

Call the Smoke Damage Cleanup Experts

Cleaning up after a house fire can be a daunting task, requiring an immediate response. Do not let immobility, lack of experience, or a busy schedule prevent you from restoring your home. Fire-damaged homes require extensive cleanup and need to be treated immediately. SERVPRO of S. San Rafael/Sausalito can help you do it all with their state-of-the-art equipment and advanced techniques; we get it done right the first time. Our highly skilled techs are sympathetic to the tragedy of a house fire and understand that communicating effectively with you is so important. We also work with your insurance company.