Our Tips For Cleaning Up After A Fire In Your Amherst Residence

10/3/2019 (Permalink)

Let our crew make it “Like it never even happened.”

Tips For Cleaning Up Your Amherst Residence After Fire Damage

Every day, homeowners in Amherst engage in behaviors that have the potential to start a fire without even realizing it. One of them is the improper use of appliances like leaving them plugged in for too long and failing to check the condition of their cords regularly. Others include leaving candles unsupervised, and improper disposal of used cigarettes. Going through the aftermath of a home fire is an emotional and daunting process.

When your Amherst residence has fire damage, it is vital to ensure that the building is safe, document all the damage, and clean and restore what you can. To get started with the restoration process, check with the fire marshal that your home is safe to enter and note any areas or rooms to avoid. Once you get approval, get note-taking materials and a camera. You should wear safety gear, such as:

•         Close-toed shoes
•         Pants
•         Long-sleeve shirts
•         Safety goggles
•         Work gloves
•         A face mask

Inspect the walls, flooring, and your possessions for smoke, soot, and water damage from firefighting efforts. Open the windows to enhance air circulation and dry wet items like carpet, drapes, and furniture to prevent mold damage. Remove large area rugs for proper drying.

Before you start working on removing smoke odor, you need to remove soot. To remove it, you can take a vacuum machine hose and hold it slightly off the surface of the affected areas or items. You can also use a non-water based cleaner such as a chemical sponge to remove soot from walls.

Although there are many ways to clean up your home yourself, remember that hiring a restoration company like SERVPRO is the best route to take for specific tasks. Our fire restoration experts know the best ways to get your residence to its pre-fire condition. We know where to check for the destruction that is not immediately apparent like under floors and inside walls. We can also inspect the items in your home to know which ones to save and which ones to replace.

Our technicians can remove smoke residues by agitating surfaces using brushes, towels, and air as well as water pressure. Agitation helps dislodge residues from surfaces and distribute cleaning products across surfaces. We also use multiple products that can produce chemical reactions to remove smoke residues.

Our SERVPRO crew also removes lingering smoke odors. A significant issue with smoke scent is that it can travel easily throughout your home, including through air ducts and walls. If the smoke gets trapped in air ducts, it can cause recurring odors months after the fire. We can thermal fog your home to neutralize the smells. Thermal foggers dispense solvent-based products in large volumes. The fog consists of minute particles of deodorant solutions, which pair with and neutralize the odor-causing particles.

To deal with fire damage in your Northampton, Granby, or Easthampton home, call SERVPRO of Hampshire County at (413) 324-1300. We have the expertise to make the incident seem“Like it never even happened.”

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