Suffering a fire is most times, a traumatic experience. This type of accident can occur in an industrial warehouse, a workshop, or a private home, so taking extreme precautions is an obligation. However, this incident often happens unexpectedly and we must have professionals who know how to carry out a correct fire cleaning once we have solved the problem.
Proceeding to a more or less deep fire cleaning will depend on the severity of the incident. Keep in mind that if you decide to do it yourself, you need to know how to properly clean up after a fire. Following are some steps to take.
After a fire, clean the house.
The first thing to do is keep in touch with the insurance company to find out how to proceed when rejoining the home. We have to wait for the fire department to declare the area safe. Only then can you go back inside to clean the smoke or soot and still pay attention to the structure, as we might damage it at some point.
1. Allow air to circulate to ventilate and dry moisture
As soon as we have access to the affected area to start the fire cleaning, it is necessary to open the windows and doors to allow air circulation. This gesture will make it easier to clean up the soot after the fire and ventilate the smell of smoke. In addition, it will also help to dry the humidity produced by the intervention of the firefighters. Of course, under no circumstances should any window or door that is stuck be forced. They may support a part of the structure and it would be dangerous to open it on our own.
If you want to renew the air more quickly, use fans to increase the action of the air. The sooner the environment is purified, the better you will work since soot and smoke are harmful to our respiratory system.
2. How to clean the walls after a fire:
Before attempting to clean walls of soot or smoke after a fire, protect yourself with a mask, gloves, and goggles. Thus, you will prevent the particles that come off from affecting your health. You should also wear long-sleeved clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty or throwing away once the post-fire cleanup is complete.
To clean the soot, first, remove the layers that have formed superficially on the walls. You can use a vacuum cleaner, trying to float as few particles as possible, and make sure you have placed a protector on the floor to avoid staining the house.
To clean fire smoke from walls, you can use specialized products that remove odor and particles. Smoke seeps through surfaces, and even if the wall looks clean, it never hurts to give it a go-over to make sure it’s completely removed.
3. Remove moist from furniture and walls
If you have needed the intervention of a fire team or have used water to put out the fire, then there will be areas of the house with more or less humidity. This situation could further damage furniture and walls. Keep in mind that moisture, if not removed correctly, could cause future problems for your well-being and that of the home.
It is very important that to carry out the cleaning after the fire, the furniture and other affected objects are dry. Use clothes, clothes, and other utensils to remove moisture as much as possible, and remember that the sooner you start, the better. The damage will not increase and the risk of unwanted humidity will be reduced.
When you’re done, even after you’ve removed the soot and smoke, check every part of the house thoroughly to make sure there’s no trace of moisture left anywhere. You will avoid the appearance of mold and you will save on expenses in the future.
Hire post-fire cleaning companies
There is also the option of hiring a fire cleaning company. In fact, it would be the wisest decision. In these cases, the cleaning company has the material and knowledge to proceed properly, besides working with qualified professionals.
Once the flames have been extinguished and the relevant authorities have recognized and declared the area to be a safe environment, fire clean-up should begin as soon as possible. The longer it takes to start, the more expensive it will be for professionals to clean the fire smoke or remove the soot, and, therefore, the work becomes more expensive. You can check with your insurer about the benefits you have to clean your house after a fire.
A cleaning company will create a personalized management plan, adapted to the needs arising from the incident. In addition, the fire may generate a large amount of smoke and release pollutants. If you do not want to risk your health, hiring a fire cleaning company will help you eliminate contamination, since safe tools and materials would be available for that purpose. In addition, we consider that at the end of the services it is advisable to carry out a biological rehabilitation of the affected rooms, for which we recommend that the cleaning company you hire can offer you this service. You will ensure perfection and risk reduction.
