How to Clean Up Fire Damage
There are few things that are worse than a fire. Robbers can steal a few precious things, but a house fire can wipe out everything that you own. Even a residential fire that was put out in time can leave a great deal of damage.
Cleaning up the damage that is left behind by a fire can be a costly and a labor intensive operation. If you were unfortunate enough to have gone through a residential fire then the next step for you would to think on how to clean up the mess that it has left. Here are a few things that you can try:
Cleaning Up Soot
Soot is what's left behind when something burns. It is mostly made up of the substances in the material that are not combustible or are carbon impurities. Soot has an oily texture since many things inside the home are made up of plastics which leave oily residues when burned.
The first step in cleaning up soot inside your house would be to go over the affected surfaces with a vacuum. Try to take out as much soot as you can with the vacuum cleaner. A great deal of soot would still be left behind after vacuuming.
Once you are done vacuuming the affected areas, your next step would be to go over them with a Trisodium Phosphate cleaner solution. You can mix a tbsp. of Trisodium Phosphate cleaner with a gallon of water and then work on the affected areas one section after another.
The next thing to do would be to wipe the affected areas with a sponge and then soak it in warm water. You can repeat these processes as necessary. It would all depend on how much damage the fire has caused to your home.
Just remember not to use too much TSP or water as it can seep into the walls.
Taking Out the Odor
Another problematic effect of having a fire in your residence would be the odor that it could leave behind. The stench could be too overpowering for some people and unless you can remove it, moving back into your place might not be an option.
Using a simple air freshener is not going to be enough to deal with the odor. You are going to need something that is far more powerful than that. The good news is that there are several options that you can use for that purpose.
One of the best options for countering the smell left behind a fire inside your house would be white vinegar. You can use a rag soaked in white vinegar to wipe all the areas and surfaces that are affected by it.
Another household item that can be used for this purpose is baking soda. Baking soda is very good at absorbing odor in a natural way. You can just leave it in a bowl inside the affected room.
Sometimes the damage can be too great that it would be better if you were to leave it up to the professionals to deal with them.
Cleaning up the damage that is left behind by a fire can be a costly and a labor intensive operation. If you were unfortunate enough to have gone through a residential fire then the next step for you would to think on how to clean up the mess that it has left. Here are a few things that you can try:
Cleaning Up Soot
Soot is what's left behind when something burns. It is mostly made up of the substances in the material that are not combustible or are carbon impurities. Soot has an oily texture since many things inside the home are made up of plastics which leave oily residues when burned.
The first step in cleaning up soot inside your house would be to go over the affected surfaces with a vacuum. Try to take out as much soot as you can with the vacuum cleaner. A great deal of soot would still be left behind after vacuuming.
Once you are done vacuuming the affected areas, your next step would be to go over them with a Trisodium Phosphate cleaner solution. You can mix a tbsp. of Trisodium Phosphate cleaner with a gallon of water and then work on the affected areas one section after another.
The next thing to do would be to wipe the affected areas with a sponge and then soak it in warm water. You can repeat these processes as necessary. It would all depend on how much damage the fire has caused to your home.
Just remember not to use too much TSP or water as it can seep into the walls.
Taking Out the Odor
Another problematic effect of having a fire in your residence would be the odor that it could leave behind. The stench could be too overpowering for some people and unless you can remove it, moving back into your place might not be an option.
Using a simple air freshener is not going to be enough to deal with the odor. You are going to need something that is far more powerful than that. The good news is that there are several options that you can use for that purpose.
One of the best options for countering the smell left behind a fire inside your house would be white vinegar. You can use a rag soaked in white vinegar to wipe all the areas and surfaces that are affected by it.
Another household item that can be used for this purpose is baking soda. Baking soda is very good at absorbing odor in a natural way. You can just leave it in a bowl inside the affected room.
Sometimes the damage can be too great that it would be better if you were to leave it up to the professionals to deal with them.