Restoring Home Contents after a Fire

Fires cause billions of dollars’ worth of loss in the United States each year. Although fires can completely destroy a home or business, they can often cause little structural damage. In the latter case, the contents of the home can usually be salvaged, depending on the item and its exposure to the fire, heat and soot.

When dealing with damages after a fire, always hire a professional restoration company that can mitigate the loss. Here are the steps involved in the cleaning process:

• Safety for the occupants and workers is ensured. Because the indoor air is filled with floating smoke and soot particles, workers wear respirators, gloves and other protective clothing.
• We evaluate the affected items as quickly as possible, as soot can produce further damage in a matter of hours or days, depending on the material.
• After the evaluation, the specialists decide which items are to be cleaned and which are to be discarded. Cost, sentimental and antique value is taken into consideration.
• Textile goods like draperies and bedding will be taken to a laundry or dry cleaning facility.
• Other restorable items may be cleaned within the home or sent to an outside location.
• Our restoration specialists determine the appropriate cleaning product and mix ratio to use on each damaged item. Environmentally friendly products are preferred.
• Unopened food items can usually be kept, but open food items should be discarded.
• Melted or discolored plastic items cannot be restored, only cleaned.
• After the cleaning process, most of the smoke odor will be eliminated. If odor lingers inside the home, additional odor removing techniques, such as ozone or hydroxyl deodorizing, will be applied.

Property owners are strongly advised to make an inventory list of every affected item after the fire. Documenting your losses will help you file the insurance claim. For fire, smoke, as well as mold, water and biohazard remediation services, call your local PuroClean office. Our specialists will mitigate the loss and restore your property to its pre-loss condition as fast as possible, using our state-of-the-art equipment and techniques.