Smoke Damage Cleanup and Tips
House fires in general, no matter how big or small, are devastating enough. Now that you have ensured everyone is safe and the fire has been dealt with , you realize that various household items have been damaged. While some may have avoided being burnt by the fire, it's likely that you will find smoke-damaged items in your home,
If your walls and ceilings are burnt and blackened, then your best bet is to hire a trained, skilled professional to help you deal with restoration of the area. If this is not feasible, though, there are small steps you can take to reduce the damage yourself. The important thing to consider when taking on a smoke damage restoration project is to tackle soot and odour from the smoke.
Soot is the residue left behind after a house fire. If an item or material does not thoroughly burn, the result will be soot. Soot is very bad for your health, because it contains a large amount of impurities that are carbon based. If soot enters the respiratory system, it can be compromising to a persons health.
What Can You Do?
The first, most basic step after a house fire with smoke and soot damage, is to use a vacuum cleaner to clean up soot that is lingering on surfaces. Then, mix one tablespoon Trisodium Phosphate cleaner (TSP) into a gallon of water. As always when dealing with chemicals, wear rubber gloves to prevent skin contact with harsh chemicals! Use a sponge soaked in the TSP-water solution , wipe the damaged wall or ceiling with firm wipes. When you feel that the area cannot be restored anymore, rinse your sponge out and damp it with warm water. Then, wipe and clean over the area that you just applied the TSP-water solution to. You may have to repeat this process on especially damaged areas. Finally, prime the walls (and ceiling if need be) and add a fresh coat of paint. Ta-da!
*Take note that it is important not to over soak the ceilings and walls, as this could cause an ironic issue: water damage! Seepage in drywall and baseboard will just bring you a whole other set of issues, so take care not to over do it.
Smoke Odour
Now, you’ve gotten rid of many visual damages after a fire, you might notice that there is still a distinct unpleasant smell from the smoke. The power of smoke damage in creating odours is quite strong, but there are steps you can take to reduce the smell. Here are a few tips and tricks for reducing smoke odour:
- A rag dipped in white vinegar can be used to whip up surfaces in the room where the fire was present. The strong smell will help lift the smoke scent.
- Leaving activated charcoal will help naturally absorb the smoke odour.
- Baking soda isn’t just for the fridge, but it works just the same in a room! Leaving a bowl in affected room will absorb odours. Event sprinkling a small amount over furniture will work.
