Smoke Damage Requires Certified Cleanup For Proper Odor Elimination
January 16, 2012
A simple fire or an extensive one, smoke damage is nasty, especially because of that lingering odor of signed organic material, burnt wood or plastic burns. That’s because, smoke particles cling to everything in their path, leaving their odor on furniture, upholstery, carpets, curtains, clothes and even seeping inside your walls and floor. Imagine opening you refrigerator and having to be greeted by a gust of burnt air that even spoils your food. What’s more, smoke damage causes a lot more than leaving bad odor; it also stains everything it touches, creating worse problems for anyone and everyone.
There are innumerable causes of property fires, be it natural or man-made, electrical, organic or chemical. The first thing you must do after the blaze dies down is find the right protective gear. Of course, this is best left to professional firefighters and certified personnel who know when to start cleanup on your property or home that has been affected by the fire. But if you still need to inspect everything for yourself, make sure not to enter without gloves, a gas mask and protective body covering including rubber boots. Remember that your eyes also need protection, so don’t miss wearing goggles either.
When you hire professional, they will generally start by clearing out the air trapped inside, by using blowers, fans and opening up all windows, doors, skylights and vents. The next thing that will be done is to clear out soot off all surfaces, be it floor, walls, tables, windows, kitchen counters or any other area. This reduces the level of carbon monoxide infection and soot allergy. If you do not want to hire professionals and want to get the job done yourself, make sure you are aware of the basic of odor removal or else you won’t get the desired results at all.
You must know why fabric is susceptible to smoke odor before you begin cleaning, and also know that different material react differently to smoke. Because fabric is porous, the smoke molecules cling to them and get absorbed much easily than they do on non-porous surfaces. Still, letting the lingering odor of smoke remain on your home surfaces will only worsen it over time. Because smoke stains and become putrid over time, you will need to get proper cleaning agents to remove smoke odor from all surfaces. Remember that just spraying a deodorizing agent will not solve your problem.
Experts suggest use of special industrial spray products that help to deodorize and lessen the odor rather than just masking it for a while, at the same time sanitizing and disinfecting the air. Professional cleanup agencies will begin by testing every nook and cranny for the presence of smoke and use thermal defogging to remove any lingering presence. After that, they will make sure to discard any organic item and food material affected by smoke, making sure to dispose them off permanently.
A good idea to help remove smoke is use charcoal by placing them in closets, cabinets and cupboards to absorb the smell. Using ground coffee beans to remove odor of clothes is another helpful idea. Wash the affected clothes and store them in a plastic liner bag by placing a small bundle of ground coffee beans wrapped in linen and then seal the bag. Let it remain so for 24 hours at least. Washing clothes with vinegar will also help, as well as scrubbing walls and table tops with detergent mixed with vinegar.
