Do’s and Don’ts Following Fire Damage

If your home or business suffers from fire damage, it is important that you know what steps you should take immediately and what you should not do in order to prevent additional damage to your belongings. Many property owners make the mistake of trying to clean after a fire, often resulting in permanent damage to their belongings that could have been avoided. And if you delay cleanup, additional damage may occur to items that may have been restored.

RestorePro has developed this list of things to do and not to do after a fire. Most importantly, you should hire a fire restoration company to clean your home and your belongings. A fire restoration company has the training and tools necessary to remove soot and smoke damage without causing additional damage. Trust the professionals at RestorePro, serving Sandusky, OH, and Erie County, OH.

DO…

• Stay calm! Call RestorePro as soon as possible.
• Open all windows.
• Remove pets to clean environments.
• Blow, carefully brush or vacuum loose soot from carpet, drapes, and upholstered furniture.
• Be sure your hands are always clean. You don’t want to spread the soot around.
• Close doors on affected areas to slow down spread of smoke odor.
• Wipe off metal items to prevent tarnishing.
• Wipe down bath fixtures so that the soot doesn’t cause etching.
• Inventory the damaged contents.
• Empty the freezer and the refrigerator completely if electricity is off. Prop open doors.
• Change the HVAC filter.
• If safe, turn on your heating and air conditioning system if it is not currently on.
• Tape damp cheesecloth over air registers. This will keep the soot in the air out of the system.

DO NOT…

• Don’t attempt to wipe or wash the walls, ceilings, or other absorbent surfaces. Soot needs specialized attention to be removed successfully.
• Don’t sit or lie on upholstered furniture.
• Don’t use exposed food goods or canned goods that have been subject to excessive heat.
• Don’t use TVs, stereos, or any other electrical appliances until cleaned and checked, this includes ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.
• Don’t send smoke-damaged garments to an ordinary dry cleaner, because improper cleaning may set the smoke odor.
• Don’t walk on carpets and floors unless you put down clean sheets or towels. You don’t want to grind the soot in or carry it to other areas on your feet.

What We Do

When RestorePro arrives, they will get to work immediately to clean upholstery, drapes, carpets, walls, and all other damaged contents. RestorePro technicians have specialized training for restoring fire, smoke and soot damaged items and will focus on minimizing damages. They will also clean and protect trim and hardware on kitchen and bathroom fixtures and appliances, and clean and protect bathroom fixtures from smoke damage.

Fire damage almost always includes water damage from firefighting efforts, often compounding damages and complicating cleanup and restoration work. Whenever your Sandusky, OH, or Erie County, OH, home or business suffers from both fire damage and water damage, it is important that a professional restoration company gets to work as soon as possible.

RestorePro technicians are available to respond at any time, day or night to anywhere in Sandusky, OH, and surrounding Erie County, OH. We understand that fire damage and water damage require immediate attention, and are ready and able to respond to any emergency restoration situation.