Don't Forget To Clean Odors and Soot After a Fire

2/4/2019 (Permalink)

During a fire, soot residue is carried by rising and expanding air

Don't Forget To Clean Odors and Soot After a Fire

The sight and smell of a crackling fire can be wonderful when you're under a blanket on a sofa. But you don't want that smell in your house in Carrollton, TX, especially not if it is a constant reminder of a fire that you just survived. Smoke damage, persistent smoke smells and soot damage, while less noticeable than burned walls and furniture, can be an ongoing source of trouble long after a fire has been put out if they are not remediated.

Making sure the smoke damage to your personal property and furniture, as well as to the structure of your home, is cleaned will go a long way to mitigate the odors. Places where smoke odors can linger range from the obvious to the less visible.

• Upholstered furniture like sofas, arm chairs and dining chairs
  
• Soft furnishings like throw pillows, blankets, seat cushions and drapes
  
• Throw rugs, area rugs and wall to wall carpeting
  
• Semi porous surfaces such as lamp shades and air filters
  
• Interior walls and built-in cabinets and seating
  
  

Soot develops when materials burn and the resulting particulate matter spreads out. It accumulates on visible surfaces like countertops and tables, and it can also find its way into hidden spaces. Make sure to check for soot damage on cabinet and pantry shelves, on and inside books and magazines, on appliance surfaces and inside closets. Soot can also make its way inside electronics such as TVs and computers where it can cause damage. It must be completely removed to stop it from being spread back into clean areas on the soles of shoes or via hands that have handled sooty items.

House fires burn structures and destroy personal property, and surviving them in Carrollton, TX is hard enough. Make sure that smoke damage is addressed when the fire damage is repaired so that you don't have to live with dirt and odor reminders of the disaster.