How To Remove Smoke Damage From Your Home

Fire damage is caused by the melting or burning of objects and materials by heat. Smoke damage refers more to damage caused by smoke than heat. A fire in your home, and all the smoke damage that follows it, are among the most devastating and traumatizing events. This can cause irreparable damage to your home and destroy memories and possessions. Other than the destruction of personal and furniture, you will likely need to repair other things like window replacements and patching holes during the fire damage restoration process.

Although possessions can be easily replaced and homes can be rebuilt, it is not always easy. You should know how smoke damage is cleaned and you might even have to deal with lingering water damages after the fire has been extinguished. Although restoration and repair can seem daunting at first glance, with the help of your community and the right partners like 911 Restoration of Central SFV you can bring your home back into its original glory. Give us a call at (818)-264-4100.

Cleanup Of Smoke Damage Initial Fire Cleanup

It can be quite shocking to see the aftermath of a house fire. Other than the smoke damage and soot, furniture, books, and other valuable possessions will likely be destroyed. After you have recovered from the shock, you can begin the process of restoring smoke damage to your home. You will need to go through all your belongings, and only keep those that you are able to salvage, and to toss out the ones that are damaged beyond repair. This is the most difficult step. This step really helps to see the extent of the damage caused by the fire. You can clear the space at your own pace. It doesn’t need to be done in a hurry. After you have cleared your debris, you can begin to survey the area and determine your next steps in smoke damage cleanup.

Check For Additional Smoke Damage In Your House

To determine if other rooms or areas have been affected, first go through your entire house. Although it is usually easy to see where smoke damage occurred in the area that was contained by the fire, smoke can drift from one room to another. You could end up with damage that was not near the fire. This task includes inspecting your ceilings. It’s common to concentrate on smoke damage when inspecting the walls. The damage is most obvious there. It’s also important to inspect your ceilings, as they can often be damaged and require as much attention.

What Does Smoke Damage Look Like?
You will need to be able to recognize which areas of your home have suffered smoke damage before you can clean it up. Smoke damage can occur in areas far away from the place where it started, so even a small fire could cause large amounts of smoke damage. Here are some ways to identify smoke damage:
• Areas that have been ruined by soot or blackening
• Black Dust
• Paint that is discolored

Can Smoke Damage Be Repaired?
Smoke damage can often be thought to be permanent. However, it is possible to remove. The extent of smoke damage and the porousness of the surface will determine how to clean it. These items can be cleaned quickly and easily. If the damage is serious, then feel free to give us a call at (818)-264-4100 for a free visual inspection.

How To Clean Smoke Damage?
Once you have determined the extent of the damage, it is time to clean up any smoke damage. First, open as many windows throughout your house as possible to remove smoke damage. Ventilation is a great way to speed up the process and limit damage. Turn on the fans and let the air flow.

What To Use To Clean Smoke Damage? 

These smoke damage products will help you remove soot and smoke from your walls, furniture, and other areas of your home.
• Rubber gloves
• Protect your eyes and lungs with masks/goggles
• Dry-Cleaning Sponge/Chemical Spoone
• 2 buckets of hot water and 2 buckets
• Various Smoke Damage Cleaners of Your Choice (Commercial Soot Remover/Vinegar/Paint Thinner/Rubbing Alcohol/Bleach)
• Liquid soap or a degreaser (such as trisodiumphosphate)
• Rags
• Smoke Vacuum

It’s possible that you don’t have a smoke vacuum, or any other specialized tools for smoke remediation. That’s fine. You can use a standard vacuum to remove soot from the fire.

Smoke Damage Cleaning
Vacuum all soot and ash off the ground. You should now begin the first stage of your smoke damage restoration. This involves removing all smoke particles and soot from the floor. Smoke can cause serious damage to your lungs and even cancer. You should remove it as soon possible and wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Wear gloves, masks, and goggles to begin vacuuming the soot from the area.

You should use a smoke or dry vacuum for this job. You can also use a regular vacuum with an upholstery attachment. Take care when vacuuming up soot and other debris. Simply running a vacuum over smoke-damaged areas will likely spread it and push it further into walls and floorboards. After you have removed all soot, ash and dirt from the ground it is time to concentrate on the walls. Sometimes this may be difficult without the correct equipment, our team of experienced technicians at 911 Restoration of Central SFV have all the tools needed to complete the restoration process.

How To Remove Soot Stains From Walls
Next, inspect the walls for soot particles. This is not the same as cleaning smoke damage from walls. Before you move on to the next important step, make sure that all large pieces of soot are thoroughly vacuumed. You could make the problem worse by spreading unvacuumed smoke into your walls while trying to clean up smoke damage. This is why it’s important to call a professional restoration company that has a team of soot removers.

How To Get Rid Of Smoke Damage After Soot Has Been Removed
Three phases are required to clean soot residue, stains, and smoke damage. First, you will be removing the bulk of the smoke with a fire damages restoration will take the necessary precautions to ensure safety for all personnel and anyone entering a structure following a fire. It is important that the structure be safe before the restoration and evaluation can begin.

Inspection
It is important to assess what can be salvaged when assessing your personal belongings. You can safely dispose of items that are no more in use. You should dispose of items that have been significantly damaged, melted or broken, as well as any other items that have been exposed to the elements. However, clothing, bedding, and linens that are not damaged or melted can be taken to a laundry facility. A structural and furniture cleaning team can clean furniture and other useful items.

Keep Track
You might want to consider all of the items that you have saved and how they will be stored or sent to be cleaned when you are preparing your salvaged items. It is important to keep track of all the items you have to throw away, so you can create an inventory.

Cleaning Process
To ensure that you are able to use the items you have, it is important to remove smoke damage from personal items. Trisodium Phosphate, also known as TSP, is a powerful, heavy-duty cleaner that can be used to clean any areas of the house that are sooty or greasy. Use one gallon of warm water for every tablespoon of TSP. To safely do the job, use rubber gloves, goggles, and rags. When cleaning walls and ceilings, ensure that surfaces are dry and not saturated.

Call 911 Restoration For Severe Damage
These steps will hopefully help your home look the same as before the fire. These methods are not enough for most cases of smoke damage. To make your home look new again, contact a professional fire restoration company like 911 Restoration of Central SFV if smoke damage or soot persists, our phone number is (818)-264-4100. Our fire damage restoration team also includes water removal, soot removal, and deodorizing.