Smoke Damage Requires Professional Help

1/31/2022 (Permalink)

The aftermath of a dryer fire in NJ.

Smoke damage can make your home a dirty, smelling mess. Whether you’ve suffered a major fire catastrophe or had smoke damage accumulate from the presence of fire in your home, you want to start cleaning up smoke stains as soon as you can in order to prevent permanent damage.

Our team at SERVPRO of Hackensack/Little Ferry has seen our share of fire incidents as Professional Cleaning and Restoration Leaders in this community so, we know what smoke damage can do to a home.

Make Sure the Area is Safe

If your incident was a small kitchen grease fire, there is probably minimal risk. However, if the fire burned through a significant section of your home, you want to be sure the area you enter is structurally sound and cleared by officials before anyone can attempt to start fixing it.

Dispose of Everything that Can’t Be Salvaged

The first step of the cleaning process is to get rid of everything that can’t be saved.

Be especially wary of food that may have been contaminated, plastics that may have melted, or materials that are too stained to be cleaned.

Vacuum Up Debris

We have specialized equipment to clean up debris.

Soot is greasy, it is best to wait for a professional to clean soot-stained surfaces than make a bigger mess.

Clean up Odors

You can clean some fabric and upholstery yourself that may have avoided smoke stains may still have absorbed odors.

If you have fabrics that are dry clean only, be sure to take them to a dry cleaner that specializes in smoke removal or fire treatment.

For fabrics that can go in a washing machine, add a cup of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda to your regular load to clean the smoke damage. A mixture of white vinegar and baking soda can also be used to spot clean carpeting and upholstery.

Seal Surfaces

Even after a full cleaning, there may still be some lingering stains and odors. To mitigate this, we use a sealing primer.

We use specialized sealers for different surfaces. For example, on painted walls, we use a stain concealing primer followed by a topcoat of latex paint. For wooden surfaces, we use a sealer designed specifically for wood or particleboard.

If you need professional assistance in cleaning up after a fire incident, SERVPRO of Hackensack/Little Ferry is here to help. Our specialized technicians have the advanced training and equipment needed to clean and restore your property, helping you get your life and property back to normal ASAP.