Every year, hundreds of thousands of fires occur all across the United States. Even though many of these are small and do not cause too much destruction, they still cause smoke damage which can prove challenging to remedy.
When dealing with fire, putting it out is just the beginning of a multi-step process. The smoke that has built up must also be eliminated as soon as possible before it leads to even more damage.
So what steps should you take a fire? And how do you clean up smoke damage?
If you are in the Minneapolis area and are worried about fire and smoke damage, there are many home and commercial cleaning companies that can assist you. If you are in an adjacent city, there are numerous companies that you can call for smoke cleanup. Andover, Coon Rapids, and Anoka, for example, all have professionals available to assist you after a fire. But before contacting them, here are some things you can do to start cleaning up smoke damage:
- Wear safety equipment. Before entering a property that has fire damage, be sure you are wearing proper safety gear. Protect your eyes with goggles, your hands with gloves, your legs and arms with long pants and long-sleeved tops, and your feet with boots. It is also a good idea to wear a mask. Smoke, soot, and toxic particles might have been released into the air, and they might come into contact with your eyes and skin or get inhaled and cause irritation or asthma.
- Don’t delay. Start the first stage of cleanup as soon as possible. Delaying this step will only worsen soot buildup and spread the smoke smell to more areas. Gather cleaning materials such as sponges, rags, and a vacuum cleaner. Prepare common household cleaning products such as hot water, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and vinegar. These things can help get rid of the lingering smoke smell as well as soot buildup.
- Maximize airflow. Having fresh air flowing in and out of a fire-damaged property reduces the risk of inhaling toxic and dangerous fumes as well as preventing smoke from permeating other rooms of the structure. To get proper ventilation open all the windows and doors and place electric fans throughout for better air circulation. Don’t depend on the HVAC to provide fresh air, though. Smoke damage might have reached the air ducts and turning it on will only spread the smoke and soot around.
4. Call a professional. Depending on the severity of the situation, you might benefit from a professional smoke cleanup service. Sometimes, fire can cause bigger problems that will require professional home or commercial cleaning services. Minneapolis, Andover, and nearby cities have numerous companies that offer this type of service, and if you need one, simply go online and look up “home cleaning services Minneapolis” or “commercial cleaning services Minneapolis” if you are in Minneapolis, for example, or “smoke cleanup Andover” if you are in Andover.
