Usually, traces of fire remain on surfaces in the form of black spots – soot, soot, and fumes are very difficult to clean. Therefore, to begin with, it is worth assessing the degree of damage caused and understanding whether it is realistic to put the premises in order even by professionals from a cleaning company. But it’s a huge mess, cleaning after a fire.
Difficulties Of Cleaning Up After A Fire
Since professional cleaning of the premises will be expensive, many people prefer to do this work themselves. But this can be a big mistake because it requires not only expensive special chemicals and equipment but also serious preparation.
Especially if we are not talking about cleaning in an apartment, but, for example, in warehouses or offices, where the front of work is much larger. Particles of tar and soot can remain in the air, they are extremely caustic and harmful, as they enter the lungs and settle there, and also irritate the mucous membrane of the eyes. Therefore, the use of a respirator is mandatory. In addition, you will need to prepare thick clothes, which you can safely throw away. You will also need gloves, goggles, a scarf, and thick-soled shoes.
In addition to processing the surfaces during normal cleaning – eliminating the consequences of a fire, all surfaces, including the ceiling, will need scrubbing on time. And this will require special cleaning products and tools. The list of required tools includes:
- Garbage bags;
- Broom and scoop;
- A vacuum cleaner;
- Polyethylene film;
- A lot of dry rags (at least 10 pieces);
- Roller and spatula;
- Metal brush;
- Specially impregnated sponges (about 5 pieces)
Water As A Disservice In Cleaning After Fire
Water, a common cleaning agent can do a disservice here. If, when cleaning a room after exposure to fire, usually people use water in large quantities, then soot is smeared over the surfaces. It is better to use impregnated sponges with a composition of glycerin, amphoteric and anionic alloys – they just need to moisten slightly before starting work. An excellent assistant is a melamine sponge, it contains a special resin, thanks to which we can wipe off the dirt without a trace, and you don’t have to make extra efforts, and you don’t need water.
Garbage Collection After Fire
The first step is to free the room from things affected by the fire. What cannot be restored can only be thrown away. Books, even those that have survived, will “carefully store” the smell of burning for several years. Reading them, and even just keeping them in the house will become a dubious pleasure. You can try to ventilate carpets and upholstered furniture. And curtains, clothes, and bedding should be washed in a washing machine. The preserved smell of burning on the fabric should dry-clean immediately. One must collect the various fragments and parts of damaged things with a broom in a garbage bag. If there is cracked glass in the doors or windows, carefully removed it so that it will not harm anyone.
Cleaning Up After A Fire
If any houseplants are still alive, then one must remove them from the room and the leaves wiped with a damp cloth. Be sure to replace the ventilation filter and put on two layers of gauze on the outlet grilles.
Dry Cleaning After A Fire
One of the most important cleaning steps is dry cleaning. You should not initially wipe the surfaces with a wet cloth and soap. The settlement of the smallest particles of soot on them, “imprinted” by several millimeters under the influence of moisture. And then you won’t be able to wash them.
When dry cleaning, you should, first of all, provide access to fresh air. Then, with a broom or vacuum cleaner, collect soot and soot from the floor, and cover it with polyethylene. Armed with a spatula, remove the burnt wallpaper. Walk the vacuum cleaner along the walls and ceiling, and clean off the remnants of soot with a stiff metal brush.
Soot should not be smeared, it should be knocked down with sharp movements from top to bottom. Wipe the walls and cabinet furniture with melamine or other impregnated sponges.
Wet Cleaning
To wash the floor, walls, and ceiling, you should use a vacuum cleaner with a wet cleaning function or a steam generator. The cleaning of soot from the walls with a damp (but not wet) rag. For heavily soiled areas, use a metal brush, and first, moisten it with water. Clean the wooden furniture should with a cloth or sponge.
Aqueous solutions used for cleaning are based on water with laundry soap or dishwashing liquid, or baking soda. Now special means for “fire-fighting” cleaning are sold in household chemical stores, as well as on the Internet.
How To Clean The Air Of Small Particles And Odors
The biggest problem in a building after a fire is toxic fumes. And even after putting the house in order, it is impossible to quickly eliminate the smell of burning. It is usually present for another 6-12 months.
The effect of wet cleaning stops the stench for a short time. This happens due to the introduction of resin and soot particles into the very structure of furniture and flooring, and their release occurs gradually. To combat the smell of burning, you can use various methods individually or in combination. In the summer, keep the windows open around the clock, closing if it rains.
It is worth creating condensation in the house by filling the bath and sinks with hot water for an hour and then wiping the droplets from the walls and furniture with dry rags. A vinegar solution eliminates unpleasant odors well, and essential oils partially cope with them. Using a steam cleaner for walls and furniture eliminates the smell of burning for 1-2 days, and an ozonizer will prolong the effect.
Cleaning Service
Sometimes the consequences of a fire can be such that the appeal to specialists in the cleaning industry is inevitable. Then one should keep in mind that the cleaning cost of their services consists of the area of the territory, the region of residence, as well as the equipment that is the requirement in the process. After some time, you can order ozonation or soft blasting (the technology is somewhat reminiscent of sandblasting). With the help of these procedures, the smell of burning will remove completely.
In general, the elimination of the consequences of a fire in a room is a complex of rather complex measures. It is important to carry out dry cleaning as soon as possible so that the absorption of caustic particles will not happen on the surface, providing a persistent smell of burning. When wet cleaning, soot should be removed carefully, without smearing it on the walls. Well, if the pollution is widespread, then it is worth resorting to the help of specialists.
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