The Dangers of DIY: Cleaning Smoke Damage
The Dangers of DIY:
Cleaning Smoke Damage
House fires can be an extremely traumatic experience for property owners. After a fire, your home will be filled with smoke damage not only affecting the odor of your home but also leaving behind a layer of residue called soot. Overwhelmed homeowners may feel inclined to save money or speed up the process and try to remove the soot themselves. However, they may fail to realize they could be permanently damaging their contents and even putting their health at risk. DIY cleaning can be very dangerous for anyone who is not properly trained and here’s a list of reasons why:
Cleaning Smoke Damage
House fires can be an extremely traumatic experience for property owners. After a fire, your home will be filled with smoke damage not only affecting the odor of your home but also leaving behind a layer of residue called soot. Overwhelmed homeowners may feel inclined to save money or speed up the process and try to remove the soot themselves. However, they may fail to realize they could be permanently damaging their contents and even putting their health at risk. DIY cleaning can be very dangerous for anyone who is not properly trained and here’s a list of reasons why:
Potential Health Effects of Soot Exposure
Soot can enter your body through a multitude of ways if handled improperly including inhalation or ingestion. It can even enter through your skin and eyes. Having proper personal protective equipment or (PPE) will help mitigate that risk. When handling soot, you should always wear a protective n95 mask or respirator to protect your lungs. If inhaled, you could be risking future breathing issues including asthma and bronchitis. However, breathing issues are not the only health effects you would have to worry about. Coronary heart disease and even cancer can develop from soot exposure. Thats why it is imperative to always wear gloves and Tyvek suits designed to protect your skin and clothing from particles and debris.
Visible Damage
After a fire, you may feel inclined to grab all of your important paperwork and valuable items. We highly suggest you wait until a professional restoration company arrives on site. Once on site, you can direct the technicians to your items. They will carefully handle your items to ensure no further damage can occur. When handling soot covered items, you should always wear gloves. The oil from your hands can leave behind fingerprint marks and because of the delicate process of document cleaning, removing soot covered fingerprints can be a fruitless effort. However, paperwork is not the only item you should be worried about damaging. Clothing items, soft furniture, and even countertops and wood surfaces can permanently stain if improperly cleaned. Our technicians are certified and go through extensive training to understand the delicate process of restoration to ensure we help mitigate damage, not add to it.
Odor Control
Removing smoke odor is no easy task. In fact, that’s why it’s important to trust the professionals who have proper training and equipment. Improper cleaning could cause you to be risking long term lingering smoke odor in your home. Materials like drywall, wood, and fabric all require different cleaning methods depending on the level of damage. In fact, many times if the damage is too severe, items must be torn out or replaced all together. Our technicians have all had significant training and experience to recognize when materials may be damaged beyond repair saving you valuable time and money down the road.
Soot can enter your body through a multitude of ways if handled improperly including inhalation or ingestion. It can even enter through your skin and eyes. Having proper personal protective equipment or (PPE) will help mitigate that risk. When handling soot, you should always wear a protective n95 mask or respirator to protect your lungs. If inhaled, you could be risking future breathing issues including asthma and bronchitis. However, breathing issues are not the only health effects you would have to worry about. Coronary heart disease and even cancer can develop from soot exposure. Thats why it is imperative to always wear gloves and Tyvek suits designed to protect your skin and clothing from particles and debris.
After a fire, you may feel inclined to grab all of your important paperwork and valuable items. We highly suggest you wait until a professional restoration company arrives on site. Once on site, you can direct the technicians to your items. They will carefully handle your items to ensure no further damage can occur. When handling soot covered items, you should always wear gloves. The oil from your hands can leave behind fingerprint marks and because of the delicate process of document cleaning, removing soot covered fingerprints can be a fruitless effort. However, paperwork is not the only item you should be worried about damaging. Clothing items, soft furniture, and even countertops and wood surfaces can permanently stain if improperly cleaned. Our technicians are certified and go through extensive training to understand the delicate process of restoration to ensure we help mitigate damage, not add to it.
Removing smoke odor is no easy task. In fact, that’s why it’s important to trust the professionals who have proper training and equipment. Improper cleaning could cause you to be risking long term lingering smoke odor in your home. Materials like drywall, wood, and fabric all require different cleaning methods depending on the level of damage. In fact, many times if the damage is too severe, items must be torn out or replaced all together. Our technicians have all had significant training and experience to recognize when materials may be damaged beyond repair saving you valuable time and money down the road.
Contact American Patriot Restoration
Our experienced team at American Patriot Restoration offer a range of commercial and residential restoration services, including emergency pack outs and fire damage restoration. Should you experience a house fire, leave the job to the professionals. Don’t risk further damages.
If you have any questions about our Fire Damage Restoration services, please contact us today at (217)342-3206.