Posted by: Chris Laney on August 29, 2019

How to Treat Smoke Damage after a House Fire

When you experience a fire in your home, it is overwhelming to think about returning and restoring your items back to normal. Once the insurance companies have been called and your home is determined to be safe to return to, it's time to begin the process of cleaning the soot and smoke damage from all your personal items.

5 Steps to Treating Smoke Damage

Smoke damage is caused by soot left over from fire and ash. The smell that lingers with the smoke embeds deeply into textiles and porous materials, making it incredibly difficult to remove. Water Out has experience helping homes in Fort Wayne and surrounding areas. While you prepare for our services, here are a few steps you can take to treat smoke damage.

1. Begin by opening up and ventilating your home. The best way to remove a smell is to get fresh air inside the room. Open up windows and doors and use fans where possible to circulate air and push the smoke smell outdoors.
2. Protect yourself from the smoke and soot debris by wearing a ventilator or face mask. Prolonged exposure to breathing in these chemicals can lead to respiratory problems. You will also want to protect your clothes by wearing long sleeves and pants, as well as covering on your shoes to prevent tracking soot into other rooms of your home.
3. Begin with a shop vac and start to vacuum up the loose soot. Be gentle, and do not scrub areas of soot that appear stubborn – this can only cause the soot to stain.
4. Using a dry-cleaning (chemical) sponge, wipe away the soot and smoke. Do NOT skip this step. These sponges hold chemicals that lift stains from walls and will prevent soot and smoke from spreading. If you find all sides of the sponge covered in soot, use a pair of scissors or a knife to cut away the dirty area and expose a clean sponge beneath.
5. Use commercial cleaners. There are products on the market that treat soot and smoke damage. Once you have cleaned the loose soot as much as possible, you can begin to use the product according to the manufacturer directions.

Hire a Professional

At Water Out Fort Wayne, our fire damage response team is here to assist with all levels of fire damage including smoke and soot removal. Our experienced team will assess your unique situation and determine the best possible plan of action. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – our emergency response team is here.