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SERVPRO of South Bronx Safety Tips to Follow Before Fire Restoration Help Arrives
7/12/2018 (Permalink)
Learning that you’ve been affected by a home fire is a devastating feeling. While damages from a fire can often be mitigated with restoration, hiring a professional is key to getting your home properly restored.
Working with a restoration company has several benefits—not only will they work with your homeowner’s insurance company on your behalf, but they will also be able to salvage more items in the cleanup. That being said, many people are curious about what they can safely do as they’re waiting for help to arrive.
While anything you’re unsure about should be left to the professionals, a few tasks can be done while you wait so you can get your life back to normal faster. If you decide you’re ready to start on fire restoration ASAP, here are three things you can safely do:
To begin reducing the smoky smell, open windows and doors if weather allows, for as long as possible. While the restoration team will bring industrial-grade equipment to ventilate further, this is a small step you can take toward helping the process along.
Non-porous surfaces such as tile and countertops can benefit from a scrub with soap and water to cut through the initial layer of grime. Use a mild dish soap or alkaline cleaner with a towel you won’t mind throwing away. Cleaning improperly can result in more severe and possibly permanent damage to your surfaces, so leave anything you’re unsure about to the pros.
Because most things will be washed multiple times, if your washer and dryer have not been affected by the fire, starting laundry right away is a great way to help the cleanup process. Wash clothing, bedding and other machine washable materials with an alkaline cleaner or vinegar solution. However, always leave delicate fabrics, upholstery and curtains to professional care.
If you’ve had damage due to a home fire, SERVPRO®’s team of trained professionals can help your life get back to normal, faster.