How Do I Remove Soot From My Belongings After A Fire At My Hermitage/Donelson Location?

5/8/2023 (Permalink)

If you experience a fire at your Hermitage/Donelson home or business, you'll face many recovery projects. Structural damage will require the help of a fire damage restoration company like SERVPRO, but you can also do some things to get back to normal. 

Let's talk about some steps you can take to restore various belongings after a fire. 

What Are Some Top Tips I Can Use To Restore My Fire-Damaged Fabrics?

Cleaning soot stains from fabrics can be an arduous task since soot is both a dusty and an oily substance. 

Note: Be sure to protect yourself before you begin the cleaning process! Soot and ash can be harmful, whether it settles on your exposed skin or is inhaled. Take proper precautions to avoid exposure to soot, such as wearing gloves while handling or cleaning up soot and ash and wearing long sleeves and pants while cleaning up soot for further protection.

• Take soot-stained fabric outdoors and shake off excess soot; don't shake too vigorously, or you may enlarge or spread the stain. Vigorous shaking can also grind the soot into the material – ultimately making it harder to clean.
• Turn the fabric inside out and rinse it in cool water to remove as much soot as possible. Do not grind the soot into the fabric with your hands; let the cold water do its job and avoid touching it. 
• Fill a bucket with warm water and a measure of laundry detergent, submerge the items, and let the soot-stained clothing soak for at least six hours.
• If the material can be bleached without being ruined, add a few drops of bleach to the detergent/water mixture.
• Use the hottest possible setting on your laundry machine to wash the soot-stained fabric. Use bleach (or color-safe bleach if the fabric requires it) when you run the washing machine.
• Wait to put the fabric in the dryer until you have checked to ensure the soot stain was removed entirely. Otherwise, this could permanently set the stain in the material.

What Are Some Efficient Methods For Cleaning Soot From Hard Surfaces?

In addition to fabrics, your walls and floors will have been affected by soot after a fire. You can use the following methods to clean these surfaces:

• Add one tablespoon trisodium phosphate cleaner to 1 US gallon of warm water. Dip a large sponge into the mixture and scrub the soot off the walls (or another hard surface). After cleansing with the cleaning mixture, rinse the hard surface with a clean wet rag; you might need to repeat this process. Work on one section at a time to scrub and clean as you go.
• Most hard surfaces with soot stains can be cleaned with a sponge or towel and a regular household cleaning detergent, like an all-purpose cleaner. Spray some of the cleaners on the sponge and wipe the soot away. You will need to rinse the sponge periodically so you don't just keep transferring the soot stains as you clean. Start from the bottom and work your way up; this can be very effective in preventing the soot from moving onto other surfaces, which could cause the mess to get bigger or even create a permanent stain.

Suppose the damage to your Hermitage/Donelson home or business is such that it will need extensive restoration or cleaning. SERVPRO can organize an efficient move-out process for the affected areas in that case. Removing your items from the site will aid in a quicker remodeling process and will protect your items from any further potential damage. After the restoration is complete, move-in can be coordinated easily. 

If your home or business has suffered damage from fire, water, bad odors, or mold, you can count on SERVPRO of Hermitage/Donelson to get you back to normal immediately! We maintain the training and equipment to help our customers recover from disasters and emergencies. 

Call us today at (615) 885-3906.

This franchise is independently owned and operated.