Salvaging Items After a Fire

1/10/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damaged appliances and other Household items.

A fire can be life altering event potentially costing you and your family both financially and sentimentally valuable items. If a fire does occur in your home, you should immediately contact the IICRC-certified professionals at SERVPRO to handle the cleanup and restoration ensuring you can save as many items as possible. However, there are things that you can do to save some of your items.

Clothing

Sometimes it’s not the fire that causes damage to your clothes but smoke odor and soot. You can sometimes rid these from your clothes by washing them. If the clothes you’re looking to save can be bleached, you can use the formula of four to six teaspoons of trisodium phosphate that can be purchased at paint stores, one cup of Lysol or any other household chlorine bleach, and one gallon of warm water. To wash the clothes, mix this formula together well, add your clothes, rinse them with clean water, and dry them well.

To remove mildew from your clothes, wash the fresh stain with soap and water. Then rinse and dry in the sun. If the stain remains, use a mixture of lemon juice and salt or a diluted solution of household chlorine bleach to handle the stain.

Cooking Utensils

If smoke and soot causes damage to your pots, pans, flatware, or any other kitchen utensils, wash the items with soapy water. Rinse the items off then polish the copper and brass with a special polish, salt sprinkled on a piece of lemon, or salt sprinkled on a cloth saturated with vinegar.

Electrical Appliances

If any electrical appliances have been exposed to water or steam, refrain from using those appliances until you’re able to have a service representative to check them. This is especially important for electrical appliances. While wet appliances can cause electric shock, steam has the ability to remove the lubricant from some of the moving parts of the appliance.

If the fire department turned off your gas or electric in the process of extinguishing the fire, you should contact the electric or gas company to restore service rather than attempting to do so yourself. Often a licensed plumber or electrician must make the repairs before service can be restored.

Rugs and Carpets

If rugs or carpets have become wet during the process of extinguishing the fire, they should be allowed to dry thoroughly. For throw rugs that have become damaged by smoke or soot, you can clean them by beating, sweeping, or vacuuming and then shampooing. Once the rugs have been cleaned, they should be dried as quickly as possible by being laid flat and exposing them to a circulation of warm, dry air. Turning on fans and facing them toward the rugs will speed up the drying process. It’s important to remember that while the surface of the rug may seem dry, there’s usually moisture at the base of the tufts that can quickly cause the rug to rot.

Leather and Books

If you have leather items that have been damaged during the fire, wipe the leather down with a damp cloth. Then use a dry cloth to dry the leather. If the items in question are purses or shoes, stuff newspaper into them which will help the items retain their shape. Leave any suitcases open to allow to dry. To dry any leather items, do so away from heat and sun. Once they’re dry, clean them with saddle soap. For suede items, use steel wool or a suede brush on the items. For any leather or suede jackets, rinse the leather in cold water and then allow them to dry away from heat and sun.

For books that have been damaged by water during the extinguishing of the fire, dry them by placing them on end with the pages separated. After the pages dry, pile or press the books to prevent the pages from crinkling. To prevent mildew from forming on the books, alternate drying and pressing until the books are thoroughly dry. If the pages of the book are very damp, you can sprinkle cornstarch or talc between the pages to help the process along. Leave the pages be for several hours to allow it to work, then brush off the cornstarch or talc. Turning fans on the book will also help it to dry quicker.

Photographs

For many people, photographs are some of the most valuable items they own. Therefore, preserving these items are of the utmost importance following a fire, flood, or other disaster. If the photographs have not been destroyed by the fire, they can usually be saved. It might be tempting to attempt to peel the pages that have been stuck together apart but you should never do this. To separate photos that have been stuck together, soak them in clear, clean water and rinse carefully and thoroughly. Then let the stuck photographs separate on their own. It’s important to dry the photos quickly because if the photographs remain damp, mold could form and damage the photos.

If you suffer fire damage in your home, it’s imperative that you contact the IICRC-certified professionals at SERVPRO to clean up and remediate the structure. While they’ll fully restore your home, there are some items that you can restore yourself. These tips will help you to save some of your most valuable items.