Even after a small fire eruption we could face some problems hard to take care off. Although it is easy to get rid off stuff that is partially or completely burned, smoke damage repair could be a much bigger challenge. Smoke is essentially small airborne liquid, solid or gas particles. What happens is that during a fire break out these little particles tend to stick to your walls, ceiling, furniture or any other objects. Not only does it leave hard to clean up stains but also fills the house with a bad odour. Let’s not forget that smoke contains a lot of chemicals which means that inhaling these particles might cause some serious health problems.
First of all, we should act swiftly. Smoke damage repair is most effective immediately after the fire. The longer you let your items sit after being exposed to smoke the harder it will be to remove the damage. After we open windows and try to get as much fresh air possible inside, we should start working with odour and stains.
Smoke odour
Besides the fresh air, there are some simple tricks and home products people use for this. Baking soda is easy to obtain and is well known to absorb the odours. Just sprinkle some around the house, on the floor, in the corners of the affected room or furniture. Baking soda is natural and will not cause any further damage so you can safely leave it for a while like that. If you don’t mind a smell of white vinegar than it could also be a perfect weapon against unpleasant scent. Just pour some into a bowl before mopping the floor and wiping washable walls. Not many people know it, but activated charcoal is not only a great detoxification agent but also absorbs smoke odour really well.
Getting rid of stains.
The second part of your smoke damage repair operation should be getting rid of stains. Before even trying to clean the stains, you should actually assess the damage and figure out if it is worth it. Some damage might be so severe that cleaning will not help and other means of restoration are required. Sometimes nothing can be done and repainting is the only solution. If the layer of smoke particles is reasonably thin then inorganic compound called Trisodium Phosphate should be used to clean discoloration on your walls, floor, ceiling and furniture. Be aware that it might cause severe irritation to your skin if you are not wearing any protective gear, therefore, be sure to wear latex gloves and especially goggles to protect your eyes.
Never forget to ventilate the house well and leave windows open for a while even after taking care of the visual damage done by fire. Also, if anything edible has been exposed to smoke it is no longer good to consume. Throw away any food that might have been covered in dangerous smoke particles. In case you don’t feel like handling all that yourself, there are tons of smoke damage professionals in UK ready to assist you.
