While it is necessary to leave the heavy duty clean-up and fire and smoke damage restoration to the experts, there will still be a lot of things left to do after they finish. As soon as they have identified which items can still be restored, it will then be your task to fix everything up and clean every crevice. In order to help you with your DIY restoration project, listed below are some affordable and effective tips.
Safety First
If in any doubt you can call us or get mor information on our website at Denver Restoration Masters but before anything else, you should make sure that you are properly equipped with the necessary safety gear. Soot and ash particles can be easily inhaled once they are stirred up. They can enter your blood stream and cause serious health issues.
Soot inhalation has been linked to certain respiratory cancers and can also cause defects in newborn babies. For this reason, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are discouraged from taking on any cleaning tasks after a fire.
Meanwhile, otherwise healthy individuals can undertake the cleanings tasks after they put on their goggles, masks, and gloves. They should also prepare large buckets filled with warm water, some trisodium phosphate cleaner or TSP, and sponges or rags.
Removing Odor
After the professional restorers have finished removing most of the foul leftover odors, you can then work on spot-treating any lingering smells. Do not use deodorizing sprays or household disinfectants that will only linger in the air without removing the source.
Instead, make use of some more potent household items to help you remove the remaining odor at a molecular level. White vinegar is a known cleaner and disinfectant. While it might seem strange to counter a foul odor with another strong-smelling substance, diluted white vinegar can effectively remove odors from your walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture.
Baking soda is another kitchen product that you can use to eliminate odors through absorption. Simply leave out several bowls full of baking soda around your house and allow it to absorb the lingering smells. You can also sprinkle it over your carpets and upholstery and just dust it off later.
Finally, another natural odor absorber that you can use for your DIY treatments is activated charcoal. Similar to process used for the baking soda, you can also place powdered activated charcoal in bowls around the house to absorb and lessen the remaining smoke odors.
Cleaning and Restoration
If you have the budget, you can take your drapes, carpets, and other delicate clothing to the dry cleaners. They can perform special services that will remove the soot stains and smoke odors.
Otherwise, you can make your own cleaning solution using products that you can find at your local grocery store. Instead of using powdered detergent, use 1 cup of dishwashing solution for every gallon of warm water. Soak your garments and textiles overnight and lander them as usual the following day.
Items that need to be bleached can be submerged in a gallon of water mixed with 5-6 tablespoons of TSP and 1 cup of household chlorine bleach. Again, soak your garments for a few minutes and rinse them afterwards.
Make sure that your carpets are completely dry before you wash them. If possible, remove the carpets from the floor to allow the wood to breathe. Wash your carpets twice to thoroughly remove all dirt and odors.