Cleaning after a fire

The most terrible event that any person can face is a fire. Modern methods of firefighting are effective enough, and the fire of a building will most often be liquidated quickly enough, but the apartment will still suffer and owners will have to clean the house after a fire.

It's easier to entrust hard work to cleaning companies, as their specialists know how to wash off sooty soot, and also remove the smell of burning from the apartment. At the disposal of experts there are such chemical means that are not easy to get. Of course, it is much harder to wash all the consequences with one's own efforts, but due to the fact that after a fire, there will most likely not be any extra money for specialists, one will have to rely only on oneself.

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Basic precautions for cleaning

Before cleaning the apartment after a fire, protect yourself from the harmful substances that filled the rooms:

1. Get your hands on gloves, and on your face - a respirator and a gas mask.
2. . Cover hair with a kerchief or a special cap.
3. Choose clothes for work the oldest, which after harvesting can be thrown away. Clothes should always cover your hands and feet.

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Tools

The most difficult part of cleaning a room after a fire is to wash the soot and get rid of the smell of burning. For this work you will need the following tools:

• Rags( the more, the better).
• Broom.
• Plastic bowl.
• Powerful vacuum cleaner.
• Special chemical sponges for cleaning apartments after a fire.
• Spatula.
• Rigid brushes.
• Roller and tray for it.
• Brush( about 30 mm wide).

You will also need special chemicals, which we will discuss below.

Important! Begin cleaning after a fire is necessary with the creation of a draft: open all the windows and doors, so that the fumes quickly disappeared from the premises of the .

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Cleaning after the fire

Of course, the picture of the burned apartment is a horrifying sight, and everyone is confused by the variety of problems. Gather all your willpower and act step by step.

Stage # 1.Get rid of the garbage

After the fire, unfortunately, most items become unusable, so cleaning after a fire, start by cleaning the room of burned objects. Throw away anything that is too damaged by fire. Collect all such garbage and take it out of the affected apartment.

Important! Perhaps you will have to part with books, even if they are not badly affected. It is impossible to wash them, but the fumes they absorbed can not be removed.

If the furniture is charred or burned, then it will not be possible to save it. But if it looks smoky, then it is possible to restore it. Take out furniture to fresh air and leave to ventilate, and then contact the specialists.

Important! Independently remove the traces of fire and soot from the furniture you will not get, but the specialists-restorers have effective cleaning methods - both wooden and leather, and upholstered furniture.

To the garbage must be attributed and burnt wallpaper. Remove them from the walls with a spatula. Various plastic interior elements( skirting boards, cornices, etc.) must also be discarded. Throw out and have hopelessly damaged doors and windows.

Important! If carpets, curtains and paths are not affected by the fire, but have a terrible smell, then it is possible to save them. Carpets and paths can be turned into dry cleaners, and soot from curtains and curtains will be removed after thorough washing.

Tips:

• The sooner you start cleaning the room, the less burning and soot will absorb into furniture and walls, which means that cleaning the apartment after a fire will be more effective.
• Free the apartment to the maximum. The room should remain "bare" walls.

Stage # 2.Start dry cleaning

Thorough cleaning with dry cleaning. If the floor is more or less contaminated, then cover it with a film, covering the joints with adhesive tape. The main cleaning of the premises after a fire start in this way:

1. Clean the walls and ceiling from the remains of paint and wallpaper.
2. Use a broom and a hard brush to mark all dirt on the floor( act directly with sharp movements).

Important! Do not grind soot over the walls, otherwise it will not be possible to remove it from the room.

1. Carry out a dry cleaning of all surfaces with a powerful vacuum cleaner. Pay special attention to cracks.

Important! If possible, use a sandblasting machine to clean all surfaces.

1. Use special chemical sponges for cleaning. Such funds, impregnated with a special composition, will be useful to wash soot and fumes. Work from the top to the bottom, cutting off the sponge layer by layer during operation( as soon as the upper part of the sponge clogs, remove it.).

Once the dry cleaning of the apartment after the fire is over, proceed to the next stage.

Stage # 3.Wet cleaning of the premises

Wash only after the main dirt has been removed with a vacuum cleaner and brushes.

Important! If you immediately begin to wash the rooms, then more sootre soot in the surface of the walls, and then you can not get rid of it ever.

For wet room cleaning, prepare:

• Special detergents. You can use a liquid detergent for dishes or a solution of soda( 2 tablespoons and 2 items of hot water).
• Rags, containers with water.
• Rigid brush.

Important! Cleaning the house after a fire, follow the precautionary measures: always use rubber shoes on a thick sole. Wear heavy rubber gloves. Protect the respiratory system and eyes with eyeglasses and a respirator.

Carry wet cleaning as follows:

1. Soot is washed off with light movements from top to bottom, each time changing the solution to a new one. Repeat the procedure several times until completely cleansed.
2. The remaining soiling should be washed with a hard brush dipped in the prepared solution.
3. Allow room to dry thoroughly.
4. After wet cleaning, treat the walls with a sealant to neutralize the sooty soot.
5. Apply a deep penetration primer to the cleaned surfaces.

Important! Not always even the most diligent washing helps to get rid of the smell of burning, so additional air purification is necessary.

Stage # 4.Clean air from burning

Cleaning companies clean the air in the premises after a fire with the help of ozonizers. Many firms provide a service - the device for hire. Take advantage of this service as much as possible, because ozone is one of the most powerful disinfectants. He quickly removes all objects from the burning in the room, and it is very easy to use: switch on the device and leave it for a while( from several hours to a week).

If the ozonizer is not available to you, use the following recommendations and tips:

• Place a pan of hot water on the stove and let it simmer for several hours.
• Hang out towels, sheets, soaked in diluted vinegar throughout the apartment. Periodically change the soiled cloth.
• Turn on the hot water in the bathroom and open the door.

Prepare a special chemical solution to remove the smell of burning from the apartment. You will need:

• Glass container with thick walls.
• Baking soda - 40 g.
• 10% ammonia - 40 ml.
• Hydrochloric acid - 40 ml.

Prepare the solution as follows:

1. Fill the soda in a glass container.
2. Add liquid ammonia.
3. Cautiously stir products.
4. Add hydrochloric acid( gradually, in small portions) to the vessel

Important! A dense white smoke begins to rise from the container. It removes odors from the premises well. Leave the vessel with a mixture in the apartment for a day, and then carefully ventilate the room.

As you can see, cleaning up the premises is not so easy, but after all the procedures you can safely proceed to repair, because the smell will not return. If you have to clean the house after a huge fire, then it is more appropriate to consult the services of cleaning companies. They will cope with the problem much faster and more efficiently. They have in stock not only equipment and special means that can speed up cleaning several times. Specialists will take out garbage on their own, and also clean carpets, furniture and even small items, prepare the house for further repairs.