If You're Insured

If you’re insured, ask your insurance company for recommendations of companies that specialize in cleaning and restoring your personal items. Make sure you know if you or your insurance company will pay for the cleaning. Be sure to ask for a cost estimate in writing.  

If You're Not Insured

If you’re not insured, you may be able to do some cleaning yourself. However, it’s important to understand the risk to your safety and health. The soot and dirty water left behind after a fire could affect your health. Be very careful if you go into your home and touch any fire-damaged items.

cleaning up Smoke Damage

Smoke odors and soot are difficult to remove, so the work may be best handled by professional fire restorers. However, if you choose to address the smoke damage yourself, keep the following tips in mind:

• Avoid touching soot and ash: It smears easily and will leave oily black stains on everything it touches.
• Ventilate your home: Open windows and run fans. Don’t neglect your attic and other insulated spaces, since insulation often retains odors.
• Vacuuming: If possible, use a HEPA-filter vacuum as it traps tiny particles like soot and ash instead of redistributing them. Avoid using vacuum brushes or rollers, as they can grind soot into surfaces. Let the vacuum do the work; avoid pressing down.
• Filters: Clean or replace the filters in your air conditioner, heating system, and any air purifiers to remove smoke and soot.
• Painted Walls: To remove soot and smoke from painted walls, mix four to six tablespoons of TSP (available in paint and hardware stores) with one gallon of water. Wash a small area at a time. Rinse with water thoroughly and immediately. Consider using a smoke sealer before painting.
• Pillows: It's difficult to get smoke odors out of pillows because feathers and foam retain odors. Replace any affected pillows.
• Locks & Hinges: Locks should be taken apart, wiped with kerosene, and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through bolt opening or keyhole and work the knob to distribute the oil. Hinges should be thoroughly clean and oiled.
• Refrigerator & Freezer: If the inside of the fridge smells smoky or has soot, throw out the food. And do not refreeze frozen food that has thawed. To remove odor from your fridge or freezer, wash the inside with a solution of baking soda and water (or vinegar and water). Baking soda in an open container can also be placed in the fridge or freezer to absorb odor. 
• Rugs & Carpets: Rugs and carpets should be steam cleaned, shampooed, and steam cleaned again—then dried thoroughly.
• Machine-Washable Clothing: To wash the smoke-damaged garments, take them outside and shaking them off to remove any loose soot. Leave them outside for at least 24 hours to let them air out. After they have air dried, spray them down with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Then toss the clothing in the washing machine and add a cup of vinegar and baking soda right on top. Laundry the clothes normally. Before you dry them, machine wash them again with detergent. It may take several cycles to remove the smell entirely.
• Non-Washable Fabrics: For fabrics that are not machine safe, baking soda is an effective odor remover. Put the fabric outside and sprinkle baking soda generously over all surfaces. Allow the baking soda to work for at least a day, and then vacuum it off. Repeat as necessary.
• Electrical Appliances: Do not run wet appliances until you have a service professional inspect them.
• Cookware: Your pots, pans, flatware, and other dishes should be washed with soapy water, rinsed, and then polished with a fine-powdered cleaner.
• Wood Furniture: Do not dry wooden furniture in direct sunlight, as the wood could warp. Remove drawers. Let them dry thoroughly. Scrub wood furniture or fixtures with a stiff brush and a cleaning solution. Wet wood can decay and mold, so dry it well. If mold forms, wipe the wood with a cloth soaked in a mixture of borax dissolved in hot water.

Addressing Water Damage

Water damage is not just unsightly and unsanitary, it can also be dangerous. From wallboards to rugs, items that are not thoroughly dried can sprout mold and mildew. Depending on the level of water damage incurred, it can take weeks or months for your home’s structural elements to be thoroughly dried. Your first task in addressing water damage is to remove any water that remains:

• Remove any standing water. Standing water can lead to additional harm if not removed in a timely manner.
• Dry and dehumidify your property. Keeps doors and windows open with fans running. Or keep them shut and run dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of floors and walls. The proper drying processes can save a home’s structure and provide a safe space for repair and reconstruction.
• Air out soft items. Bring all soft items, such as sofas, clothing, towels, curtains, bedding, and throw rugs, outside if possible. Sunlight and wind will help them dry faster.
• Throw out items that cannot be cleaned. Throw out items that have absorbed water and can't be cleaned or disinfected, such as mattresses, carpeting, cosmetics, and stuffed animals.
• Sanitize your home. Unsanitary water can leave bacteria, odors, and contaminants behind. Removing all excess water and moisture is an important step in restoring a healthy home.
• Replaced damaged drywall. Call a professional about replacing drywall and insulation that has been soaked by water. It can't be dried and maintain structural integrity or resistance to mold and mildew.