Fire and Smoke Damage Tips

8/16/2017 (Permalink)

Set up the largest fan you can get, outside the front of your apartment door facing inwards. Turn it on high and blow fresh air in the house. As the smoke rose, it filled in all the little spaces in your apartment and you need to flush it out. Close all the other doors and windows and open one window for exhaust. Secluded rooms might need a second fan pushing fresh air in from another opening.

Remove all the curtains and window treatments from the windows. They will need to be washed or dry cleaned. At the very least, hang them outside to air out in the fresh air to remove some of the smoke particles from the fibers. Rinse down any mini blinds. Any cloth will need to be cleaned or aired out.

Wash down all the solid surfaces with a spray solution of one gallon of water, one teaspoon of dish soap or shampoo and a quarter cup of white vinegar. Use a rag and rinse it often in fresh water. Wipe window sills, baseboards, tables, chairs, shelves, wood or tile floors where the smoke particles might have settled. Very sooty smoke might have left a residue on walls and ceilings that will need to be cleaned.

Vacuum the carpets with a machine that contains a high-efficiency, filter to keep the smoke particles from blowing right back in the room. Use an attachment to vacuum couches and chairs and any exposed cushions. Go over the surfaces to remove as much soil as possible. If the smoke particles persist in the furniture, you might invest in upholstery cleaner to loosen the soil and then vacuum again.

Wash any and all window screens where the smoke exited the apartment. Place them in a tub or shower and use dish soap or shampoo to clean the mesh and then rinse with cool water. If you used an exhaust fan, wash out the filter in the same way. Change the air conditioner filter if it was in use at the time of the fire.

Wash down the front of your kitchen cabinets, especially if it was a kitchen fire that caused the smoke. Wipe all horizontal surfaces down with your cleaning solution.

Mop all the floors that are not carpeted. Several cleanings will be necessary. Dip your mop in the soapy solution, wash the floor and then rinse the mop in the sink under fresh running water. Otherwise, the smoke particles will just float around in your mop bucket and end up back on the floor.