On the worst night of your life, there was a house fire. Dealing with the immediate danger and fear is exhausting, and now that you and your family are safe, you still have a huge task before you; getting rid of the acrid smell of smoke.
Removing odors from fire damage requires special care to protect the health and safety of those in the property. The tiny particles that create smoke odor circulate into every nook and cranny of a home; that smoke smell lingers and linger…and lingers. Waiting it out won’t solve your problem. Air fresheners won’t be able to cover the smell, and opening a window only blows away the smell temporarily.
After a fire, nearly every exposed surface and all damaged materials must be removed in order to treat the odor. Only skilled professional cleaners with the proper protective equipment like those at Aladdin’s Cleaning in Lapeer will be able to manage the multistep process. Additionally, cleaning a smoke-damaged house is critical for your family’s healthy living environment.
The chemical makeup of smoke and ash becomes very acidic when mixed with water. Not only does this need to be cleaned up quickly, but it needs to be cleaned up properly. Soap and water, or any other grocery store cleaner won’t break the resulting chemical bonds. Much of the obvious stain may disappear with enough scrubbing, the chemicals that will do the most damage will seep deep down into the floors, walls, ceilings, and any other porous surface where it will continue to eat away for weeks or months.
Soot acts like dust, but these incredibly fine particles of ash stay suspended in the air, waiting to settle onto any surface it touches. Also unlike dust, smoke can permanently stain surfaces, and can’t be easily wiped away with a damp cloth. It may be tempting to cover these stains with a coat of paint, but that just buries the problem, it doesn’t eliminate it.
Smoke damage cleaning is, perhaps, the most complicated form of treatment for a homeowner to accomplish them. Not only does it take a thorough approach and deep remediation of nearly every surface in the building, it can only be done effectively if the areas behind the building’s walls receive treatment as well. Certified professionals, like the experts at Aladdin, have the know-how, manpower, and equipment to complete the task properly.
Smoke odor may remain in upholstered furniture and draperies unless they are properly deodorized. Experienced restorers can suggest counteractants: chemicals or additives that break up smoke molecules and eliminate odors at the cellular level. The exact recommendation will vary with the type of material burned in the fire and the fabrics affected.
Fire restorers also sometimes use an ozone treatment to break up molecules and eliminate odors.
Honestly, most household deodorizing sprays and disinfectants provide only temporary relief. In reality, some sprays may interact with smoky odors and create a more offensive odor.
After the source of the odor has been removed from the property, additional odor treatments may be necessary to release trapped or absorbed odors from upholstery, soft goods and porous surfaces. For example, ozone generators that may help in reducing or even eliminating smoke odor from your house. Our skilled team will identify the most effective treatment for your odor problem.
If you have had a fire, as soon as your family is safe, you need a team with a comprehensive plan to save what is left of your home. Aladdin’s Cleaning & Restoration provides fire and smoke damage restoration to customers throughout Eastern Michigan. Our services include:
For fire damage, smoke damage, soot or odor removal, let our team of fire restoration professionals help you.