When your home is destroyed by a flood, termites, hail, or even a wildfire, you initially feel out of place and hopeless. The place that was once your sanctuary is now unsafe and unlivable, and you're not sure what to do first. Actually, your first call should be to a home restoration company. They have the equipment to dry out your home, assess the damage, and then make the necessary repairs to make it livable again. It may not be tomorrow, and it may not be next week — but you'll have your home back. Learn more about restoration and home repairs by reading the articles we've collected on this website.
Cleaning up after any home disaster can be overwhelming and take up a great deal of your time and energy. When you have the right tools and professional service and advice to get your home back to its rightful order and cleanliness, it makes cleaning up from fire, smoke, and water damage that can all exist after even the smallest house fire. Here are some tips to help you tackle this type of home disaster, whatever its degree of damage, to get your home and life back in order and on track.
Contact Your Insurance
After assessing a disaster situation inside your home to find what has been damaged and what was spared or is salvageable, you should take the first step in contacting your insurance professional. They can be a great help in not only starting an insurance claim, but they can tell you what steps you should look into next.
For example, for smoke damage to your home, they can recommend a local contractor to clean and efficiently remove the smoke damage to your home interior. They can also help you start preparing for the claim on your end, like documenting with photos and collecting any serial numbers of your electronics. Doing this step can also help your resolve and your confidence in cleaning up after the event, because it is so helpful to know what resources can help you in an overwhelming clean-up.
Clean Up Where You Can
Once you have a good idea of what professional services you can hire and what areas you can complete on your own, you can start working toward righting your home and cleaning up areas of smoke damage. Because smoke travels through your entire home even if the home fire was situated in one part of a room, the smoke can stain walls and furnishings in all rooms of your house. But to remedy, you can clean the soot and smoke damage from painted and wallpapered walls and your ceiling.
Wear rubber gloves and ventilation protection to your face and use an appropriate degreaser cleaner, such as Trisodium Phosphate (TSP). This type of household cleaner is great from removing grease from walls and ceilings, and is safe for home use. Just be sure to follow all safety regulations listed on the TSP container.
Connect With Local Professionals
The next step is to hire a professional remediation company to clean up the hard-hit areas inside your home. This includes items directly damaged by the fire and water or extinguisher contents. A smoke damage restoration company can also help you by handling the smoke damage throughout your home and help you to have laundered your bedding, curtains, and clothing to remove the smoke smell.