Rules and features of cleaning after a fire

People who have experienced the shock of a fire are faced with another problem - soot on the walls and furniture, as well as a persistent burning smell.

If the fire was not severe and the interior items, as well as flooring, wall coverings and ceilings can be saved, you need to start cleaning immediately.

Read the article about cleaning up after a fire - what to do first, how to get rid of the burning smell and eliminate the consequences of a fire.

Priority actions

Cleaning up after a fire cannot be delayed. The longer soot and soot remain on the surface, the more difficult it is to get rid of them. To eliminate the consequences of a fire you will need the following equipment:

• brushes;
• old rags;
• broom and dustpan;
• garbage bags;
• vacuum cleaner;
• putty knife;
• basin and bucket;
• plastic film, tape.

Priority actions:

1. First you need to open all windows and doors, create conditions for maximum ventilation.
2. Then you should take care of your own safety: wear gloves, a hat, and glasses. If necessary, use a respirator. You need to clean in clothes that you won’t mind throwing away later.
3. Things that were at the epicenter of a fire most often cannot be restored. We'll have to get rid of them. They are the source of the acrid burning smell. The remaining items are taken out into the fresh air, having first removed the layer of soot from them.
4. Curtains and carpets are removed and bed linen is sent for washing.
5. Clean off the remains of burnt wallpaper, roll up baseboards and cornices. Damaged fragments are taken to a landfill.
6. Large debris is swept away with a broom. Fine dust and fumes can be collected with a vacuum cleaner. With its help, all hard-to-reach places are cleaned. You can use a special attachment for walls and ceilings. Use a brush to go over the areas behind the batteries.
7. Most often, the floor remains intact during a fire, except for the place where the fire raged. Therefore, it needs to be swept and covered with plastic wrap. This will prevent it from becoming contaminated with soot during cleaning.
8. If there was a bookcase in the room, it will have to be emptied. Books are thrown away because it is impossible to remove the burning smell from the paper.

After dry cleaning is completed, they begin to get rid of the burning smell.

How to get rid of the burning smell?

Getting rid of the burning smell after a fire is the most difficult thing. It is absorbed into all surfaces, remaining inside for a long time. This is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous, since the gas released can cause poisoning. When settling on the surface of the lungs, toxins enter the bloodstream, so even during cleaning it is necessary to take care of personal protective equipment.

There are several effective ways get rid of burning smell:

1. If the smoke was insignificant, you need to open the windows and doors. A fan will help speed up the air cleaning process. It is not recommended to use air conditioning, as the air will circulate indoors. In this case, burning particles will settle on the filter, and it will have to be cleaned.
2. You can deal with unpleasant odors with water. To do this, fill all the containers in the apartment with it and place it around the room.After some time, the smell should decrease.
3. Wet towels absorb burning smell well. They are moistened generously and hung around the apartment. As the towels dry, they are moisturized.
4. Boiling a pan of water to which vinegar has been added helps quickly neutralize the burning smell. For 3 liters of liquid use 0.5 liters of acid. When carrying out the procedure indoors, you need to open windows and doors. It is best for people and pets to stay outside during this time. However, it is necessary to monitor the water level so as not to provoke a new fire. After an hour, the smell should disappear.
5. Steam cleaners do a good job of removing odors. They work on all available surfaces.

An effective remedy for combating burning smell is a mixture of vinegar, water and ammonia. For 1 liter of water you will need 1 tablespoon of ammonia and acid. The resulting composition is used to irrigate all objects from which a burning smell emanates. After half an hour, they need to be wiped with a clean damp cloth.

You can learn how to remove the smell of burning in an apartment after a fire from this articles.

How to eliminate the consequences and remove soot yourself?

After dry cleaning is completed, wet surface treatment begins. There is no need to purchase expensive cleaning products for cleaning. You can prepare the liquid for treating walls and ceilings yourself.

Recipes for improvised means:

• soda ash and hot water - 0.5 liters of liquid will require 2 tablespoons of cleaning agent;
• dishwashing liquid and water - take 3 tablespoons of product per 5 liters; before use, the composition must be foamed well;
• alkaline toilet cleaner - before use it must be dissolved in water, 1 cap of gel is used for 3 liters.

While cleaning the room you need to consider the type of surface:

1. Washing laminate flooring. Stubborn stains that cannot be cleaned with conventional means are removed with a solvent.
2. Plastic can be cleaned with gasoline or kerosene.
3. Glass is washed using water to which alcohol is added. It is most convenient to wipe them with crumpled paper.
4. Wood strongly absorbs soot, which complicates the cleaning process. To remove carbon deposits, use a grinding machine to remove the top layer. However, this method is not suitable for processing polished surfaces. They are washed with liquid products.
5. Painted surfaces are cleaned with alcohol diluted with water in equal proportions.

Even after careful treatment, a burning smell may remain in the room. Room scenting agents will help speed up its elimination:

1. Coffee beans are ground, poured into a saucer and placed in rooms for a day. The aroma of coffee will fill the space, displacing the smell of burning.
2. The lemon is cut into slices and placed in a pan of boiling water. Leave the gas on for half an hour. There is no need to cover the pan with a lid.
3. Heat a dry frying pan on the stove and place several clove inflorescences on it. When the smell fills the room, turn off the gas. You can also spread the seasoning around the room.
4. Fresh aromatic plants neutralize foreign odors well. They are laid out on paper and left to dry. For this purpose, sage, mint, wormwood, spruce branches, pine or spruce branches can be used.

Cost of specialist services

If you cannot clean the room on your own after a fire, you need to hire specialists for help. They have professional cleaning products, tools and equipment in their arsenal to completely eliminate the consequences of a fire.

Finding a crew is easy. Cleaning companies advertise on the Internet and in newspapers. It is better to entrust the cleaning to a large organization that has good reviews and recommendations.

The average price for cleaning a room after a fire starts from 200 rubles per square meter. The final price will be announced after assessing the volume of work to be done.

Helpful information

Tips to help you clean your room after the fire:

1. Movement between rooms should be limited as much as possible. If the fire did not affect any rooms, they need to be isolated. This will prevent soot from spreading throughout the apartment.
2. During cleaning, you must ensure the cleanliness of equipment. If it gets dirty, soot will cover clean surfaces.
3. It will not be possible to avoid walking to the bath and back; in order not to spread dirt, you need to lay old sheets and towels on the floor.
4. When cleaning, we must not forget about indoor plants, which were also damaged by the fire. They are watered and the leaves are wiped with a damp cloth on both sides.
5. The air duct and air conditioner filters need to be replaced.

Conclusion

Cleaning up after a fire takes a lot of effort and time. You can handle it yourself if the fire was minor. They resort to the help of specialists when the consequences are serious.