What Can Be Salvaged After a House Fire?

Every fire is disastrous, even if it has damaged only some of the premises in your home. Smoke, soot and flames themselves create a big problem as they are almost everywhere. Add to this water damage caused by extinguishing a fire and you'll be fully disappointed by the state of your home.

People usually strive to get rid of all smoky and sooty items, but that can lead to big expenses. Is there a way out? We have decided to share our experience on what can be salvaged after a house fire.

What Things Should Be Definitely Thrown Away

Let's start with an opposite question: what should be thrown away after a house fire?

There is a short list of items that can be dangerous to be used after fire has damaged them:

• Foods and food containers. High temperature in the center of ignition spoils food. Even in the fridge, it can be overheated and bacteria will grow in it. This also concerns food containers made of plastic or silicon. Their overheating provokes the release of hazardous substances and chemicals.
• Cosmetics, perfumery and medicines. Even if it is a high-priced perfume, just throw it away, please, as you do not know exactly whether it has got spoilt or not.
• Detergents and chemical compounds. They are in use in every home, but after a fire, it is better to buy new detergents.
• Items burnt to the ground. No sense to keep them in the house as they will stink of smoke and soot all around.

The list could be longer as it depends on the condition of your belongings. In some cases, you can salvage almost everything, while in other ones the list of thrown items can consist of dozens of them.

What Can You Salvage after a Home Fire Yourself?

When calculating all the losses after a fire, it is highly recommended to apply for house restoration services and fire damage removing services to get rid of all the consequences of a fire quickly and efficiently. Yet, there are some items you can salvage yourself.

• Porcelain is often uninjured by fire. It can be covered with a layer of soot but this can be improved just by washing it thoroughly with detergents.
• Glass and mirrors that have remained intact. These can also simply be washed to be put in order.
• Leather clothes and leather furniture upholstery. Usually, it is quite easy to take care of leather, so you can wash it and ventilate to make it dry. Then, it is recommended to apply special compounds for leather. Take care not to overdry it!
• Furniture that has not been damaged by fire itself. If the furniture is just covered with soot and smells of smoke, it can be salvaged. Take it from the house, dry and clean using some soft detergents. If there is a constant smell of smoke, it is better to ventilate it for a long time to remove it.

All the clothes and shoes that have not been damaged by fire can also be restored. In some cases, it is enough just to wash them properly in your washing machine. If the smell is still disgusting, just apply for dry-cleaning services. This can help you much. Even if your belongings seem to be damaged considerably, you can salvage them by applying to restoration services.

What Can Be Salvaged after a House Fire by Pros?

If you want to salvage as many things as possible after a fire, it is best to involve professionals in this. The specialists from the post-fire restoration service will be able to soberly assess the amount of damage, clear the rubble in the house and determine which things can still be saved.

With their knowledge and experience, you can restore walls and ceilings, flooring and furniture. In addition to specialized knowledge, such professionals also use special equipment. In particular, they will be able to determine the integrity of the wiring and quickly restore it. Through the use of strong chemicals, the restoration service company can remove soot and grime from walls, ceilings and floors. To eliminate soot and burning odor, chemical concentrates are used, which require proportional dilution with clean water in the proportion recommended by the manufacturer. These products attack aggressively particles of soot and fumes without damaging the coatings. It is not recommended to use them on your own, but in the hands of an experienced serviceman, they can work wonders.

As for furniture, experts will be able to accurately assess what will ultimately come out cheaper for you: restore burnt and damaged parts of old furniture or buy a new one?

And do not forget to ask them to diagnose household appliances and electronics damaged by fire. Such devices very often fail to function even when exposed to smoke, not to mention high temperatures and flames. Only a professional can determine whether a particular device can be salvaged after a house fire.

Do not try to deal with all post-fire routines yourself as with the help of pros you can salvage lots of your belongings, including those which you even don't intend to save. Stay safe, keep calm and get the most you can from the restoration of your house after a fire.