What to Throw Away After a Fire?

When fire comes into a house, it is always a disaster. Not only are all the rooms simply saturated with the smell of burning, but many things also become unusable even without any direct contact with fire. What to do with them? The problem is eternal because it often seems that this particular thing can still be saved and restored. But, in fact, there is an exact list of things that should not be stored after a fire, even if they are dear to you for any reason. We've gathered several tips on what things you should throw away after a fire.

The First Tip on How to Deal With Your Home After a Fire

First of all, if a fire breaks out in your house, of course, you need to call the fire brigade. Only after the source of the ignition has been completely eliminated, you can enter the premises. But, what to do next?

• First of all, stock up on protective clothing. You should not enter the premises after a fire in your casual outfit. You can just screw up some good stuff.
• Before entering the house, make sure that the fire marshal has entered the data on the fire in his documents. It's also important to make sure 911 has powered down your home. Otherwise, there will be a direct threat to your life.
• Inspect all the premises carefully, document all the damage in detail, take as many photos and videos as possible because all this will help you apply to the insurance company for compensation under your homeowners insurance policy.
• Assess accurately what things to throw out after the fire, and, at the same time, start eliminating the consequences, it is imperative to take all the property into an undamaged room or just outside. This will free up the space for a restoration service team and will enable you to make sure of the condition of each item.

At this stage, you can already decide what to throw out after the fire.

What Furniture Should Be Thrown Away After a Fire

Parting with furniture is not easy. But, if your furniture has been damaged by fire, there is simply no other way out.

What should be thrown out after a fire first of all?

• Broken glass. Glass parts of furniture can be replaced without any problems, so first remove the glass shards from cabinets, shelves, mirrors.
• Charred pieces of furniture, especially melted plastic. In fact, if just parts of the furniture are damaged, you can contact the manufacturer and order the pieces that require replacement.
• Upholstered furniture, if it is saturated with the smell of burning. Of course, you can try to re-upholster the furniture with new textiles, but this does not always work. It is also worth disposing of mattresses that have been damaged by fire or by water during extinguishing the fire, as well as those saturated with the smell of smoke.
• As to antique furniture, there is a completely different algorithm. You can try to restore almost all of it because antique furniture is often made of durable wood, which can be restored.

Not only some furniture should be thrown away. There is also a whole list of things that do not belong to the house after a fire.

What Else to Throw Away After a Fire

Find below a list of the items that you have to throw away after a fire. Just take it as a checklist to do after a fire.

• Your damaged appliances. No matter if it is just a food processor damaged by fire or your fridge damaged by water. All of this must not be used as they are a source of a short circuit. Therefore, do not try to save a burned-out mixer, a hair dryer flooded with water, or a microwave melted by fire. The consequences of such a decision can be even more disastrous. Better buy new home appliances. The same goes for electronics, because they suffer even from smoke.
• All the textiles that have been damaged by smoke and fire, especially clothes, rugs and carpets. All of them simply suck in the burning smell, and even a professional dry cleaner cannot get rid of it. In addition, some textiles flooded with water during extinguishing can be damaged by mold.
• Cosmetics and perfumes along with all the detergents and medicines. Each of them includes a wide chemical bouquet that could be hazardous to your health. After soot, heat, smoke have affected the chemical composition of cosmetics or medicines, they can become, if not useless, then very dangerous for use.
• Foods and food containers. Due to high temperatures, even canned food can be a source of harmful bacteria. So, it is better to get rid of it. The same goes for tableware, especially plastic containers. They can release hazardous substances when overheated.

You may ask is there any exception to this list. We can say you can leave the food that was sealed in your freezer or fridge and was not damaged by fire and soot. There are usually lots of items you need to throw away after a fire. But, be sure that when you get compensated by your insurance company, you'll be able to regain all of them to make your life comfortable.