The aftermath of a fire in your home can be overwhelming and if you delay getting the restoration started, repairs will cost more in the end. To avoid the potential problems that can come up from delaying fire damage restoration, it’s important to prioritize the steps in the cleanup process.

Contact Fire Damage Restoration Contractors

The first and most important step to take is contacting fire restoration services to assess the damage, provide you with an estimate and begin the cleanup process. You should call your insurance company for a list of companies you can use in your area. You must choose a company that is licensed and insured to reduce the risks of any further damage to your home. These companies are trained to handle all types of damage involved with fires.
• Companies trained in fire restoration will make all attempts to save as much of your home and personal belongings as they can.
• Professionals will document all items removed from your home by taking pictures and/or keeping written records.
• Professionals will return any items that are salvageable back to your home once the fire restoration is finished.
• Professionals will also work as quickly and as carefully as possible to get you back in your home as quickly as possible. They will also maintain contact with you to ensure the repairs were done correctly and to see if you’re having any other issues.

Start the Fire Damage Cleanup Process Immediately

There are steps you can take before the professionals get to your home. These steps will help minimize the initial damage before the major cleanup starts. Safety should always come first. If you can’t get into your home safely then don’t try. Wear gloves, long sleeve shirts and pants and the right respiratory protection to limit exposure to soot that can lead to other problems.
• Ventilate. Proper ventilation is key to moving a lot of the polluted and unsafe air out of your home. Open all the windows to air the house out and do this for as long and as often as possible. Use fans to push dust and contaminated air out of the house. The professionals will use industrial strength fans and other air-movers once they arrive to speed this process along. This will limit smoke damage.
• Cleaning. Use soap and water to scrub and wipe all the surfaces in the home. This includes inside the cabinets and drawers. There are alkaline cleaners you can use that will neutralize the acid that is found in soot and will reduce the smell of smoke. Counteractants can also be used to break up smoke molecules to further eliminate odors, but these should be left to the professionals as they are chemicals that can be unsafe if used incorrectly.
• Laundry. Anything that can be machine washed should be and you might have to wash them more than once. Delicate fabrics should be left to the dry cleaners that deal with smoke damage. Make sure you only use your washer and dryer if they haven’t experienced significant fire damage.

Fire Damage Restoration & More in Quincy, Macomb, Hamilton, Warsaw & East Alton Illinois | Hannibal, Missouri

A professional fire restoration company will thoroughly clean you home with industrial-strength products and equipment to ensure your home is safe to live in again. Contact American Hometown Services for professional fire damage restoration services.