Be safe and be sure the fire is out before you do anything else! 

Once it is safe to return to the home, it is very tempting to want to clean everything yourself because it is YOUR home, and you want it to be livable for you and your loved ones.  That can be a mistake! With some surfaces and some cleaners, cleaning on your own can cause more damage than the fire did. ServiceMaster technicians use special cleaners and professional techniques to remove the residual soot and smoke from your home. Proper cleaning is also needed so you will not be breathing in dangerous particulates that are harmful to your health. So, what do you do? What should you be sure to not do?  

First, call ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points to come help! Unfortunately, time is of the essence here because depending on what burned in the fire, the residue can contain acids that will etch your solid surfaces such as countertops, mirrors, windows and other glass surfaces, and many metal items. Improper cleaning can also stir up small particulates that had settled, making the air more dangerous to breathe. This residue can cause permanent damage to surfaces in as little as 48 hours! 

After talking to our technicians and claims coordinator, we find these are very common actions customers do not know to do or to avoid after a fire, and common questions we hear. 

Do’s 

• If the temperature is above 60 outside, open the windows and doors to air out the home. This will help reduce the smoke odor. 

• Turn off your air system and replace all your filters. Smoke and soot get EVERYWHERE! Turning off the air stops it from blowing it out of the ducts and into your lungs. New filters will help hold larger particulates in the vents until they can be cleaned. 

• Discard any open consumable sources such as food, drink, cleansers, and lotions. They are contaminated and you do not want to be eating, drinking, or rubbing them on your body. Remember that the refrigerator is vented for air flow and the pantry and cabinets are not airtight even with the doors closed so open containers inside must be discarded too. 

Don’ts 

• Do not touch any soot-coated surfaces with your bare skin. Oils on your skin can cause the particulates to permeate the surface, leaving permanent damage. 

• Do not wash the walls or any other porous surfaces. Household chemicals can also cause the particulates to permeate these surfaces. 

• Do not wash your smoke-damaged clothing in your own washer and dryer. Improper cleaning will cause more damage to the clothing. Washing soot-covered clothing will contaminate and potentially ruin your washer and dryer with the residue coming off the clothing. Have a professional restoration dry cleaner help you with all textiles affected by the fire in your home. 

• Electrical issues are common after a fire. Check all your electrical appliances carefully before plugging them back in for use. Better still would be to have them checked by a professional before use. 

• Do not plug into any outlets on wet surfaces like walls, floors, or ceilings. There might be water trapped behind the plate, and using them could start a new fire. This may sound odd after a fire, but most household fires are put out with water which can then become trapped behind the outlets. 

FAQ’s 

• Why are my walls still smoke colored if they have been professionally cleaned? 

  The special sponges and cleaners we use remove the smoke and soot particulates from the surface of the areas cleaned. These areas are still stained from the original damage so you will need the contractor doing repairs to paint the wall with a sealant then the paint you want to see. 

• Why does my house need to be fogged after a fire? 

  After the structure, including the ducts, have been cleaned thermal fogging is used to neutralize odors wherever the smoke traveled including places other cleaning processes cannot reach. 

• Why does my house still have a smoke smell after being professionally cleaned and fogged? 

  Drywall absorbs smoke odor very easily and will emanate this odor slowly over time if it is not sealed. The occupants may detect an odor even after treatment, so it is important to seal the drywall AFTER the structural cleaning removes the soot and surface particulates but BEFORE repainting it as part of the repair process. 

• Why is fire damage restoration time sensitive? 

  Ash and smoke continue to damage whatever they touch even after the fire is put out. In minutes, they discolor walls and other surfaces. In hours, they damage finishes on appliances and flooring. After that, they can start etching glass and tarnishing metals. This damage will continue until the restoration is completed. 

• I want to get rid of the stuff that burned in the fire. Why do I need to wait before throwing out anything I deem unsalvageable? 

  If you are working under an insurance claim, it is common to require documentation of the damaged item before you can be reimbursed for the loss of personal contents. What is required (photos, purchase receipts, serial numbers, etc.) is specific to your policy so you need to consult with your adjuster before you get rid of anything so that you can properly document your damages. Pack out crews often help with this documentation while helping you remove your possessions to be professionally cleaned away from the home while the building itself is being cleaned and repaired. 

• How do I know what my policy covers? I want to replace or repair items not directly damaged by the fire itself. 

  ServiceMaster works for you during a fire and smoke damage restoration, not for your insurance carrier. We are not able to make any policy or insurance related decisions or interpretations so all questions related to what your insurance company will allow or pay for should be directed to your claim adjuster. Any policy coverage questions could potentially also be answered by your insurance agent or broker. While we do work with your adjuster to help provide the best service possible during a claim, we are not able to guarantee any service or repair will be covered without prior adjuster approval. 

ServiceMaster of Gwinnett and ServiceMaster 5 Points Athens have more than 30 years of experience providing cleaning and restoration services to our local community. We know communication is vital, so we provide the technicians and office staff to hear you when you need something and take the time to make sure you understand what we are doing--and why--every step of the way. While we see this kind of loss every day, we understand that it may be the first time you have ever had to go through this trauma.  Let us use our expertise to lessen the pain of the process.