water damage austin service company

Steam Team: How to Properly Remove Smoke After Fire & Water Damage

steam clean austin

steam clean austin

After a fire on your property, you’re going to want to take precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. A fire can be a truly traumatic experience, so it’s important to take the necessary time to process, and heal, and think clearly. Also sometimes you have extensive water damage so taking immediate action action is necessary. 

 

First Things First

 

Once you’ve processed and you’re ready to take action, call your insurance company ASA! Inform them of the event and find out how they will want to proceed. Next, you’ll need to hire a fire-restoration company to help clean up and salvage your property. Since time is of the essence, restoration companies such as our restoration team here at Steam Team are available around the clock to get to work as fast as we can! We’ve covered some tips here on how to handle smoke damage after a fire. Before you do any of it, though, check with your restoration company first.

 

Ventilate Using Box Fans

 

Bring several box fans with you, and place them in all open windows to blow the air out of the room (instead of circulating it around your home).  You might need to double-check your window measurements beforehand, just in case they won’t fit. Once you’re all set, leave the fans running during all hours to ensure that you’re clearing out as much dust, dirt, debris and contamination as possible.    

 

Wear a Safety Mask

 

Don’t forget to purchase dust respirators (such as these by 3M) while you’re out getting box fans. They will guard you from breathing in contaminants at the scene.

 

Use the Appropriate Equipment

 

If you are going to tackle any vacuuming of furniture, carpet, or drapery yourself, use a high-efficiency vacuum cleaner with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. Have several filters on hand and change them often.


A dry cleaning soot sponge helps remove loose soot contamination. Note that discoloration of porous materials is permanent. You can find these sponges online or at a hardware store.