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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.

Indoor vs Outdoor Air: Which is More Polluted?

Steam Team Marketing Team at Trade Show

Steam Team Marketing Team at Trade Show

It may be difficult to believe that the air you breathe indoors may be more polluted than the air you’d encounter outdoors. This fact is absurd, and only grows more unsettling as we consider that the amount of time we spend indoors versus outdoors is only increasing. All of this may leave us wondering where we can escape to, or at least what can be done to increase air quality. But first, let’s take a glance at a handful of causes to these indoor air pollutants!

 

What’s Polluting Indoor Air?

 

  1. Tobacco Smoke

 

Tobacco smoke is a major pollutant, and its second hand smoke lingers in the air far longer, only to settle onto every surface present.  

 

  1. Mold

 

Mold grows in lickity split and spreads even more rapidly. If you notice a mold issue in your home you’ll need to act quickly! It’s a good idea to call in a professional cleaning and restoration service to ensure that your home is thoroughly treated.

 

  1. Poor Ventilation

 

Inadequate ventilation is one of the most common causes of indoor pollution. This also explains why you may feel worse in humid climates, or in the winter when the air conditioning isn’t running as frequently. Be sure to properly ventilate your home by utilizing kitchen fans or other exhaust fans, air conditioning units, ceiling fans, etc.


 

What Can Be Done?

 

Indoor pollutants can put our health at risk by causing irritated mucous membranes in our eyes, nose, or throat, and an array of other medical conditions. Symptoms are often masked by colds, flus, and other illnesses.  The best thing you can do for indoor pollutants is to eliminate the source(s), and thoroughly ventilate your home.


For a professional touch, consider hiring The Steam Team to thoroughly clean your home and reduce indoor air pollutants!. In no time at all, we’ll have your home looking and feeling pristine and, most importantly, healthy.