Fire Cleaning - Knowing How To Clean

6/19/2019 (Permalink)

These items all were inside of a fire and cleaned by SERVPRO staff.

When cleaning up after a fire, SERVPRO of Ottumwa / Oskaloosa cleaning specialists have to pay close attention to what kind of residue they are cleaning. There are 3 main residue classifications and SERVPRO cleaning specialists are highly trained to handle each one. The 3 classifications are:

Protein Residue: Results from burning meat, fish or beans. The residue is very greasy and sticks to most surfaces. Water based solutions are used to clean this type of residue.

Natural Substance Residue: Results from burning paper or wood. These residues have a dry, powder-like texture. They are the easiest to clean and are removed with vacuums and other dry preconditioning techniques.

Synthetic Residue: Results when the burned material is oil based. Ex: carpets, upholstery, window shades, furniture and toys. These materials produce a thick, heavy, black residue that is easily smeared. If the residue is untouched, it is easily vacuumed away. If the residue is touched, other steps have to be taken to effectively remove.

After a fire, it is best to vacate the building without touching anything and leave the clean up process to SERVPRO trained staff.