Methods for Preserving Personal Belongings After a Fire

In-home fires can be devastating, and not only can they cause heat damage to a home’s structural integrity, but the smoke and soot that results from a fire can easily affect personal belongings in the home’s interior as well. While unfortunately not everything can be saved from the aftermath of a fire, these methods are available for content cleaning after a fire has occurred:

• Dry-cleaning can be attempted before wet-cleaning to eliminate light residue. While there are many ways to clean damaged items, this is the preferred method for smoke or soot-damaged clothing.
• Foam cleaning should be considered for fabrics that are not colorfast or those that may shrink if wet-cleaned.
• Immersion Cleaning requires dipping contents into a cleaning agent.
• Wet-cleaning can then be used for heavier or moderate residue removal.

Restoring Items Constructed From Non-Porous Materials

Not all methods can be used for cleaning all materials. Dry-cleaning should not be used for some items. For example, non-porous materials should be cleaned by using an ultrasonic cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaner uses ultrasound and a cleaning agent to clean damaged items. Cleaning with ultrasound can be useful for preserving an abundance of objects such as jewelry, electronic equipment, and vinyl records.

Cleaning Electronic Items

In the event that personal belongings are moved to content storage during post-fire home renovation, it is wise to keep in mind that time is of the essence when cleaning electronics. After smoke or soot has invaded electrical items, acid that is contained in the smoke residue can begin to corrode metal surfaces. While dry-cleaning clothing may be more of a priority after an in-home fire, electronic items will be hazardous to operate prior to a thorough internal and external cleaning. Local  professionals may be able to assist in the smoke and soot removal from electronic devices.

An in-home fire is something no one wants to contend with. However, items can be saved afterward if proper content cleaning methods are employed.