The aftermath of a house fire is stressful and challenging. On a practical level one of the first challenges is determining what can be saved and what must be thrown away. You might be surprised what can be saved, especially with professional restoration services on your side. Unfortunately, there are some things that should always be thrown away due to health and safety concerns.
Burned Clothing and Bedding
While damage caused by smoke and soot can generally be cleaned from soft goods like clothing and bedding, any fabric items that have been burned are considered unsalvageable. This is also true of some types of furniture, specifically those whose structures are irreparably damaged by being burned.
Medications and Cosmetics
If there is any sign of warping, soot, or smoke on any makeup or hair products, they must be disposed of and replaced. Beauty products that were open, or unsealed, should also be disposed as soot and smoke will have contaminated the product and it is no longer safe to use. Any medications that have been in areas with prolonged heat, regardless of whether or not damage is visible, should be carefully disposed of.
Food
Any perishable foods in your home that were open to the air, or left at room temperature during the fire, should be thrown away. If your fridge was left off for four hours or more, you need to dispose of its contents as well. Canned items that were in direct contact with the flame or smoke, should be tossed. It can feel like a waste to throw all that food away, but it is not worth taking chances with your health.
Beyond these three things, there are many nearly miraculous processes and techniques that can be used to bring your possessions back to life after a fire, which is why it is best to work with a professional fire restoration company like RCC DKI. Our experts will inspect your home and give you advice on what can be saved and what is best to be tossed out. Using the latest techniques and technology in contents restoration, RCC DKI will restore as many of your belongings as possible to their pre-loss condition.
Call or email us today to learn more about our contents restoration services available in Brooks, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.