Whether it be smoke, soot, or dangerous chemicals, fires leave a large amount of dangerous materials in their wake. Thus, one essential step of the fire damage restoration process is disposing of all items that are not salvageable after a fire. We at Sierra Restoration in Hyrum work closely with our clients to help them understand what can and cannot be saved and why damaged items often need to be disposed of for their own safety. Below are four items that should probably be disposed of after a fire.
Smoke and soot have a way of permeating just about everything they touch, and your hygiene and cosmetic products are no exception. Any kinds of hygiene or cosmetic products like makeup, medicine, deodorant, toilet paper and so forth should be discarded. In general, any hygiene products that come into contact with your body should be thrown away if there was any chance they were affected by the smoke and soot from a fire.
Similar to hygiene and cosmetic products, all food materials that came into contact with the smoke and soot from a fire should be discarded. Eating food affected by smoke and soot can be extremely toxic and poses a threat to your health. Overall, you should assume that all perishable non-sealed food should be thrown away after a fire. Perishable food also poses health risks, especially if power was lost. Any refrigerated and frozen food that reaches room temperature should be thrown away, regardless of appearance. If there’s even the slightest hint of smoke or you have any reason to suspect soot has contaminated your food, throw it away to preserve your health.
It is possible to salvage clothes damaged by a fire with minor burns or singes. However, doing so requires a good bit of effort so you must consider if it is worth it or not. Wearing anything that was not properly cleaned also poses a health risk since you would be exposing your skin to smoke and soot particles.
Do not use small appliances, entertainment equipment and other devices until they’ve been checked for water and heat damage. If you’re unsure about their condition, it’s better to toss them than risk starting another fire. Damage from a fire can cause major damage to the electrical systems of these items, even if the damage isn’t apparently visible. Using a damaged item is obviously dangerous since the system could short circuit causing sparks and possible another fire. If the damaged items are that valuable or important and you aren’t sure about their state, have them inspected by a professional before plugging them in again.
Don’t put your health or home at further risk! Make sure you dispose of these items quickly before they have the chance to cause any more problems. To help you know what can and cannot be salvaged, we at Sierra Restoration in Hyrum are here to answer your questions and help you get through the fire damage restoration process.
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