What You Should Always Throw Away After a Fire in Your Pleasant Hill Home

8/4/2021 (Permalink)

One of the most challenging aspects of a fire recovery is determining what can be saved and discarded. It’s heartbreaking to throw away sentimentally valuable goods, and it seems wasteful to toss food that has been exposed to smoke. The cost of restocking your pantry and refrigerator, on the other hand, is well worth avoiding the potential health effects of eating infected food! So follow our advice and throw away these four items after a fire, no questions asked, for your safety.

1. Burned Clothing

It’s not always a good idea to clean and sanitize fabrics such as clothing and bedding after a fire. Chemicals found in smoke and soot can irritate the skin when they come into touch with it, and those chemicals can be inhaled if the items are worn or used.

2. Cosmetics and Toiletries

Chemicals and minerals in your cosmetics and toiletries could be harmed by the fire’s intense heat, pollutants in the extinguishing water, and chemicals used by firemen to put out the fire. So even though the cosmetics may appear in good condition, it is safer to discard them.

3. Medicine

Tremendous heat, smoke, soot, water, and chemicals used by firemen to extinguish the fire can all impact the potency of your medications.

4. Food Items; Both Perishable and Non-Perishable

Food items such as cans and jars are frequently found in every home. Even if the food appears to be unharmed by the fire, the extreme heat within the cans or jars can activate bacteria. In addition, the water and chemicals used to put out the fire can contaminate the food in the home.

Who To Call for Fire Cleanup?

If your fire damage is sizable, you should call a fire restoration company like SERVPRO of Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda. We have the equipment and skills necessary to clear up any size fire. Cleaning smoke and soot stains, reducing flame and heat damage and returning your property to the way it was before the fire are all part of the process.

Call SERVPRO of Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda today if you need help deciding what to toss away and what can be saved after a house fire. After a fire, our restoration experts will clean up and repair your home. For a free estimate on fire damage restoration services, call (925) 299-1323.