It can be overwhelming picking up the pieces after a fire and to a heavily smoke damaged home. If your home has recently had a fire, there is likely fire damage or smoke and soot leftover on upholstery, wood and even leather. At American Restoration, we strive to provide our customers with knowledge on how to restore your belongings and to provide recommendations based on our professional experience. Most items will need a professional touch and our restoration technicians at American Restoration are here to help.
Smoke-Damaged Upholstery:
- The first step to restoring anything upholstered is to take your handheld vacuum attachment or shop vac and clean any leftover soot that may still be there.
- Sprinkle baking soda over the upholstery, letting it sit for 24 hours, and then vacuum. This process can be repeated to your belongings until they no longer smell like smoke.
Leather Furniture: Leather is luxurious and should be treated with extra care.
- First, take your handheld vacuum attachment or shop vac and make sure the surface is clear of any leftover particulates of soot.
- Gently wipe down the area with a soft cloth and a leather soap and conditioner.
- After the leather soap and conditioner, wipe it down with a damp rag with a mixture of warm water and vinegar. Because leather is expensive, be sure not to use too much moisture and to make sure the area is dry afterward.
- To get rid of that stubborn smell, and once the leather is completely dry, sprinkle baking soda over the area and let sit for 24 to 48 hours then vacuum.
Wood Furniture: One of the easiest ways to restore your wood belongings after a fire or smoke damage is to strip the wood and use quality soot cleaning products and wood polishing creams.
- All soot should be removed in a process of vacuuming the wood.
- Then, using a chemical sponge, wipe in straight lines to remove and soot that may be embedded in the grain. You should finish by wiping the wood with a damp cloth.
- Once all soot is removed and you restore your wood pieces with a wood conditioner.
At American Restoration we can work one on one with your insurance, restore your belongings, and maintain a sense of normalcy in your day to day life while we put everything back together. Cleaning up after fire and smoke is a delicate task best handled by the professional and experienced fire damage team at American Restoration Water & Fire, LLC. Our technicians are certified by The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration.
