Can SERVPRO Clean Kitchen Contents After Fire Damage?

9/15/2020 (Permalink)

Our experts are available to assist in fire damage restoration efforts right away. Call SERVPRO today.

Morgan Hill Residents Are Concerned About Appliances and Furniture After Fire Damage.

Morgan Hill residents know that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where we prepare meals for ourselves or our family, and of course, the kitchen is usually the most popular place to hang out at a party. After a long day, it is refreshing to go to the kitchen for a cold beverage or to start a fresh coffee pot.

Fire damage to your Morgan Hill kitchen can feel devastating. The sight of soot-blackened walls and grimy furniture is upsetting. However, do not despair. SERVPRO has teams of trained fire restoration experts on hand to put your kitchen back together.

Can I prevent fire damage to my kitchen?

Although we are on hand to help you – we hope you will not need us! Take these simple steps to prevent fire damage to your kitchen:

• Never leave the stove or a hot pan of food unattended
• Be aware of trip and fall hazards such as trailing cords, and fix them
• Do not let pets or young children into the kitchen when you are cooking
• Store dish towels and aprons safely away from the cooker and open flames
• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand – check it is safe for kitchen use, and familiarize yourself on how to use it

Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, a disaster can still happen. In the event of fire damage to your kitchen, call SERVPRO of Morgan Hill / Gilroy as soon as you can. We Are Faster To Any Size Disaster, and we will get your kitchen back to normal as quickly as possible.

Why does soot make such a mess?

Soot forms from incomplete combustion of materials during a fire. Soot consists mostly of carbon but can also have traces of metal, chemicals, and even dust. Soot bonds to surfaces, creating a dark residue that can be very difficult to remove.

Soot particles are tiny – smaller than dust or mold – making it easy for them to settle on materials and stick there.

There are different kinds of soot:

• Dry soot is the most straightforward kind of soot to remove
• Wet soot happens when fires burn low and slow and is particularly difficult to remove
• Oily soot comes from burning plastics and rubbers and is greasy and hard to clean
• Protein soot comes from burning proteins, and is most common in the case of kitchen fires – it smells terrible, and the smell can linger long after the fire is out

Soot is notoriously hard to clean, which is why you should call SERVPRO. All our technicians undertake Institute Of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) training, and are well-versed in handling every type of soot.

Can you clean my wooden furniture?

We will assess wooden furniture and let you know if we can salvage it. If the surface is badly blistered or warped by the flames, it may need refinishing. However, if the main problem is soot stains, we have a range of cleaning methods to help.

Dry cleaning is better for unfinished wood, such as inside drawers or at the back of units, because it does not push the soot deeper into the unprotected grain. For finished wood, we have a range of detergents suitable for wood furniture. We can also carry out semi-refinishing to deal with heavier soot damage, or where the furniture has water stains from fire-fighting efforts.

Can you help with soft furnishings?

Yes – SERVPRO can clean and restore upholstery, drapes, and blinds after a kitchen fire. Our team will advise you on the best cleaning method for each item and get your approval before commencing work.

For some items, such as Venetian blinds, dry cleaning, or ultrasonic cleaning, are ideal. Ultrasonic cleaning pushes tiny bubbles of cleaning solution deep into the stained material to loosen and remove soot particles.

For delicate upholstery, spot cleaning may be a better choice. Spot cleaning uses a carefully-chosen cleaning solution and focuses only on affected areas rather than soaking the entire surface.

What about my appliances?

Soot damaged appliances can be tricky to clean. Our technicians know which cleaning solutions are the safest and most effective on different kinds of devices. We start by dislodging as much soot as we can with dry cleaning to minimize the cleaning fluid we use on your appliances.

We are also mindful of the risks when operating an appliance after a fire. That is why we have an authorized electronic service company check and confirm each machine's safety before turning it back on.

Can SERVPRO help with the smoky smell?

Yes – we use air scrubbers, odor-eating pellets, and, if necessary, a fogger or an ozone generator, to remove odors from your kitchen. We know that kitchen fires can leave a particularly smelly residue, and your kitchen must smell fresh again so you can feel comfortable there.

For help with fire damage cleanup, call SERVPRO of Morgan Hill / Gilroy at (408) 500-0657.