The most important thing for a homeowner to do after they’ve experienced a house fire is to contact their insurance company. Afterward, they should inspect every inch to ensure there’s no additional damage. If your house has recently had a fire, you should learn the best way to clean out your home after a fire.
Is a House Salvageable After a Fire?
Depending on the condition, a house may be salvageable after a fire. When it comes to rebuilding, you need a contractor to inspect everything and list what needs fixing, replacing, or removal.
After they list everything out, the contractor will tell you the costs after adding everything up.
Before cleaning your home, remove burned debris and ash piles. After that, scrub your walls and floors to remove stains. However, before you start wiping down the feet, ensure you and your team have N95 masks to avoid breathing in toxic fumes.
How To Clean After a Fire
When you first begin to clean your home, inspect the home for these three types of damage:
- Fire
- Smoke
- Water
Having these three items checked and confirmed can help you identify and fix problems and avoid any discoveries of areas you might have missed.
Create a Checklist
So, as you list things to clean after a fire in your home, consider adding these to your list:
- Remove all debris
- Eliminate standing water
- Replace water-damaged items
- Look for soot and smoke particles and clean all vents of smoke residue
- Toss out irreparable items, including clothes, books, and kitchenware
- Open windows to air out the home
- Use appliances to air out home
If a post-fire cleanup becomes difficult, consider bringing in professionals to make cleaning less stressful.
Cleaning the Exterior
While outside, focus on these critical areas:
- The roof
- Your entryways
- Outdoor living areas
Start by using a power washer on your exterior floors. If you don’t have a power washer, consider using a mix of borax and water, plus the roughest brush you can find.
After cleaning the floors, clean these areas next:
- Porch
- Gutters/roof
- Driveway
- Windows
Cleaning the Interior
It’s hard tackling everything at once when cleaning your interior, so take your time. For instance, start with the walls and ceiling, then move to the ground.
Other areas to focus on include:
- Walls
- Hard surfaces
- Carpets
- Counters
- Bedroom furniture
Things To Toss After a Fire
It isn’t easy to toss items out, but it doesn’t have to be everything you own. So, focus on tossing these objects.
Items to toss include:
- Non-perishable foods
- Burned clothing
- Furniture
- Medication
When learning the best way to clean out your home after a fire, it’s essential to have a 20 cubic yard dumpster rental ready to keep all waste organized.
At Vine Disposal, we know how difficult it is to clean up after a house fire. So to help make cleaning up easier and more organized, rent one of our dumpsters. For more information, contact us here.