Whether it be smoke, soot, or dangerous chemicals, fires leave a lot of dangerous substances behind. Thus, one essential step of the fire damage repair process is disposing of all items that are not salvageable after a fire. We at Shambaugh Cleaning in Mansfield 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.

Fire Damage Repair in Mansfield

Affected Clothing

Clothing is particularly vulnerable to smoke and soot damage from a fire. You may be able save some of your clothing, especially if it wasn’t hit with the brunt of soot and smoke from the fire. However, you should be selective about what you decide to save. There is no guarantee that you will be able to completely remove the smell from your clothes. Moreover, wearing clothes that still have smoke and soot inside can irritate your skin.

Damaged Textiles

Aside from clothes, other fabric materials like bedding, rugs, drapes and carpet can absorb the smells and chemicals of smoke, soot and firefighting chemicals. The nature of these materials make them particularly vulnerable to smoke and soot because they can absorb large quantities of smoke and soot. Because they can often be too large to effectively clean, especially if the entire item is compromised, it’s probably best to just get rid of these.

Mattresses And Furniture

Just like clothes and other types of textiles, fabric from furniture and mattresses can irritatingly hold onto smells and chemicals you might not be able to get out. Not to mention, these types of fabric could have been structurally compromised by the fire. Once again, restoring them is not impossible, but it is difficult and you should make sure it is worth it before beginning the process. At Shambaugh Cleaning, part of our job is to seriously consult with you about these options so you can make the best choice for your clothing/textile/furniture items.

Food And Medicine

When it comes to food and medicine, the decision of whether or not you should save them is simple. Any perishable or non-sealed food or medicine items should be discarded without a second thought. Keeping these items, even if you are sure they were not exposed, is just not worth the risk of ingesting smoke and soot.

Fire damage and repairs are such a devastating issue for homeowners. Making the difficult decisions of what to do with your damaged possessions after the fire is extremely difficult. Fortunately, you are not alone in this process. We at Shambaugh Cleaning in Mansfield are here to help you make those tough decisions. With compassionate, but realistic guidance on the possible outcomes for your possessions, we can help you choose for yourself what to try to save and what to get rid of.