What Happens To Your Home’s Contents After a Fire

2/27/2020 (Permalink)

Kitchen cabinet fire loss in North Scottsdale, AZ

When a family suffers the trauma of a home fire, life can feel very chaotic. The sense of urgency and danger may soon give way to despair and concern as you see the burned and water ravaged interior of your once clean and organized home. What will become of all of you belongings? Will life ever be the same? From dry-cleaning to disinfecting, there may be hope for many of the items damaged.

How Can Your Contents be Saved?

Along with fire and water damage, you may notice a good deal of smoke odor and sooty residue. There are experts in fire and water salvage and restoration in North Scottsdale, AZ, that can help you sort through and rescue whatever can be cleaned. The following may explain better how this is done.

Many fabrics, such as clothing, curtains, etc., can be salvaged through dry-cleaning, which contains solvents that can remove stains and odor
Non-porous items may be cleaned and disinfected if they are not melted or significantly damaged by the heat
Electronics exposed only to smoke may possibly be cleaned and repaired

Upholstered furnishings, carpets and other porous and items that cannot be dry-cleaned may need to be discarded and replaced. Decisions will need to be made on a case-by-case basis. All contents possible will be salvaged. It is likely that many structural materials will need to be replaced.

What Happens to Items That Have Been Cleaned?
Once content cleaning has been undergone, the items can be put into content storage while the home repairs are taking place. This allows items that have been cleaned and disinfected to be placed where they can be free from re-contamination. This may be a gradual process, but it gives a safe and secure location for your possessions until your home is livable again.
A house fire is never a pleasant experience and can leave people quite unsettled. It might provide some comfort to displaced family members, however to know that through dry-cleaning and other processes, many of their items could be saved.