After a fire, every homeowner's concern is the cleanup and restoration of their property. Although such is a stressful time, there are positive ways to deal with it to get your life back in as short a time as possible. Doing things promptly will also prevent further damage and minimize costs as well.
First thing to do after the fire marshal has allowed you to re-enter your property is to inform your insurance agency about the incident. Your insurance coverage can get you started with the fire damage restoration. Your insurance provider can even recommend fire restorers to assist and guide you in dealing with the problem.
Cleanup is the starting point of the restoration process. All salvageable items must be segregated immediately. Group them according to extent of damage and importance. Highly sensitive materials must be sent to professional restorers at once.
Clothing, curtains, carpets, draperies, upholstered materials and other items made of fabric must be deodorized first before getting washed. Most of such items can retain smoke odor even after several washings. If they're too valuable to replace, send it for professional washing or dry cleaning so proper chemicals and/or procedures may be applied on them. The sooner the soot and smoke odor are treated, the higher the chances of getting rid of them completely.
Appliances, ductwork, air conditioning, ventilating and heating units must be cleaned by fire damage restoration specialists. The thing with fire, it leaves damages that are not easily visible to the untrained eye so professional restoration is really needed at least for the most important items.
For hard surfaces like concrete walls and floors, you can start the cleaning right away using detergent and water. Pressure wash nooks and crannies or scrub manually not only the affected areas but the whole property as well. Remember that smoke odor is also a problem so clean up thoroughly.
After cleaning, don't forget to disinfect using chemicals that are safe to use on each type of surface. Some of the disinfecting agents that you can use are household bleach and ammonia. Don't mix these chemicals though for they may produce toxic fumes that can be harmful to the people involved in the cleanup and restoration.
The rest of the fire damage restoration process may be effectively taken care of by the professionals. Don't hesitate to ask about the latest procedures available so you can weigh your options clearly.