Fire Damage - How To Remove Soot and Smoke From Clothing
Fire creates two types of smoke damage-the visible soot and the invisible odor. Because each fire involves different elements (woods, plastics, etc.), providing one set of guidelines for removing soot and odor for all clothing is not possible. But these steps will get you started:
Before You Salvage
Consider
hiring a
professional fire restorer. They can provide helpful hints to prevent
further damage, determine which items can be refurbished, and estimate the cost
of deodorizing and cleaning your clothing and home.
Don't
leave wet fabrics in place. Dry them as soon as possible. Hang fur and leather
goods separately at room temperature. Otherwise, hang wet clothing on a
clothesline in the open air and sunshine to dry thoroughly and help prevent
mildew.
Remove the Soot
Before you can deodorize or clean fire-damaged clothing, you must remove the soot. Soot is usually oily and can easily stain clothing. A professional fire restorer will use a heavy-duty vacuum to remove soot. You can use a regular vacuum cleaner nozzle by holding it slightly off (or above) the surface of the item you're treating.
Deodorize
If not
properly done, smoke odor will "set" into fabric. Professional fire restorers
and some dry cleaners use an ozone treatment or "counteractants" that break up
the smoke molecules to eliminate the odor. Most household deodorizing products
will work only temporarily and may simply mask smoke odor. Some may even cause
further damage.
For proper
deodorizing at home:
Dissolve one
cup of dishwashing detergent into one gallon of warm water. Completely submerge
items and let them soak all night in your washing machine or bathtub. Rinse with
clear water and dry.
For items that
can be bleached (spot test colored items): Mix 4 to 6 tablespoons trisodium
phosphate (available at local paint or hardware stores) with one cup of
household chlorine bleach and 1 gallon of water. Completely submerge items and
let them soak all night in a stationary tub. Rinse with clear water and dry.
For items that
can't be bleached, try an Odor Eliminator as a presoak to help remove the smoke
smell. Completely submerge items and let them soak all night in your washing
machine or bathtub. Rinse with clear water and dry.
Clean
For
washable clothing, sort fire-damaged clothing as you would any soiled
clothing-by recommended care method, color and degree of soil. The majority of
your clothing will probably be cottons, polyesters and polyester/cotton blends
which you can most effectively launder with a bleach alternative. Most garments
can be cleaned after one to five washings.
Take all
dry-cleanable clothing to a professional dry cleaner with soot and smoke removal
experience. You may also want to consult them regarding any garments that you
were unable to treat effectively on your own.
Please
contact us, so that we can examine any fire damage that has occurred.
