5 Things To Always Toss After a Fire

3/16/2022 (Permalink)

There are some Elements that you Should Always Toss After a Fire. Know more about it by Following Our Tips.

If a fire happens in your New Bern, NC home, it is an overwhelming situation. While a professional fire damage restoration company will help restore your home and salvage many items, there are some things that you need to throw away. Below are five categories of items that should also be tossed for safety reasons.

1. Perishable Food

While the food in your freezer or refrigerator may be salvageable, any food left out on the counter or table should never be kept. If you are unsure whether the appliances properly sealed out the fire damage, signs that there is damage include a smoky smell, visible soot, power was lost for more than two hours or food has an odd odor. Any of these indicate that it's time to restock the kitchen.

2. Exposed Non-perishable Food

While it may be a given to throw away any opened containers or packaged items that are permeable, such as cardboard or plastic bags, you may not think about the jarred or canned foods. Unfortunately, high heat has a way of activating bacteria that may ruin food. Even if it a jar is sealed, fumes may have made their way into the container. Any sealed foods that have visible damage, such as charring or bulging, should never be saved.

Whether sealed or not, toss anything that was near the flames and heat. It’s always best to err on the side of caution.

3. Burned Clothing, Bedding and Towels

Any clothing, curtains, blankets, sheets, towels and other textiles that are visibly burned are not salvageable. While it may be tempting to keep items that have smoke or soot damage, it is worth talking to a professional first. Even after multiple washings, some items may still retain a strange odor from the chemicals in the fire extinguishing agent. Additionally, soot and smoke may have hidden irritants that are best to avoid.

4. Cosmetics, Hygiene Products and Medicines

Depending on the extent of the fire and its location, cosmetics, hygiene products and medicines may be affected. Any visible signs of warping or singe marks are clear indicators that the time should be tossed. If the fire was near these items, even if they don’t look damaged, they may be compromised. If exposed to extreme heat, the composition of the medicines and cosmetics may have been altered. While these are often expensive, tossing them will help you avoid other issues from happening down the road.

5. Fabric Furniture and Mattresses

Smoke damage is a tricky thing. Even if your fabric furniture and mattresses don’t appear to have any damage, the odors and chemicals in smoke may linger forever. Since a mattress is a soft surface, it is more prone to absorbing moisture, bacteria and odors. Unless you are certain that these items were unaffected, its’ best to replace them.

When a fire happens, it comes with much more than sifting through the visible damage. While you may not want to throw away some of your favorite or expensive items, it's best to take the safe route and replace the above five things that may have sustained smoke damage.