Don’t Clean Up Soot by Yourself, Leave That to SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz

11/15/2019 (Permalink)

Don't try to clean any soot stains from fires or puff backs by yourself, leave it to the team from SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz!

DIY home improvements make great weekend projects for the entire household. However, not everything can be tackled on your own, even for the handiest of homeowners.

If you’ve been affected by a fire or if your oil burner malfunctioned and caused a puff back, it can be tempting to immediately start the restoration process, but this can often hurt more than it helps. It’s not easy to understand the degrees of cleaning that go into soot removal. That’s why we’ve listed three reasons it should not be something you should tackle by yourself:

1. Soot Won’t Stay Put-Because soot goes airborne, it doesn’t remain contained to the area the fire originated in. Soot travels into crevices, nestles on ceilings and even infiltrate your HVAC system. Additionally, absorbent things such as fabrics, carpets or upholstery are a soot magnet. While it might be tempting to launder these items and scrub down the walls right away, improper cleaning can lead to ruining your belongings beyond repair. Soot from a puff back tends to be mixed with oil making it for a much harder mess to clean up.
2. Soot Composition Can Vary-Because every fire is different, soot can vary greatly in its composition. While some soot has a powdery texture, others can be thick and viscous. Appearances can be deceiving, and it’s impossible to know what type of soot you’re dealing with before you interact with it. Soot from a puff back tends to be mixed with oil making it for a much harder mess to clean up.

Additionally, soot from fires and puff backs contain noxious odors that are difficult to truly get rid of. Tackling soot without knowing what type is on your hands means you run the risk of making it worse and leading to more costly damage to remedy.

3. Soot Can Contain Toxic Chemicals-Fires require chemicals to stay active, and all of those chemicals are contained in soot. Carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen are big factors, but there are also chemicals released from every material that was affected by the flames. Materials such as plastics, textiles and paint can be extremely toxic once heated, and improper soot cleaning causes these toxins to be re-released into the air. These toxins are not safe to continue to breathe in and can cause health hazards.

SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz has specially trained and experienced fire damage and puff back technicians available 24/7 to get your damaged home back to preloss condition efficiently and effectively.

If you’ve been affected by a fire, don’t risk a DIY disaster. SERVPRO® of Kingston/New Paltz has a restoration team that can get your life back to normal, faster. We’ll make it “Like it never even happened.”