How Can I Clean My Soot Covered Hardwood Furniture After Fire Damaged My House?

7/6/2020 (Permalink)

Hardwood flooring and furniture can be restored after a fire. SERVPRO has the know-how to clean your belongings.

For Fire Damage Restoration of Affected Furniture Inside Your Mount Vernon Home Call SERVPRO 

Some of the most severe problems that can occur inside your Mount Vernon house after items burn are smoke-related issues. Smoke consists of partially combusted particles that can leave behind unpleasant aromas, soils, and soot residues. 

How can you tell if my hardwood furniture can be cleaned and saved? 

During fire damage restoration efforts in Mount Vernon, contents like your wooden furniture items can often be refinished and cleaned. The type of finish significantly affects the cleanability of an item and which methods we use. For example, unfinished wood can be porous, so it is not wise to clean it with water-based detergents. The extent of the damage can also be a factor affecting whether an item needs replacing or not. If your furniture was close to the heat source, the surface could have blistered. The exterior also could have been scorched or permanently stained by the smoke. 

If my furniture is salvageable, how do you clean off the soot residues? 

• Dry Cleaning- When dealing with unfinished or unsealed wood surfaces, our SERVPRO technicians can clean your hardwood furniture with a feather duster, cloth, a cleaning sponge, or by vacuuming with a dusting tool.
• Wet Cleaning- For finished surfaces with moderate soiling, we can use a wall and all surface cleaner or a concentrated wood oil soap.
• Semi-Refinishing- Heavy smoke residues may require semi-refinishing of the surfaces of your hardwood furniture items. This method includes using a wood creme paste that is a solvent-based product. The cleaner can remove an ultra-thin top layer of the surface's finish.
• Polishing- Some surfaces may require polishing to remove staining and soots that adhere well to the surface. Before applying a furniture polish or lemon oil polish, we clean all the soot off the item that we can. 

If your furniture got coated in soot residues or burnt debris, call SERVPRO of Skagit County at (360) 873-8744 24/7. 

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