Contents Tips

Contents Do's & Don'ts

1. Remove your valuables and money immediately. Don't forget blank checks and passports.
2. Place important papers into zip-lock baggies until you have time to photocopy them.
3. Sort plastic, paper and rubber items from each room. Items made of these materials are porous and will retain odor. Therefore, they should be removed as soon as possible. Depending on how close they were to the source area, you may be able to use a degreaser to clean harder plastics (like real Tupperware).  
4. You can clean hard surfaces such as ceramics, glass, painted metals and woods (that have a seal) using a citrus degreaser.
5. Clean photographs with a dry chemical sponge. If they are wet, they should be separated and dried immediately. Remove photos from albums and place in zip-lock baggies. Albums should be discarded because they are made with paper and plastic and will retain odor. Picture frames usually have paper or cardboard backing that will retain odor so remove pictures and discard frames.
6. Fabrics and clothing can usually be cleaned. Some of the more porous fabrics, like polyester, will retain odor. We use a recipe of liquid Tide, liquid Oxi-Clean and liquid Downey. You may need to wash items twice depending on soot level. White items tend to stain yellow, so they usually aren't worth cleaning. Items that are still moist or damp may hold odor until completely dry. Mattresses can retain odor. Use upholstery cleaner on them but do not get it too wet. Let the mattress air out or fan dry. Since your face is in direct contact with the mattress when you sleep, there is a good chance you will still smell smoke. 
7. Food: Due to the carcinogens caused by fire, all food or anything you would ingest should be thrown away. Even items that are still sealed or unopened can be compromised by heat, not to mention most products are made in paper boxes, plastic bottles or plastic wrap, which will retain odor wherever you bring them. If the power is shut off, food in freezers and refrigerators should be removed and thrown away. 
8. Toiletries are the same as food items. Items stored in plastic bottles, containers or plastic wrap could be compromised from heat. Depending on where these items are in proximity to the source, it may be possible that the packaging is all that has to be discarded. You could transfer contents into other bottles or bags, but first, weigh out time and energy to the value of the product. Soot attaches to metals, so appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons will be compromised. If this is not cleaned properly it will corrode, rust and pit the metal. Often, the outsides can be cleaned, but you want to weigh out time and effort in cleaning the insides. There are places that will give estimates on the cost and help you determine whether it is worth the effort to clean. Electronics may still work, but eventually the parts could break down. If you attempt to clean these yourself, take the back off and clean with canned air and a Q-Tip with alcohol to get into the small parts. Make sure to clean the cords really well. They may still hold odor.
9. DVDs, VHS & Cassette tapes: DVDs and CDs generally can be cleaned with a mild dish soap, like Dawn. The cases are made of plastic so they will retain odor and should be discarded. You can place loose discs in a photo type album. VHS tapes and cassette tapes usually cannot  be cleaned. However, depending on where they are in proximity to the source and if they are encased, they may be soot free on the inside and only the outside will have to be wiped off with a degreaser. Playing a VHS or cassette tape if it has taken on soot, or could have taken on soot, could damage your player. 
10. Toys: Anything that a baby or a child could chew on or put in their mouth should be discarded. Toxic carcinogens that are caused from fires can be dangerous if ingested. There is also a danger from the chemicals used to clean items; children and babies could react to these chemicals if ingested. Further, many of these items are made of plastic and will retain odor. In this case, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry. A recommended cleaner for children's toys that are not in a fire is Clorox Anywhere Disinfectant.