How to Get Fire Smoke Out of Clothes

12/18/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Richardson is one of the few Esporta certified firms in Texas. We have an 85%+ cleaning success rate of fire smoke affected clothing.

The Danger of Smoke and Fire

When a fire happens, there is almost always visible smoke.  Smoke is the result of incomplete combustion, which means that the material that was burning doesn’t burn completely.  Smoke is what the unburned particles is made up of. It is mostly made up of soot, oils, and ash. Depending on the material the burning object was made up of determines the type of smoke that gets embedded into clothing.  

For the sake of your health, do not inhale smoke.  Also, do not wear smoke affected clothing as embedded smoke particles may have carcinogens.

Getting smoke particles and soot out of clothing is not as easy as throwing your clothing in laundry machines or sending it for dry cleaning.  Laundry machines, even industrial ones, don’t usually have enough power to force the particles out of clothing. Sending your clothing to a dry cleaner may also result in them permanently embedding the smoke into the clothing.  

Fire Smoke Odor Removal is Possible in Clothing!

The highest rate of success for removing fire smoke out of clothes is with a specialized machine called Esporta.  Our business is one of the few Esporta certified firms in Texas. We specialize in fire damage restoration and are uniquely trained and qualified to take your smoke affected clothing and eliminate all smoke particles.

One of the first items we take out of a fire damaged home are textiles--clothing, shoes, teddy bears, bedding, towels, etcetera.  Sometimes these items smell like smoke, but no visible soot is on them. Other times, the soot is so heavy, you can hardly tell the original color of the item beneath.

Usually, homeowners are quick to throw away these items, thinking they are unsalvageable.  But they can be!

85%+ Cleaning Success Rate with Esporta

The Esporta Wash System is a specialized machine that we use to sanitize and deodorize clothing and other textiles.  Our machine can also clean items after a Category 2 or Category 3 Water Damage and Mold Damage.

Our system is a wet wash and uses six environmentally friendly detergents to remove all smoke particles and soot from a textile.

Esporta uses hydraulic pressure to gently clean all fabrics.  The inside of the machine has different compartments in it that look like metal cages.  We place your clothing in one of the cages, tell the machine what kind of contaminants your clothing has, and the wash begins.  

Water fills up from the bottom to the machine and the cages begin to turn rapidly.  This means that the detergent laden water is literally pushed through each layer of fabric forcefully enough to push 99% of contaminants out of your clothing.  No other machine can do that.

Because your clothing stays in place throughout the entire wash, the cycle is gentle enough to be compared to a hand washing.  

The result is clothing that is near pH neutral and clean enough to be considered food grade clean!

Choosing the Right Fire Cleanup Company

Many fire clean up companies are available in Dallas Fort Worth, but only a few of them are full service and can handle every portion of your claim.  As you make your selection, ask your fire damage restoration company how many fire cleanup services they offer in house versus hiring specialty subcontractors.  While subcontractors can also get the job done, your bill will very likely reflect a higher cost of remediation.

Clothing Fire and Smoke Remediation Process

While every fire damage is different and our process changes according to the needs of each of our customers, you can expect the clothing fire restoration process to closely resemble the following:

• Our technicians will inventory and remove all affected clothing and textiles from your home and take them back to our Esporta cleaning facility.
• If anything is wet, we set it aside to begin the drying process and prevent mold.
• We double check our inventory and create an estimate for your insurance company.
• Once your insurance adjuster approves cleaning, your clothing is washed.
• To dr your clothing, it is placed in a humidity controlled drying chamber.
• All items are professionally finished by being pressed, hung, bagged, and boxed.  Leather items are also conditioned.
• If storage is required, we place your items in air conditioned storage.
• When you are ready, your items are delivered back to you.
• Any items that were not salvageable are reported to you and your insurance adjuster.  We even provide your adjuster with a replacement cost report.

Rush Items Delivered Within 3 Days

We understand that while a fire damage claim is being processed, our customers still need clothing to be able to continue going to work and school.  Restoring any sense of normalcy while your home is being restored is important.

For this reason, we ask our clients which items they’d like us to rush clean.  We will prioritize those items and can often have them delivered back to you within 3 days.  

ATP Testing to Prove Cleanliness

We use ATP testing to prove contamination levels.  ATP -- adenosine triphosphate -- is found in all living cells.  Anything alive has ATP. The greater the ATP level, the greater the microbial contamination.  

We take an ATP sample of different surfaces before and after they are cleaned, and this is how we prove:

1) if your clothing is dirty enough to warrant professional cleaning, and

2) that our team has successfully sanitized your clothing after cleanup

Our primary purpose in testing for ATP is to prove our results and ensure the safety of our customers.  If any item fails to receive a passing ATP score, the clothing is cleaned again at no added cost to you.  Our process is thorough and gives our customers peace of mind.

Trusted Leader in Fire Damage Restoration in Collin County, North Texas

SERVPRO of Richardson is a water damage restoration and fire and smoke damage restoration company on the border of Richardson and Plano Texas.  We have performed work in Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, McKinney, Frisco, Allen, and other North Texas communities in Collin County for over 30 years.  With our crews responding immediately to jobs, we are faster to any size disaster. We also have a Texas Mold Remediation Contractor License and offer free mold inspections.  You can trust us to restore your home or business.

Our crews are available dispatch for 24 hour emergencies every day of the year.  We can be reached 24/7 at (972) 690-1414.  Call us any time!

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www.SERVPROrichardson.com

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