How Much do Cleaners Charge for a Post-fire Cleanup?
source: Flickr – Jason Edward Scott Bain
If you’ve experienced a fire in your home, even if most of the structure was salvaged, there will still be a lot of cleaning up to do. The soot and smell can be not only irritating and unpleasant, but also unhealthy.
Why Hire a Cleaning Service?
After a fire, many people may feel overwhelmed or helpless. They may have lost valuable possessions or one-of-a-kind family belongings, and they will probably need to stay in a hotel or with family until their house is inhabitable once again. For all of these reasons, it may be difficult for a homeowner who has just experienced a fire to go and clean up the mess. Even if a homeowner had the time and wanted to do the cleanup on his own, he is probably not equipped to do so.
Professional cleaners possess the right tools for post-fire restoration, such as heavy duty vacuum cleaners for removing soot from textiles. If a homeowner attempted to clean with a regular vacuum cleaner he would end up setting the soot deeper into the material instead of removing it. Professionals also have special tools that cause the pores of surfaces to open up in order to deeply deodorize them without causing damage.How Much Will it Cost?
The cost of a post-fire cleanup depends on the severity and location of the fire. If it was a relatively small kitchen fire, most likely the only damage done was to the room’s surroundings and some appliances. Other items like dishes, towels and furniture will have to be cleaned as well, but most things in a kitchen are washable or in closed containers. Therefore, a cleaning service may charge between $2,000 and $4,000 for a small kitchen fire cleanup. If the fire affected the entire kitchen or a different room in the house, the cost could be in the tens of thousands of dollars. The more rooms that were damaged the more it will cost to clean.
Collateral Damage
Aside from the smoke and fire damage your home and possessions sustained, there may also be a large amount of water damage. If a water hose was used to put out the fire as opposed to other fire-retardant chemicals, you furniture, floors, clothing and drapes will need to be cleaned. If water was sprayed onto your home for an extended period of time, there may be damage which will need to be repaired by a flooring contractor. Additionally, if windows or walls were destroyed in the fire and you live in a rainy city like Seattle, Washington, your house may experience further water damage until the structure is repaired and closed up.
Tips
If you experienced a major fire in your home, be sure to get the approval of the fire marshal and a building inspector before you return. Whether you are helping with the cleanup or just going to inspect your home, make sure you keep the windows open and properly ventilate the area. Lastly, don’t delay in contacting your insurance company and filing a claim. Don’t let the soot and smoke dwell in your home – contact a professional cleaning service and have them restore your home to what it once was.
Mark Stevens is a writer from New Jersey who has written over 100 home improvement articles. Want to ask Mark something? Send him a message.
