What To Do When Your Kitchen Catches On Fire

3/31/2020 (Permalink)

Have you recently experienced a fire in the kitchen and you are not sure how to clean up afterward? There is typically soot left behind along with smoke damage and a lingering smell. You must be sure to handle this situation correctly to prevent it from worsening or endangering your health. If the damage is not too severe, then these instructions will be a helpful guide for you to repair your kitchen to normal in no time! Your first step should be to open the windows and the doors along with setting up fans within the kitchen to create a current of air to push out any lingering odor. Be sure to not use the AC because it could spread contaminated air to the rest of the house.

After letting the kitchen air out, here is what to do next:

Protect yourself from harmful soot and chemicals by donning protective goggles, gloves, and a face mask.

Clean affected walls and surfaces with a cleaning product and then rinse. You will have to go over the affected areas multiple times before it is completely clean. After rinsing, let the area dry before cleaning again.

Use the correct cleaners and detergents to do the job. Different soaps have differing purposes and will be more effective in different areas.

For soot and smoke removal on floors, furniture, and walls, use a mild soap or detergent mix or you can mix together 4 to 6 tbsp. of tri-sodium phosphate and 1 cup of household cleaner or chlorine bleach to every gallon of warm water. Be cautious with TSP, while it is effective, it can be dangerous when mishandled. Do not use it on ceramic or chrome.

You can use dry soot sponges, as long as completely clean and dry them between each use, to clean all surfaces including fabric. They are specifically made to remove soot and other residues without the use of liquids.

Degreaser products are not as strong as TSP, but they are as great at removing soot on many types of surfaces. 

Always check the details on the whichever cleaning material you decide to use before applying it to the job.

Do not forget to clean within your cabinets, pantries, and drawers as they are not protected from smoke and soot.

Empty everything out and wipe everything down, thoroughly clean every surface and appliance in your kitchen, including the inside of cabinets. 

You will also have to toss out all packaged food, including everything in the refrigerator for safety purposes.

After thoroughly cleaning your kitchen and all affected areas, the scent of smoke still may not be fully removed. Here are some tips to solve this:

Clean non-porous surfaces with an orange citrus cleaner.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and other fabrics, let them sit for several hours before going over it with a vacuum.

Set out bowls of vinegar around the house to absorb any remaining scents.

While this is an extensive list of tips you can follow in the event of a kitchen fire, it is important to know that handling soot can be very dangerous. If the fire damage is too massive for you to handle on your own, do not hesitate to reach out to a restoration company such as SERVPRO of North Nashville. We are focused on your health and happiness, and we are ready to help with any kind of restoration project, such as fire damage restoration. Our years of experience make us perfect for the job.