4 Things You Should Throw Away After a Fire

4 Things You Should Throw Away After a Fire

Your instinct after a house fire is probably to save as many of your belongings as possible; however, you may need to throw away some items because they can not be safely salvaged. These four categories of the property may need to be tossed after a fire.

1. Nonperishable Food

Nonperishable food is a food item, such as canned or boxed goods, that has a long shelf-life and does not need to be refrigerated. Soot and smoke from a fire may contaminate even unopened packaging, rendering the food unsafe to eat.

2. Perishable Food

Perishable food items, such as fruits, vegetables, and meat, are foods with short shelf-lives. These foods often need to be refrigerated or frozen to slow bacteria growth. House fires may cause power outages. Foods that require refrigeration that has been at a temperature higher than 40° F for more than two hours should be thrown out. A power outage between two and six hours may render refrigerated food unsafe, while food in the freezer may become unsafe after an outage of 12 to 24 hours. You should also throw away perishable foods that have come in contact with flames, soot, or smoke.

3. Damaged Furniture and Mattresses

Furniture and mattresses that have fire damage may be structurally unsafe to use. Hardwood furniture with minor or moderate smoke and soot stains may be salvageable.

4. Medicines, Cosmetics, and Hygiene Products

Any medicines, cosmetics, or hygiene products that have been exposed to high heat, soot, smoke, or flames should be discarded. Contact your physician if you need a replacement for any prescription medications.

Property with cosmetic damage may be salvageable after a fire, but you should throw away any contaminated or spoiled food and medicine or structurally damaged furniture.

NWA Restore It can help you clean up and restore your home after a house fire. We are your local restoration and cleaning company in Centerton, AR.

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AT NWA Restore It, INC. WE protect
our customers and Employees

All of our professionals follow preventative safety measures

  • We stay at least 6 feet away from clients and others in clients’ homes, including pets, when possible.
  • We use an appropriate mask for the task.
  • We regularly wash our hands or use hand sanitizer, if soap and water are not available.
  • Before the visit, we discuss the details of the service and may request that you send photos via text or by email,  to help reduce the amount of time spent inside your home.

What you need to know Before scheduling services or repairs?

Per CDC Guidelines:
  • Ask the service provider to wear a mask.
  • You and other household members should wear masks.
  • Stay at least 6 feet from the service provider, and limit interactions between the service provider and other household members and pets.
  • After the service is completed, clean and disinfect any surfaces in your home that may have been touched by the service provider.

NWA Restore It Inc. also provides Covid-19 Cleaning & Disinfection Service Needs