Food Safety After A Fire

When your house has had a fire go through it there are more things to worry about than simply what can and can't be cleaned and how you should go about it. Safety measures should also be followed and one those measures involves food.

Food that has survived a fire should be treated with caution because it will have been affected in some way. here are some tips about how to proceed when it comes to the food that is left over after a fire.

• Food in cans or jars may look as though it has been unaffected by the fire, however if it was in close proximity to the heat of the fire there is a strong possibility that it has been rendered inedible. The heat from the fire can activate bacteria that spoils food. If the heat has been hot enough it is possible that the can has split and the food will be unsafe to consume anyway.
• Food that is stored in permeable packaging such as cardboard, plastic, paper, etc. should be thrown away regardless of the possibility of heat damage. Toxic fumes will in all likelihood have contaminated the food. It doesn't matter if the packaging was unopened, toxic fumes can still permeate the packaging and contaminate the food within.
• Raw fruit and vegetables that were stored outside the refrigerator should be discarded because these, too, will have been contaminated by fumes. Even food that is stored within the refrigerator or freezer may have been contaminated although you can still attempt to eat it if you wish. If you notice an unusual flavor or odor to the food when it is prepared you can assume that the seals were not airtight and the food should be thrown out.
• It is possible that some of the chemicals that were used to fight the fire came in contact with food in the house. These chemicals contain toxic materials that cannot be washed off the food. Food that is exposed to these chemicals should also be thrown away. This includes all goods that are stored in permeable containers and screw top jars. Cans and cookware should be decontaminated before they are used.

Deodorizing A Water Damaged Carpet

Most carpets can withstand water damage for up to three days. Naturally, responding to a flooded carpet as quickly as possible is critical to effecting a successful restoration, but if you can't get to it within a day, there's not necessarily cause for dispair.

If you get the carpet up off the floor your first stage is to begin the drying process. Once you have worked out the state of the water that has damaged your carpet, then you can decide whether it is worth the effort to proceed. Sometimes water is simply too dirty or unsanitary to bother with a restoration and cleaning service.

There are essentially three classes of water. First there is clean water which is water that contains no debris, possibly from a leaking pipe for example. The prognosis for the wet carpet is that it can be saved. The next type of water is grey water. In this case the water is not necessarily clean but it also doesn't contain hazardous materials. The wet carpet may have been damaged from a washing machine oveflow, for example. The carpet can be saved in this case too.

The final type of water rating is black water. This may have come from sewage backup or runoff water. The carpet must be handled with caution and everything that has come in contact with the water should be discarded.

For the carpet that is being saved the carpet should first be dried and then sanitized. After it has been sanitized it will have to undergo a deodorization process. In this process there are some basic steps that should be followed. First you have to remove the source of the odor, then clean the carpet before sealing the carpet so that it is protected against further spills.

Using a deodorizing solution from the local supermarket will do the job or you could try using water with a 20% plain white vinegar mix. Follow this up with a thorough carpet shampoo and then make sure there is plenty of ventilation where the deodorizing took place to completely dry out the carpet again.

When you are performing a carpet deodorization you ant to achieve the following 7 things:

• masking
• absorbing
• pairing
• disinfecting
• digesting
• oxidizing
• sealing

As well as using a deodorizing chemical you may also have to resort to more heavy duty methods to get the carpet smelling fresh and clean again. You might have to make use of such things as thermal foggers or ozone units.

Water Damage In the Basement

One of those sinking feelings in the pit of your stomach will threaten to overwhelm you when you discover that the basement has a problem with water damage. It could be because of a long-undiscovered leak which could have been causing untold damage for a long time, or it could be caused by the creation of an environment that is overly humid.

In either situation you could find yourself sitting on foundations that have become structurally dangerous or there could be mold or other fungus growth taking place, breeding a potential health risk.

The basement may be damp because of moisture soaking through the foundation, it doesn’t necessarily have to have come from a leaking pipe.

The first step to repairing any water damage in the basement is to identify exactly what it is that’s causing the moisture in the first place. A leaking pipe will be the easiest contributor to identify and fix. Not so easy will be identifying that the daily activities of you and your family are causing a build up of humidity which is then collecting below the floor. The indicator that this is happening could be a mysterious recurring growth of mold or mildew.

It may be necessary to reassess how the water runs in the garden directly outside the basement. If the water is not running off away from the house it is possible that it is soaking into the ground and on into the basement through the walls. In this case it will be necessary to put in additional external drainage to move the water away from the house.

Lowering Humidity In the House

There are a number of ways to fix the humidity in your basement. Firstly, install ventilation fans in your kitchen and bathroom if they don’t already have them. These two rooms are the most humid of any other room in the house.

If ventilation is installed already, ensure it is directing the air out of the house and that it hasn’t become blocked. If you have a clothes dryer it should be vented to the outside of the house.

A poorly operating air conditioning system can fail to remove humidity which may be a contributing factor to a build up in the basement. Call a contractor to check your system to confirm it is operating properly.

If the basement becomes damp from humidity in the warmer months it may be necessary to have a dehumidifier running in the basement. It’s best to run the dehumidifier in a closed room to stop humid air from outside the house from entering the basement.

Water Damage From A Leaking Pipe

If the water damage is noticeable on the ceiling of the basement or on the walls directly below a bathroom it may indicate that the water pipes have been damaged. In this case your best course of action is to call out a plumber.

Water damage that consists of considerable mold growth can best be solved by calling a professional who specializes in mold remediation.

Naturally, the most certain way to solve a problem with water in the basement is to call out a reputable water damage restoration expert. Water restoration professionals are equipped to locate the cause of any moisture as well as being experienced in repairing damaged walls or ceilings and preventing water damage in the future.

Cleaning Mold From the Ceiling

Mold thrives in any moist, warm environment with rooms such as bathrooms or kitchens a perfect place for it to grow and spread quickly. It is not only unsightly but can become a health risk as it spreads by releasing spores and these spores can affect breathing. Mold will grow on any organic material and, given the right conditions will do just as well on non-organic material.

A danger for your home when you’ve got mold growing in one or many rooms is that it actually consumes the object that it is living on and can release an acid that will permanently mark the wall or ceiling. Whether your ceiling is made from ceiling tiles, sheet rock or wood, mold is just as likely to begin growing with rooms that are often moist, such as the bathroom, the most susceptible.

Black mold is the most common type of mold that will grow on the ceiling and it can be identified as black spots of varying sizes dotting the ceiling in clusters.

Cleaning a Mold Damaged Ceiling

It is important to appreciate the danger mold poses to your health, so before you start cleaning the mold from the ceiling, ensure you have taken necessary safety precautions and have put on gloves, goggles and a face mask.

In the room you will be cleaning, close off any accesses to other parts of the house such as doors or vents. Open the window to allow the room to dry out.

An initial wash of the ceiling with a mild detergent and warm water will start the cleaning process. A quarter of a cup of bleach mixed with a quart of water can be used to follow the clean up and, if necessary, can be repeated after allowing the first application has dried. After the second application the ceiling should be allowed to dry out completely.

There are alternative products available to the bleach solution mentioned above that will remove the topical mold and also kill the remaining spores. It might be worth seeking out one of these products to be comfortable that you have thoroughly cleaned the room.

To safeguard against the return of mold in the room, all water leaks should be repaired so the environment isn’t constantly moist. If there are no leaks, it might simply be necessary to introduce more ventilation into the room. Finally, a regular clean of the bathroom to remove or kill and stray mold spores should be carried out regularly.

Make sure that if you are going to be painting the ceiling you have completely removed the mold. Painting over mold will not solve the problem and the mold will simply return in full force. It is possible to buy paint with mold prevention chemicals already mixed into it. I have actually painted such a product on the ceiling of my bathroom and have never had a problem with mold in that room.

This mold damage clean up advice assumes that the mold damage is not too extensive and that you can tackle the job yourself. If, however, the mold damage has become completely out of control, it may be necessary to call in a professional who specializes in this kind of damage clean up.

Other mold damage articles:

Prevent Mold From Taking Hold In the Home
Restoring the Home From Mold Damage
Repair Mold Damage In Books
Mold Detection and Treatment of Clothes