In the midst of disaster, fire damage can be devastating for any person’s home and belongings. Along with actual disintegration of items and framework of the home, people can be affected by the remnants of smoke odors, and steps have to be taken to remove them before space can be considered habitable again. However, smoke odors can be extremely hard to fully remove without the right equipment. Contact a local Houston technician from a professionally certified company like Total Restoration to help aid in cases of fire damage. (Our emergency response teams of certified and experienced technicians use the newest and most up-to-date equipment, so we can restore your property quickly and efficiently.) Are Smoke Odors Truly Harmful? Smoke can be detrimental to the eyes and irritating to the nose and throat. It can also cause nausea and lead to temporary lung dysfunction if inhaled for too long. Avoiding smoky situations is the best way to avoid exposure. However, in fire damage restoration, an effective treatment for busting smoke odors is ozone treatment.  An ozone treatment can help by destroying the molecules, bacteria, and spores that are the source of the odors. Due to its fast reactant rate, it can eliminate them while reaching everything it touches to help contain the smell.  Ozone treatment is a phenomenally powerful oxidizer that can treat many odors without leaving additional residue or odors. Can’t I Just Take Care of it Myself? Because smoke particles are extremely small, regular residential air filters will not be successful in trying to contain or eliminate the particles from the air. Because of its acidic background, smoke particles can slowly begin to deteriorate multiple household items. Removing these particles requires professional expertise. Household “odor-eliminating” products such as febreeze, baking soda, and at home DIY treatments may seem like a safe route to take when dealing with fire damage and smoke, but these products are only temporary and can cause more issues than there were, to begin with. Additional treatments, after an ozone treatment, such as soda-blasting can be performed if the home still contains soot stains and particles. When you are worried that the smoke from the fire damage is lingering, begin by:

1. Call trained professionals such as Total Restoration.
2. Gather, and make sure people, animals, and plants are safely stowed away from the treatment.
3. Talk to your technician if you have any questions or concerns about the fire damaged areas.
4. Follow up with your restoration provider to ensure cleanup continues and all odors are eliminated.

What is the Next Step? Once smoke odors have been eliminated, it is important to further inspect household items that may have been damaged by the smoke. Many restoration providers like Total Restoration in Houston offer content cleaning, and some even help pack-out. Continuing with the fire damage restoration process and allowing content cleaning and pack-out will ensure that the greatest possible number of belongings will be restored. Individual treatments should be applied to textiles (clothing), and electronics. Most often water and smoke-damaged items can be reclaimed. It is possible to painlessly restore your Houston home after fire damage.