Expert Fire Damage Cleanup in Downtown Chicago Saves Money

4/5/2023 (Permalink)

Our certified team makes fire damage in Chicago “Like it never even happened.”

Restorative Cleaning by SERVPRO Reduces the Fire Restoration Cost in Downtown Chicago

Professional cleaning and restoration services can help you reduce the cost of a fire damage claim in Downtown Chicago. Rather than relying solely on replacing or resurfacing a fire-damaged item, professionals focus on restorative cleaning techniques to get the materials to preloss condition. Cleaning and restoration services often cost only a fraction of replacement or resurfacing, thereby saving on damage claims. 

SERVPRO techs apply certain principles and elements of cleaning during fire damage restoration of your Downtown Chicago property. A successful restorative cleaning requires the official SERVPRO Downtown Operator to thoroughly know the effects of fire and smoke on various surfaces. 

Principles of Cleaning Used During House Fire Cleanup 

SERVPRO has developed an industry-leading scientific fire damage restoration system that closely adheres to the guidelines set forth by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). The basic principles of our restorative cleaning strategy include-

• Locating the smoke and soot residue by thoroughly inspecting the affected area. The inspection starts at the source of the fire, and the restorers trace how far the smoke has moved. 
• Identifying the type of smoke residue comes next. Not all smoke residues are alike and different types of smoke residues can exist in the same loss environment. Identifying the residue is crucial to pick the correct cleaning method that is effective and efficient. 
• Identifying the types of surfaces affected by fire damage is equally important. Depending on the type and porosity of the surface, the SERVPRO restorers decide which cleaning method and products are suitable. 
• As the smoke residues bind to the surfaces they contact, the following principle involves identifying a technique to capture the residue using an appropriate wet or dry cleaning method. 
• Once the residue is captured, it needs to be disposed of, and the debris and cleaning waste. 

Cleaning Actions SERVPRO Techs Use to Dislodge Soils from Surfaces  

The restorative cleaning process must break the bonds between the soils and the surfaces. SERVPRO techs use four cleaning actions to break the bonds and dislodge the soils from various surfaces.

• Mechanical action: It is one of the most effective ways of dislodging soil from a surface. Cleaning dry, non-greasy residues is most effective using mechanical action. However, SERVPRO techs routinely use this cleaning method to pre-clean excess residue before using other cleaning methods. 
• Lubrication: Lubrication aims to reduce the force of attraction between the soil particles and the surfaces by using lubricating agents like detergents. 
• Chemical action: In some cases, the soils need to be chemically altered before being removed from a fire-damaged surface. Enzyme cleaners and bleaching agents change the chemical structure of the soil, making it easy to remove. 
• Suspension and dispersion: One of the most common cleaning actions is loosening the smoke and soot residues and suspending or dispersing them in a cleaning product. 
• Dissolving the soil with solvent: Solvents are cleaning agents that are not water-based and are used when water-based cleaning agents might cause damage to the surfaces. SERVPRO techs use Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved solvents during the restorative cleaning. 

Involving the professionals as soon as possible can prevent any long-term damage to your Downtown Chicago home. SERVPRO works hard to restore your property “Like it never even happened.” 

If you need assistance with restoration after fire damage, call SERVPRO of Carol Stream / East Bloomingdale at (630) 830-6236; after all, We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.