fire damaged kitchen

In the aftermath of a house fire, there’s a natural inclination to save as much as possible. While this may be a defense mechanism to help cope with the trauma, it can lead to some serious health risks if you use contaminated or spoiled products that should have gone into the dumpster. Here are four things you should always throw away after a fire.

Food

Your kitchen is one of the most dangerous things in your home you can use after a house fire. Any non-perishable food that isn’t sealed, as well as all canned food, should be thrown away. The same can be said for anything boxed or that may have been exposed to the chemicals used by firefighters.

Perishable food also poses health risks, especially if power was lost. Any refrigerated and frozen food that reaches room temperature should be thrown away, regardless of appearance. If there’s even the slightest hint of smoke or you have any reason to suspect soot has contaminated your food, throw it away to preserve your health.

Medicine

Another dangerous set of products to consume after a fire are the things that go in a medicine cabinet. Medications can easily be contaminated by soot or dangerous chemicals; ingesting them can lead to contamination.

Cosmetics and Hygiene Products

Makeup, easily contaminated by soot and smoke, is another thing to avoid. Smoke-contaminated chemicals in the makeup can be absorbed through your skin. High temperatures, from the fire that produced the smoke, can change the chemical composition of the makeup, making it very dangerous.

Toiletries should be treated similarly to cosmetics. Much like with makeup, rubbing or inserting the item can lead to dangerous ingestion of chemicals and soot. If there’s even the slightest chance of your cosmetics and toiletry products being exposed, it’s best to throw them out with the rest of the trash.

Burned Clothing

The last of our items you should always throw away after a fire is any clothing that has been burned or singed. While it’s possible to eventually make the clothes with minor soot exposure safe to wear again, any burned or damaged clothing, textiles, or fabrics should be thrown out.

Aloha Restoration is here for you during the recovery process for any home disaster. With our soot removal services, your home will be safe and livable once again.

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