he 8 Most Important Issues You Should Address Before You Start
Cleaning up After a Fire:

ISSUE	CONSIDERATIONS
Assessment	How far did any soot travel ? Soot can find it’s way into every nook and cranny -even inside closed cupboards and drawers.
Personal Protection	Have you got ALL the necessary PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) required to protect yourself fromrisks associated with breathing in potentially toxic fumes/ odours? - Ingesting /Inhaling: Breathing in soot/ chemical residues can have immediate and/or long termeffects(i.e. asbestosis can take yearsto develop). - Absorption: Toxic soot and/or chemicals can be absorbed through the skin – glovesshould be worn at all times. Eye protection: Fine airborne soot and debris “flicked up ” whilstsweeping etc. can get into your eyes. Proper eye protection should be used at all times
Cleaning Methods	Do you know which cleaning methods will effectively (and safely) clean the soot? Forsome surfaces and/orsoot types, chemicals may not be required – and yet othersurfaces cannot be cleaned withoutspecific cleaning agents.
Cleaning Equipment	Do you know whatsort/type of equipment you will require to clean your premises? - Odour removal: Ozone / Air Scubbers Etc. - HEPA grade vacuums – to remove soot without dispersing it back into the air. Tiles and carpet cleaning equipment
Cleaning Chemicals	Whatsort or type of cleaning chemicals will you require – and are they safe? Using the wrong cleaning chemical can damage some surfaces(stone benchtops etc.) - and yet the right cleaning chemicals can be very effective in removing soot and odours without causing any additional damage.
Furniture Moving	Have you got the necessary equipment to pack out and move your furniture? - In many cases you will have to remove / move furniture to access areasto be cleaned - the right equipment will protect you frominjury (back etc.). Packing out cabinets will require cartons, paper etc.
Electrical Items	Are you aware of how so ot can affect electrical/ electronic items? Mostsoot is composed of carbon atoms – carbon is an electrical conductor. This means your electrical/ electronic items will require inspection / cleaning by an authorised electrician and/or technician
Documentation	Are you planning on making an insurance claimto replace damaged items? - Insurance Companiesrequire specific (and accurate) documentation of any damaged beyond repair items you might wish to claimfor. They may also knock back cleaning cos tsif you don’t provide a sufficiently detailed description with before and after photos.

Coming back into your fire damaged home is hard enough – let alone trying to clean the mess up
yourself.
Burnt items and Debris:
Most fire restorations start with disposing of fire damaged items. It is vitally important to
document and photograph all your damaged contents before disposing of them (insurance
companies require evidence prior to disposal).
You can trust First Choice to take personal care of sorting all your fire damaged items, setting
aside any items which can be restored, documenting and disposing of all severely damaged
items and submitting a detailed list to your Insurance company

Cleaning and Restoration:

Using the wrong cleaning methods and/or products can actually make your situation worse –
some cleaning products will “lock” the soot into whatever you try to clean.

First Choice have been cleaning and restoring soot contamination for over 20 years – we have the
experience to know which products and techniques to use for each specific situation.
Should you want to clean your walls, ceilings and contents yourself, First Choice can provide you
with all the appropriate products and guidance you will need

Fires residue can have serious health consequences, from the odours and the soot – depending
on what was actually burnt in the fire.

For Example:
– Electrical fires often contain wiring covered in PVC insulation – this gives off many toxic gases
including Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide.
– Electronic Equipment (laptops, tablets, mobile phones etc.) contain many different plastics
and battery types.

– Exploding / burning batteries contain metals, plastics, chemicals (lithium etc.) –
Some of these residues will settle or burn into your building structure (walls, benchtops etc.) –
putting you at risk whilst you remain in the premises or conduct your own cleaning.
First Choice will walk you through our step by step process of restoring your home – so you know
what’s happening and approximately how long it will take.
Cleaning and Restoration:
Using the wrong cleaning methods and/or products can actually make your situation worse –
some cleaning products will “lock” the soot into whatever you try to clean.
First Choice have been cleaning and restoring soot contamination for over 20 years – we have the
experience to know which products and techniques to use for each specific situation.
Should you want to clean your walls, ceilings and contents yourself, First Choice can provide you
with all the appropriate products and guidance you will need.
Toxic gases
can include hydrogen fluoride, phosphorus pentafluoride and phosphoryl fluoride.

Some of these residues will settle or burn into your building structure (walls, benchtops etc.) –
putting you at risk whilst you remain in the premises or conduct your own cleaning.
First Choice will walk you through our step by step process of restoring your home – so you know
what’s happening and approximately how long it will take.