Home Restoration – Fabric & Textile Recovery
When it comes to disaster recovery, one of the most difficult ones is fire damage restoration. Unlike water damage, fire has a way of eating away at almost everything; especially fabric and textile. There is always some emotional hurt and health issues that come along with fire damage.
The clothes you love and value might either get burned completely, singed, or get covered in smoke residue (or soot), making them near-impossible for you to wear or use. A major part of home restoration after a fire also includes water damage restoration (followed by mold removal in some instances). This is because of the water that fire departments use to get the fire under control.
Fire damage restoration can mean a lot of things. It may include removing debris from your home, cleaning the floors and walls, rebuilding damaged areas, and providing a very emotional service, caring for and recovering your belongings caught in the fire.
From your wedding dress to that expensive rug you just bought, curtains, or that favorite pair of jeans, everything gets damaged and needs to be recovered. That’s 911 Restoration experts come into play.
Home Restoration: Helping You Recover Fabrics & Textiles
We’ve got some good and bad news for you here.
Clothes that get burned completely in the fire, including your rugs and curtains, won’t be recoverable. These clothes become fuel to the fire and would now be nothing but ash.
However, what about those that have just been singed or have suffered smoke damage?
As far as singed or slightly burned clothes are concerned, you can either get them cleaned and continue using them until you can buy new ones (people will understand), or throw them out. 911 Home Restoration experts suggest that you consider keeping these fabrics if they constitute your curtains, drapes, or other similar fabrics.
You are already going to be burdened financially and physically as you sort through what to keep and what to throw. Going to buy new drapes for the living room might not be as high on your to-do list.
In many instances, clothes might seem like they’ve been burned or aren’t usable anymore. The clothes would have turned black and, worse, would get stiff. This damage can be reversed. Such fabric is only affected by smoke damage. The carbon within can turn the cloth stiff.
How 911 Restoration Recovers Fabric & Textile
At 911 Restoration, we begin by compiling all pieces of fabric that are recoverable, especially the higher-end ones such as silk, cashmere, fur, guanaco, and more. Once piled up, we begin sorting them out based on the material (since different washing methods are involved) and the damage it has suffered.
When considering the clothes that cannot be saved (have suffered too much fire damaged), our professionals restore what’s possible and leave the unrecoverable items as is, so that you can identify them at your leisure.
While sorting everything out, we list it all so that you and our experts know how many pieces of cloth there were and in what condition. This list is particularly handy when your clothes are being washed, as they need to be recovered using different techniques, and there is always a chance that things might get mixed up.
First, we rinse the clothes in a soft bath to soften them up and remove the top soot layer. Then they are washed with warm water. This process is quite delicate because there is a risk of clothes getting ripped due to the smoke damage it has already suffered. It takes about 2 to 3 cycles for your clothes to be smoke-free completely.
Then, the clothes are given a disinfecting bath again until the smell is gone completely. After that, we sanitize again and deodorize them in a conditioning bath to make sure there are no pathogens within the clothes, and they then go into the dryer.
Once dried, your clothes are ironed and folded neatly, giving them enough time to cool down. Every article of clothing is inspected as it gets ironed to see if there is any smoke damage left. The folded clothes are then packed, ready to come back to you once your place is ready.
Your insurance company will also get involved, and we’ll help them determine the settlement amount. Over the years, we have helped many a client get the most out of their settlements. We also work with insurance representatives to identify damaged fabric and textile to get you a favorable settlement against what you lost.
We urge you not to get entangled with the insurance adjusters on your own as they might take advantage of your predicament. Let 911 Restoration experts stand with you during the home restoration process so that we can help you recover your items and financially. Get in touch with us today, and let us help you recover!
