Recovery & Resources / AN ORANGE COUNTY GUIDE TO COPING WITH FIRE : Cleanup in Aftermath of Blaze

Your clothes stink, your books are covered with soot and your car is topped with ashes. Here is a list of things that can be done to rid your home and yourself of the fire and its aftermath. The suggestions are taken from “After the Fire,” a pamphlet produced by the Costa Mesa Fire Department. For a complete copy, call the fire department at (714) 754-5683.

Clothing:

* Smoke odor and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula will often work for clothing that can be bleached: 4-6 teaspoons trisodium phosphate, 1 cup Lysol or any household chlorine bleach, 1 gallon warm water.

* Take wool, silk or rayon garments to a dry cleaner as soon as possible.

Leather and Books:

* Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then wipe with a dry cloth. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun.

* Books can be dried by placing them on end with the pages separated. Then they should be piled and pressed to prevent pages from crinkling.

Food: When in Doubt, Throw It Out

* Wash your canned goods in detergent and water. Do the same for food in jars. If the label comes off, mark the contents with a grease pencil. Do not use canned goods when the cans have bulged or are dented or rusted.

Walls, Furniture and Carpeting:

* Vacuum all surfaces.

* Change and clean air-conditioner heater/filters.

* Seal off the room you are cleaning with plastic wrap to keep soot from moving from one location to another.

* Do not use chemicals on furniture. A very inexpensive product called FLAX Soap is available in most hardware and paint stores for cleaning wood, including kitchen cabinets.

* For carpeting--steam-clean, shampoo and repeat steam-cleaning.

* It is almost impossible to get smoke odor out of pillows. Throw them out.

* Locks, especially iron ones, should be taken apart, wiped with kerosene and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole and work the knob to distribute the oil.