3 Things You Should Throw Away After a House Fire

3/31/2020 (Permalink)

Dispose of all cosmetics after a fire

3 Things You Should Throw Away After a House Fire

One of the most difficult parts of recovering from a house fire in Pagosa Springs, CO is usually identifying things that can be salvaged versus those that need to be thrown away. Sentimental items can be hard to dispose of, and there’s always been the confusion about keeping or dumping canned foods.

Here are things you should throw away after a fire, no matter what:

• Perishable and non-perishable (canned) food
• Cosmetics
• Medications
  
  

1. All Food That Remains After the Fire

When food gets exposed to high heat it can cause health problems, including respiratory issues and food poisoning. While that is obvious for anything that was in permeable packaging during the blaze, edibles that were in sealed jars and cans should also be tossed. The heat triggers bacterial contamination and gives the food a bad taste.

2. Cosmetics

Dispose of all the cosmetics after a fire to avoid health implications. Heat changes the chemical composition in most of these products, increasing health risks when used. Heat-exposed creams run the risk of skin infection that can cost more than simply replacing the cosmetics. For that reason, do not use any beauty products or toiletries that survived the house fire, even if they have no signs of burns or soot damage.

3. Medication

Medicines tend to lose potency after exposure to extreme heat. They can also get contaminated by firefighting chemicals and other products that might be near them. There may be no signs of fire damage or soot on the packaging, but many medications change their chemical form under hot conditions. That is why it is important to dispose of them and get all new prescriptions after a house fire.

Discarding items that survived the high heat situation might seem like a waste of money, especially after losing so much. However, using these items threatens your & your family’s well-being and your wallet as well.

SERVPRO of Archuleta, Montezuma, La Plata & San Juan Counties is here to help you 24/7/365 with any fire damage and restoration issue.

Please call us at 970-259-6184