Potentially dangerous residues can be left in soft contents cleaned after a fire. (Photo: Esporta)
A fascinating article entitled, "After a fire, how clean is 'clean'?" by Sean M. Scott ran last November in Claims magazine. Scott's premise was that some dangerous residues could remain after the restoration of smoke-damaged textiles.
Based on my knowledge of the subject, the author made a compelling case that traditional laundry methods are inadequate for addressing the dangerous chemical residues that remain in soft goods contaminated by smoke and soot. This is a significant concern given the number of structure fires that occur yearly. In 2017 alone, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated there were 1.3 million structure fires, resulting in approximately $23 billion in property damage.
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