Does pH Play a Role in Fire Cleaning for Agoura Homes?

2/10/2022 (Permalink)

We aim to restore your home as quickly as possible, “Like it never even happened.”

With Varying Soils and Residues Possible After a Fire, Many Factors Influence Efficient and Thorough Cleaning 

Most Agoura homeowners look at their properties after a fire loss and consider the appearance of soot and smoke residue coating surfaces as overwhelming, but do not often recognize the complications possible with removal and recovery. The residue type plays a significant part in the detergents and products used to clean them from the house's surfaces and contents. For example, most smoke residues and soot particles are acidic, making the pH of cleaning products a consideration for technicians restoring the property. 

The term pH stands for the possibility for hydrogen, and the position of particles on this spectrum influences the cleaning practices chosen for fire damage in Agoura homes. Finding a balance on the pH scale with acidic particles means choosing wet cleaning strategies that introduce alkaline-based detergents and solutions into the equation. By neutralizing acids with the balanced seven on the 0-14 pH scale, dissolving and emulsification can be more efficient. 

When is pH Not a Factor?  

As much as acidic and basic properties can determine the appropriate cleaning products and practices, there are situations where pH is not measurable or relevant. Much of the determination about what methods and obstacles exist in cleaning is discovered during the job scoping phase before fire damage mitigation work begins. Some of the factors that can make pH irrelevant are: 

• The substance does not contain water
• Products used are solvents (non-water-based liquids)
• Materials are getting discarded 

Residue removal and surface cleaning are often vital elements in restoring your home after a fire loss. The potential for hydrogen (pH) can impact the necessary cleaning practices and products used to make fire losses "Like it never even happened." Give our SERVPRO of Agoura / Calabasas / Hidden Hills team a call today at (818) 991-6292.