cleaning after a fire

aliasojo

No helpful tips, just wanted to sympathise. :grouphug:

Little_Vics

thanks guys.

Windows are currently wide open, and I've had to take today off work to get the worst of it sorted. I'm currently hiding under my duvet though.

skipsmum

aliasojo wrote: »

No helpful tips, just wanted to sympathise. :grouphug:

Me too, lots of hugs and gin may help.
Please dont feel like idiots, we all do things that have consequences.
On the bright side, no one was hurt :beer:

annie123

Little_Vics wrote: »

I'm currently hiding under my duvet though.

Stay there and hope the cleaning up fairies come and do it for you

Happened to me 30 years ago.
Get any plants outside and hose down, they won't like being covered in soot.
Tape a dust sheet over the door to cut down on soot migration to other rooms.
Enter room with a vacuum cleaner turned on in front of you. The vacuum will lift more soot easily and cleanly than rags/clothes so use it to go over as much as poss, including books etc. If you don't have one with a hose, borrow one or buy argos basic, will help so much.
A dust mask or scarf over your mouth/nose means you won't get bad cough over the next few days, you'll breath in more than you realise whilst cleaning it.
Even after you've cleaned it you'll find more soot settling over the next few days, so expect at least a week of hoovering/cleaning down. A water spray bottle used in the air will help ground the particles, but do this in the evenings and hoover again the next day.

((((((((hugs))))))))

kettlenic

how often should you get the chimney swept?

Badrick

aliasojo wrote: »

No helpful tips, just wanted to sympathise. :grouphug:

Rotten thing to happen, just like to offer my sympathies too.

Little_Vics

the lovely fireman said that chimneys should be swept every year. We've got someone to come and do ours next Monday (which is good), but I'm now thinking deep cleaning the carpet and curtains should probably wait until then.

In the meantime I've cleaned all the cupboards (inside and out), wiped down all the nick nacks and photos, cleaned the woodwork and sorted out all the cushions and covers for laundering. I'm going to have to wait until hubby gets home before I move the furniture to clean behind it.

All the windows are open as wide as they can be, but it's about to rain which isn't going to help!!

Thanks so much for your sympathies. I feel very silly and have had to take time off work to sort it out (which isn't good for the amount of stuff I've got on my desk at work!). I'll get there.....

kettlenic

Thanks I have just moved into a property with a chimney and think I will get it done to be safe - roughly how much do they charge? (I live in London)

Just dont want to be ripped off

Little_Vics

we've been quoted £50 up here in Yorkshire.

kettlenic

thanks xxx