Biohazard Cleanup of a Hoarder Home

You may know someone who is a bit of a pack-rat or have even seen the television show, “Hoarders,” but cleaning up a biohazardous hoarder home is a necessity in order to avoid dangerous illnesses and make the home suitable for human habitation.

We’ve seen incidents of hoarding lead to dangerous quarantines due to the possibility of contracting a deadly virus, like when crew members of the TLC television show, “Hoarding: Buried Alive,” showed signs of having the Hantavirus after cleaning biohazardous material in a home. Other cases such as being buried alive under mountains of trash can happen; an elderly couple in Chicago died under mounds of garbage that had accumulated and overtaken the space in their home. However, these were extreme cases. Yes, they do happen. And yes, PuroClean of South Charlotte will be there to help sanitize and deodorize once the clutter has been removed.

If things like animal feces or bodily fluids are present in the home, you simply cannot hose it down and assume it is clean. It needs to be handled delicately and by a professional biohazard specialist who has the correct equipment and chemicals to properly sanitize the home.

It is recommended that carpets that are clearly damaged beyond repair be removed prior to cleaning the home. Any furniture, trash or contents of the hoard that cannot be salvaged must go. Using an enzyme based cleaner to deodorize the home in full protective equipment gear is necessary to stop the possible spread of diseases like the Hantavirus, staph viruses like MRSA and Hepatitis or HIV.

Using cleaners like hydroxyls will help clean the air, but it should be made clear that even if we properly sanitize the home, the odor may persist. That being said, we will make sure everything is sanitized so that people may safely inhabit the home. For more information on biohazard cleaning, contact PuroClean of South Charlotte at (704) 644-8686 or visit our website at www.puroclean911.com

My Dinner Caused a “Protein” Fire - Now What?

Your extended family is coming over for Sunday dinner and they’re expecting a delicious oven roasted chicken that you have never attempted to cook before. With all of the commotion with company in your home, you lose track of time. The chicken starts to burn.

A distinct, putrid smell now reeks from the charred lump that was was supposed to be a delicious dinner. There was no black smoke residue or actual flames, but the smell is overwhelming. What happened and how do you get rid of the smell?

This is considered a “protein fire” or smoke damage from the severe burning of meat. This kind of damage cannot be treated the same as regular smoke damage - that’s where PuroClean of South Charlotte comes in. Although the damage of a protein fire doesn’t look as bad as the standard fare, they tend to be worse to clean up after for the average home owner.

Protein fires typically occur in the contained space of the kitchen and, in such a limited area, can
cause the odors to be pushed into cracks in the walls, floorboards, electrical outlets, or behind kitchen cabinets. This means your home could have lingering odor even after a protein fire. PuroClean of South Charlotte is an expert in fire damage and would know how to clean every nook and cranny of that protein fire.

The residue left behind by low level burning is often more of a mist than smoke. It is sticky and not easily washed away with regular household cleaners. The same stickiness from protein fires can affect your clothing. It needs specialized treatment to clean thoroughly--dry cleaners are not always experienced with this type of clothing damage.

Cleaning the aftermath of protein fires requires special training and equipment. Call PuroClean of South Charlotte at (704) 644-8686 if a protein fire occurs in your home.