3 Reasons To Throw Away Food and Cosmetics After a Fire

10/27/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage cleanup and restoration isn't an easy task. If your home in Boca Raton, FL is damaged by a fire, give SERVPRO a call.

After A Fire, There Are Three Reasons To Throw Away Food And Cosmetics.

There are a number of household items that can be damaged beyond repair or even made unsafe by exposure to the high heat of a house fire. You may want to throw away all the food, medication and cosmetics that were in the house at the time of the fire for these reasons to keep yourself and your family safe.

1. Food May Be Burned or Covered With Soot or Extinguishing Chemicals

Regardless of the packaging, if food items have been subjected to heat, smoke, water or chemicals used to smother a fire, they should be discarded. This includes food that was stored outside the refrigerator or freezer. Food packaging may be permeable to these contaminants, and high heat can cause jars and cans to split or crack, allowing contaminants in.

2. The Refrigerator and Freezer Are Not Fireproof Safes

Refrigerator seals are not necessarily airtight, and smoke or soot may have penetrated the interior of the appliance. Also, fires can lead to loss of power. If frozen food has thawed or if refrigerated food has reached 40 degrees or above for more than 2 hours, it may be spoiled. Get rid of this potentially unsafe food without tasting it. Throw away the food if there is any doubt about whether it has been ruined or tainted.

3. Medication and Cosmetics May Be Rendered Unsafe by Fire Damage

Look closely in your medicine cabinet or wherever you have medicines and cosmetics stored. Dispose of items that have any soot or firefighting chemicals on them. If a container has been heat damaged, discard it. Fire creates toxic fumes, and because you cannot clean your makeup, you run the risk of putting hazardous chemicals on your skin if you keep it and use it.

Dealing with a home fire in Boca Raton, FL, can be emotionally draining. Despite the instinct to salvage items after so much has been destroyed, it may be safer to throw away food, medicine and cosmetics that have been exposed to fire damage.