National Clothesline

Many cleaners may attempt smoke restoration but actually lack the knowledge and experience to handle this kind of work. Just buying an ozone machine and chemical additives is not the entire answer to handling this type of work.

Processing smoke and fire restoration work can cause more problems than it may be worth. For example, some small cleaners processing fire-damaged garments may run into problems of solvent contamination and smoke odor contamination on other customer’s garments.

Another problem that may occur is asbestos contamination of garments. I doubt that many cleaners know the safety precautions of handling these types of garments and may not be aware that asbestos particles pass through most filtration systems.

It is also my experience that many cleaners really do not know how to use an ozone generator and the health effects of improper use. I spent a great deal of time at two major fire restoration cleaners. One is Betty Brite Cleaners in Windsor, NJ. Arthur Weiss is the owner and was called upon to handle work from the World Trade Center disaster. The other one is Radiant Leather Care in Riviera Beach, FL. The owner is Steve Jennings and he handles work for several insurance companies.

These cleaners have many things in common:

1. Ample space and room to handle the job.

2. Several different cleaning machines and sophisticated wetcleaning equipment.

3. Ozone rooms.

4. Knowledge of chemicals and bleaching to handle the job.

Procedures used for processing

Drycleaning. In order to successfully process fabrics laden with odor, soot and ash, you must first remove the soot and ash. Removal is important, not only for the appearance of the fabric but also for successful odor removal. The more soot and ash you remove the more odor is removed.

Perchloroethylene solvent is a most effective solvent for processing these garments. It may be necessary to run a batch load using oily-type paint remover to aid in soot and ash removal. Proper distillation is necessary to avoid solvent contamination. Some odor compounds can be added to the solvent but it is my experience that this is just an odor camouflage.

Ozone

People in the restoration business use ozone because experience has shown it to be effective in the treatment of odor. Ozone deodorizes by chemical action. It adds oxygen to odor, forming residue and changing it into substances lacking odor.

In using ozone it must be noted that ozone is not effective on all fire residue; other alternative methods must be used.

The type or source of contamination determines the effectiveness of the ozone treatment. Many cleaners are taught to ozone the garments first and then dryclean. This may be counterproductive since the contamination of the ash and residue deplete the ozone.

In my experience, I have found that cleaning first removes the odor-contaminated residue. The ozone chambers can then be used afterwards. When using ozone chambers, the restorationist must consider the extent of contamination, temperature, relative humidity and distance of the contaminated articles.

Many cleaners that I have visited position the ozone machines improperly and do not have sufficient air movement to make the treatment effective.

Guidelines for proper use of ozone

Safety. Ozone should not be used in areas where animals and people are present. Signs should be posted. Before entering an ozone room, the area should be thoroughly ventilated with several air changes.

Placement. Ozone generators should in most cases be elevated since ozone is heavier than air and tends to stay near the floor. The concentration of odor is usually on shoulder areas of garments since heat and smoke residue rises. Fans should be strategically placed to avoid ozone becoming stagnant.

Moisture. The ozone chamber must be dry and the proper temperature used to avoid damage to garments. When ozone is in the presence of moisture, it forms hydrogen peroxide which is an oxidizer and can produce color loss on garments.

Ozone generator. The ozone generator is sold and is rated by square feet of area to be used. It should be serviced and cleaned regularly to insure its effectiveness.

Garment safety. Some garments and fabrics are adversely affected by ozone treatment. Rubber treated fabrics and acetate fabrics are some garments that can be damaged.

Hydra Air Dry Cleaning Machine (Patent # 5,040,988). This drycleaning dryer is currently being used by Radiant Leather Care Cleaners for handling smoke odor. The dryer is used to remove smoke odors on all types of garments, including furs, suedes, and leathers. It is also used to clean garments that cannot be drycleaned or wetcleaned. The machine uses heat, air, vacuum and non hazardous chemical injection to remove odor. Documentation has shown the odor removal is as effective as using ozone. Steve Jennings has also devised his own chemical additives that is of now a trade secret.

Wetcleaning. Any fire restoration department handling fire and water damage requires a sophisticated wetcleaning department. This requires front-loader wetcleaning machines and tensioning equipment for restoring garments to proper size. The most effective wetcleaning chemicals are non-ionic detergents which will remove oily and grimy residue. Laidlaw Chemical Co. and many other companies offer a wide range of these products. Usually more than half of all fire restoration work will need wetcleaning.

Bleaching. The reason why ozone works well in odor removal is it uses active oxygen. The use of bleaches also uses oxygen to not only correct staining, but also remove odor. Odor removal works best with oxidizing bleaches which add oxygen to the fabric.

Scorch damage is best removed by oxidizing bleaches. Hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate, and sodium percarbonate are the most effective bleaches.

Water damage. Wetcleaning and wetside prespotting is required. Acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide and ammonia are effective for prespotting depending on the fabric and color safety.

Melted plastic. Due to EPA concerns and safety, this correction procedure can only be handled by a professional.

In conclusion, we can see that smoke restoration requires a great deal of knowledge and time. It may be better to find a professional restorationist and subcontract your work out. The following are two places that I would recommend: Betty Brite Cleaners, Windsor, NJ, (609) 426-4600, ask for Arthur Weiss; and Radiant Leather Care Cleaners, Riviera Beach, FL, toll free (866) 783-3322, ask for Steve Jennings.

Dan Eisen recently retired as chief garment analyst for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association after 33 years with that organization. He is available for seminars, consultations and independent garment analysis. He also has published a book, “The Art of Spotting,” which is an indexed compilation of articles he wrote for National Clothesline and NCA over the past three decades. He can be reached at (772) 340-0909. His address is 274 NW Toscane Trail, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986. His e-mail address is cleandan@adelphia.net.