KnowHow

Processes For Growing Restoration Companies

Degreasers like OmniPro Fire Power and Vission aren&rsquo;t just &ldquo;strong soap.&rdquo; Their alkaline builders and solvents are tuned to dismantle the greasy, acidic cocktail unique to fire residue. Deploy them after dry soot removal but before deodorising or sealing, and you&rsquo;ll strip away the film that otherwise keeps odor locked in and paint from bonding. Choosing the right chemistry - and using it with proper dwell time, agitation, and neutralisation - can cut hours off cleaning times and make the difference between a lingering smoke smell and a clean, paint-ready surface.

Use Degreasers In Fire Restoration

Fire residue isn&rsquo;t just dry soot. Protein fires, kitchen flare-ups, plastic or rubber combustion, even the oily deposits from furnace puff-backs all leave hydrocarbon-rich, greasy films that bond to paint, metal, masonry, and contents. A purpose-built degreaser combines:
Component: Alkaline builders (pH 10-13)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
What it does in fire restoration: Saponify (convert) fatty/oily soils so they rinse away.
Component: Solvents (water-miscible alcohols, citrus, glycol ethers)
What it does in fire restoration: Dissolve waxy or polymerized residues water alone cannot touch.
Component: Surfactants &amp; anti-redeposition agents&nbsp;&nbsp;
What it does in fire restoration: Lift soils off the surface and keep them in suspension so they don&rsquo;t smear back on.
Component: Sequestrants/chelators&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
What it does in fire restoration: Tie up minerals that could dull paint or leave streaks.

Degreaser Chemistry

Dry removal first
<ul>
<li>Vacuum with HEPA and/or wipe with chemical (dry-cleaning) sponges so you&rsquo;re not pushing loose soot deeper.</li>
</ul>
Pre-test
<ul>
<li>Choose a hidden corner; check for soft plastics, unsealed wood, or delicate metals that might etch at high pH.</li>
</ul>
Mix &amp; apply
<ul>
<li>Follow SDS/label ratios (common range 1:4&ndash;1:16).</li>
<li>Low pressure sprayer or microfiber wipe keeps aerosolised soot down.</li>
<li>Work top-to-bottom to avoid drips redepositing contaminants.</li>
</ul>
Dwell, agitate, rinse
<ul>
<li>Ten minutes is typical for products</li>
<li>Use soft to medium bristle brushes; excessive scrubbing can drive residues into porous paint layers</li>
<li>Rinse with warm water or an alkaline rinse extraction tool; catch runoff to prevent staining adjacent materials.</li>
</ul>
Neutralise (when needed)
<ul>
<li>If your degreaser finishes &gt;pH 10, follow with a mildly acidic or pH-neutral rinse to return surfaces to 6&ndash;8 before sealing or painting.</li>
</ul>
Odour control &amp; encapsulation
<ul>
<li>Once the oily film is gone, oxidisers or smoke-seal primers actually contact the surface and work more effectively.</li>
</ul>

Degreaser Use Instructions

Don&rsquo;t let it dry &ndash; dried alkaline cleaners lock soot back in place and can streak paint. Keep the surface wet or rinse in sections.
Mind the temperature &ndash; warm solution (&asymp; 43 &deg;C /110 &deg;F) speeds chemical reaction but can warp vinyl or soft plastics.
Ventilation &amp; PPE &ndash; N-95 (minimum), chem-resistant gloves, and eye protection; many fire degreasers contain caustics or glycol ethers.
Capture rinse water &ndash; oily runoff may be regulated waste. Use containment berms and dispose according to local bylaws.
Follow with odor encapsulant &ndash;&nbsp;only after pH test strips read &lt; 9 to prevent primer failure later.

Best Practice Tips

<img style="width: 298px; height: 149px;" src="https://d1d4x9xaxq9e85.cloudfront.net/image/draftjs/OmniProDegreasers.jpg" alt="OmniProDegreasers.jpg">
When choosing a degreaser you want to look for a blend of surfactants, alkaline builders, and solvents specifically formulated for Fire Restoration.
Try out the OmniPro line of degreasers sold by Safety Express &amp; Aramsco:
OmniPro Fire Power
<ul>
<li>Fire Power is ideally suited for cleaning smoke residues off painted walls, paneling and wall coverings.</li>
<li>Simply by diluting Fire Power to the needed strength, all levels of soiling can be removed from hard surfaces that are safe with water.</li>
<li>Fire Power is a hard hitting blend of surfactants, alkaline builders, and solvents.</li>
<li>Utilizes two hard hitting ingredients from FLEX Powder which provide the appropriate alkalinity.</li>
<li>Includes a dynamic degreasing trio of surfactants with low levels of foam.</li>
<li>One of the surfactants has a slight cationic charge to draw particulate soils like soot into suspension.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
OmniPro Vission
<ul>
<li>Vission is ideally suited for cleaning smoke residues off painted walls, paneling and wall coverings.</li>
<li>Other hard surface cleaning and degreasing tasks can be accomplished with Vission.</li>
<li>Vission is a synergistic blend of surfactants, and mild alkaline builders with a &ldquo;Green&rdquo; profile.</li>
<li>Additional dwell time significantly improves performance as the product relies on surfactancy to get the job done.</li>
<li>Includes a dynamic degreasing trio of surfactants with low levels of foam.</li>
<li>One of the surfactants has a slight cationic charge to draw particulate soils like soot into suspension.</li>
<li>Includes the pleasant fragrance of orange oil.</li>
</ul>
For Canada visit <a href="https://www.safetyexpress.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.safetyexpress.com</a>
For US visit <a href="https://www.aramsco.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.aramsco.com</a>
See attached documents for OmniPro product specifications and SDS &nbsp;