UKC

Hi All, I’m reaching out to see if anyone has experience with saving outdoor clothing after a house fire.
Fortunately, there’s no heat damage, but everything is covered in a layer of smoke. I’m hoping to rescue some high-value items like my waterproof gear, a down sleeping bag, and synthetic jackets made with Pertex.

I haven’t tried washing them or taken them to a laundry service yet, as I’m unsure of the best approach. If anyone has tips on how to properly clean and restore these items, or if you think they might be beyond saving due to smoke damage, I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thank you in advance for any advice!

Additionally, I've heard that boiler-related fires are more common in Scotland than in England. If you have any tips on why this might be the case, or if you believe this isn't true, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts...

If you are insured claim for them, no point paying premiums and getting nothing when you need it. 

If you do plan on claiming on insurance, I wouldn't do any DIY washing until things are assessed and if you really need them/can't wait and think they are recoverable after a professor wash make sure you get receipts.

This isn't a solution because they closed years ago but Franklins in Sheffield used to do just this thing. I think it was organised through insurance companies and so, after a house fire, smoke damaged upholstery, curtains, carpets, clothing etc were collected and left for days in an ozone room which got rid of the awful smoke stink. Can't remember if things were cleaned before or after the ozone treatment but do recall the whole process was very effective. Maybe other firms still offer a similar service - or has someone spotted that an ozone room poses some health and safety risks?

If you have contents insurance, then your insurer should attend to this, normally via a disaster remediation specialist (Polygon, ChemDry etc.).  They have facilities to decontaminate smoke damaged soft goods, although from what I can gather, unless it's something expensive or with sentimental value, they more often recommend disposal and replacement (e.g., wedding dress - try to restore; normal clothing - bin).

I used to work at Blacks in Hanley. One night the night club next door mysteriously burnt down. Everything in the store stank of acrid smoke. We had lots of fun not doing any proper work over the next few days. All stock.was reduced by 75% which when combined with 30% staff discount gives an 18 year old an incredibly cheap way to stock up on kit. The Robens tent is still going 20years later, as is a heavy duty Sprayway jacket. Claim on insurance for the gear, keep hold of the old stuff and wash it and keep it until you need to use the new stuff.