It can be devastating to have to throw out valued belongings after dealing with water damage, and trying to clean off salvageable items can prove a difficult task. So, how do you determine what can be salvaged and what needs to be thrown out? We at All About Contents in Dallas hope the following list will help provide some direction when cleaning up after water damage.
Possessions with sentimental value should try to be saved at all costs. If wet photos are stuck together, fill a bucket with clean water and submerge the photos. Gently swish them around until they begin to separate (you can do this with photos that have stuck to the glass in frames also). Once the photos have separated, lay them on a flat surface and let them dry out. If the damage is more severe, you can take them to photo restoration professionals to see what they can save. Documents may be able to be saved if they have not begun to deteriorate in the water. Lay them on a flat surface lined with parchment paper and let them dry. Paper documents may not hold up as well as photos, so some may not be salvageable, but for those that are, it is important to get them dried as quickly as possible.
The longer pieces sit in water, the worse the damage will be. If furniture was removed from the flooded room early on, it will more than likely be able to be dried and put back to use. Wood furniture that sustained water damage could take weeks to dry completely, but may still be saved after all the water has been dried. If you have metal knobs on drawers, you will want to remove them during the drying process so they do not corrode. Any furniture that has upholstery will have to have the fabric removed for cleaning, and the inner padding will have to be replaced if it was soaked with water. All furniture pieces should be thoroughly cleaned following water damage.
If carpets, rugs, and flooring have been exposed to contaminated water, they could contain unhealthy toxins and need to be professionally cleaned or replaced. With proper drying and cleaning, your flooring and rugs can be repaired and restored back to their pre-water damage condition. In most cases, carpet padding will have sustained the most damage so it may need to be replaced, but the carpet itself might not have to be.
If it is determined that your contents need to be cleaned due to the nature of the water damage, the highly trained team at All About Contents will work to restore all cleanable items back to pre-loss condition. The cleaning of contents after water damage requires skilled technicians and specialized equipment to safely and properly restore your items. It is necessary to identify the material and construction of each item to ensure the best cleaning method is employed. We offer cleaning processes for dishes, appliances, linens, clothing, furniture, artwork, antiques, heirlooms, decorative accents, area rugs, and more. If you are unsure whether your possessions can be salvaged from cleaning or need to be thrown out, we can help. If an item cannot be cleaned to a pre-loss condition, we will add it to the non-restorable list for your insurance. Let All About Contents take care of your property and all of your water damage content cleaning in Dallas, Georgia and surrounding areas.
