Water Damaged items can be Restored!

No homeowner wants to experience much less deal with a water damaged home. However, these kinds of situations can occur more common than you think. Having to deal with the items affected by water damage can seem daunting and it may even seem as if you cannot restore your items to pre damaged condition. Good news for you is this might not be the case. 

We want to highlight a few things you can do before you speak to a professional or before a professional shows up to assist with the water damaged items. Remember, you can begin to do some of the work just be sure to communicate to the professionals where you leave off so they can better assist you. 

First, take notice if the water is contaminated or dirty. This could pose a threat to your health if the water is toxic and therefore should only be handled by the professionals. 

These next few steps, you can take immediately. 

Air-dry your items indoors. If weather permits, open a window to allow and increase airflow. If it is hot or humid outside, resort to using a fan on low settings instead to move air through your items. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers can also help in this process. Avoid using hair dryers, irons or sunlight for drying as this can cause further damage to your items. 

Photos and important documents should be treated immediately. Cleaning photos by rinsing them in water and air-drying on a paper towel can minimize the risk of bleeding/ streaking. Family or important documents need special attention and should be treated gently when moving to air-dry to minimize ripping. Photos should be separated and placed on paper towels instead of leaving them all in an album drying. Book pages can also be separated by paper towels to avoid further damage. 

Once items are mostly dry, you can begin to clean them from debris or dirt. Use soft cloths and soft bristle brushes to do so. Avoid rubbing the items as they are likely hyper fragile and should be treated with care. Rubbing can also cause structural damage or staining to your items. 

Severe water damage will without a doubt leave items broken or disintegrated. Be selective on which items you want to focus on restoring and what others are unsalvageable. Remove the items that will more than likely not be restored. If doubting whether it can be resorted or not, you can consult with your professional. 

If a water damaged area in your home is not secure or unsafe, speak to a restoration professional to assist you from start to finish. 

Restoration professionals like our team over at Catastrophe Contents Restoration specialize in contents restoration and cleaning. We want to help get your items back to pre loss conditions.