5 Tips To Salvage Flood-Damaged Household Items

2/19/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage clean up services in Edmond, OK.

Steps To Take To Minimize The Damage

If a broken pipe recently led to a flood of water in your home in Edmond, OK, it is likely some of your household goods sustained damage. Before throwing important items out, however, it is worth trying to salvage what you can. Here are five tips that may help you get some of your possessions back.

1. Put Down the Hair Dryer
When it comes to removing the water, gentle air drying is best. Even if you think your hairdryer, oven, iron, or sunlight will work, think again. These harsher methods can cause even more damage. If you need professional help, a water damage remediation team like SERVPRO can use industrial fans and dehumidifiers to get the job done faster.

2. Separate Wet Materials
Next, look inside your drawers, cabinets and photo albums. Very carefully separate wet items and place paper towels between damaged book pages.

3. Clear Out Dirt and Debris
Water in your home should not be your only concern. Wherever you see dirt or debris, you will need to remove it. Gently brush items off, and avoid rubbing. Depending on the material, dry cleaning can be another solution.

4. Rinse and Dry Photographs
You may be hesitant to put your beloved photos near more water, but carefully rinsing them can help get them clean. Just be careful you do not touch the photos while they are wet. Allow time to air dry before picking them up again.

5. Focus on What Is Most Important
At the end of the day, you may not be able to salvage everything you own. For that reason, it is a good idea to stay focused on items that mean the most to you. Whether something is important for sentimental or financial reasons does not matter. What matters is that it is important to you.
When there is water in your home, it can be devastating to lose your belongings to flooding. That said, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage.