While rain is not always the cause of floods, heavy and prolonged rains are often the primary reason. Everyone can experience flooding, especially when surrounded by rivers, dams, or drainage basins. In some cases, a burst pipe can also be the cause.
Imagine if you’re left with severe house damages. Once you save your family, you have to manage your valuables next. However, this can be a race against the clock because mold can develop in the next two days. Here are guidelines for how to save what you want and have to and dispose of what can not be:
1. Determine the Type of Water that Invaded Your Home
Identify the kind of water you’re dealing with. Is it dirty, salty, or contaminated with sewer or harmful chemicals? If your possessions have come in contact with contaminated water, you may need professional services. Attempting to recover and clean them may be hazardous to your health. If the water is untainted, try to reduce the moisture around your valuables as you clean and dry them.
2. Prioritize Your Belongings
You may not save everything after the flood, so focus on the most important to you, whether for money or sentimental reasons. Though your insurance can replace all the costs of your damaged things, some are not irreplaceable, like shoeboxes, photo albums, invoices, and legal documents.
3. Dry the Inside of Your House
Everything can still remain wet, even after removing all of the standing water in your house, especially if the rain increases the moisture in your place. Air drying is always the best if the weather permits it. Open your windows to allow indoor airflow.
Otherwise, use an air conditioner, fans, and dehumidifiers. Avoid utilizing ovens, irons, hairdryers, and prolonged direct exposure to sunlight, resulting in irreversible damages. Click here to read more about flooding and the importance of cleaning up immediately to restore your property and valuables.
4. Organize Your Belongings and Handle with Care
Separate soaked from dry materials. For example, remove photos from damp albums or take artwork and paintings out of their frames. Be sure to put white paper towels between every few pages of wet books you want to recover. Most importantly, take care of wet things with care since they can be fragile.
Many pack out companies can help you recover your belongings and ensure their quality. Start searching for a reputable company online and make sure to check if they offer this kind of service.
5. Clean Carefully
Use soft fabrics and brushes to loosen up dirt and debris on fragile objects. Avoid rubbing that can crush dirt. For porcelain, utilize a dry cloth to remove any dust and then use a small, soft-bristled brush to get rid of dirt from crevices and tiny openings.
Carefully rinse photos in clean water. Then, air-dry them on a paper towel or plastic screen by hanging them with plastic clothespins. Avoid allowing the picture to come in contact with other surfaces when it’s drying.
6. Store Valuables and Eliminate Damaged Items
Throw away objects and products that can not be saved right away. Place them in open, unsealed bags or boxes. If you can’t address your belongings in two days, you can place them in the freezer for cleaning later on.
Typically, you can freeze some things that can not be dried out in 48 hours, consisting of documents, fabrics, images, and books. This prevents molds from developing and dyes from transferring. It can even let you do other important things.
7. Dispose of the Debris
Dispose of wet items from your residence as soon as you can return home after the flood. Instead of waiting for your insurance to document the damages, you can do it yourself by taking photos and videos.
According to professionals, you can sort out your items into the following categories:
- Hazardous household waste. Paints, batteries, and cleaning supplies
- Vegetation debris. Plants, leaves, and tree branches
- Bagged household garbage. Packaging, food, and paper
- Building materials. Drywall, carpeting, mattresses, furniture
- Electronics. Computer, TV, and stereo equipment
- Large appliances. Water heaters, air conditioners, and refrigerators
