What to Keep and What to Throw Out After a Flood

2/5/2018 (Permalink)

After dealing with a flood in Chicago, IL one of your first questions may be how to handle content cleaning for items that have been exposed to water. Even after the water has been removed, flooding can leave behind extensive damage to your possessions. Furniture, appliances, and other belongings may need to be evaluated to determine if they are worth keeping. It can be difficult to decide what can be saved and what needs to be thrown away, but with the help of a few guidelines, you should at least know where to start.

Porous Materials

Porous materials are items water can penetrate or soak in to. These materials may have absorbed contaminated black water during the flooding and can therefore be a risk for mold and odors.
Some common porous materials can include:

• Carpet
• Rugs
• Upholstered Furniture
• Blankets or bedding

Since water can be absorbed into these items, it can be hard to repair damage done to them. For the sake of safety and comfort, it might be best to replace them.

Non-Porous Materials

Non-porous materials are items water cannot easily soak in to. They can include things such as wood, metal, and plastic items. While they are usually salvageable, it can be a good idea to decontaminate and clean them, as flood water is not safe and can leave behind dangerous microorganisms even after it is gone. A restoration service can help you take care of the content-cleaning process so you can get your items back in usable condition as soon as possible.

Cleaning up your belongings after a flood may seem like a daunting task, but can be done without too much difficulty in the end. The first step should be throwing away anything that can’t be saved. Contacting a restoration service to help you manage content cleaning can also be useful and save you a lot of stress.
Visit http://www.SERVPROparkridge.com for more information on storm damage.