How To Handle Waterlogged Items in Your Home

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

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What To Do If You Have Waterlogged Items In Your House

If you’ve experienced problems with water in Onalaska, WI from flooding or a broken pipe, you may be wondering how to handle all of your belongings that have been left soaked. By following a few guidelines, you can take the first steps to handling wet items and restoring your home to normal conditions.

Items You Can Save

When looking through possessions that have gotten wet, determine which ones are nonporous. These objects do not soak up water and can therefore be cleaned up easily. Plastic or wooden furniture that is not upholstered should be entirely salvageable. Most types of flooring that are not carpet should also be able to be restored to pre-flood conditions. While you can save these items, it is important that you clean and disinfect them thoroughly to avoid mold growth or other problems that can result from contaminated water.

Items You Should Replace

Fabrics, carpet, upholstered furniture, and other items that water can soak into may have to be more carefully evaluated. Depending on what type of water has invaded your home, you may or may not be able to save these objects. If the water was black or gray water, then it can be best to simply discard and replace porous items. Black water is highly contaminated water that comes from sewage leaks or outside floods. Gray water may be less contaminated than black water but can still contain harmful microorganisms.

If the water was from a clean source, then porous items may be saved through drying and dry-cleaning processes. You can hire a professional damage restoration company to help you sort through affected items and determine the extent of damage and contamination.

Figuring out what to do with waterlogged objects can be the first step to returning life to normal after dealing with water in your home. Sorting through items can help you determine what to keep and what to replace.