If you’ve suffered water damage in your home, it’s vital to start cleaning it up as quickly as possible. Standing water or moisture will do ongoing damage to your home and the items within it, as well as posing a contamination threat.

Generally speaking, it’s best to call in water damage restoration specialists to assist in the cleanup, particularly if you need water removal. However, there are still some things you can do yourself to speed up the process or reduce the damage done.

Key Tips to Effective Water Damage Restoration and Cleanup

1. Always wear puncture-resistant non-conductive protective gear.

Flood damage cleanup is actually more dangerous than many people realize. There can be pointed objects hidden beneath the water, and may even be rusty – meaning there’s a threat of tetanus. Worse, if any wiring has been affected, there’s the potential of electrical current in the water which must be protected against.

2. Elevate any large pieces of furniture you can’t easily move.

If you have items such as beds or tables which are partially submerged, you can reduce the damage done by elevating them above the water level. The easiest way of doing this is usually with wood blocks or Styrofoam blocks, which can be gotten from housewares and home improvement stores. You might even ask if they have scrap wood they’d let you have for cheap.

3. Pick up and remove any smaller items.

Whether you’re going to attempt the cleanup by yourself, or you’re calling in water removal companies, you’ll make the cleanup easier by removing any and all small objects in the area. This will also give you an opportunity to assess them for damage and decide which can be salvaged.

However, when in doubt, it’s usually best to throw it out. It’s extremely easy for molds and fungus to grow on water-damaged items which retain moisture, such as books or stuffed toys.

4. Understand the drying-out process will be slow.

Even using heavy-duty commercial drying and de-humidifying equipment, it will take around three days for the affected rooms to be dried out. No, your contractor cannot speed up the process, nor are padding out their bill. It’s necessary for all moisture to be removed, and that takes time.

Malkin Cleaners Specialize In Water Damage Restoration

Large or small, we have the capacity to handle your flood damage needs. Contact us today for an estimate!