Tuesday 2 December 2008

Flood Damage Cleanup: Basic Tips And Tricks

Floods have recently swept across the nation wreaking havoc in their paths. Submerged homes and properties resulted to millions of dollars worth of water damage. With the current foreclosures that various states, and even the nation as a whole, are experiencing right now, losing homes to floods just adds fuel to the already raging fire. What is needed is a good flood damage cleanup job to restore homes and properties that have been water-damaged during the flood.




The following are basic tips and tricks for flood damage cleanup for common household items that simple homeowners can do to start them on their way to water damage restoration.




*Beds and Mattresses




Mattresses are very difficult to recover during flood damage cleanup. It would probably take a good renovation company to fully restore a bed, and the cost of professional restoration would probably be more expensive than just buying a reconditioned bed or even a new mattress. Still, it would be worth it to try and recover a bed, particularly if you have nothing to sleep on after the flood. Clean the surface by removing as much dirt and grime from the surface as possible. Use good detergents and chlorine during cleaning. Dry it under the sun for as long as it takes to dry. Once the bed dries, spray it with disinfectant to kill possible mold and mildew growths. Finish it off by spraying a good deodorizer to remove the stink that may be caused by the floodwaters.




*Pillows




Pillows with feather, polyester fiberfill, foam rubber or urethane filling can be washed with or separated from its ticking. Separating the filling from the ticking during washing would be a better alternative though, to ensure proper cleaning and disinfection of the filling, which may absorb much floodwater. It may be more tedious though, but washing in warm water with detergent and disinfectant by machine or hand can do the job perfectly well. The ticking may accumulate more of the dirt and grime so it may need additional brushing during cleaning and complete the flood damage cleanup.




Use a good deodorizer as a finishing touch to try and remove foul odor that may come from the dirty waters. However, pillows that have been soaked for a long time may retain some of the odors permanently and may be impossible to remove. In such cases, it would be advisable to dispose of the affected pillow.




*Blankets and Comforters




Flood damage cleanup for blankets and comforters might be a little tricky due to its bulk and absorbency. To start, brush off surface dirt and grime with warm, sudsy water. Soak the blankets one at a time in warm water with dissolved detergent and disinfectant. You may need to replace water several times before all absorbed floodwaters are completely cleaned away.




*Books and Papers




When performing flood damage cleanup for books and papers, do not dry them out under the sun as this may cause them to deform severely and create further damage. After surface cleaning, dry them out by air blowing using electric fans or with dehumidifiers. If you're unable to restore at that immediate moment, put the damp materials in freezers and thaw them out at an appropriate time. Some documents may be difficult and impractical to restore, so it would be the discretion of the




*Cooking Utensils




Anything that you may use for food should be completely cleaned, disinfected and sterilized before trying to use once again. Flood damage cleanup for dishes, pots, pans and other cooking utensils should be cleaned with detergent and bleach dissolved in warm water. Rinse with warm water and disinfectant. Finish off by sterilizing in boiling water. Allow to soak in boiling water for more than 10 minutes to remove possible germs present.




A homeowner doesn't have to spend much in performing flood damage cleanup. However, these actions should be done immediately as soon as possible to avoid further risk to owners and their families, and minimize cost due to further damage.


Ramona Weisly shares How To tips and other information for Flood Damage Cleanup and Flood Damage Cleanup Alexandria, VA

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