In the event that your office, home or car have been flooded or were damaged by fire, there are probably a lot of documents you are going to notice that are damaged. For any situation, but especially in the event of office and legal documents, there are a few things you can do yourself to help reverse and correct the damage.



The first step in a DIY or do it yourself document freeze drying is to get organized. Presence of mind is ideally important to be able to act quickly and save as much documents as you can. Once the disaster is over, classify your documents by level of importance.

Irreplaceable items should be dealt with first. Important documents should be tended to second while not so important documents or documents that are backed up somewhere else or have carbon copies stored can wait. In fact, you may even throw them out if restoring them would be more difficult than producing another copy. Check the bottom shelves and drawers for the documents most damaged and start with those. One of the better alternatives to save these documents is a process called document freeze drying.

To start document freeze drying, remove all paper clips, fasteners or binders. Anything that is metal or has metal in it will rust. Use an iron on the lowest heat or a blow dryer on the lowest setting to begin. You can also microwave documents on low setting but remember that heat of all types will make the paper brittle. If it is possible to pick the documents up without them falling apart, photocopy them and then start the drying process. You will need to replace all file folders, pockets, boxes, and file storage bins. The reason for this is mold grows quickly and you do not want new documents damaged from mold.

In the event that your documents are only damp or hardly wet and document freeze drying is not an option, string a clothes line and clip the papers with clothes pins to the line. Make sure there is plenty of air circulation with fans and open windows so the room does not become humid and introduce more moisture. It is important to get your documents dry as fast as you can. The items you cannot dry yourself should be taken to a document freeze drying company. In addition to mold, moisture draws bugs and you do not want a sudden infestation in your office.

Most importantly, if you are unsure of something, call a document freeze drying professional and ask for help. If your documents can be saved by air drying, then you should do that. If the job is too big, the items too wet, or you just don't have the time, document freeze drying your can be the way to go. This ensures that all of the moisture will get taken out of your documents. The freezing process does that by making the paper so cold all moisture is vaporized. The drying process helps in the restoration and many companies will make copies of the materials for you as well.