Water damage can result in severe damage to your property and expose you to many health problems if timely and prompt action is not taken. When water damage takes place in your home, it becomes necessary to extract all water from your structure to protect it from becoming extensively damaged resulting in increased losses. We must make an analysis of the entire damage caused by floods to save the most precious or important items first, gradually proceeding towards other items in the priority list. By keeping following important tips in mind, we can save our precious items affected by water damage.



To save and restore your important documents including valuable papers and certificates, lay them on a dry and flat surface away from direct sunlight. Take extra caution in handling these important documents as they become fragile and prone to damage after water damage. To save and restore all soggy documents, try laying them in piles and attempt to separate them after they become dry or you may end up getting them torn. To expedite the drying process, make use of fans.

Important books need to be cleaned and dried before you restore them to their original condition. After removing the wet books from the flood water, you must rinse them in clean water. To save water-logged books, you can use blotting paper for soaking excess water from the books before drying them indoors to save the books from getting discolored or torn due to winds outside.

Family photographs are the next important items to be salvaged from flood water at the earliest as they have sentimental value attached to them. If you don't remove them from water within 48 hours, chances are, mold will render them damaged beyond restoration and the photographs will also stick together.

Carpets and mattresses come next on the restoration list of items to be salvaged from the flood waters to prevent them from extensive water damage. Inspect the damaged items carefully to decide about the restoration process. If the damage is severe, then it is considered best to dispose away the damaged item at the earliest to safeguard against potential health hazards. Mold might not get removed permanently and completely making it unsafe for re-use. Sunlight is the best source for drying your carpets and rugs which have suffered minor damage due to flooding of your house. Use a mixture of bleach and water to disinfect the flood affected items completely. Wash and rinse thoroughly until clean.

To restore your clothing after water damage, wash them in a machine or simply hand wash them by using a disinfectant to make them safe for use once again. Dry your clothes in direct sunlight for best results. However, always wear rubber gloves to ensure your safety while using a disinfectant for your clothes.

Although timely action can help us restore many of our valuables after water damage, sometimes, it might become necessary to eliminate or discard away contaminated household items to ensure our safety and protect us from potential health hazards in the near future.