Water damage will probably be the death sentence for most of your belongings if not right away, then several weeks or even years later if not addressed on time. Your electric appliance will probably become unsafe to use; furniture may start cracking and deforming; books, clothes, carpets, and other textiles may become an incubator for mold and bacteria.

However, once you start dealing with water damage on time, there is still a big chance that you or some professionals will manage to recover some things and materials touched by water and preserve their value and condition.

In this article, we shall talk about the things people usually lose to water damage, which can actually be recovered if you are willing to invest some time and energy into them.

Furniture

Furniture and especially whole-wood items can be pretty expensive, and therefore you will feel particularly sorry losing them to water damage. However, the good news is that high-quality wooden furniture is much easier to recover after flooding than cheap plywood items.

The first thing to do is to make sure that you dry the item thoroughly. Place it in a room or area that has not been affected by flooding. Open the windows, and bring fans and dehumidifiers - in other words, make sure that the item will dry out thoroughly. Use a mixture of baking soda and toothpaste to carefully exfoliate materials that may have been swollen and damaged by water or any contaminants.

It is best to gently remove and renew the coating layer after the item has been dried completely.

If we are talking about furniture pieces with upholstery, it is best to address professionals who will have the necessary equipment to dehumidify the soft textile parts thoroughly and prevent the development of mold. In some cases, it is best to change the upholstery and filling entirely.

Electric appliances

Another costly loss to water damage is electric appliances. Most professionals will strongly recommend against using any of the devices after they have been affected by flooding as the consequences may reveal themselves right after or even sometime later, causing you an electric shock, becoming a reason for the fire, etc.

However, there is still a chance that your phone, Playstation, or toaster will still be safe to use under the following circumstances:

• If the item was unplugged during the flooding, there is a better chance of recovering it;
• You remove the battery, SD card, or any other detachable parts and add-ons from the item right after you notice the water damage;
• You dehumidify the item entirely before trying to switch it on. The good old rice lifehack usually works with small devices like phones;
• If you are not entirely sure that you can restore the device yourself, disassemble it, dry it out thoroughly, and then put it back together safely, make sure to address a professional.

Clothing and textiles

The biggest problem with clothing and textiles touched by water damage is that floodwater often carries with it chemicals and contaminants that are extremely hard to wash off and may be a real health hazard, especially if they come in direct contact with your skin.

• Go through all the textiles and clothes (including outwear) a separate them into several groups, such as slight water damage, severe damage, damage beyond repair, etc.
• Items that seem to be slightly touched by flooding should go through the washing machine immediately according to the care requirements noted on the labels and tags;
• Severely damaged items may require additional disinfection and professional-grade products, especially if we are talking about footwear and clothing out of leather, suede, fur, etc.
• If the item preserves the strange smell or some stains remain even after you have washed and cleaned them, it is best to replace it as the damage may turn out much worse than you imagine and spread on other clothes, footwear, or even furniture and walls if you leave it in your wardrobe.

Photos and paperwork

It is hard to imagine that anyone is printing photos and making physical albums today. That is why your childhood photos and the albums you have received from your grandparents are so valuable and precious. Unfortunately, water, and especially dirty floodwater, is often the ultimate death penalty for such items.

If you see that some photos or albums have been touched by water, make sure to separate them carefully and lay them out in a dry, ventilated space to let them dry out naturally. It is best to avoid using heat or any chemical methods to boost the process.

Recovering photos, think which may have a digital backup or negatives that remained safe during the flood and, therefore, can easily be replaced. If the photos were in frames, album envelopes, or any other containers, make sure to remove them and try out every part separately.

The same is true for documents. Before wasting your time and effort on the restoration of water-damaged items, think about which can be replaced or have digital analogs.

Bonus tip

Prevention is always better, safer, and cheaper than treatment. Therefore it is always best to protect the most valuable items from water damage than spend additional money, time, and energy on their restoration. Make sure that valuable furniture, clothes, as well as electric appliances are elevated and placed in areas that are protected from water. Place important documents, photos, and cash into waterproof envelopes and containers. Roll up the carpets and move furniture around to save them from flooding.

The best way to protect your belongings is to have flood insurance and use modern flood control methods like flood barriers for home. Made out of modern, lightweight materials, floodgates can be easily deployed and removed in a matter of several minutes. They hardly take up any storage space and can be used for several years with only minor annual maintenance.

Flood barriers are efficient against major 3-foot flooding and don`t require any physical effort, special equipment, and skills for installation.

Contact Dam Easy today and learn more about modern flood control products and methods that will help you keep your house or business safe and free from water damage all year round.

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