Help Protect Your Belongings

8/17/2020 (Permalink)

We can help protect your home and things from further water damage.

If you are ever unlucky enough to have to suffer through water damage in your home, one of the most important things you can do is act quickly to save your belongings. Your property is important to you and to us so we would like to give some simple tips for caring for materials affected by water.

When carpets or rugs become soaked with water, how long the water sits there is usually the deciding factor in if the material will still usable. The biggest concern with carpets and rugs is mold and mildew growth. If you are able to extract water from the carpet, do so. Or at least dry the area as much as you can before until professionals are able to make it to you.

Mold is also another factor to think about when it comes to drying furniture, clothing, or paper material. To save these from permanent damage, it is best to air dry them. You can take them outside or a room with lower humidity so they dry faster. Be sure to use caution when handling documents, books, photos, or other items that become fragile when wet. They could fall apart.

When is comes to electronics, please use extreme caution. Avoid putting oneself at risk for shock or electrocution by not turning on a device that was exposed to water or is currently wet. If it is safe to do so, you can wipe the surface the items with a towel to prevent more water from getting into the device. It is smart to also have a trained professional look into the interior of the device to more accurately assess how extensive the water damage is and if the device is salvageable.

These are all small things you can do to help save your materials after water damage. To help with more severely damaged items call SERVPRO of Oak Park-River Forest at (708) 483-8636 to have our professionally trained technicians come help.