How Should I Schedule The Cleanup Of Items Affected By Water Exposure?

8/29/2020 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Los Gatos / Monte Sereno at (408) 600-2020 to help schedule and run the cleanup process appropriately for the best outcome.

SERVPRO Has Sufficient Experience Handling Water Cleanup Exercises in Los Gatos Homes Making It Easier to Identify Priority Items

Water intrusion into your Los Gatos home can affect contents in different ways, including staining, soiling, or exposure to undesirable substances, thus necessitating cleaning. Since household items made from a wide range of materials and finishes, the outcomes from moisture exposure and soiling vary. The response you choose after discovering the situation is the only variable determinant of the outcome. Confusion on what items to clean first is common in such situations.

Which procedures are necessary for content cleanup?
Water cleanup involving contents in Los Gatos homes can require a wide range of techniques depending on the level of soiling, the materials composition of items, and the urgency involved. SERVPRO is well versed in general as well as advanced cleaning techniques.  We use various approaches to deal with any soiling, staining or contamination, “Like it never even happened,” including:

    •    Hot water extraction
    •    Shampooing
    •    Damp wiping
    •    Spray and wipe
    •    Immersion techniques

Cleanup also involves moisture management since extended exposure to water can cause various forms of deterioration. We use techniques such as air-drying or dehumidification to remove wetness from materials faster compared to letting them dry on their own.

What aspects play a big role in setting up a cleanup schedule?
    •    Rush items
    •    Vulnerability to moisture
    •    The expected level of deterioration
    •    Specialty items

Rush items is a general category encompassing items that you need to use urgently. They can be personal items such as clothes or utility items such as furniture. When you notify our SERVPRO crew chief of your desire to access specific items, we evaluate them to ascertain the best mitigation procedure, whether it is washing, rinsing, or expediting drying so that they can be ready for use in the desired time.

Although various materials are vulnerable to extended moisture exposure, the speed or levels of resulting damages vary. For instance, mold can develop on the surfaces of wooden items, but it can take days for significant damage from such growth to take root. On the other hand, dyes on fabrics such as upholstery covers can run and cause severe damage within minutes or hours. When our technicians evaluate your items, we prioritize the cleanup of items likely to develop severe damage if left unaddressed over more extended periods.

Which items require specialty cleaning?
    •    Artworks such as canvas paintings
    •    Musical instruments such as pianos
    •    Electronics or other appliances

Although cleaning helps reverse or reduce damages, it can have the opposite effect on some items. Such items require specialized cleaning procedures more than a speedy response to guarantee a positive outcome. Setting such items aside until the necessary resources are available is the best approach.

If you own some musical instruments, then you are aware that they are made up of a wide range of small parts, including strings, valves, and keys, so it is easy for something to go wrong in the process of cleaning the item. Paintings, on the other hand, can flake or develop other imperfections. Our technicians can take protective actions, including storing some items in freezing conditions or temperatures above the dew point, thus providing an opportunity to delay the cleaning until an expert is available or allowing safe transfer of the items.

What determines whether contents require onsite or off-site cleaning?
    •    The level of water damage at the property
    •    The size of the items
    •    Storage area available at the loss site

If the intruding water covers a vast portion of your property, it might be difficult to clean or store items within the same property. Our SERVPRO crews can evacuate the contents to an off-site facility for storage as we remove the water in your property. We can also perform cleaning and other restoration procedures at the off-site facility.

Item size can pose some obstacles to the cleaning processes. It is easy to misplace small items during cleaning or movement. On the other hand, bulky items such as furniture or musical items such as pianos require significant moving logistics for convenience and prevention of damages. Our technicians evaluate the item sizes and level of damage before deciding whether to move or clean them at the loss site.

Cleaning your Monte Sereno, Cambrian Park, or Lexington Hills home after water damage incidents is a delicate process since some of your actions can worsen the damage. Call SERVPRO of Los Gatos / Monte Sereno at (408) 600-2020 to help schedule and run the cleanup process appropriately for the best outcome. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.