The Dos and Don’ts of Water Damage Cleanup

Water damage can be a topic laced with mystery. How do I clean up after water damage? What should I throw away? What can I do myself and what should a professional do? Many of us just cross our fingers and hope we won’t have to deal with a stressful bathroom leak or full-blown flood in West Bay any time soon. To be honest, it doesn’t come around all that often. However, when it does, it’s best to know how to respond. 

Water Damage In West Bay

DO:

• Air out the affected area. Depending on the location and extent of damage, this might involve either simply opening a window or gathering an entire battalion of space heaters and fans. Although nothing can truly replace professional-grade drying machines, starting to circulate air throughout the affected room will help to prevent mold growth and expedite the drying process. 

• Secure Valuables. Move paintings, critical documents, photos, and other irreplaceable items well out of harm’s way. This may be one of the first steps you take. Although drywall and carpeting can be replaced, memories can’t. If the area is safe to enter, take a minute to scan the room and check for valuable items. 

• Take pictures of the damage. Sure, pictures might make a cool Instagram post and earn you some pity points, but the real purpose of photographing damage is to help with an insurance claim. Insurance companies can occasionally be difficult to work with, and having hard evidence of your situation can be hugely beneficial. 

• Turn off electricity to the area. Even if the damage is minimal, it’s never a bad idea to cut electricity off to a particular area of the home. If you have questions about how and when to turn off the electricity, call Daystar Cleaning. 

DON’T

• Use your vacuum to suck up excess water. Trust us, just don’t. We may be professionals in water removal, but vacuum repairs are an entirely different expertise. We don’t think you’ll want to be stuck cleaning a wet floor and a broken vacuum. 

• Use any electrical appliances near the damage. To be safe, completely remove hair dryers, lamps, loose cords, and any other appliance. Our professionals our trained to use dryers and other tools in the cleanup process, but it requires precision and observation to recognize when and how to use electricity in the water damage cleanup process. 

• Lift carpet without professional help. This tip is to make your life a little easier. Wet carpet is heavy. And hard to lift. It usually ends in a soggy mess and a frustrated homeowner. While DIY videos can get you started on this one, it’s better to leave it to the professionals. 

• Enter a room with standing water. There are three types of water damage: Category 1 is low-risk water from a sanitary source. Category 2 contains potentially unsafe levels of microorganisms. Category 3 water originates from sewer damage, outside flood water, and other heavily contaminated locations. Before knowing which type of water you’re dealing with, how much damage has occurred, and what has been affected, it’s unsafe to enter rooms with standing water. 

Call the professionals for help. Minor water damage problems can snowball into large scale renovation projects. Whatever course of action you choose to take, be sure it involves Daystar cleaning in West Bay.