Ameridry Blog Develop an Action Plan for after a Flood

If there's ever a time in life when you need a clear plan of action, it's after a major flood. When you first walk into your soggy home, you realize you have an overwhelming task ahead of you to quickly salvage what you can before you sustain more extensive water damage.Do These 3 Things FIRSTCall a water removal company like AmeriDry that specializes in water damage restoration to set up an appointment to assess the damage and drying your home. This should be done before anything else if you hope to salvage as much as possible.Call your insurance company to report your loss and verify what they are likely to cover.Take pictures of your damaged possessions.Starting the Cleaning and Salvage ProcessYour goal is to separate what you can save and what you can't. The sad fact of the matter is that you cannot save everything. You then need to clean, separate, and store what is salvageable. Your ideal friend in this process has an operational washer and dryer and storage space where you can sort and store items as they are cleaned.Acquire a stock of cleaning supplies and protective equipment. You will need gloves, face masks, safety glasses, clean wash water, hand wash soap, along with household cleaners, commercial disinfectants, commercial mildew removers, and liquid chlorine bleach. While you're shopping, make sure to acquire a supply of large plastic bags and some plastic storage containers.Every piece of clothing, bedding, toweling, etc, must be thoroughly washed and dried before reuse - even shoes. If they are covered with mud, hose them off before machine washing. For items you put in the washing machine, wash them twice, the second time with an antimicrobial in the rinse cycle. For dryclean only items, bag them up for the trip to a professional drycleaner and be sure to tell your cleaner they were contaminated with flood water.Remove furniture, carpet, carpet padding and mattresses. Assess what is too damaged to salvage and pitch it before spending unnecessary time and money. As a rule of thumb, anything that is soft must be dried out and disinfected within 48 hours to prevent mold growth, but warmer temperatures can shorten the time while cooler temperatures can give you a longer window. Professional restoration companies can often clean, dry, and disinfect carpets and furniture; but mattresses, carpet padding, and even some upholstered furniture will probably not survive. Solid wood furniture can be saved, but particleboard items are likely to fall apart on their way to the trash.Pack everything else in your house in storage containers and wash and disinfect thoroughly.Ensure the power in your home is shut off, then evaluate waterlogged appliances and electronics and determine whether they are destined for repair or removal. Many electronics won't make the cut.Call AmeriDry, Water Restoration SpecialistsIf you are a victim of a flood, call AmeriDry immediately. We are available 24/7 to help you contain the damage, stop mildew and biological growth, and begin the restoration process. After our initial evaluation, we are able to give you a timeline and budget for renovation. Our staff will help you through the process of restoration and rebuilding, and we will work directly with your insurance company so that you have one less thing to worry about.For water damage in Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Marco Island, or other locations throughout Collier, Lee, or Charlotte counties, call AmeriDry day or night at 239-225-1379. Check out our website for water damage tips and more information about our state-of-the-art water removal and restoration services throughout Southwest Florida.