Water damage often happens when you least expect it: a pipe bursts, sewage backs up, or a storm causes floodwaters to seep indoors. When this happens, you must take quick action to prevent long-term damage, mold, and health risks in the aftermath.
As leading experts in water damage restoration in Bartlesville, serving northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas, the team at Courtesy Care Cleaning & Restoration, Inc has firsthand knowledge of what can happen when homeowners don’t take the proper steps after a flood. With the following water damage cleanup tips, you can prevent expensive consequences and restore your home to its previous condition.
What To Do When You Discover Water Damage
The most important thing to remember when your home sustains water damage is not to panic. No one wants to find several inches of standing water in the laundry room or basement, but with help from a professional restoration team, it’s possible to dry, clean, and disinfect the space so it’s safe.
Remembering these water damage cleanup tips can make the process easier.
1. Find the Source of the Water
You can’t start cleaning up the mess until you stop the water from flowing, so your priority is to find the source. Knowing where the water is coming from also helps you know whether it’s clean or dirty, which makes a big difference to the cleanup approach. For a plumbing emergency, turn off the water at the main line; any other source may require professional help.
2. Take Safety Precautions
Several inches (or more) of water can infiltrate electrical systems through outlets, creating a risk of fire and electric shock. If you can safely access the electrical panel, cut power to the affected areas. If not, call the power company and request they turn off your power temporarily.
You should also avoid touching the water without proper safety gear. Don’t enter the area without boots, gloves, and a face mask to avoid contact with toxic contaminants. Tread carefully, it will be slippery.
3. Call Your Insurance Company
Depending on the specifics of your homeowner’s insurance policy, you may be able to make a claim for the damage to cover the cost of cleanup and restoration. The insurance company may send an adjuster to your home to document the damage; in the meantime, take photos and keep records of everything you do to clean up the mess.
Understanding the water damage timeline is crucial when working with your insurance. The longer water sits, the more damage it causes, increasing restoration costs. Acting quickly ensures the best chance of salvaging your property.
4. Contact a Water Restoration Company
Although you might be able to handle some cleanup and water damage repair on your own, if the water isn’t from a clean source (like a water supply line or rainwater) or there are several inches or feet of standing water, you need help from the professionals. A water damage restoration company has the equipment and tools to remove the water and clean and disinfect the space. This will protect your family and preserve your home’s structure against further damage.
5. Remove Wet Items
If it’s safe, start removing wet items to dry and clean them. In the case of a black water flood or category 3 water damage, many items may be unsalvageable due to contamination. However, one of our best water damage cleanup tips is to promptly remove items that didn’t come in contact with the water or were only wet for a short time so you can save them.
6. Watch for Signs of Mold
It only takes 24 hours for mold spores to spread after water damage, and in just a few days, you could be dealing with a severe mold infestation. Cleaning up the damage as quickly as possible keeps this from happening. If you find mold anywhere, you need professional remediation to eliminate it.
7. Clean and Disinfect the Area
You can clean a minor plumbing leak with a wet-dry vacuum and dry the affected area with a fan, but leave the cleaning for significant floods and widespread damage to the professionals. After removing all the standing water and drying the area, the crew will disinfect every surface to remove contaminants and kill mold to stop further damage.
8. Restore and Repair
After cleanup, it’s critical to make repairs to prevent further issues, especially if the damage was due to a plumbing problem. Address issues like poor drainage or malfunctioning appliances before you work on restoring the space to its original condition.
Read About – Hiring The Perfect Water Damage Restoration Company
Call Courtesy Care Cleaning & Restoration, Inc for Water Restoration Help
Whether you have a minor plumbing leak or a major flooding catastrophe, turn to Courtesy Care Cleaning & Restoration, Inc for water damage repair. As a full-service company, we can offer helpful water damage cleanup and an array of services to handle even the biggest disasters. Call (918) 233-6477 to speak with an expert today or fill out their online contact form on their website.
