Tips On Restoring Paper, Fabric And Upholstery From Water Damage

It is difficult to get out of the trauma of water damage. Seeing your favorite curtains being soaked in dirty water again and again would make you feel sad. And what about the best dress you had in the wardrobe? We need to do something. Alright get up … and stop making those ugly faces. Wear the gloves and protecting clothing right now. Here we go:

* Remove all the wet upholstery of your bedroom, living room. This includes removing the curtains, cushions, pillows, bed sheet, etc. Carefully remove them.
* Assess the condition of current upholstery and see whether they can be used. If you think that the quality has deteriorated considerably then re – upholstering is necessary.

* If the condition is good call for professional help and get it dry-cleaned. Tell your dry cleaner about the water damage and ask them to use a germicide solution for cleaning.

Now we will discuss about your clothing.

* To clean the clothes, remove all the dust and mud and gently soak them in clean water for some time.

* Remove the clothing and give them a normal wash. After that do not wring or twist the clothing / textile for extracting the water. It might damage the fabric. If you think that there is excess water, then use a towel/ water absorbent paper to press the fabric. Donot stack the clothes together during the drying process.

* Allow the clothes to dry in sun. If there is not sufficient sun light then let them dry indoors with lights on. All this will stop mold growth and kills the bacteria to an extent.

Happy now… But there is another tricky thing that needs to be restored now. The damaged paper…We worry more upon seeing the damage but guys did you have the look at those important papers lying the drawer? Are they safe? If they too have become the victim of the damage, then it is necessary to take some for restoring the water-damaged papers.

* Very carefully and gently lift the paper and remove the water / traces of water.
* Dry the paper using air-drying or a dehumidifier. This might take bit long. Shortest way to dry them is put the paper/ documents/ books in a zip lock bag and put them in freezer. This will stop the water from spreading and dry the paper much faster.

* If after drying there is some paper odor, then put an open box of baking soda next to it. It will help in neutralizing the air. If you don’t have baking soda, then increase the air circulation.