When water damage happens without warning, One Call Services arrives within sixty minutes at homes or businesses throughout Alameda County and the surrounding area. With over ten years of water damage restoration and mold remediation experience, the team serves the community’s water removal, water extraction, and water damage restoration needs. Customers receive free visual inspections and estimates, and the dedicated technicians are committed to ensuring the satisfaction of every customer.
When an appliance water supply line ruptures, as much as seven to nine gallons of water per minute can flood into a home. If no one is at home to shut off the main water valve, almost five-hundred gallons of water per hour end up on the floor, soaking carpeting, pouring into floor vents, wicking into walls, warping baseboards, damaging furniture, and ruining personal belongings.
If the burst supply line is to an upstairs toilet or faucet, the flooding can affect everything downstairs, including the ceiling, light fixtures, floor coverings, and clothing in closets and drawers.
Whenever fire is involved, the water damage may be more extensive than the actual fire damage. The amount of water required to put out a housefire completely may be thousands of gallons. To extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, the first responders will pump hundreds or thousands of gallons of water into the home in just a few minutes. Practically everything in the house is affected by the water, including clothing in closets and drawers.
Clothing involved in a house fire may sustain both water damage and damage from fire, smoke, and soot. Clothing having only water damage may also be infested with mold and mildew if the leak has gone undetected by the homeowner. In either case, the homeowner can take steps to salvage the clothing, some of which may be very expensive or have a high sentimental value.
If the water damage is from floodwaters resulting from a flash flood, a broken water main, or a sewage backup or overflow, the toxicity of the water becomes a factor that must be taken into consideration. A fabric and fashion care expert offers the following advice on dealing with water damaged clothing: “Black water is water that is contaminated and unsanitary. It may not always appear ‘dirty,’ so it is important to know the source of the water. Flooding from sea, river, and lake water is classified as black water because of the presence of microorganisms and unknown chemical pollutants. Sewage water is also black water. Items that have been heavily damaged by black water should probably be discarded, but always check with a dry cleaner to see if they can be restored.”
Follow these four steps to restore clothing and other fabric items affected by water damage either from a household leak or floodwater.
Step 1: Decide which items are worth the effort and expense to restore.
If the clothing can be restored to look as good as new, it is probably worth the effort and expense to do so. If not, discard the items. If the clothing has been exposed to black water but has only minor stains and discoloration, restoration may be possible. If doubt exists about the items’ condition, ask a water damage restoration specialist to assess the damage and offer a plan of action.
Step 2: Separate the clothes.
Instead of grouping clothes together, hang up each piece of clothing, and make sure it does not touch other garments. Individually separating the items ensures proper drying and prevents color bleeding from ruining the other clothes.
Step 3: Remove mud.
As soon as possible, remove any mud and dirt from the clothing. Washing muddy clothes in the washer or sink could clog drainpipes. Instead, rinse the items outside and hang them up to dry.
Step 4: Wash or dry-clean salvaged clothing.
Washing clothing in the washing machine after a flood may not be possible if the appliance is damaged or destroyed. Consult with a restoration company to make sure that it is safe to use the washer and dryer.
If the washing machine is operational after a flood incident, restore lightly damaged clothing by washing them in hot water. Add bleach when appropriate or another sanitizer, such as pine oil, to remove mildew.
If a clothing item still has stains after washing, do not put it in the dryer. Drying the stained clothing may cause the stain to become permanent. Instead, soak the garment separately in a light bleach mix overnight, then rewash it. Be aware that the colored clothing fades when exposed to bleach.
In many cases, having a professional dry-cleaning company restore the clothing is the safest and best solution. Dry-cleaning companies use advanced equipment and powerful chemicals like carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can remove toxic residue without damaging clothing or other fabric items.
A restoration professional can help clients determine which items require dry cleaning. Fiber content, fabric dyes, and other factors help in determining what clothing needs to be dry-cleaned. Fur and leather require dry cleaning to maintain their beauty and integrity.
Call a water damage restoration professional.
In the aftermath of a water damage disaster, the immediate focus is on contacting a restoration company. One Call Services aims to provide customers with the highest quality services, including water damage restoration, mold damage restoration, sewage damage restoration, and more. The job is complete only when the customer has a healthy indoor environment, and the damage has been restored and repaired. A fast response time and excellent customer service are core principles at One Call Services.
For more information about water damage restoration in Fremont, CA, contact the office by phone at (510) 394-1606.
