Garments, Textiles, and Fabric Flood Restoration
In the event you and your family live through a flood disaster there are a number of issues and concerns when it comes to restoring your life. Any type of water damage can be a devastating to live through, and while the safety of you, your family, and friends is most important – property damage is often the very next concern. While we of course use water to clean and launder our clothes, flooding and water damage is known to damage and destroy clothing and most other fabric materials. And the water that comes from a flood is often dirty and full of mud, bacteria, and other debris – likely to ruin your clothing and household, fabric items like furniture, carpeting, rugs, and clothing.
Cleaning and Washing After Flood Damage
The devastation of flood damage extends far beyond house and home, and while flood insurance will often cover much of your property it can be difficult to get reimbursed for items such as clothing. At A+ Laundry, using our commercial-grade machinery and our nearly 30 years of experience, we specialize in all manners of disaster restoration for your clothing, textiles, and household fabrics.
The most important thing to remember when trying to restore and clean your clothing after severe water and flood damage is time. The faster you are able to begin the process, the better chance you have of cleaning and restoring your clothing. We begin the process by sorting your clothing completely, into specific groups of dry-clean only clothing, and hot and cold-water wash clothing. Then we arrange special attention for any delicate fabric items or higher-end clothing. Once we carefully sort each group, we must rinse off ALL debris, mud, and dirt that may have come into contact with the clothing during the flood. By removing any and all debris we can ensure that during the wash process these items do not further contaminate or damage your clothing – while simultaneously clogging our drainage system.
Because of the high probability of bacteria contraction and water-borne viruses, we use the hottest water possible for each type of fabric as well as adding a small amount of color-safe chlorine bleach. And while some materials like wool or silk as well as dry-fit and spandex clothing, cannot be washed with bleach – we use a special natural, eco-friendly pine oil solvent or other disinfectants. Once the initial wash is complete we inspect each article of clothing for any remaining water marks or stains – depending on the condition of the clothing, we then soak it overnight in a special natural oxygen-based solution to further loosen any stains deep within the fibers of your clothing. We may run the clothing through another wash cycle if necessary. The entire process is done using the highest heat water and drying, possible as this will help ensure that the bacteria is killed. For some clothing we may also use concentrated UV light to kill bacteria as well.
Dry-Clean Only? No Problem!
When washing flood damaged, dry-clean only materials it is important to closely assess the condition of the clothing. As it is likely the water may have caused permanent damage.
The process begins by rinsing off as much mud, dirt, debris, and bacteria as possible. And in most circumstances we can then use a standard dry-cleaning process to restore these clothes, however in some circumstances they may be damaged beyond repair.
Important Do’s and Don’ts When it Comes to Flood Damage
When dealing with flood or water damaged clothing there are a number of things you need to be aware of, and make us aware of before we begin the job.
- If the flood or water damage has caused heavy build-up of mud or soil, it may have a high iron content within the water. Therefore, using chlorine-based bleach may cause a reaction where rust-like stains develop.
- Make sure that you do not transport clothing to us in large plastic or garbage bags, as this will cause mold and mildew to develop on the clothing causing further issues.
- Once your clothing has been flood or water damaged, it is important to not let it come into contact with other areas of your home or vehicle. Your clothing will likely be covered in bacteria and water-borne viruses at this point that will contaminate any and all surfaces in comes into contact with.
If you and your family have been victims of water or flood damage, A+ is on your side. Contact us today for all your clothing, textiles, and household fabric restoration needs. Our expert staff has years of experience dealing with flooding and water damage of all kinds, and we can help you restore your clothing to its original state. Call now to inquire about our services.
