How To Clean Clothes that are Water-Damaged

3/17/2020 (Permalink)

When people deal with unexpected water in the home, their first thoughts are usually of carpets and floors, walls, or furniture. Clothing doesn't usually come to mind right away, but you should consider how expensive a wardrobe can be. Yes, the carpets, walls, and furniture are important, but it is also important to know how to clean water-damaged clothes. 

Before you start calculating the costs of dry cleaning for each of your water-damaged items, determine which ones are worth spending the money to save. You'll want to avoid:

• Anything touched by sewage water
• Anything that has large stains on it
• Anything that seems to have a lot of discoloration
• Anything covered in mold or mildew

In addition, if the items are extremely worn, or if cleaning them will cost more than you spent on the item in the first place, it is a good idea to get rid of them. Once you decide which pieces of clothing you want to salvage, separate the wet items from each other to prevent colors from running and allow them to start the drying process.

Begin the Washing Process

After fixing a broken pipe and starting the cleanup of water in the home, it is time to start washing the clothes you'd like to keep. The water restoration company you work with can tell you if it is safe to use your washer. If it isn't, you can head to a local laundromat. However, note that it is often more cost-effective and safer to hire a dry cleaning service to try to salvage your water-damaged clothing. A professional's machines and chemicals are much more powerful.

Whether you're dealing with a broken pipe or another reason for having water in the home, don't forget about saving as many of your clothing items as possible during the cleanup process. Clothing may or may not be covered in your flood insurance policy, so salvaging a wardrobe will likely help you to save money.