Tips And Faqs

What to Do if You Ever Have Water Damage

• Use fans to circulate the air and assist drying.
• Remove as much water as possible by mopping and blotting. If there is also fire be careful not to run soot into fabrics.
• Wipe furniture dry.
• If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, you can use dehumidifiers.
• Lift draperies off carpet, loop through a plastic or wood coat hanger, and place the hanger on the drapery rod.
• Prop up wet furniture cushions for even drying and place small wood blocks or aluminum foil under furniture legs.
• Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings.
• Open drawers and doors to enhance drying.
• Move photos, paintings, and art objects to a safe, dry location.
• Remove wet fabrics and dry them as soon as possible. Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
• Remove damp books from shelves and spread out to dry.

If you are dealing with water damage alone and your furnace or air conditioner is safe to use you can use them to facilitate drying. If the damage occurs during a cool season, leave the heat on. Do not use excessive heating to speed drying. During the summer you can run your air conditioner to remove moisture.

What to Do if You Have Smoke and/or Fire Damage

Due to the instability of any chemicals on post-fire contents, efforts made by the homeowner to clean up damage prior to the arrival of professionals may cause additional damage and in some cases ruin contents altogether. Please use extreme caution when applying these tips. To keep costs and damage to a minimum call ServiceMaster of Portland immediately.

• Blow off or brush-vacuum loose soot particles from upholstery, drapes, and carpets.
• Wipe the leaves of houseplants to remove smoke residue.
• Clean Formica and chrome fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom to prevent permanent tarnishing.
• Cover carpeted traffic areas with towels or old linens to prevent additional soiling.
• If electrical service is off, clean out your freezer and refrigerator. Leave the doors propped open or place charcoal in the unit.
• Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified professional dry cleaner who specializes in smoke damage.
• Discard open food packages. The food could be contaminated.
• Wipe residue from porcelain bath fixtures to prevent etching.
• Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air.
• Tape cheesecloth over intake and outlet air registers to capture any loose soot in the air. This is even more effective if the cheesecloth is damp.
• If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, air out the house to reduce smoke odor.