What Do You Do With Mold Damaged Possessions?

8/9/2021 (Permalink)

If your home has experienced extensive water damage, there's a good chance many of your personal belongings have been affected. While wood floors, carpeting, and drywall can be replaced, many personal items carry a sentimental value that makes them irreplaceable. Not everything can be restored; however, resist the temptation to trash mold-damaged possessions until a mold remediation specialist in Germantown, Tennessee, or Collierville, Tennessee, has assessed it. You'll be surprised by what mold cleaning can restore.

What to Clean

Mold damage affects different materials in different ways. For example, porous materials, such as fabric, upholstery, carpeting, leather, plywood, canvas, and paper, suffer the most damage. Mold can partially digest some material or get lodged in tiny openings in the material, so it's challenging to get out. On the other hand, non-porous materials usually fair much better. When mold is only on the surface, it can come off with minimal effort through scrubbing. Generally, possessions made of the following materials can be cleaned without difficulty:

• Metal
• Plastic
• Hardwoods
• Glazed ceramics
• Glass

What to Replace

While it may be possible to restore some items with mold cleaning, the cost to do so may make it more reasonable to replace it. For example, a favorite recliner has suffered severe water damage and mold growth. If a new recliner can be purchased for the same price as restoring it (or less), you may be advised to buy a new one. If the item in question isn't one-of-a-kind or of great sentimental value, you're better off replacing it.

What to Restore

Anything precious or unique is worth restoring. For example, a child's favorite toy, a handed-down leather jacket, rare books, or valuable paintings can potentially be restored by a restoration specialist. Even if you think the damage is too severe, wait until a professional has assessed the damage before giving up hope. A new, patented, hydraulic washing system by a company called Esporta can restore 90% of soft materials to a "food-grade" clean. While you may lose possessions to water and mold, SERVPRO of Germantown / Collierville can make sure you don't lose everything.