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What is Content Cleaning? Understanding Content Cleaning for Different Types of Damage

May 30, 2023

Whether a home has suffered from water damage, a fire, or a storm, there’s no shortage of things that must be done to get the property back to its pre-loss condition. While many people focus on getting the house itself restored, the contents cannot be overlooked. After all, it is hard to get back to a normal routine if a house’s furniture, appliances, and other belongings are dirty or broken.


Fortunately, many of the best restoration companies offer
contents cleaning services in Columbia, MO as part of their full-service solutions. This means that homeowners can sit back and relax while their highly trained experts apply their knowledge to minimize the overall loss from the disaster. To learn more about the process and methods used for different types of damage, keep reading this helpful guide!


What is a Content Cleaning?

Content cleaning is the process by which a team of restoration specialists works to remove any dirt, debris, or other form of damage to a variety of household belongings. These items can vary from large pieces of upholstered furniture to delicate electronics. 


It’s important that homeowners hire professionals for this process. They have specialized tools and methods that can restore items more effectively than the average person could do on their own. 


The Content Cleaning Process

How are content cleaning specialists able to get the best results? They have undergone extensive training, and many have years of experience working on restoration projects of all types and sizes. Therefore, they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the following steps in their process. 


Assessing and Sorting

As soon as a restoration company arrives at the affected property, they will take the time to assess the damage. Not only will they look at the type of damage that occurred, but they will also check to see how far it spread. 


From there, they will be able to sort through all of the items that were affected by the damage. They will work with homeowners to determine what items will have to be discarded and which can be salvaged. The items kept for cleaning will then be sorted by the type of cleaning they require.


Packing & Removing

After everything has been appropriately sorted, the contractors will start to pack everything. They bring in their own packing materials and carefully place everything in boxes or plastic wraps. Their priority is to keep everything safe, especially since many of the items may already be in a fragile state. Once everything is packed, the crews move everything off-premises to be cleaned in their facility.


Cleaning

The main part of the whole process is the actual cleaning that takes place. This can look different from one job to another because the cleaning methods used will largely depend on the type of damage that occurred. It will also differ based on the type of material, but most restoration companies have well-equipped facilities to tackle any content cleaning task.


Returning & Unpacking

Once the cleaning is completed, the restoration crew carefully packs everything back up into new, clean boxes. They will store the items in a secure facility until the house restoration has been completed. When the homeowners are finally ready to receive their personal belongings, the crew will return the boxes and unpack each item until everything is back in its original spot. 


Read About - Importance of Contents Cleaning After A Disaster


Cleaning Methods for Different Types of Damage

As mentioned, the cleaning methods used by a restoration crew can vary largely depending on the type of damage the house suffered. For example, fire and smoke damage will require more of a focus on removing the soot. If a house suffers from a sewage backup, the items will not only need to be thoroughly cleaned, but they will also need to be sanitized to protect homeowners from harmful contaminants. 


That’s not all! The type of cleaning will also depend on the item. Specifically, the process will look different for items that are non-porous versus those that are porous. Content cleaning specialists can provide more information on the process they use for each type of item and damage, but the following are some of the most popular methods used in the industry:


  • Dry Cleaning
  • Sanitizing
  • Deodorizing
  • Ultrasonic Cleaning
  • Freeze-Drying
  • Dry Cleaning
  • Refinishing
  • Soot Cleaning
  • Industrial-Grade Washing


Contact a Restoration Company to Learn More About Content Cleaning Services

Homeowners who are interested in finding out more about how content cleaning works for different items should contact ABC Environmental Contracting Services. Their helpful contractors are available by phone 24/7 for emergency services, or customers can submit their contact form to find out more about the cost of their services.


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