When your Chicagoland home experiences water damage, it can be traumatic. You may need to replace furniture, electronics, flooring, or even structural parts of your house.

But what can make it more painful is the loss or damage of items that have sentimental value. Those can’t be replaced by a trip to the store.

That’s when the professional content cleaners at Chicago’s ServiceMaster By Simons can be of great value to you. They’ll not only clean up your water damage, but they can also salvage important and cherished possessions that otherwise could be destroyed by water or mold.

Understanding the Threat

Here are four major reasons why contents need to be dried quickly:

1. Document Destruction: In a very short time, water and humidity can begin their destructive process. This is especially true with paper items such as photographs, certificates, passports, deeds, and other legal documents. Water damage not only can destroy these papers, but mold may begin to grow on them, causing further damage and creating a health concern.
2. Electronics Damage: These days, our homes are filled with electronics. Once they’ve been soaked in water, corrosion sets in very quickly. Additionally, electronic equipment that’s experienced water damage can be dangerous if it’s turned on without first completely drying out.
3. Mold Damage: Mold spores are everywhere, and once exposed to water, conditions become ripe for mold to take hold. Although most items can be harmed by mold, this is especially true with your porous possessions. Molds also thrive on any organic matter such as clothing, paper, and leather. These items hold water longer and are thus more susceptible to mold growth and damage.
4. Odors: Wet contents will quickly start smelling musty due to mold growth, whether visible or not. The mixture of moisture, poor air circulation, and darkness can all contribute to a moldy smell or odor.

Rapid Response is Vital

Mold can begin growing within 24-48 hours of a water damage incident in your Chicagoland home. So calling ServiceMaster By Simons quickly is important. Our cleaning specialists will act quickly to prevent irreversible damage to any personal items.

We’ll do a thorough assessment of the extent of your damaged items and categorize each one based on its level of exposure to water and mold. ServiceMaster will immediately clean and restore your salvageable property while documenting irreversibly damaged items for insurance claims.

Tailored Cleaning Solutions

Not all materials need or should be cleaned the same way to safeguard their preservation. Our content cleaning crew has the knowledge and tools needed to address a variety of materials, from textiles and paper to wood and electronics. Our tailored cleaning solutions will remove mold, stains, and odors while restoring them to their pre-damaged condition.

Here are a two ways this is accomplished:

• Saving Electronics – we will remove any standing water or visible moisture from the item, inspect it to evaluate whether it can be safely restored, clean it, and thoroughly dry it to avoid corrosion. In some cases, ultrasonic cleaners can be used.
• Eliminating Odors – we use a combination of advanced deodorization products, machines, and odor removal expertise. Many commonly used deodorizing products only mask odors temporarily, but properly removing the odor and its source will ensure the smell doesn’t resurface later.

Health and Safety Considerations

Preserving your possessions is high on our list, but what we’re even more concerned about is the health and safety of our customers. Mold spores can lead to respiratory problems and other health concerns if they’re not properly addressed. So we make sure that we thoroughly clean and disinfect all affected areas and belongings so you’ll have a safe living environment.

Speed is of the Essence

When there’s been water damage to your Chicago area home, content cleaning is an important component of the recovery process. And the more quickly it’s done, the more successful it will be. So be sure to call ServiceMaster By Simons at (773) 376-1110 immediately if it happens to you.

Choose a Trustworthy Company

ServiceMaster By Simons is a reputable disaster restoration company you can rely on. We’ve been in business for many years and take great pride in serving the expansive Chicago metropolitan area and its surrounding suburbs. Our company stands as the preferred choice in Chicagoland for both commercial and residential disaster restoration services. Our expertise includes Fire Damage Restoration, Water Damage Restoration, Mold Remediation, and Smoke Odor Removal. With a team of highly skilled professionals who are certified by the IICRC, we’re equipped to handle insurance claims of any size. Call 773-376-1110 or contact us online.