Contents Cleaning

When a property suffers fire, smoke or water damage, the interior building contents, such as furniture, artwork or electronics, may get damaged and require professional cleaning and decontamination. Depending on the condition of the affected contents, items may undergo the following processes: detail hand-cleaning, deodorization, drying, sanitizing, soot removal, dry- or wet-cleaning or refinishing. Our restoration personnel are prepared to handle a job of any size and are specially trained to handle your possessions with care and attention.

We offer contents cleaning of the following items:

• Boxed Contents
• Upholstered Furniture
• Hard Case Furniture
• Clothing and Flatwork
• Electronics
• Artwork

Boxed Contents

Small contents and furnishings throughout will be placed in boxes according to the type of item. Fragile items such as dinnerware, glass objects, figurines, and vases will be wrapped in packing paper and/or bubble-wrap before being placed into the box. Items such as books, albums, compact discs or cassettes will be placed directly into the box. When the box is filled, it will be sealed, labeled and inventoried. Afterwards, our customers will review and approve the estimate, and the boxed contents will be unwrapped, detail hand-cleaned, deodorized, polished as needed and rewrapped.

Contents that are found to be discolored or otherwise do not respond to the cleaning process will be set aside and an additional total loss list of these damaged items will be prepared. The remainder of the contents will be rewrapped and placed into new boxes.

Upholstered Furniture

Upholstered items, such as sofas, chairs, mattresses and pillows, will be vacuumed, wet- or dry-cleaned as necessary, and deodorized. After the cleaning process is completed, each item will be inspected to determine if there is possible discoloration or damage. In some cases, upholstery may show discoloration and/or wear-and-tear due to age, body oils, and sunlight. Under normal circumstances, these are permanent discolorations and cannot be reversed. We will make every attempt to minimize these conditions. If requested, we will provide a price to reupholster in writing and upon selection of a fabric and authorization, the reupholstering will begin.

Hard Case Furniture

Hard case furniture, such as tables, dressers, chests, and bookcases, will be detail hand-cleaned with a mild degreaser and deodorized. If the item is wood, it will be lightly polished with an emulsion. We will touch up any scratches that may have previously existed. If we note any unforeseen damage after cleaning the item, we always contact our client and adjuster to receive further instruction as to what can be done. Items that are found to be discolored, blistered or bear signs of claim-related damage may require refinishing. Such work will be priced in writing before the item is refinished and work is authorized.

Clothing and Flatwork

If authorized, clothing and flatwork, such as sheets, towels, blankets, etc., will be wet- or dry-cleaned as necessary, and deodorized using the ozone process. The items will be inventoried at the time they are processed and a copy of the inventory will be furnished to the customer and his adjuster. Unless we are instructed differently, we will have the items delivered to the temporary address on file. Please keep in mind that clothing, like all other fabric items, show wear and discoloration after use.

Electronics

Electronics, such as televisions, receivers, and microwaves, will be hand cleaned with a degreaser and deodorized. In some situations, soot or other particulate matter may have entered the interior of the item. If this is the case, we will remove the housing and decontaminate the interior electronics. Once the item is cleaned, it will be reassembled. The electronic device will be activated to make sure there is operating power. If authorized, we will send the item to the appropriate repair facility to perform a more in-depth systems check.

Artwork

Items, such as paintings, lithographs, posters, or wall-mounted hangings, will be hand-cleaned with a degreaser and deodorized. If discoloration or a condition associated with the claim appears, we always advise our clients to make a determination as to whether to proceed with professional restoration. We will provide a cost in writing for authorization to proceed with the work. In the event artwork is scheduled under a separate insurance policy, we can also schedule that piece for restoration in our facility as long as we receive a copy of the scheduled policy information in order to secure the insurance.

Rush Items

In most situations, some possessions are required immediately after finding a temporary living or working space. These items normally consist of clothing, towels, computers, personal papers, and selected furniture. Depending on the number of items to be delivered, we can normally have them returned within four working days. We can also furnish boxes and packing material for items that our customers wish to personally handle, such as jewelry, medicines, and personal effects. Items that are immediately required can be processed and returned within four working days.

Interested in more Contents Cleaning restoration news and in-depth articles? Please see the article, Textile Restoration, from Claims Magazine for more information.