Contents restoration — at a glance
- Hard goods (metal, glass, hard plastic, finished wood): usually salvageable with cleaning.
- Clothing and linens (colorfast, not heavily contaminated): usually salvageable through specialty laundry.
- Upholstered furniture: depends — Category 1 water sometimes savable, Category 2/3 usually loss.
- Mattresses: almost always a loss once significantly wet.
- Documents and photos: freeze-drying and specialty restoration available.
- Electronics: depends on timing; power off immediately.
- Insurance: RCV (replacement) or ACV (depreciated) depending on policy.
Hard goods: usually salvageable
Non-porous items: metal (silverware, tools), glass and ceramic (dishes), hard plastic (storage bins), finished wood furniture (if cleaned and dried quickly), painted surfaces. Protocol: clean, decontaminate per water category, dry thoroughly.
Soft goods: it depends
Clothing and linens
Washable clothing: usually salvageable through specialty laundry. Dry-clean-only items: specialty textile restoration. Heavily contaminated items (Category 3 sewage) are usually loss.
Upholstered furniture
Category 1, caught quickly: cushion covers may be washable, interior foam often dryable. Category 2+: foam usually discarded; frame may be salvageable.
Mattresses
Interior foam and springs absorb water and don’t dry adequately. Almost always discarded.
Books, documents, photos
Freeze-drying is the gold standard. Bagged and frozen within hours, documents can be freeze-dried over weeks to come back usable.
Electronics
Power off immediately. Don’t power up a wet device. Removal to dry environment, controlled drying, specialist inspection.
On-site vs pack-out
On-site cleaning — contents stay in the home. Faster, cheaper. Works for Category 1 and smaller Category 2.
Pack-out — contents inventoried, trucked to a facility, cleaned and stored, returned after reconstruction. Required for large losses, Category 3, fire damage.
Insurance for contents
- RCV: you get what it costs to replace new today.
- ACV: you get depreciated value at time of loss.
Most policies pay ACV upfront and the depreciation holdback after you replace and submit receipts. Keep every receipt.
What to prioritize for salvage
- Documents: passports, birth certificates, tax records, legal, insurance.
- Photos: especially pre-digital (irreplaceable).
- Hard drives / data storage.
- Jewelry and small valuables.
- Medications.
- Sentimental items.
Water damage with important contents involved?
Call (385) 250-2825. We’ll triage what matters, document for insurance, and start on-site or pack-out cleaning.
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