Content Restoration

When water damage strikes your home, it is not just the structure that suffers. Furniture, clothing, electronics, documents, and personal belongings are all at risk. Content restoration is the process of cleaning, drying, and restoring your belongings to their pre-loss condition — saving items that might otherwise be discarded.

Your belongings carry more value than their replacement price. Family photos, signed documents, heirloom furniture, and electronics with years of data cannot simply be bought again. Content restoration exists to save as much of that as possible. We inventory every item, assess what can be saved, and use specialized techniques — ultrasonic cleaning, freeze-drying, ozone treatment, and controlled drying — to return your things in usable condition.

What Content Restoration Includes

Content restoration is a systematic process that covers every affected item:

• Pack-out — careful inventory and packaging of all affected contents
• Transport — secure transport to our restoration facility
• Assessment — item-by-item evaluation of each piece
• Cleaning — specialized cleaning based on material type and contamination level
• Drying — controlled drying environments for textiles, wood, and paper
• Deodorizing — ozone and hydroxyl treatment for smoke, mold, and mildew odors
• Storage — secure, climate-controlled storage during restoration
• Pack-back — return and placement of restored items

Contents We Restore

Furniture

Material	Restoration Approach	Success Rate
Solid wood	Clean, dry, refinish if needed	High — most pieces fully restorable
Upholstered furniture	Clean fabric, treat padding, deodorize	Moderate to high — depends on contamination
Leather	Clean, condition, restore finish	Moderate — minor staining may persist
Laminate/veneer	Clean, dry, evaluate for delamination	Moderate — veneer may separate
Outdoor furniture	Clean, treat rust, restore finish	High — most materials resilient

Clothing and Textiles

• Machine-washable fabrics — professional cleaning and sanitization
• Delicate fabrics — hand cleaning, air drying, pressing
• Leather and suede — specialized cleaning and conditioning
• Rugs and carpets — off-site cleaning, drying, and wrapping

Electronics

• Computers and laptops — circuit board cleaning, component testing
• Televisions and monitors — internal cleaning, display restoration
• Small appliances — internal cleaning, safety testing
• Audio equipment — component cleaning, functionality testing

Documents and Paper

• Freeze-drying — stops degradation and preserves paper integrity
• Vacuum drying — removes moisture without disturbing ink or toner
• Flat drying — for documents that can be laid flat and air-dried
• Photographic materials — specialized drying for photos, film, and negatives

Artwork and Collectibles

• Paintings — surface cleaning, canvas tightening, frame restoration
• Sculptures — cleaning, structural repair, surface treatment
• Antiques — material-appropriate cleaning and restoration
• Sports memorabilia — cleaning, display case restoration

Our Content Restoration Process

Step 1 — Inventory and Pack-Out

Every affected item is photographed, cataloged, and packaged for transport. We use acid-free tissue, shrink wrap, and custom crating for delicate items. The inventory becomes part of your insurance documentation.

Step 2 — Transport and Storage

Contents are transported to our climate-controlled restoration facility. Items are stored in organized, secure areas until restoration is complete.

Step 3 — Assessment and Cleaning Plan

Each item is evaluated individually. We determine the best cleaning method based on the material, contamination level, and condition. You receive a restoration plan with expected outcomes for each item.

Step 4 — Restoration

Items are cleaned using the appropriate technique:

• Ultrasonic cleaning — high-frequency sound waves remove contaminants from hard surfaces
• Wet cleaning — specialized solutions for fabric, wood, and other materials
• Dry cleaning — for items that cannot tolerate water
• Freeze-drying — for paper, photographs, and delicate materials
• Ozone treatment — eliminates smoke, mold, and mildew odors
• HEPA vacuuming — removes particulates from delicate surfaces

Step 5 — Quality Check and Pack-Back

Restored items are inspected, repackaged, and returned to your property. We place items in their original locations when possible.

Content Restoration Cost Guide

Service Item	Typical Cost Range	What’s Included
Inventory and pack-out	$150 – $500	Item-by-item photo inventory, packing, transport
Textile cleaning (per item)	$25 – $75	Professional wash, sanitization, deodorizing
Upholstered furniture (per piece)	$150 – $600	Fabric cleaning, padding treatment, odor removal
Electronics cleaning (per item)	$75 – $300	Circuit board cleaning, drying, functionality testing
Document restoration	$50 – $400 per box	Freeze-drying, vacuum drying, flattening
Storage (per week)	Included in most plans	Climate-controlled storage during restoration
Pack-back	Included	Return and placement of restored items

Expert tip: Do not throw away water-damaged items before a professional inventories them. Even items that look ruined — a water-logged photo album, a stained mattress frame, a soaked couch — may be restorable. Insurance covers documented restoration, and a quick assessment is usually free.

Content Restoration vs. Replacement

Factor	Restore	Replace
Sentimental value	Preserves irreplaceable items	Cannot restore personal meaning
Cost	Often 40–60% of replacement cost	Full replacement price
Insurance	Usually covered up to policy limits	May exceed coverage limits
Timeline	2–4 weeks for most items	Variable depending on availability
Environmental	Extends item lifecycle	Creates waste

What to Do While You Wait for the Crew

Between the water event and the pack-out, a few actions protect your belongings:

• Photograph everything — document each affected item in place before anything is moved.
• Do not run electronics — never power on water-damaged electronics; corrosion spreads faster with power flowing through wet boards.
• Separate wet paper — lay wet books and documents flat on towels, apart from each other, so pages do not fuse.
• Do not throw items away — even saturated items may be restorable; discarding them removes them from your insurance claim.
• Air out textiles — hang or spread wet clothing so it does not mildew while you wait.

Preventing Content Damage

• Store valuables off the floor — keep documents, electronics, and heirlooms above flood level in basements and ground floors.
• Use plastic totes for paper — sealed totes protect documents and photos from water intrusion.
• Anchor shelving — secure tall bookcases and display units so water does not destroy what they hold.
• Keep electronics elevated — place computers and media equipment on raised surfaces in flood-prone areas.
• Protect furniture feet — in basements, use moisture barriers under furniture legs to stop wicking.

Content Restoration by State

What gets restored and how depends partly on the region’s water events. In flood-prone Gulf and Atlantic coastal states, black water contamination forces more disposal, and fast pack-out is critical. In cold northern states, burst-pipe water is usually clean, so more contents are salvageable. In humid southern regions, mold sets in faster, so textiles and upholstery must be dried and treated quickly. Our local crews respond to their region’s water profile and adjust the restoration plan accordingly. Check our locations page for the states and cities we currently serve, and call for a content assessment near you.

Related Services

• Document Drying — freeze-drying and vacuum drying for papers and records
• Electronics Restoration — cleaning and testing water-damaged electronics
• Sanitization & Disinfection — hospital-grade cleaning after contamination
• Odor Removal — ozone and hydroxyl treatment for lingering odors
• Water Damage Restoration — complete extraction, drying, and restoration
• Sewage Cleanup — safe removal and sanitization of contaminated water

Restore Your Contents

Call our team for a free content assessment. We inventory, clean, and restore your belongings — documented at every stage for your insurance claim and backed by a written warranty on the work performed.