Whether you’re dealing with a burst pipe or an overflowed toilet (or something else), water damage is stressful and alarming! But we’re here to help. We’re Cleaner Guys, a real professional water damage mitigation company. We have decades of experience with this stuff, and we can tell you exactly what to do.
One of the first things you need to know is how to quickly dry out the water so that it doesn’t cause more damage. Read on to learn all the things you can do to help the drying process!
Table of Contents
- 4 Things You Must Do Before You Start Drying
- How to Dry Out Water Damage – Top 6 Ways
- How Long Does Water Damage Take to Dry?
- How to Dry Inside Walls After Water Damage
- Will Drywall Mold If It Gets Wet?
- More Resources
4 Things You Must Do Before You Start Drying
There are a few quick but very important things that you must do before you touch the water-damaged area or begin drying it. These 4 steps are crucial for your safety, for stopping the damage, and for saving you money. You don’t want to skip them.
- Shut off the water supply to the house, and open the nearby faucets and allow them to drain. This will ensure that water pressure in the pipes won’t keep pushing water out of the point of damage.
- Turn off the electrical power to the house. As water intrusion spreads, there’s a chance that it can reach electrical outlets or appliances, which puts you at potential risk for electrocution if you touch the water damage while the power is on.
- Take lots of pictures of both the cause of the damage and the extent of the damage. This may not seem like an important step, but you’ll later have to prove to your insurance company that the water happened the way you say it did, and that it affected everything you say it did. Photos are proof.
- Wear eye protection and elbow-length cleaning gloves, and try to determine if the water is “grey water” or “black water”. Grey or black water is dirty, contaminated water from an unclean source, like a toilet, dishwasher, or sink disposal. That water probably has sewage, bacteria, or old food in it. That’s why we strongly advise that you only handle the water damage with protective equipment on, or don’t handle it at all.
How to Dry Out Water Damage – Top 7 Ways
Once you’ve done the 4 safety steps listed above, you can now begin soaking up the water and drying out the area as quickly as possible. Here are the top 6 ways you can do that right now.
1: Towels
The quickest and easiest way to start soaking up excess water is to throw some towels or blankets on it and start soaking it up. Most people will think of this on their own, but it’s worth mentioning here because it’s one of the fastest ways to begin soaking up excess water.
2: Wet vacuum
Another fast way to soak up standing water is with a wet/dry vacuum — a vacuum that’s designed to be able to suck up liquids. Do not try to vacuum up standing water with a regular household vacuum! Regular vacuums are not designed to handle liquids, and they may break. Use only a wet/dry vacuum, also called a “shop vacuum”. You can buy them for as little as $30 at Walmart or Target.
3: Ventilation
If you can, open windows and exterior doors around the wet area. This will allow wind and breezes to circulate the air in the affected area, helping to evaporate the moisture and dissipate humidity.
4: Fans
Set up as many fans as you have, pointed both at the water-damaged area and away from it. If you only have one fan, set it up close to the affected area but point it away from the area, and towards an open window or door. This will help the moisture evaporate and help push it out of the building.
5: Dehumidifier
If you already have a dehumidifier, set it up in the affected area and leave it running until the area is dry. If you do not have a dehumidifier, but you do have the funds to purchase one, you can purchase an adequate one for anywhere from $150 to $250 and more.
6: Removal of wet items
Moving any furniture, rugs, and personal items from the wet area is very important. If the water spreads, you don’t want it soaking into those items. If any furniture, textile, or personal item is already wet, then move them to a dry place, and try to have a fan pointing at them too. Small items can be put in bags or boxes with rice or desiccants to dry. If it’s sunny outside and there’s no chance of rain, you can even put some items outside to let the sun help dry them out.
7: Get the water-damaged area inspected!
This is a crucial step in cleaning up water damage, and we strongly caution you not to skip it. Even when it seems like a water-damaged area is dry, water has very often soaked into the inside of the floor or wall where you can’t see it, and may remain there indefinitely. That hidden moisture will breed mold, which can make you sick. We see this happen all the time in our professional water damage mitigation at Cleaner Guys, in Washington State.
How Long Does Water Damage Take to Dry?
The amount of time it takes water damage to dry depends entirely on how much water there is. In our experience, if the water intrusion was a small sink overflow that was stopped quickly and only resulted in maybe 5 gallons of excess water, then proper drying of the area may take 24-48 hours. However, if the water intrusion was extensive, such as a flooded basement with inches of standing water, drying will take several days even with high-powered commercial drying equipment.
How to Dry Inside Walls After Water Damage
If you suspect that water has soaked up into your walls, then there’s really only one thing you can do that will work: call a water damage restoration company. There’s no way for a layperson to thoroughly dry out the interior of a wall cavity without removing some of the drywall to access it. But a good water damage restoration company will have a special piece of industry equipment that can dry out your walls without removing them!
This expensive piece of specialty equipment that restoration companies have (pictured below) is a large high-powered fan, with a system of hoses attached to it that a technician inserts into the wall. This pumps the air from the fan directly into the wall. That’s the only way to completely dry out a saturated wall without removing it.
Unfortunately, not even this brilliant method works in all circumstances. If the saturated wall has no insulation inside, and is just an empty wall cavity, then the hose system can dry it out. But if the wall is full of insulation, then this method will not work either. The saturated drywall will need to be removed and replaced.
Will Drywall Mold If It Gets Wet?
Yes, drywall can grow mold if it gets wet and stays wet for more than 12 hours. Mold spores are floating around in the air all the time, like dust and bacteria, but they will not land on a surface and grow unless there is excess moisture and warmth.
Water damage leading to mold growth is dangerous because mold can pose serious health risks to you or anyone else in the building. Mold can cause mold sickness, worsen allergies, and even trigger asthma or other respiratory issues.
This is the main reason it’s so important to dry out water damage immediately and thoroughly; if you don’t it can lead to mold, which can make people very sick.
More Resources
The Cleaner Guys blog archive is full of more great information on mold, water damage, fire damage, and more! Visit the full blog here, or jump straight to a relevant article below.
What Kills Mold 100%? Read here! ➜
3 Big Reasons to NOT Try to Clean Black Mold Yourself ➜
What Happens If You Touch Mold With Bare Hands? Find out here… ➜
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If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing a mold removal company in Western Washington State, consider Cleaner Guys as a high-quality, well-trusted option. We’re proud to boast award-winning customer service, lower prices than others, and top-notch workmanship! Contact us today through the menu at the top of your screen.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
