THE DO's:

• SHUT OFF THE WATER SOURCE WHEN POSSIBLE.
• Turn off the circuit breakers supplying electricity to wet areas.
• Unplug and remove any small electrical devices currently located on wet carpet.
• Watch slipping hazards when walking from wet carpet onto vinyl or hard wood floors.
• Remove valuable painting and art objects to a safe place.
• Remove oriental or colored area rugs from wet carpeting.
• Carefully remove miscellaneous items from wood furniture and wipe it down.
• Remove books, magazines and other color staining items from wet floors.
• Place aluminum foil or saucers between furniture legs and wet carpet.
• Remove and pop up wet cushions tofacilitate drying. Check them for any color bleeding.
• Seperate wet clothing to prevent moisture build up and color transfer.
• Punch small holes in sagging ceilings to help trapped water escape. If unsure about the danger of the celing collapsing, don't attempt to punch these holes!
• Begin to remove as much standing water as possible by mopping and blotting with dry white towels.
• Open wet cabinet doors and drawers. If swollen, do not force open.
• Circulate air for maximum drying by opening windows in cool weather or turning on the air conditioning in warm weather.

THE DON'Ts:

• Do not turn ceiling fans on when the ceiling is wet.
• Do not use a household vaccum to remove standing water.
• Do not leave wet fabrics in place. Dry as soon as possible.
• Do not leave books, magazines, or other color staining items on wet floors.
• Do not leave furniture directly on wet carpet.
• Do not attempt to clean upholstery, oriental rugs or other potentially color staining fibers with ordinary household cleaners.
• Do not leave colored rugs on wet wall-to-wall carpeting. Remove them until carpeting is completely dry.
• Do not begin to repair or repaint any damaged surfaces until they are completely dry.