Originally posted – Dec 05, 2012
First and foremost, to all of you who were impacted by Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath, please know that the thoughts and prayers of those of us here at Dexter Laundry are with you, your families and your communities. As many of you know, we’re no strangers to flooding here in Iowa, and we’re familiar with how devastating and damaging floodwaters can be.
With any type of major flooding, personal safety is the top priority. However, once waters begin to recede and you can return to your business, we know how urgent it can be to get everything back to normal. Your customers likely are going to have real need for laundry services as they clean up their own homes and belongings – and you’ll want to be able to accommodate them.
That said, if your self-service laundry is ever damaged by flood, here are some tips:
Step 1: Dry Out Your Equipment
• Make sure that the machines have thoroughly dried out before power to them has been restored.
• To dry out machines, remove the front, rear and top panels from the machines as soon as possible. If you’re not able to do this yourself, contact your local distributor for assistance. You also may want to remove any damaged sheet rock and/or wall coverings.
• To further dry out your facility, bring in large fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture and to keep air was circulating through your machines and bulkheads.
Step 2: Test Equipment
• Once your location has been thoroughly dried out, power up your equipment and begin running it repeatedly. It’s important to get the motors heated up for extended periods of time so that the moisture that might be retained will evaporate.
Step 3: Clean and Deodorize
• If your equipment damage was caused by salt water, you’ll need to clean as soon as possible, which is vital to prevent rusting. To clean your machines, spray the insides and outsides of your washer and dryer cabinets extensively with white vinegar, and then use a power washer to rinse off and remove salts and residue.
• Petroleum-based, water-repellant sprays – such as WD-40 – can be used inside of the drain valve motors, as well as the main drive motors, to help prevent rusting and to lubricate the components.
• Run your machines through several hot-water cycles before customer loads are processed; be sure to pour a little bleach and white vinegar into the washers to remove any potential odors.
Step 4: Repair or Replace
• For any equipment that may not be functional, contact a repair technician or your local distributor for service, parts or replacement machines.
Step 5: Be Prepared for Future Issues
• While your laundry equipment may be running fine now, flood damage can cause long-term issues. Be prepared for potential ongoing drain valve and motor bearing failures. Also, be sure your insurance agent is aware that, even though the equipment may be functional now, the bearings, motors and electronics likely have been compromised to some degree, and this fact must be taken into account. The lifespan for these parts may have been diminished.
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