Fire and water cause enormous damage to countless homes every year. Beyond structural damage, they also impact contents causing contamination that can prove very difficult to restore. Property losses from fire topped $19 billion in 2016 according to the Insurance Information Institute, while water damage and mold costs the U.S. insurance industry $2.5 billion annually, reports the Water Damage Defense.

Hard contents such as silverware, pots and pans, dishes, tools and jewelry affected by fire, smoke or water damage can often be restored through various cleaning methods. By restoring rather than replacing contents, insurers can reduce costs and waste and help insureds put their lives back together as quickly as possible with their own personal items returned to pre-loss condition.

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Traditional cleaning methods

Hand-cleaning is the original and most common form of restoring hard contents, but the process of physically removing contaminants with tools and cleaning detergents is tedious and time-consuming. While there will always be a need for highly-skilled and properly trained hand-cleaning technicians in a modern restoration facility, it may not always prove to be the most cost-effective solution. When an item has intrinsic or sentimental value, or is fragile, hand-cleaning may be the best option, but many hard contents don't fall into those categories.