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DIY Contents Preparation & Cleaning

How to safely pack, evaluate and clean your belongings during the small particulate cleanup.


Why must contents be removed?

During remediation and structural cleaning, microscopic particulates can settle onto belongings. Removing contents before work begins protects:

  • your health

  • successful PRV (post-remediation verification)

  • structural cleanliness

  • prevention of recontamination

  • eligibility for our SPC guarantee

Contents removal is required for all SPC projects.

Restored Roots Remediation's SPC Order of Operations

1. Pack and remove contents from treatment areas (you do this first)
2. Source remediation
3. Structural SPC cleaning
4. PRV – Post-Remediation Verification
5. Contents cleaning and reintroduction (AFTER PRV and OUTSIDE the home)

Contents are not cleaned inside the home or before PRV.

What counts as contents?

Considered contents

  • clothing, bedding, linens

  • toys and children’s items

  • electronics and small appliances

  • décor and household accessories

  • books and papers

  • kitchenware

  • hobby and craft items

  • personal belongings

NOT considered contents

Large non-porous furniture, such as:

  • tables

  • sealed wood dressers

  • cabinets

These are cleaned by our team during structural cleaning.

How to decide what to keep or discard?

1. Porosity

Porous: textiles, foam, paper, unfinished wood, wicker → harder to clean, may be discarded

Non-porous: glass, metal, sealed wood, plastic, ceramics → easier to clean

2. Monetary Value

Consider cost vs cleaning effort.

3. Sentimental Value

For meaningful items:

  • isolate

  • clean last

  • reintroduce gradually

This is the ideal time for a home purge.

Cleaning product recommendations

We recommend:

  • EC3 Microbial Solution Cleaner

  • Benefect Decon30

  • Dish soap (with no essential oils) + water (5 drops per quart of water)

Where should contents be cleaned?

Contents must be cleaned:

✅ ONLY after PRV
✅ OUTSIDE the home

Suitable areas:

  • covered patios

  • under canopies

  • outdoor cleaning stations

  • garages

When can contents return indoors?

✅ after PRV
✅ after cleaning
✅ after fully dry

Resources

We use affiliate links for certain recommended products. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a small commission, but our recommendations are based solely on product suitability and performance.

Mattress Covers: https://amzn.to/4pqYOov

Microfiber Cloths (we recommend disposal of these, as washing microfiber is being shown to cause fibers to end up in waterways): https://amzn.to/43NLt19

Plastic Storage Totes: https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Gal-Tough-Storage-Tote-in-Black-and-Yellow-999-27G-HDX/327528802

EC3 Microbial Solution Spray & Laundry Additive Bundle (we may be able to get these products for a cheaper rate than shown on the website. If interested, please reach out to info@restoredrootsremediation.com): https://microbalancehealthproducts.com/products/ec3-mold-solution-spray-and-laundry-additive-bundle.html

Benefect Decon 30: https://amzn.to/4p8TVR2

True HEPA vacuum: https://amzn.to/4ifIHrD