Because not everything can be safely saved or cleaned if it has been covered or damaged by flood waters
- Mattresses
- Pillows
- Most upholstered furniture. Anything that is kept should be dried thoroughly and cleaned by a professional
- Wood veneered furniture
- Severely damaged solid wood furniture
- Rugs and rug pads
- Carpeting
- Soft toys and stuffed animals
- Baby toys, pacifiers, and bottle nipples
- Soft plastic containers, especially food containers
- Kitchen ware and utensils made of wood and other porous materials such as cutting boards, wooden spoons, and wooden bowls
- Cosmetics
- Medicines
- Books unless carefully cared for
- Foam rubber items
- Most paper and paper products (to replace official documents, refer to this information)
- Food in a flooded refrigerator
- Opened containers of food
- Food in plastic bags, paper, cloth, cellophane, foil, or cardboard packaging
- Cans of food that are bulging, dented, or leaking
- Unopened jars and bottles with screw-cap lids, snap lids, or twist caps
- Beverages with crimped caps
- Canned food with pull-top lids
- Home canned foods that have been submerged
- Jams and jellies sealed with paraffin
- Food in canisters
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Garden produce currently growing either above or below ground.
- Anything that cannot be cleaned and sanitized