Get your belongings cleaned and kept safe

A pack out is when a restoration crew lists, packs and removes your belongings from a damaged home. It keeps them out of the way of drying and repairs and gets them somewhere they can be cleaned. Each item is photographed and listed so you and your adjuster know where everything is.

Triple-I says an inventory of damaged or destroyed items helps back up your loss, and recommends giving a copy to the adjuster along with any receipts. We photograph and list items room by room, which gives you a solid starting point for that inventory.

Hold on to them. Triple-I advises against throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has visited, and the Red Cross says to talk to your adjuster before throwing away anything you plan to claim. The exception is food, drinks and medicine exposed to heat, smoke or soot, which the Red Cross says to discard.

Many can. The Red Cross notes that soot and smoke odor can sometimes be washed out of clothing that can be bleached, and that furniture and hard surfaces can be cleaned with a mild soap or detergent, then rinsed and dried. Porous items like upholstered furniture that are not dried in time, or that soaked up contaminated water, may have to be discarded.

Leave them off for now. The Red Cross advises disconnecting and checking all appliances for water damage before using them, and the CDC says electrical equipment must be completely dry before it goes back into service. We list electronics separately in the inventory so they can be checked.

Many homeowners policies include additional living expenses coverage, often listed as loss of use, for added costs when you need to live elsewhere during repairs. Triple-I recommends keeping records of those expenses. Check your policy for the limit.