Sadly, the horrible events of Hurricane Irma left much of the Southeastern United States in shambles. Many people were struggling to take all of their valuables with them and some people took to the Internet, where they found the advice that you could leave your valuables in your washing machine or dishwasher and they would be safe if your home was flooded or damaged by the hurricane. While this sounds like great advice, is it true?
The story behind leaving your valuables in your dishwasher
Many believe that dishwashers are waterproof because water does not get out when washing a load of dishes as the seal around the door helps to keep water out. As well, many built-in dishwashers are secured to cabinets, so they are secure and kept in place.
The facts about leaving valuables in your dishwasher
If your home is inundated with flood waters, your dishwasher will inevitably leak. It is not meant to stand up to high-pressure situations, such as flooding and water will get in. If you’ve stored your valuables in there, you can bet that they will be destroyed.
The jets inside of your dishwasher may seem to be high pressure, as they get off the caked-on dirt and debris from your dishes, but that is no comparison to raging flood waters, which can equal thousands of pounds pushing from multiple directions. Add to this that the dishwasher could be sitting in the flood waters for days (or months) and the storm winds and other debris that can damage the dishwasher.
A better solution
Rather than leaving your belongings in the dishwasher, put important documents in plastic Ziploc bags and keep them with you if you can and if you can’t, store them in a plastic bin in a high and dry place in your home.
Flooding and other natural disasters can hit Philadelphia at any time. If your appliances have suffered damage because of any natural disaster or you just need to find a Philadelphia area appliance repair company, contact Appliance Doctor.
Should you Leave Valuables Inside Your Appliances?
Appliance Doctor, Incorporated is a Pennsylvania Corporation offering expert repair services to the Delaware Valley’s residents and businesses. We started in 1964 as a one-man business servicing only washers and dryers. Today, we service more than 110 different brands of refrigeration and appliance equipment across 49 different product types. Our technicians are expected to know so much information! In the 1960’s, our service area was limited to Philadelphia. Today, our service area includes all towns in Philadelphia, Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, and Chester County.