How To Handle Wet Documents

Many homeowners and businesses in New Hampshire may have wet basements due to recent storms. Flood water and melting snow can damage property and basements, and in many cases, has soaked personal items including photos and personal documents. Wet documents may look useless, but a thief using only a blow dryer can easily steal your information, your business, your associates, or your client’s confidential data.

“After a New England storm, we get hundreds of calls from business owners and government agencies in New Hampshire inquiring about shredding wet papers, and safeguarding the data,” said George Webb, general manager of Neighborhood Parcel “We often explain that any wet papers must be dried out first before shredding since the consistency of wet papers produces a paper mache-like by-product and will jam even industrial-strength shredders. We recommend securing the material in a dry environment and on plastic bags to avoid the growth of mildew. Additionally, people should never throw away any wet, sensitive documents and assume that thieves will not be able to extract personal information.” He added.

How To Shred Wet Documents

Instead of discarding wet papers into the trash after a major storm or noreaster, please follow these tips to help prevent identity theft and ensure that your sensitive information remains secure:

• Do not throw away waterlogged documents containing sensitive or personal information.
• Do not attempt to shred wet documents with an inexpensive residential shredder as the consistency of the moist paper may destroy the unit and take more of your valuable time.
• Wet documents should be dried out outdoors by the sun or placed alongside a dehumidifier until dry to the touch.

Once dried, documents should be properly shredded to ensure any personal information is securely destroyed. We recommend that businesses located in New Hampshire shred on a regular basis and residential customers purge their old documents annually to reduce the buildup of personal documents.