Thank you all for your comments and helpful suggestions. I decided to start removing them and discarding the wet jackets and sleeves to start...didn't have the heart (yet) to just toss everything.
Next step, if this task doesn't overwhelm me with the other major basement cleanup and restoration issues at hand, would be to borrow or buy a record cleaner. Any reasonably priced volume/speed capable units out there? Is an ultrasonic tank also needed?
Which type of replacement liner is best: plastic, paper, combo?
BTW, still freaked out from this incident which nearly did me in. Went down to the basement during the heavy storm to check for water as our entire backyard was a deep lake (all our stacked firewood had floated away like an Oregon logging camp). As I approached the steel door to the outside (6.5' below grade in a stairwell) it, with the door frame, exploded inward and shot towards me like a surfboard barely missing my chest. Torrents of water poured in from the backyard over and into the stairwell like Niagara Falls instantly filling the basement. Shocked, my first thought was the electric outlets quickly getting soaked (electrocution), so instead of making a run (swim) upstairs, stepped back and up on a table. As the water kept rising to the tabletop with everything floating and jammed together I made decision to jump in hoping not to get zapped. Barely made it to the stairways up to the house (picture Creature from the Black Lagoon). Water reached to step 9 of 12--6' high. Unbeknownst to us, our 120 gallon water heater had toppled over severing the hot and main cold water feed. Sump pumps were either out of commission and/or overwhelmed, Next day I rented an industrial pump and began pumping outside from the stairwell, but all the time (2 days) ~ 55,000 gallons of water (7,000 cubic feet) were pouring in from the overhead pipe keeping everything filled.
Water Co. guy finally made it in to discover this and shut the valve. The water reached halfway up the main electric 200 Amp service box, but somehow(?) only 3 GFCI breakers tripped, so we still had some electric upstairs. Electrician couldn't explain it.
Next step, if this task doesn't overwhelm me with the other major basement cleanup and restoration issues at hand, would be to borrow or buy a record cleaner. Any reasonably priced volume/speed capable units out there? Is an ultrasonic tank also needed?
Which type of replacement liner is best: plastic, paper, combo?
BTW, still freaked out from this incident which nearly did me in. Went down to the basement during the heavy storm to check for water as our entire backyard was a deep lake (all our stacked firewood had floated away like an Oregon logging camp). As I approached the steel door to the outside (6.5' below grade in a stairwell) it, with the door frame, exploded inward and shot towards me like a surfboard barely missing my chest. Torrents of water poured in from the backyard over and into the stairwell like Niagara Falls instantly filling the basement. Shocked, my first thought was the electric outlets quickly getting soaked (electrocution), so instead of making a run (swim) upstairs, stepped back and up on a table. As the water kept rising to the tabletop with everything floating and jammed together I made decision to jump in hoping not to get zapped. Barely made it to the stairways up to the house (picture Creature from the Black Lagoon). Water reached to step 9 of 12--6' high. Unbeknownst to us, our 120 gallon water heater had toppled over severing the hot and main cold water feed. Sump pumps were either out of commission and/or overwhelmed, Next day I rented an industrial pump and began pumping outside from the stairwell, but all the time (2 days) ~ 55,000 gallons of water (7,000 cubic feet) were pouring in from the overhead pipe keeping everything filled.
Water Co. guy finally made it in to discover this and shut the valve. The water reached halfway up the main electric 200 Amp service box, but somehow(?) only 3 GFCI breakers tripped, so we still had some electric upstairs. Electrician couldn't explain it.