Ignore This Popular Hack For Keeping Documents Safe In A Storm

When a major storm or flood is on the horizon, the first priority is always safety, for your family as well as for irreplaceable belongings like documents. Knowing how to organize your important documents in case of an emergency is vital, but you'll also need to know how to protect them from harm when disaster strikes. You may have seen advice going around suggesting that your dishwasher is the perfect makeshift storm safe for materials like birth certificates, social security cards, deeds, wills, tax info, and IDs. The logic behind this idea is that, since the appliance is designed to be watertight during a wash cycle, it must have a reliable seal against rising waters. However, while this may seem like a smart storm prep tip to minimize damage, following this advice is a wild gamble that could result in the total destruction of your most vital records.

The main reason that this hack fails is a misunderstanding of how a dishwasher is engineered; they just aren't waterproof. While a dishwasher seal is excellent at keeping water inside the drum, it is not designed to withstand the external pressure of a flood. More importantly, your dishwasher is connected to your home's plumbing and sewer lines. During more severe storms and floods, your city's sewer systems can become overwhelmed and backflow into your dishwasher. This means that instead of protecting your papers, you're essentially placing them into a basin that could fill with contaminated water. Even if that water stays out, any humidity in the enclosed space inside your dishwasher may create a bit of a greenhouse effect where trapped residual moisture can lead to mold growth, degrade the paper, or make the ink run.

Beyond any mechanical failures of your dishwasher, relying on it for storing documents as you prepare for a severe storm could create a huge legal headache if those papers get lost or ruined. Important documents like original titles or passports can be difficult (and expensive) to replace due to water damage. You may end up spending months working through all the hurdles.

Relying on an unproven DIY method rather than a waterproof storage option could also complicate insurance claims. Why? Because most homeowners policies expect a "reasonable standard of care" for valuables; intentionally placing paper items in a plumbing-connected appliance during a flood may not meet that definition. Plus, if the appliance shifts or becomes buoyant due to rising water, it might tip over or the seal may break, letting the door open if it gets bumped. This will immediately expose everything inside to water, potentially ruining it.

Ultimately, the dishwasher hack is a great example of internet advice that prioritizes convenience over actual science. Disaster preparedness experts like FEMA and the Red Cross mention the importance of protecting your personal documents and keeping them dry but never advise doing so in a dishwasher. While it may seem like a clever use of space in a pinch, the risks of backflow, mold, structural failure, and flat-out damage far outweigh any potential benefit. Protect any precious documents you have by skipping this bad advice and keeping your documents somewhere safe, like a portable waterproof bag you can take with you.