Flood water can carry dangerous bacteria, so it is important to protect yourself during the cleanup process. If possible, wait for floodwaters to recede before re-entering your home or building.
Standing water can soak carpets, warp wood and drywall and create health hazards by allowing mold spores to thrive. Relying on a professional team of experts like Flood Cleanup Utah can save you from serious problems down the road.
Flood damage cleanup is a messy, time-consuming job. Silt, contaminants and other debris can ruin belongings, create a health risk and make a building unusable. It’s best to hire professionals who have experience with disaster restoration and cleaning. They’ll know what procedures to take to protect your health and property and how to clean and disinfect everything that got wet during the flood.
Avoid touching contaminated materials or entering any buildings until they’re declared safe for use. Flood waters can contain dangerous bacteria and sewage. Turn off electricity and gas until an electrician can inspect them for safety.
Keep children and pets away from flooded areas until the cleanup is complete. Children may be playing with debris and could be injured or harmed by sewage, mold or other toxins. Pets could also come into contact with contaminated water and become sick or die.
Remove carpeting from soaked floors and dispose of it. Water soaks down through carpet pads and into the subfloor and can cause structural damage. Wood or laminate flooring should be ripped up and discarded, as well.
Dry out your home to prevent the growth of mold. If you have power and an electrician has declared it safe to turn it back on, a wet-dry shop vacuum or electric water transfer pump can help. Ventilate the room by opening windows and using fans to help air out the space.
If you have a lot of debris from the flood on your property, move it to the curb or the end of the driveway where it won’t block traffic, fire hydrants, manhole covers or mail boxes. Do not dump it into ditches or on the street. This creates a hazard for motorists and can interfere with road repairs.
Wear rubber boots, thick work gloves and a respirator with a vapor-permeable filter when handling wet and contaminated materials. Wash your hands frequently and apply an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. If your clothes or linens touch floodwaters or sewage, wash them separately from other items in hot, soapy water and disinfect with a bleach solution of one cup per gallon of water.
Clean and Sanitize
Flood water often contains silt, raw sewage, chemicals and oil that can cause various bacteria, viral and parasitic infections. Proper cleaning and disinfecting of contaminated areas is a necessary step to avoid the risk of illness from these contaminants.
After a flood, all floors and surfaces that came in contact with water should be cleaned and disinfected. This includes counters, tables, chairs and other furniture. Porous surfaces should be removed and disposed of, while non-porous materials may be able to be salvaged with the right sanitization and drying processes.
All clothing and linens that came in contact with contaminated floodwater should be washed separately from uncontaminated items. Ideally, these items should be washed with hot soapy water and disinfected with a solution of 5% to 9% liquid chlorine bleach (add a small amount of bleach to a gallon of water) in order to kill any remaining bacteria.
Do not use tap water to wash dishes, clean skin, brush teeth or rinse hair unless it has been boiled or disinfected. Local water agencies will inform you if the tap water is unsafe to use.
During the flood cleanup, it is important to be cautious and wear rubber boots, gloves and an N-95 mask. It is also helpful to be familiar with the disaster recovery process before a flood so you can act quickly and efficiently. This can help reduce the damage, speed up restoration and minimize costs.
Be sure to air out all buildings as much as possible. This can be done by opening doors and windows and using fans to blow the air outdoors or through a window.
It is especially important to clean and disinfect all countertops, sinks, stoves, microwaves, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, clothes washers and dryers and any other appliances that came in contact with contaminated water. It is also helpful to remove and discard drywall and insulation that has come in contact with sewage or floodwater.
Be sure to service any flooded and damaged septic tanks, cesspools or pits. These items should be emptied, sanitized and disinfected as soon as possible to prevent health and safety issues for you and your family.
Dry Out
Whether your home was soaked in lake water or just a few inches of water, it’s important to dry it out as quickly as possible to help prevent mold and mildew and to safeguard the structural integrity of your property. You can speed the drying process with fans and dehumidifiers, but keep in mind that using appliances that have been immersed in flood waters increases your risk for electric shock or fires. If you must use gasoline-powered pumps, generators or pressure washers to clean up flood damage, never operate them inside a home, garage, carport, basement, enclosed area, or within 20 feet of a door, window or vent. This can create dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide that can poison you and others.
Begin by assessing the extent of your flood damage and taking inventory of items that were affected. You may have to prioritize salvageable items, such as antiques, valuables or irreplaceable family heirlooms.
Clean and Sanitize
If your flooded property contains sewage or other hazardous wastes, it’s imperative to dispose of them as soon as you can safely do so. Contact your local health department for specific instructions.
You’ll also need to sanitize any areas of your house that came into contact with floodwater, including walls and floors. Use diluted bleach to mop hard surfaces and wipe down linens, clothing and other fabric items (clothing should be washed separately from non-contaminated items). Discard any soft furnishings that can’t be cleaned or disinfected, such as rugs and carpeting.
Open up any wall cavities that have been saturated with flood water, and remove and discard wet or mold-covered drywall and insulation. Moisture can wick up to 24 inches above the water line, so it’s important to open up walls as far as possible.
After cleaning and sanitizing, it’s a good idea to apply a mold inhibitor to all surfaces that came into contact with flood waters. This will help prevent any spores that survived the sanitization from growing into full-blown mold colonies. Once your property is clean and dry, it’s a good idea to hire a general contractor to handle repairs, especially those that require new flooring or walls.
Document Damage
Documenting the damage caused by a flood is an important step in the clean up process and can help support insurance claims. Take time-stamped photos of all damaged areas and items.
If you have valuable artwork, photographs or documents that may have been affected by flood water, consider consulting a conservator for emergency stabilization and treatment. These techniques can often reverse some of the worst effects of flood damage.
Don’t keep any food that has come into contact with flood water, including canned foods and medications. These can harbor bacteria and may cause serious illness if eaten.
Be careful when entering flooded buildings as there may be dangerous debris and fallen objects. Also watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes, which are flushed from their homes by flood waters.
Move any items that are soaking wet, including upholstered furniture and boxes, to a dry area as soon as it is safe to do so. This will minimize the amount of water damage and prevent mold growth.