The First Stages Of Safe Flood Clean-Up
The days following a flood will be stressful, exhausting and emotionally draining. Having to sift through all of your belongings and find the things that can be salvaged, as well as cleaning up the muck left behind by the flood waters is a challenge that nobody should ever have to endure. Here, you will learn a few tips that can lessen the stress that you feel during such a difficult time.
Wait for the All-Clear
Before you go rushing back into your flooded home, wait to get the all-clear from the local fire or police department. Inspections for gas, chemical and toxin exposure will have to be completed to ensure that you can safely reenter your home after a disaster such as this.
Stock up on Cleaning Supplies
While you await the all-clear, head to your local home improvement store for some cleaning supplies. You will need:
- Bleach
- Plastic bins/totes
- Safety masks
- Safety goggles
- Rubber gloves
- Rubber boots
- Buckets
- Sponges
- Floor squeegee
- Heavy duty trash bags
- Fans
- Mops
- Shop vac
- Charcoal – the kind without any lighter fluid added to it
Gear Up
You don't know what was in the water that flooded your home, so take precautions. Wear safety goggles, gloves, rubber boots and safety masks to protect yourself from the toxins that might be present in your home.
Open the Windows and Doors
The minute you are allowed access to your home, go around and open all of the windows and doors. Put fans in the windows to pull fresh air in some and pull the damp, stale air out of the others. The better the air is circulated, the more quickly things will dry out and the safer you are to work to get through the rest of the cleanup process.
Remove Undamaged Items
The first things you should remove from the home are the things that have sustained little to no damage. The more quickly you remove these items from the home, the better the chances that they will remain in good condition.
After you remove these items from the house, put it all in bins with charcoal in the bottom of them. Use a dish drying rack flipped upside down to keep the items from touching the charcoal in the bin. This will help to remove the moisture that remains as well as the odors that the items may have absorbed.
Remove Big Items
Getting the big, heavy things out of the house is the next step. The more quickly you can get them out of the house, the better. You want to eliminate the excess moisture that is trapped in the heavy furniture and mattresses so that you limit the mold and mildew growth during the days after the flood.
Remove the carpeting, damaged drywall and furniture is a big job, but it will help to expedite the drying process.
For more information, contact CDM Cesspool Service or a similar company.
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