Floods can be caused by natural disasters or by plumbing mishaps. Regardless of how they start, the damage can be overwhelming. Have you recently experienced a flood? Let’s review a few simple steps to reduce the amount of damage caused by floods through effective cleanup practices.
Tips for Flood Cleanup
Since flood water can be contaminated with bacteria, oils, fluids, pesticides, and more, it is essential to use these tips when cleaning up a flooded area to prevent diseases and keep yourself as safe as possible.
- Wear protective gear. Equip yourself with a respirator or face mask, rubber gloves, eye protections, and protective clothing. Try to get air moving through the flood affected area by opening windows and putting a fan in the room, if possible.
- Take caution before entering a building or room. If you can, make sure the power is turned off and the building is structurally sound before entering. When working with a flood damaged home, it’s easy for small critters to make their way inside, so look out for any small animals that may have snuck in as an extra precaution.
- Don’t be afraid to toss items. If you think that an item in the building may have water damage, then it should be discarded. Keeping items is dangerous for your health, as you don’t know what contaminants may have made their way into the item through the flooded water.
- Know what can be salvaged. Many fabrics and clothing items can be washed to remove the possible contaminants.
- Dry out before restoring the building. Everything must be one hundred percent dried out before you begin to rebuild the structure. This will prevent rot and keep the structural integrity of the building together.
- Open pockets in the flooring. Hardwood, laminate, and sheet vinyl need to be removed to expose pockets of air for cleaning, sanitizing, and drying out the floorboards.
- Ensure you clean everything intensely. Every pocket and small cavity needs to be extremely scrubbed with detergent solutions. Use a disinfection solution to ensure that everything is properly cleaned.
- Be mindful of possible mold growth. This is the number one reason why the entire building needs to be extremely clean and dried out. Mold is a silent killer that can cause severe problems in people who don’t realize they’re living with mold all around them.
- Be aware of online scam artists. There are many scammer that target people who are victims to floods. This is not only extremely unethical, but can cause you to lose hundreds of dollars in the process of an already stressful situation.
- Hire a professional. While it is possible to clean up flood damage on your own, there are many risk factors that come into play, so take this into consideration. If you’re worried about the safety of your home then look into hiring professional restoration experts to get the job done right, like Restoration Connection.
Services With Restoration Connection
If you have been affected by a flood, call the professional restoration team at Restoration Connection to help walk you through the entire process. We can help restore your home as quickly as possible
