Cleaning Up After A Flood

Flooding can happen suddenly and without time for preparations. And when a home is flooded the damages can be devastating. The water can ruin personal belongings, the house structure, and it can even result in an unhealthy environment for living. Even an inch or two of water in a home can result in damages or total ruination of carpets, furniture, appliances, and the wallboards of the home. Deeper flood waters can cause even more damage.

When your home is flooded your first reaction should be to call your insurance agent. Find out what will be covered and what you will be responsible for personally. Take photos of the damage and make a list – these will be needed for the insurance claims.

Wearing a face mask is a good idea, as the air may contain mold spores. Use large fans to help with the drying process as well as blowing out the unhealthy air and bringing in fresh air.

You will obviously have more than just the water to deal with. Flood water is contaminated water and the mud, dirt and gunk left behind should also be considered contaminated. If there is a layer of mud left behind you will need to shovel out as much as possible. A garden hose can be used to spray mud off any hard surfaces.

Anything that is to be salvaged must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Start this process using a mixture of hot water and a strong cleaning solution. After the cleaning is completed it is time to disinfect. You can use a pre-mixed disinfectant or you can mix your own; ¼ cup chlorine bleach in one gallon of water creates a reliable disinfectant solution.

It is very likely that you will end up disposing of many items, but some can be saved. Of course, you will probably want to enlist the help of various professionals for different aspects of the cleanup work. For example, although mattresses should be discarded, some upholstered furniture can be professionally cleaned and restored.

Other professionals that you may consider are expert haulers. A team of experts can be called to come in and haul away the things that are not salvageable. In fact, the Junk Removal San Diego residents rely on for this sort of thing is 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.

Additional things to keep in mind revolve around making your home a healthy and pleasant place to live. Be sure to use a mold inhibitor to ensure that mold and mildew will not continue to be a problem. A natural odor neutralizer can actually eliminate odors, leaving your home smelling fresh again. While cleaning up after a flood is a lot of work, it is the only way to get your life back to normal.

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About the Author:
Mary Brown recently began blogging about her experiences as a new step-mom. She contends that it’s the role modeling that frightens her the most. In a recent effort to role model the importance of recycling, Brown relied on the services of the leading Roswell junk removal service, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. When possible, the team recycles, and donates items to charity.