Sewage Cleanup After The Flood

Floods are often some of the most devastating natural events that can hit a home and the cleanup process that needs to begin afterward is one of the most hectic. Biological hazards such as sewage, chemicals, and even decaying bodies have been known to be found in flood waters, as the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina showed us, and the likelihood of these things lurking in the flood water that has affected your home is fairly prevalent. Cleaning up your home after a flood can be one of the most trying experiences you can have, but if you stay calm and rational, you can get this done without a lot of help.

You need to obtain some protection equipment if you are going to be cleaning and disinfecting your home on your own. Latex gloves and rubber boots are just two of the things that you will need to protect yourself from the bio-hazards that now exist in your home. Make sure you have plenty of antibacterial soap on hand so that you can wash your hands frequently, especially before you eat anything.

Almost anything porous that has been contaminated by the water should be thrown out. Furniture like upholstered couches and chairs should be thrown out because the padding will absorb chemicals, soil, and sewage over the short time that it was in the flood waters and completely disinfecting these items without tearing out the old padding and re-upholstering them is almost impossible. They will still likely smell and eventually become molded. Any toys that your children had such as stuffed animals and even much of their bedding will need to be thrown away. Children should not be let back into the house until the cleaning process is finished.

Cleaning the sewage on the floors and walls will not be that easy. Obtain two buckets and put clean water for rinsing in one and water that has been treated with disinfectant in the other. Wash the floor with a mop, but do not put the dirty mop back into the clean water without rinsing it first. Follow this procedure and make sure you replace your rinse water often.

Depending on the condition of your drywall, you may either need to replace it or just repaint it. It depends on how long the house was under water, the amount of damage that was done and if the drywall appears to be trying to buckle. If discoloration is the only problem, repainting over it is feasible.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration New Jersey and and other states such as
Connecticut Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.