4 Tips For Cleaning Up After A Flood In Your Home
Dealing with flooding in your home, whether it is due to a broken pipe or incredibly heavy rain, can be stressful. When you discover flooding in your home, it is important to react as quickly as possible if you want to minimize damage. Use the following tips for cleaning up after a flood in your home:
Disconnect the Power
Since water and electricity do not mix, it is important to shut off the power in the affected room before you start cleaning up the water. After disconnecting the power, unplug any electronics, lamps, or anything else that is plugged in. You should then remove all of the electronics and any furniture that you can-- the faster you can remove your belongings from the flooded room, the more likely you will be able to prevent water damage and save them.
Remove the Water
As soon as the room is safe to enter and the furniture has been removed, it is time to start removing the water. Depending on the amount of water on the ground, you may be able to clean up the water with towels. But for a serious flood, you will probably need to rent a sump pump or hire a water removal company in order to remove the water in a timely manner. If the flooded room has carpeting, pull up the carpet when removing the water. Carpet under padding is extremely absorbent, so it will probably need to be replaced after a flood. The carpet itself may be able to be dried out, but shrinkage can occur.
Begin Drying Out the Room
Drying a flooded room quickly is essential if you want to prevent mold and mildew from growing rapidly. If it is warm outside, you can try opening all of the windows to let air in, but it may be faster to use a dehumidifier to remove all moisture from the room. If you had several inches of flood water, the damaged baseboards will probably need to be removed. Damaged drywall should also be cut out before mold begins to grow.
Clean and Disinfect
A flooded room should be thoroughly disinfected after the water is removed and the room is dried out. Doing so will remove any bacteria left behind from the flood waters and also help keep the room smelling fresh. If the room that was flooded was quite large, you may want to consider hiring a cleaning service to help disinfect and clean the area.