MHS Restoration - A Division of McMaid

An office room flooded with water

How Do I Clean My House After a Flood?

Does your house have flood damage? Then you need to act fast. The longer you leave the damage, the worse it gets. Flood damage can be overwhelming, which is why you should take it step by step. If you’re cleaning up after a flood, here’s what you need to do.

 

Keep It Safe

First of all, safety matters more than anything else. Before you take on flood damage, make sure that you’re doing it safely. Start with the electricity. If you’ve got standing water in your house, turn off the power to the affected areas. Make sure you keep little ones, pets, and immune-compromised family members away from the mess. It can contain harmful things like gasoline. Speaking of which, you’ll also want lots of safety gear while you clean. Gloves, rubber boots, and safety masks are all must-haves for flood cleanup.

 

Remove the Water

The next thing you’ll want to do is get rid of the water. For standing water, you can use a sump pump. Once you’ve removed the standing water, use fans and dehumidifiers to remove any remaining moisture.

 

Salvage and Toss

Next, go through the things that have sustained flood damage, deciding what you can keep and what you should throw away. As a general rule, non-porous items can usually be salvaged, but absorbent things like carpeting will usually need to be replaced.

 

Clean and Sanitize

After this, you’ll want to sanitize the area. During this step, there’s no such thing as too much cleaning. Floodwater harbors bacteria and viruses that can make people physically sick. Until you’ve finished cleaning, never remove your safety equipment inside the flood-damaged areas. During this process, you should also check for mold. Water will cause mold spores to grow, so keep a sharp eye out for any growth in your house. Pay especially close attention to dark and hidden spots, because these are the places where mold likes to hide.

 

Consider Professional Flood Damage Help

Often, flood damage cleanup requires a professional touch. The truth is that floodwater is dangerous. While you can clean your house, can you really be sure that you got every nook and cranny? Furthermore, when you get professional cleanup help, you can avoid all of these hassles and further damage. Without the right help, flood cleanup can take weeks. Your house might not have that kind of time.

 

Flood Damage Help Now

Do you need flood damage help? Then call MHS Flood right away. We’ll clean your home quickly, safely, and thoroughly so that you don’t have to do it yourself. When you want the best team, MHS Flood has exactly what you need.

 

 

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