Post Flood Cleanup: A Step-By-Step Guide

The Home Flood Clean Up

‘Mother Nature’s fury,’ shown by the tropical storms, intense thunderstorms, and steady rains, is not the only reason for a home flood. Some home floods are of the ‘man-made variety’ when water pipes and hot water heaters burst, sinks, tubs, and toilets overflow their porcelain ‘banks,’ or the dishwasher or clothes washer overflows!

The first step of cleanup after such home floods is to consider the amount of water on the floor and the source of the water flow! Such post-flood cleanup from water pipes and heaters, sinks, tubs, toilets, dishwashers, or clothes washers usually does not contain water contaminated by bacterial germs, as can occur when sewage systems overflow, or nature’s rains bring the flow of bacteria-laden debris.  

The following is the step-by-step guide to the man-made post-flood home cleanups:

• Determine the source of water on the floor. If the sink, toilet, or tub is the source of a water on the floor, it could be due to slow drainage. Call a licensed plumber to clear the drains, or repair the broken pipe, or call the service provider of your hot water heater to repair or replace the heater.

   

• If the water is still gushing, turn off the water source. If the source of the home flood is the hot water heater, shut down the home’s electricity and natural gas heat source of the furnace before one begins the flood cleanup. Leave the shutdown of electricity, furnace, or water source to the professionals if uncertain how to do it safely. NEVER touch the electric panel box if there is water on the floor next to the electric panel, and NEVER unplug electric appliances if one’s hands or shoes are wet, or if standing on a damp floor, or if the electric wires or outlets were made wet by the flood of water.

   

• When it is determined safe to mop and clean up after a flood, consider how much water needs to be mopped. Absorbent towels may be enough for small water puddles; for removing larger areas of water, a small portable wet/dry vacuum may only be necessary. In a recent blog, A Comprehensive Guide To Navigating Cleanup After a Flood, flood cleanup may need the professional water extraction methods used by Exit Mold, a one-stop hub of home restoration, serving businesses and homeowners of NYC and its five boroughs for more than 25 years!

   

• Opening windows and doors to ventilate the flooded area will help dry the area.

   

• A call should also be made to the insurance company that provides one’s business, home, or condo home insurance policy. The home insurance policy may cover the cost of flood damage cleanup.