First steps in cleaning after a flood
The house is water drenched, your belongings are soaked and ready for the dump and the dirt and mess is overwhelming, now comes the hard part, cleaning up the bacteria, debris and sludge.
It is hard to tell where to start; you are frustrated, confused, tired and completely drained of any energy to go on. It just all seems so useless and the thought goes through your head that it might not be worth it.
First of all, let's clean your thinking and get rid of the negative thoughts that you have. You have your family and that is priceless! The rest is material things that can be replaced or cleaned up to look as good as new. The tips that I will give you on this page will help to take you through the cleaning process and relieve the rest of the stress. We will take slow steps that will make the process less demanding and you will see immediate differences in your home. This in turn, will give you the boost that you need to go on.
So, let's begin; the first things that we need to do is caution you about the possibility of Ecoli, a bacteria that can make you very sick and that may be in the dirty water.
You will want to make sure that you
Wash your hands after you touch something,
Make sure that you do not wipe your hand or anything else across your lips, eyes or face and that you cover all cuts, open wounds, keep them clean, and disinfected too.
Now, you have a lot of cleaning up to do, so let's give you a list of items that you will need to get the job done.
Plastic bags
Rubber Gloves
Face mask is a good idea-get these in the paint department
Vinegar- usually around $1.96 per gallon
Ammonia--$1.00
Powdered Bleach-such as Oxy Clean
Baking Soda- Lg. box is $1.10
Salt- used for an abrasive and disinfectant
Hand soap and sanitizer
Scrub Brushes for cleaning and
Small one for hands
Plenty of rags and sponges
In addition, paper toweling
These are all products that are Environmental Friendly, but do a terrific job at eating through dirt and grime and they will make your job a lot easier.
The first hint that I will give you is to make sure that you let the chemical do the work for you. Wipe the sludge and loose stuff away and then recoat the surface with a cleaning agent and let it sit for a few minutes. Give the chemical time to work and do its job, then simply wipe clean the rest of the way. It will save those elbows and hands from over excursion.
The second hint is to use newspaper to help wipe up the mess. It is absorbent, a product you will have to trash eventually, it saves money, and it is a large piece of paper that can absorb a lot at one time.
Let's begin cleaning this mess
- Go through the house and place in plastic bags anything that cannot be saved. Bag it, tie it and get rid of it.
- Move any small items such as vases, knick knacks etc that need washing into the kitchen or bathtub area. Yes, use the bathtub to spray off the sludge etc. It is a larger container, all of the mess will go down the drain and you can fill it with enough water to totally cover several items.
- Pick up all of the clothing that is wet and water logged. Put someone in charge of spraying them down with a hose or in the shower, then they are ready for washing in the washing machine. You want to make sure that you have clean disinfected clothing to put on daily. Besides the health benefit, it will make you feel better.
- Now use a broom, mop large squeegee or shovel to get all of the sludge and water off the floor and out of the house. Once you get the thick stuff out, you can use a hose to spray the rest out. There has already been water damage, so your goal now is to get it out, disinfect your home and be able to see the floor.
- Now go through and get all of the furniture wiped off and as clean as possible. If it needs to be fried (upholstery) this can be taken outside or to the garage for cleaning later. Vinegar and baking soda are great for cleaning upholstery and carpeting, but that can be accomplished after you have things in order.
By this time, you will see a big difference in your home and will start feeling like there is a chance you can have your life back and things may be normal again. Use my handy guides on cleaning to work you through the cleaning process in detail.
Jan Hayner is a Professional Organizer that looks for ways of making your life simple and showing you ways to work smarter-NOT harder. Get her free pamphlets and checklists at www.Organizing Your Life The Easy Way.com
