Water damage

“Seventy-five percent of our planet is water - can you swim?” - unknown

If your house is damaged by water, how you respond and cleanup is determined by whether the water is clean or contaminated. Clean water accidents include rain through a hole in the roof, a water tank leaking, a burst pipe, a burst swimming pool or water bed, etc. Contaminated water is typically floodwater. You have no idea what the floodwater may have mixed with before entering your house – sewage, dead animals, toxic chemicals, and so forth.

For dirty water damage the CDC recommends:

• Keep children and pets out of the affected area until it is cleaned
• Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning
• Clean all hard surfaces (such as flooring, concrete, molding, wood and metal furniture,
  countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures) with hot water and laundry or dish detergent. Some sites recommend using bleach.
• Discard anything absorbent that got wet and cannot be disinfected (mattresses, carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, pillows, foam rubber items, books, wall coverings, drywall, insulation, and paper products).
• Affected clothing can be saved by washing in hot water and detergent.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning. Don’t let the germs into your mouth.
• After cleanup, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and CLEAN water.

For clean water damage, here are some housecleaning tips from “Servpro”, a professional Fire & Water – Cleanup and Restoration company.

• Remove excess water by mopping and blotting
• Wipe water from wood
• Remove cushions and pillows for drying
• Place foil or wood between furniture and wet carpet to prevent water seeping up the furniture legs
• Remove oriental and throw rugs to dry. Don’t try to remove a wall-to-wall carpet.
• Move artwork and painting to a dry location
• Don’t leave wet fabric in place. Dry them as soon as possible.
• Don’t leave books, newspapers, or magazines on wet floors. The ink may run and stain the floor.
• Don’t use a regular vacuum to remove water. You need a special wet-vac.
• Have wet appliances checked for safety. Don’t turn one on while standing on a wet carpet! Shock!
• Don’t work in a room if the ceiling is sagging from water. It may fall at any time.

Bottom Line

Save what you can but be prepared to toss a lot of stuff. In college I had to toss most of my vinyl record collect when my basement apartment was flooded by an inch of water. I might have saved the records if I had acted quickly but by the time I got to them, there was mold all over the jackets and on the albums.