- #Flood cleanup generator
- #Flood cleanup portable
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- #Flood cleanup professional
- #Flood cleanup windows
If you have flood insurance, call your insurance company about the documentation you need to back up your claim. Just make sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize your clothes and shoes, and clean the tools with bleach after you use them. Jeff Bishop, former director on the board of the IICRC, recommends using shovels or rakes to remove wet silt and debris from your home, and depositing it a safe distance away from your house.
#Flood cleanup windows
No power at all? If weather permits, open all your windows and doors to create airflow.īefore you get rid of contaminated debris, be sure to put on your respirator and other protective gear.
#Flood cleanup generator
If your generator isn't connected to a transfer switch in your home, use a heavy-gauge extension cord (around 12-gauge), to keep the generator at a safe distance from your house. And "make sure to place the generator at least 20 feet from your home, with the exhaust facing away from your house," advises John Galeotafiore, associate director of product testing at Consumer Reports. Just remember that generators emit deadly carbon monoxide to avert carbon monoxide poisoning, never run a generator indoors.
#Flood cleanup portable
If you don't have power but you own a portable generator, use it so that you can follow the strategy above. Keep your windows open if you have only fans, and face the exhaust toward an open window. Keep your windows closed if you have a dehumidifier and an air conditioner to help the air circulate inside and get rid of excess moisture. If you have power, turn on your air conditioner, a dehumidifier, and/or every fan you own. The first step for getting rid of mold is to air out your house. Bennett, Ph.D., a fungal geneticist and professor of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. "Mold starts growing in damp places within 24 hours, and within two days, you can have visible colonies if it's warm," says Joan W.
Keep anyone with a weak or compromised immune system out of the house because mold, cleaning chemicals, and sewage in storm runoff can make them even more sick. (See a list of supplies you'll need for your cleanup below.) To shield your hands and face-and to avoid breathing in mold spores and toxic fumes-the EPA recommends wearing an N95 respirator, goggles tight enough to keep dust and small particles out of your eyes, and long, tight-fitting gloves made of rubber or neoprene. To protect yourself, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
"Mold can cause respiratory distress and can exacerbate asthma." "You have to assume that mold is growing after a flood," says Kellogg Schwab, Ph.D., the Abel Wolman Professor in Water and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. When they recede, they could very well leave mud and toxic substances behind in your home.Īccording to the EPA, coming into contact with sewage or mold can cause allergic reactions and other problems. Flood waters ferry all the gross stuff at the bottom of storm drains, ditches, and sewer lines. When your home has been flooded, there's more than just water to worry about. Then, once you're reasonably sure that your house is structurally sound and safe to enter, here are the steps to take to clean out your home.
#Flood cleanup pro
You can find a pro through a number of organizations that the EPA recommends: the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the National Environmental Health Association, the American Council for Accredited Certification, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
#Flood cleanup professional
If you get to the point where you realize you're in over your head, do yourself a favor and hire some professional help.
If you smell gas once you're inside, immediately turn off the main gas valve, open up all the windows, go outside, and call 911 and your gas company. You'll want to check for gas leaks and structural damage inside the home, too, says Don Huber, Consumer Reports' director of product safety. If you see any structural damage to the outside of the house, such as cracks or shifting of the foundation, or a tree on your house, bring in a building inspector or structural engineer, the Federal Emergency Management Agency advises (PDF).
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