In the event of heavy rain down pour and flooding, one of the easiest water-attracting areas of your house is the basement. Water from rain takes on several paths when it lands on the ground. Usually, it flows straight to your lawn or yard and out. However, if the foundation of your home has cracks and tiny open spaces, water will make its way through these entry points and ultimately end in the basement.
If your basement is unfinished yet, cleaning is easier. However, if your basement is finished and fully booked, this is where the challenge lies. To help you solve your dilemma, here are very useful flooded basement cleanup reminders for you.
Before you begin the flooded basement cleanup, prepare the following tools and materials first. The most essential cleaning items you should prepare are dirt or work clothes, rubber gloves, mop, detergent, bleach, medium-sized bucket, scrubbing brush, dehumidifier, and fans. These materials are good enough for drying up lightly flooded basement. If, however, the flooding is severe, you will need a portable sump pump or wet vacuum.
If you decide on using a sump pump, make sure that you have a wire extension at hand for basement outlets may not be usable. If you choose to use a wet vacuum, take note that it will cause you more effort as the holding receptacle easily gets full. You may need to empty and re-empty it time and again. In any case, both tools will help you solve a bigger chunk of the task.
The first step you need to take is to remove the water. You may use your sump pump or wet vacuum to do this. However, if you do not have access to any of the equipment mentioned, it’s time to get that mop and bucket working. If your basement has a drain, you won’t need a bucket. You just mop the water into the drain. If it does not have a drain, remove water bit by bit and squeeze them in to the bucket.
Second, open windows to let moisture content of the air dry up or escape. Once you removed water from the inside of the basement, begin drying the area. Turn on your dehumidifier and fans to speed up the drying process and restore the proper humidity inside. Your goal should be to finish this step in 24 hours to put off mold and mildew formation as much as possible.
Third, transfer functional materials and furniture to unaffected areas of your house and begin sorting through affected ones. If needed, do away with household items that are unfit for re-use. Anything that cannot be sanitized such as boxes and other paper-based materials, and has been severely soaked in dirty water such as carpets and cushions, should be eliminated or they will become good breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and other unwanted elements.
Fourth, clean walls and floors using a water, detergent and bleach solution. The cleaning solution might be hard on the skin so be sure to protect yourself while scrubbing.