cleaning up after flooding booklet

8/13/2019 Cleaning Up After Flooding Booklet

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Red Cross Emergency REDiPlan cleaning up after ooding

Relief in times crisisof


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Emergency REDiPlan is made possible

by the generous support of

Australian Red Cross acknowledges the assistance ofAmerican Red Cross and the Victorian Department ofHuman Services in the production of this booklet.

Red Cross Emergency REDiPlan Project provides peoplewith general information to help them deal with the effects

of an emergency.This information booklet is designed to assist people dealwith the effects of oods but necessarily contains onlyinformation of a general nature that may not be appropriatein all situations.

Before taking any action you should independently considerwhether that action is appropriate in the light of your owncircumstances.

Depending upon the particular circumstances of yoursituation, or if you do not feel condent about undertakingany suggested task, you should seek the advice ofprofessional services.

In any event, before undertaking any suggested taskyou should always contact your insurer.

March 2008

Relief in times of crisis,be it big or small. Care

when its needed most andcommitment when others

turn away.

With more than 100million volunteers

worldwide and 60,000members and volunteers

in Australia we reachpeople and places like

nobody else and carefor local communities in

Australia and Asia Pacic.Red Cross is there for

people in need, no matter who you are, no matter

where you live.


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Emergency REDiPlan is a Red Cross

community information program helping Australians prepare for, respond toand recover from emergencies.

This booklet contains information onhow to clean up after ooding insideand around your home.

Clearing out and drying your home 04

Cleaning your home 06

Furniture and appliances 08

Clothing and linens 10

Cleaning valuables 12

Cleaning up outside 14


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Clearing out anddrying your home

It is important to startclearing out and dryingyour home as soon as

the rain has stoppedand the water receded.

Although drying outmay take weeks, andcomplete restoration

months, there aremany things you can

do straight away.

Floodwater is oftencontaminated so make

sure you have goodprotective equipment

for all tasks: strongboots, long pantsand long sleeves, eye

protection and gloves.

Clearing out To avoid trapping moisture inside thehome, everything that is wet and ableto be moved should be taken outsideto dry (assuming weather permits).

Because of potential contaminationit is important to:

throw out any food that has come intocontact with oodwater (even canned,bottled or jarred goods)

keep children away during the clean up

use disinfectant when cleaning

wash your hands before eating,drinking or smoking

disinfect any cuts quickly and coverwith a waterproof dressing

bury any faecal matter quickly.

Floor coverings may need to be removed,see www.redcross.org.au and follow thelink to Emergencies: prepare, respond,recover for further information.

Warning: If the houseis badly damaged and

looks unsafe, stayout until a building

inspector or engineerhas checked it. Takecare at all times, as

damage can be hidden.

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Drying

It will take several weeks to completelydry out the house.

on dry days keep all doors andwindows open

on wet days leave windows ajar the inside of the house will onlydry when moisture can get out

if you have heaters turn them on in asmany rooms as possible, leaving thewindows open

dont use more than one heater perroom some heat will help drive offthe moisture, but too much may warpand crack wood

look for trapped mud in less obviousplaces under shower trays, benches,

baths and bottom shelves remove the skirting or plinth covering

these spaces and hose or pump outthe mud, then dry as quickly as possible

ignore any mould growing on wetlinings and timber until drying iscomplete; it can then be removed

with household bleach (see pages 6and 7 for more information). However,seek advice from your councilsenvironmental health ofcer or your GPif you have family members who haverespiratory illnesses such as asthma.

Draining under the house

Drain away any water lying under thehouse. It may be necessary to dig a pitand pump out the water that collects.Where there is no access, cut a trapdoorin the oor. Getting rid of excess waterunder wood or particleboard oors isespecially important to avoid decay.If you do not feel condent doing this,seek the advice of a licensed tradesperson.

To increase the airow under the houseand assist drying:

cut back or dig out plantsobstructing vents

leave access doors open

have a licensed tradesperson knockout the ventilators in the foundations

remove part of the foundationenclosure, such as baseboardsor sheet materials, where xedto the outside of the stumps.

Forced ventilation, such as air conditionersor industrial fans can be used in areaswhere there is not sufcient cross ow of air.

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Cleaning your home

It is important tothoroughly wash and

disinfect every part ofyour home that has

been ooded becauseof contamination from

ood waters.

Clean-up supplies

Put together a clean-up kit, containinguseful items such as a broom, mop,bucket, and cleaning supplies. In mostcases, household cleaning products willdo the job; always check the label to seewhich materials they can be used uponand their directions for use.

Product Recommended Also suitable

Cleaners Household all-purpose cleaner Laundry soap or detergent

Disinfectants Commercial disinfectantsor sanitisers

cup of laundry bleach*,with 4 litres of water

Mildew removers Commercial mildew removers Washing soda, tri-sodiumphosphate or cup of laundrybleach* with 4 litres of water

*Liquid chlorine bleach can do a variety of ood clean up jobs. Check the label to ensure 5.25% sodium hypochlorite is the onlyactive ingredient. Bleach that has a scent added to improve its smell is available. Dont use dry bleach or any bleach that does notcontain chlorine.

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Cleaning tips

Tackle one room at a time. Make sureyou are working in a well-ventilated area.

Apply cleaner and give it time to work beforeyou mop or sponge it up. Follow directionsand all safety precautions on the container.If you have any doubt, seek advice.Many products have consumer advisoryhotlines on their labels.

A two bucket approach is most efcient:

use one bucket for rinse water andthe other for the cleaner. Using twobuckets keeps most of the dirty rinsewater out of your cleaning solution.Rinse out your sponge, mop, orcleaning cloth in the rinse bucket

wring it as dry as possible and keep

it rolled up tight as you put it in thecleaner bucket

let it unroll to absorb the cleaner

replace the rinse water frequently(make sure the water you use is freefrom contamination).

After cleaning a room or an item, go over

it again with a disinfectant to kill the germsand smell left by the oodwaters.

You may need to repeat this after 24 to 48hours to kill mould and fungi not destroyedon the rst application. You may alsoneed to get rid of mildew, an unwelcomecompanion to moisture that shows asfuzzy splotches.

Walls

Start cleaning a wall at the bottom orwhere the worst damage occurred. If youdid not have to remove the wallboard orplaster, you may nd it wont come cleanand you will want to replace it. If you haveremoved the wallboard or plaster, washthe studs and sills and disinfect them.

WindowsIf you taped your windows before thestorm, clean the tape off as soon aspossible; the sun will bake the adhesiveinto the glass. If glass cleaners dontremove the adhesive, other alternativesare tar remover, acetone, nail polishremover, or a razor blade.

Warning: Be careful offumes and wear rubbergloves. Read the safety

instructions on thelabel. Do not mix bleach

with other householdchemical products,

especially ammonia ortoilet bowl cleaner; the

chemical reaction cancreate a poisonous gas.

Do not use bleach onaluminium or linoleum.

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Cleaning furnitureand appliances

Furniture

Remove the back of the piece of furnitureto let the air circulate. Dont try to forceopen swollen wooden doors and drawers;you will probably be able to open thedrawers after they dry.

Solid wood furniture can usually berepaired and cleaned, but wood veneeroften separates and warps. Apply woodalcohol or turpentine with a cotton ball

to remove white mildew spots on wood.Cream wood restorers with lanolin willhelp restore good wooden furniture parts.

Upholstered furniture soaks upcontaminants from oodwaters andshould only be cleaned by a professional.Unless the piece is an antique or especiallyvaluable, upholstered furniture should

probably be thrown out. Get a costestimate from a professional to seeif furniture is worth saving.

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Appliances

Washing machines, dryers, dishwashersand vacuum cleaners will be needed tohelp clean your home and contents.Only clean and disinfect dishwashers,washing machines and dryers with waterthat has been declared safe for drinking.Make sure the sewer line is working beforestarting a dishwasher or washing machine.Seek the advice of a licensed electrician todetermine if an appliance can be salvaged.

Refrigerators and freezers are morecomplicated. They may have foaminsulation and sealed components thatsuffered water damage. However theyhold food, so they should be cleaned,disinfected, and checked by a professional,or replaced. If you receive advice that anexpensive appliance should be replaced,get the opinion in writing and discuss itwith your insurance assessor before youspend money for another one.

Kitchen items

Throw out soft plastic and porousitems e.g. wood items that probablyabsorbed oodwaters. Floodwaters arecontaminated, so you may want to washdishes by hand in a disinfectant. Air-drythe disinfected dishes; do not use atea towel.

The dishwasher should be used only afteryou know your water is safe to drink andyour sewer line works. Clean and disinfect

it rst. Then use a hot setting to washyour pots, pans, dishes, and utensils.If you have an energy saving setting,do not use it until you have thoroughlycleaned all of your dishes.

Warning: Do not plugin or turn on any

appliance. As the riskof electrocution from

a ooded electricalappliance exists, a

licensed electricianshould check power

supply and electricalappliances before they

are plugged in.

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Cleaning clothesand linens

Cleaning tips

Clothing and linens can often berestored after oods.

take items outdoors and shakeout dried mud or dirt before youwash them

to avoid clogging the drain, hose offmuddy items to remove all dirt beforeyou put them in the washing machine

Note: See pages 9 and 10 for informationon cleaning appliances before using yourwashing machine.

Before you wash clothes, run the washingmachine through one full cycle. Be sure touse hot water and a disinfectant or sanitiser.

Check the labels on clothes and linens,and wash them in detergent and warm

water if possible. Adding chlorine bleach to the wash cyclewill remove most mildew and will sanitisethe clothing, but bleach fades somefabrics and damages other fabrics.

You can buy other sanitisers, such as pineoil cleaners, at the supermarket to sanitisefabrics that cannot be bleached.

If the label says Dry Clean Only,shake out loose dirt and take the itemto a professional cleaner.

Leather items are usually worth the costof professional cleaning. If you want toclean leather yourself, wash the mudoff and dry the leather slowly away from

heat or sunlight.

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Cleaning valuables Paper and booksGenerally you should use a professionalrestorer for valuable papers such as books,photographs, and stamp collections.However, with much work, you canrestore them yourself. Rinse and freezethem (in a frost-free freezer or commercialmeat locker) until you have time to workon them. Another alternative to preservingis to place items in a sealed container,such as a plastic bag, with moth crystals.

dry papers as soon as they are thawedor unsealed (a blow dryer will do)

place blotting paper between pagesof books to assist with drying

dont try to force paper productsapart, continue drying them untilthey come apart easily

photocopy valuable papers andrecords soon because substances inthe water may make them deteriorate.

After your papers and books arecompletely dry, they may still suffer froma residual musty smell. To combat this,place the papers in a cool, dry place for

a couple of days.If the musty smell still lingers, put thebooks or papers in an open box and putthat inside a larger, closed container withan open box of baking soda to absorbodours. Be careful not to let the bakingsoda touch the books, and check thebox daily for mould.

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Photographs

Dont let your photographs dry out,as they dry they will stick together and beimpossible to separate. Try to get toood-damaged photographs within twodays to prevent mould.

If you cant work on them, carefully stackthe wet photographs between sheetsof wax paper and seal them in a ziplocplastic bag. If possible, freeze the

photographs to slow any damage.This way photos can be defrosted,separated and air-dried later whenyou have the time to do it properly.

Place wet (or frozen) photographs ina tub of cold, clear water and separateany that are stuck together. Do not allowwater from the tap to run directly on the

photos, as this may further damage them.Dislodge any dirt by gently moving thetub of water then lay the images face upon kitchen towel. Never wipe the wetemulsion of a photograph.

Disks and tapes

If a computer disk or tape has valuableinformation, rinse it in clear water and put

it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Later,you can take it to a professional dryingcentre and have the data transferred toa good disk or tape.

Tip: Seek advicefrom professional

restorers for oldand valuable

photographs.

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Cleaning up outside

Cleaning up outsidecan bring welcome

variety to yourclean-up schedule.

Check when your

council will beproviding hardgarbage collectionsor other assistance

with waste disposal.

Make sure you havegood protectiveequipment, dress

appropriately for thecold or heat andremember to be

sun smart.

Walls

Brickwork and concrete blocks can becleaned with water, detergent and a stiffnylon or bristle brush. Do not use acidas it may cause staining.

A white salt growth (eforescence) is likelyto appear on bricks or concrete blocksduring drying out. This should stop whenthe wall is fully dried. It can often beremoved with a bristle broom.

Repainting and other repairs to crackedbrickwork or concrete masonry are bestleft until the foundation soil has dried outand foundation movements have ceased.Some cracks may close up as thefoundation soil dries out.

Minor cracks are generally not consideredserious in brick veneer structures as thereis usually a large margin of structuralsafety. However you should always seekthe advice of a structural engineer if youhave any concerns.

Timber weatherboards should be cleanedwith water, detergent and a cloth or softbristle brush. Make sure you rinse off allof the detergent.

If the ood level was higher than the oor,water can be trapped in the external wallcavity and will need to be drained. This isbest done by a licensed tradesperson asit requires wedging out the bottom twoor three weatherboards, or removing abottom row brick or veneer block everymetre. In both cases this should be donearound the entire house. Hose out anymud or silt in the cavity and let it dry out.

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The yard

As you get rid of things from yourhome, dont turn your yard into a dump.Food and garbage must be removed assoon as possible. Other discarded itemsshould be removed as soon as yourinsurance adjuster has told you howto make sure their loss is covered.

Flooding can create conditions formosquitoes to breed, and they can

carry many diseases. standing water can become a

breeding ground drain or removewhere possible

dump water out of barrels,old tyres and cans

check that your gutters are clean

and can drain ditches and drains also need to be

cleaned so they can carry stormwateraway from your home

if you cant get rid of standing water,use a commercial product that killsmosquito larvae but does not harmother animals. Seek advice from anenvironmental health ofcer (talk toyour local council)

another method is to apply a thinlm of cooking oil on the water.Repeat the application within a fewdays if rain disturbs the lm of oil.

The shed

Hand tools should be dried, a blow drierwill help. Use a lubricant water-repellingspray such as WD-40 to get into hingesand joints.

Electrical tools should be checked bya licensed electrician before use.

Sporting equipment can be cleaned usingnormal cleaning products and disinfectant.

Paints and poisons should be disposedof appropriately and safely.

The BBQ

Have a licensed plumber check the gasttings for the BBQ. Clean and disinfectthe BBQ plate and wash and rinsethoroughly.

The lawn

Lawns usually survive being underwaterfor up to four days. Some grasses arenot damaged by saltwater ooding,however hose salt water off the lawnand shrubs. You may have to replacethe lawn if there was mud thicker than

one inch deep, erosion, or chemicals inthe oodwaters; check with your localnursery or garden store. Recovery is a longand sometimestiring process make sure that youlook after yourself. See our bookletCoping with a major personal crisisor visit www.redcross.org.au for further information.

Emergency REDiPlan is made possibleby the generous support of

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National Ofce155 Pelham StreetCarlton VIC 3053Tel +61 3 9345 1800Fax +61 3 9348 2513

ACT Cnr Hindmarsh Driveand Palmer Street,Garran ACT 2605

Tel 02 6206 6000Fax 02 6206 6050

NSW159 Clarence Street,Sydney NSW 2000

Tel 02 9229 4111Fax 02 9229 4244

NT Cnr Lambell Terraceand Schultze Street,Larrakeyah NT 0820

Tel 08 8924 3900Fax 08 8924 3909

QLD 49 Park Road,Milton QLD 4064

Tel 1300 55 44 19Fax 07 3367 7444

SA 207-217Wakeeld Street,

Adelaide SA 5000 Tel 08 8100 4500Fax 08 8100 4501

TAS 40 Melville Street,Hobart TAS 7000

Tel 03 6235 6077Fax 03 6231 1250

VIC 23-47 Villiers Street,North Melbourne

VIC 3051 Tel 03 8327 7700Fax 03 8327 7711

WA 110 Goderich Street,East Perth WA 6004

Tel 08 9225 8888Fax 08 9325 5112

www.redcross.org.au

Recovery is a long and sometimestiring process make sure that youlook after yourself. See our bookletCoping with a major personal crisisor visit www.redcross.org.au for further information.

Emergency REDiPlan is madepossible by the generous support of

cleaning up after flooding booklet

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