Oh boy, what a mess! If you’ve ever had a flooded basement, it goes without saying what an unspeakable headache the cleanup is. Beyond the cleaning, the next order of business is to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and that can get very expensive indeed.
Ohioans and Kentuckians likely know a thing or two about flooded basements. We get a lot of rain, and if you’re in an old house, sometimes it just happens. If your basement floods, follow these instructions to make sure your basement is properly cleaned up:
- If the flooding is severe and you don’t have good drainage, you will probably need to buy or rent a sump pump.
- If the water level indoors is higher than it is outdoors, begin pumping water outside. Hopefully this can continue until most of it has been evacuated. Always keep a close eye on the water level outside.
- Sometimes there’s residual mud. If so, shovel this out as soon as possible to facilitate the drying of your floors and walls.
- Once the majority of the mud is out, use a high-pressure hose (if possible) and blast the silt and dirt stains away for a deeper clean.
- Scrub your walls from the top down with a stiff brush and household soap or detergent.
- When you’re done washing, make sure all windows and doors are open for air flow. If you don’t have any shock hazards, run fans to assist with the drying and prevent mold growth.
- Once it’s aired out, run a dehumidifier until the water collection tub isn’t collecting any more water.
- To get rid of odors, mop concrete floors with a bleach solution, rinse and dry after five minutes. Keep your windows open when applying bleach solution.
That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? To avoid potential plumbing catastrophes or to get your questions answered, contact Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling today.
Comments