Cleaning Up Sewage From Your Home

Cleaning Up Sewage From Your Home

Sewage damage to your home during a flood is a serious risk and if it is not taken care of properly, you may become very sick if you live in the home before it is properly cleaned up. Sewage will ALWAYS contain bacteria that cause all kinds of diseases, viruses, and other microorganisms that will cause you to become sick. As soon as the sewage and flood water has receded away from the home, you can begin cleaning it up. You must not allow the sewage to remain in your home any longer than necessary or it will possibly cause irreparable damage.

Proper protection equipment is essential when you are dealing with sewage damaged items. Always wear latex rubber gloves while you are working or do not help with the clean up process. A trick to help keep the gloves from sticking to your hands is to pour a small amount of baby powder inside them before you put them on. Rubber boots that are leak proof should also be worn to keep your feet dry and safe from the infected waters that may still be in your home.

Items that you will need for the cleaning process will be mops, brooms, sponges, buckets, a water hose, disinfectant products, and trash bags.

There are a few different items that you will throw away about 99 percent of the time once they have become contaminated with sewer water. These include large areas of carpet and carpet padding, food, books and other papers, foam rubber, and insulation. Porous toys must be thrown away, such as stuffed animals. Couches and chairs, mattresses, pillows, medicines, medical supplies, and cosmetics must also be thrown away. If it is porous, it must be thrown away.

Cleaning up the sewage is the next step. Using two buckets, one for cleaner-treated water and the other for rinsing water, you should do this one room at a time. Wash the surface you wish to start with and once you have gone over it one time, rinse your rag or mop in the rinse water. Do not re-insert it back into your cleaning water until you have rinsed it. Replace the rinsing water often.

After you clean an entire room, you should go over it again with a disinfectant. You may also have to deal with mold. Porous items with mold on them should be thrown away.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.