10 Steps to Successful Indoor Flooding Cleanup

Andrea Fabry
by Andrea Fabry
Flooding can occur after a heavy rain, appliance malfunction, or plumbing leak. Quick action is required to avoid potential health issues.
Understand that time is crucial. Mold grows within 24-48 hours. Always border on the side of caution when making decisions. Keep children away from the area and wear proper protection when dealing with serious flooding.
This vacant home experienced mold growth after pipes burst during the spring thaw. It is crucial to dry out the area completely within 48 hours. Use fans and ventilate as much as possible.
While bleach works against bacteria, it does not kill mold. Natural options include borax, white vinegar and baking soda.
Andrea Fabry
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
 2 comments
  • Gretchen Mercer Gretchen Mercer on Mar 27, 2015
    This is an important post. We moved from the deep south to northern Virginia 2 years ago. We did not even think about winterizing before our first hard freeze! What a mistake! A very small crack in a water pipe in our finished basement quickly became a 2 inches of standing water in a bedroom/walkin closet and spread out into the main downstairs. After turning the water off we considered tackling this ourselves. We had nothing on hand, so we called in a professional to get the water out and were happy we did. His truck was fit with vacuum and hoses that ran from the street through our living area downstairs into the effected areas. The strength of the vacuum was much, much more powerful than anything we could have tried on our own. We moved every single thing out and had fans blowing for probably 72 hours after he finished, but, thankfully, we have had no mold because of our fast action. We were lucky! Ours was found Very Quickly! Your steps are so important! Thank you for reminding all of us.
    • Andrea Fabry Andrea Fabry on Mar 27, 2015
      @Gretchen Mercer Thanks, Gretchen. So glad you made it through without mold growth!
Next