How to Clean up after a Flood During the Pandemic
Experiencing a flood with the current coronavirus pandemic is like adding salt to injury. Everyone is trying hard to keep indoors to reduce the spread of the virus, and it will just be devastating to experience flooding in your home at this time.
All you need to do is ensure that you are prepared so that you bring back normalcy to your home as soon as possible so that you can keep on guarding yourself against the virus. Though unfortunate, should you experience flooding during the pandemic, here are a few tips to help you remediate the situation:
Take Care of Safety First
Whenever you experience flooding in your home, you need to prioritize your safety before anything else. The flooding is likely to lead to potential hazards that may cause a lot of damage even before you start with the cleaning process. To ensure that you, your family and the structure is safe after the flooding, observe the following:
Shut off gas and electric supplies – before you get into the house or the room that has been flooded, ensure that you have shut off the gas and electric supplies. Remember, when the flood gets to a live electric outlet, the entire flood will be electrified and you can easily get electrocuted if you just walk in without taking the necessary precautions.
Check the building’s structure – floods are known to have the potential of causing a lot of structural damages to buildings. In some cases, it is not advised that you should go ahead with the flood cleaning if there are glaring structural damages that warrant the attention of professional restoration and flood cleaning companies.
Therefore, before you start the cleaning, inspect the building for potential structural damages. Check the foundation to see if there is any setting or cracking. Have a look at the floors, walls, and windows for potential signs of damages and also check all the electrical installations on the wall to ensure that all of them are in order.
Get the right protective gear – flood cleaning may sound simple, but you should never approach it with a simple mindset. It is recommended that you put on waterproof gloves, safety masks/goggles, and work or rubber boots before you embark on the actual cleaning process. If you feel you are not well equipped to undertake the cleaning process, then consider calling a professional flood cleaning company in Montreal to help you out.
Prepare for Flood Insurance Claims
If you have flood insurance, you should know that you will be making claims soon. The first thing you need to do is contact your insurance adjuster as soon as possible. You also need to take photos or videos of the flooded sections of your home because they will help you during the claims process.
You should also keep records of the expenses you incurred during the cleaning as well as the losses you might have suffered as a result of the flooding. Remember, without proper documentation and evidence of the flooding, you may have a rough time convincing your insurer to compensate you appropriately.
Getting Rid of the Water
With the pandemic, flood cleaning is an emergency service. Contact flood-cleaning professionals to remove the water in case of a flooded room or basement. You can start removing the water manually using a small bucket.
If a large area is flooded, then you may have to use a pump to help remove the water faster. If, however, the flooding is extensive and you don’t just know how to get rid of the water such as in the case of a basement flooding, then your best bet would be to call basement flood clean up in Montreal to come and help you out.
Removing the Unnecessary Items
Once you have gotten rid of the water from the floors, the next step is to assess the damage and plan on how you want to go about the cleaning process. Depending on the height of the flood, you may have to take out the carpets, curtains, and furniture for thorough cleaning.
Check any submerged items such as books and any other items you may salvage from the flood. Some of these items may be destined for disposal immediately, while some may be allowed time to dry and be restored later. Take your time and be careful while sorting and taking out the damaged items so that you don’t cause them any more damage.
The cleaning should not be limited to the floors alone but also to the walls where the water levels might have reached. While you clean the floors and the walls, remember to open the doors and windows to let in fresh air so that the rooms don’t get stuffy.
Systematic cleaning of the items
Once you have cleaned the floors and walls, your attention should now turn to the furniture, carpets, and rags. It may be tempting to clean these on your own, it is highly recommended that you call the right professionals to help you out. This is especially true if you have expensive rugs and leather upholstery that you may not be well equipped to clean effectively.
Also, depending on the extent of the damage to your home, it will be a good idea to call for flood restoration services to help you bring things back to normal after the flooding.