If you have recently survived the horror of a natural disaster, you are probably pretty emotionally and physically exhausted. Unfortunately, simply surviving is only about half the process.
It is likely that your home has sustained a certain amount of damage and wear and tear. You will need to do your best to clean up the wreckage, and make your home habitable again.
After doing the best you can, if there is still much restoration to be done, you can hire a company which specializes in water damage, mold removal, of fire damage repairs. However, begin by doing as much as you can yourself.
To begin, make sure that your skin is protected from any kind of chemicals that may be spilled around. Wear gloves as protection, and consider wearing a mask to protect your respiratory tract from smoke, mold, and more.
As you take inventory of the damage, keep in mind that you will need to replace many things. You may want to contact the American Red Cross to seek a voucher for new clothing, medications, bedding, groceries, furnishings, etc.
In many cases, they will even provide you with cleaning supplies to get you started. Make sure that you turn off all electricity at the main breaker or fuse box, so that you will not be electrocuted when you are working with water.
Disconnect all appliances and light fixtures. Power surges occurring when power is restored can damage appliances and fixtures.
If there are items that have remained clean or intact, cover them with plastic so that they are not damaged while you clean other areas. Turn on your air conditioning for maximum drying in summer, and open windows to speed drying in winter.
As you clean each room, seal it off from the rest of the house with duct tape and plastic film to help keep it clean. Clean and protect bathroom faucets, tub fittings, chrome/metal type towel bars with a light coating of oil.
If you have plants that have been covered in dirt and mud, you can wash both sides of the leaves with water. Be particularly careful to thoroughly disinfect surfaces that may come in contact with food, such as counter tops, pantry shelves, refrigerators, etc.
If you are using bleach to clean, make sure that you do not allow any to come into contact with your skin. Make sure that you wash all of your linens and clothing in hot water, or dry clean them if you need to.
Before treating any articles of clothing, always read the care label for proper instructions. If there are water stains, try mixing a solution to help take them out-mix two tablespoons of sodium, one cup of chlorine bleach, and one gallon of water.
Soak your clothing in it (that do not have any color!), and this should remove the dirt well. It will also kill mold or mildew that has begun to grow.
Mildew is a bacteria growth, not simply dirt. To remove mildew stains, wash items in clothes detergent and water, rinse and dry in the sun.
The last thing you want is to be wearing mildewed clothes. This is unsafe, and unhealthy.
For items that cannot be washed or dry cleaned, such as mattresses and upholstered furniture, air dry them in the sun and then spray them thoroughly with a disinfectant. Remove and discard contaminated household materials that cannot be disinfected, such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs, and drywall.
If you have carpet and rugs that have been damaged, use a shop vacuum to remove water from the floor and rugs. You may need to pull up the carpet and set out very powerful fans to dry it out completely.
If something has already begun to mold deeply, you may want to replace it completely, for the sake of your health. Leaving it can cause the floors to warp, and be damaged.
Let floor dry completely, prior to the replacement of any floor coverings. If mildew is not killed, there will be a strong, residual smell.
Have rugs and carpeting thoroughly cleaned and dried as soon as possible, to reduce any possibility of mildew, mold or bleeding from dye. Contact professionals to clean or, if needed, removed tacked down carpeting and padding.
If you are careful to clean and dry everything in your home, you should not have to replace many items. Seek help when you need it, and do your best to not stress about items that are replaceable.
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels has assisted in disaster recovery around the world for years. When it comes to water damage in the Beltsville area, he recommends BELFOR.
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