After the shock of having a river raging through your living room has subsided, and the threat to life and limb has been dealt with, you’re left to deal with the other casualties of the calamity—namely, damage to personal property! From water- and mud-soaked walls and furniture, to a car totem-pole, to fried gadgets, you’ll have to sort through the stuff that survived. How do you clean it all up and get things working again? Here, we sum up the solutions we’ve seen on the net:
Cleaning your house
The major points we picked up: if you can call your insurance agent before you return to your home, do so to find out what’s included in your coverage. Document everything by taking photos and videos before you start to put things back in order. Make sure your house is structurally sound before you enter, and check if the utilities have sustained any damage. Air out the house to get rid of airborne contaminants. To protect yourself, get a tetanus shot before wading in floodwater, wear boots and protective clothing while cleaning, and wash your hands regularly while you work.
For more detailed instructions on cleaning your house, check out these useful articles:
Cleaning your flooded or water-damaged home by the Disaster Education service of the North Dakota State University - A general checklist of points to prepare for when dealing with a water damaged home; the context is for American homes, but most of the information is applicable.
Cleaning up after a flood on floodsafety.com - Provides a more detailed list, with tips for cleaning specific materials and dealing with roof damage.
How to clean flood-damaged homes on ABS-CBN News - A report based on an ANC Shoptalk interview with a local architect and a maintenance service company.
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