It’s an unfortunate fact of being a homeowner that you may have to deal with a flood once or twice in your lifetime. While these events can be devastating, both monetarily but also to one’s possessions, they don’t have to be the end of the world. With a little elbow grease, you can bounce back from a flooding catastrophe. Here, we are going to look at some helpful tips to clean up after a flood so you can get your life back to normal.
Inform Your Insurance Company
In all the chaos that a flood can cause, one can forget to do the most obvious things first. When the flooding has stopped, the absolute first thing you must do is call your insurance company and record the damage that has been done. Make sure to take pictures of structural and material damage so you can get an accurate picture of what has been affected by the flood
Address the Residue First
To reduce the chances of a worse problem developing, you are going to want to clean up anything that was left behind by the flood first. Dirt, mud, and grime on the walls can all lead to more difficult problems in the long run. Obviously, you’ll want to remove excess water to begin with and then start on the task of cleaning the walls and floor.
Plan Ahead for Trash
Floods almost always cause irreparable damage to items that were caught up in it. Knowing that you are going to have to purge at least some of those items, getting a dumpster ready before cleaning up can save you a lot of headaches. One of Vine Disposal’s 20-yard dumpsters is the perfect size for most homes, so you can get everything hauled away in one go rather than multiple trips.
Designate a Zone for Drying
Not everything will be irreparably damaged—there are a number of items that may just need some time outside to evaporate the excess water. Set up one area outside your home for items that need time to dry. This way, they stay out of your way when you’re cleaning everything else up.
Ventilate the Area Before Using Again
Once everything has been moved out of the affected area, you don’t want to put things back only to find that the floors weren’t completely dry yet. If possible, open any windows in the area and set up as many fans as you can find to hasten the drying process. You don’t want to skip this step; make sure everything is completely dry before you start to replace things in the area.
Hopefully, these helpful tips to clean up after a flood can ease the stressful process a little bit. A flooded home is a terrible thing and Vine Disposal wants to be there to help you return to normal life sooner rather than later.
