|
  |
|
|
What to salvage after a flood
Having gone through over 10' of contaminated water and over 6" of mud from hurricane Katrina, I learned a lot about what you can salvage and what you have to get rid of after a flood. If I can help anyone save more of their things after a flood, that would be great! The things I learned you can keep are listed first, what you have to do to salvage them is listed second. What you can keep:
Dishes, plastic ware, silverware, pots & pans, small electrical appliances that use a bi-coil heating system like toasters or a direct heating coil like electric griddles, knick-knacks, glassware, some clothing, stuffed toys, any plastic toys like legos, food/beauty care/medications that are STILL FACTORY SEALED, canned goods, towels/linens/curtains, all wood furniture, tools and maybe your refridgerator! How to salvage:
Use the hottest water you can get...I sat containers of water in the sun, you would be surprised how hot the water got! Use bleach, oxygen bleach dish detergent and anti-bacterial dish detergent in the water. Wash everything you can possibly wash in the list above except for tools, stuffed toys and fabric items. Small appliances have to be hosed out thoroughly with clean water and set in the sun to dry COMPLETELY. In fact, everything you have washed so far should be set in the sun for about a day as the UV light kills bacteria. Fabric items and stuffed toys have to be washed in the washer with oxygen bleach & antibacterial soap for colors, bleach and antibacterial soap for whites. Some things will not make it, depending on the level of chemical contamination you suffered. But you would be amazed at how many of your clothes you will be able to keep! Everything will have to be dryed in the dryer thoroughly to make sure any surviving bacteria is killed. Wood furniture should be treated with an orange based oil product after it is cleaned. Tools you can wash the mud off of and then soak in transmission fluid. Any rust can be removed with a wire wheel on a table grinder. I'm told there is a small inexpensive part on your refridgerator that once replaced, can have your fridge back up and running in a jiff! Contact a repair company to see if yours can be saved. Make sure you clean it out thoroughly with the soap mixture to kill bacteria. This will only work if you can get the food out within a day or two of the flood. Be aware of any black mold you may see, this is highly toxic! If you have it in your house, you will have to wear a mask while removing your things. Also, if your house has to be gutted, you will have to wear a mask while doing that and while treating the mold! I saved so many things that would have gone out in the debris pile, otherwise. I learned too late that some of the things on this list could have been saved and I want to save you that heartache, if possible!
|
Contributor's Note
If this helps even one person get through the nightmare of a flood, I am happy to have been able to help!
|
|
|
 |
|
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
Man I wish I'd read this intel BEFORE finishing the cleanup from our recent flood. Actually, it didn't go all the way into the house, which is elevated, but you wouldn't believe the mess! Well YOU would, I suppose, but flood virgins would probably say, "So? It's just water."  That's what I used to say before F-Day on November 24, 2009 which is probably why the fates decided to teach me a lesson. 
 | | nick Dec 12, 2009 13:14 | |
The copyright for this content entitled "What to salvage after a flood" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by Raven420
Raven420
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
