Flood Clean Up Tips
Summer storms can be fast and furious and sometimes brutal. If you are in the Chicagoland area like the team at the Fresh Wave HQ right now, you know what we mean. Flooding.
A flooded basement is not only one of the most destructive events to your home, but it’s one of the most stressful to deal with. Gear up in your gloves, rubber boots, protective eye wear, and face mask. Grab a wet vac, paper towels, a garbage bag, and a supply of Fresh Wave. You've got this. It’s time to tackle this stinky job.
Tips for Cleaning Up After a Flood
1. Use Caution and Inspect Your Home:
Walk carefully around the outside and check for loose power lines, gas leaks, and structural damage. If you have any doubts about safety, have your home inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering. Safety first!
2. Dehumidify Your House:
Open all windows possible in damp areas. Clean up the last standing floodwater with a portable submersible sump pump and a wet dry vac. Then use a high capacity, low temperature dehumidifier to take care of the rest.
3. Control Mold & Mildew:
Use basic cleaners with warm water to wash down and rinse clear any areas susceptible to mold. After the areas are cleaned, apply a mold inhibitor. Let’s try and stop it before it starts!
4. Eliminate Odors from Flooding:
To remove odors from musty basements or any other room in your home, place Fresh Wave Odor Eliminating Gel throughout the spaces impacted by water damage. Here’s our special trick — pour Fresh Wave Gel over a large baking pan, place in the room, and run a small fan just behind the pan. This accelerates the air flow powering the Fresh Wave odor removing magic formula to work even faster, removing the odors throughout the room. Look for our Fresh Wave 2 Gallon Gel Bucket to cover a lot of space, at a great value!
For laundry, towels, pet bedding, and slip covers that have been water logged, add Fresh Wave Laundry Booster to the wash cycle with detergent to get rid of those yucky smells in a single wash cycle. You can even add the Booster to a steam cleaner to remove odors from a saturated carpet!
To remove odors from upholstery and drapery, use Fresh Wave Odor Eliminating Spray taking care to use on water safe fabrics. (Do a spot test first.)
We know cleanup can be tough, but Fresh Wave will be right there with you to help you take on the clean up challenge!
