What To Keep And What To Discard After A Sewage Backup

By Author: Leo Nov
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If your home or business was contaminated with a sewage spill, you must know what can be kept and what must be discarded. This article offers a quick guide, teaching you what to keep and what to discard after sewage spill

Personal Belongings

Upholstered furniture may be impossible to salvage if it has been badly soaked in gray or black water as fabrics will absorb a dangerous amount of sewage water and bacteria.

Window drapes can mostly be dried and restored using different techniques depending on the type of fabric. It is recommended to send them to a professional dry cleaning facility. These facilities will have the techniques to remove odors as well.

Toys and play equipment must be discarded. Discard all stuffed toys. Even if you think you can completely clean and disinfect these items, keep in mind that they may badly affect your child's safety. Discard any item a toddler or baby might put in his mouth.

Fabrics, clothes and linen are very hard to clean and salvage. You may want to consider sending damaged fabrics and textiles to a professional dry cleaning facility.

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... Building Materials

Insulation will hold the contaminated water and will present health treats. It must be removed to prevent mold and decay.

Rugs, carpet and padding cannot be salvaged after a sewage backup. Porous materials, such as carpet, padding, upholstery, etc. must be discarded as they will hold contaminated and bacteria. In rare cases rugs and carpets can be salvaged if you can remove and wash them in hot water.

Flooring such as linoleum, ceramic tile, and vinyl can be salvaged if dried. Cleaned, and disinfected quickly. These floorings must be removed if you have wood sub-flooring to allow the wood to dry thoroughly (this may take several weeks). Discard this type of flooring if you detect signs of mold.

Get Professional Help

Even when you discard unsalvageable items, you still have to assure that the area is properly cleaned and disinfected. Our experts can provide useful help salvaging many of your personal belongings and building materials. We use the latest technologies and equipment to help you get back to normal as soon as possible while salvaging all the items that can be salvaged in a timely manner
Leo Nov is an editorial staff member of RestorationSOS.com, a leading service provider for water damage cleanups. To learn more about water damage and sewage cleanup, visit RestorationSOS.com.