Cleaning and Restoring Your Business After a Flood Pt. III

September 16, 2017

The previous entries in our flood cleaning series discussed how to approach the big jobs – from carpeting and flooring to walls, electricity, and HVAC. Now, let’s look at how to handle the cleaning and disinfecting process once your business is dry and structurally sound.

1. Disinfect Everything

Flooding poses several potential health hazards: first, there are the contaminants in the flood water itself. Flood waters may contain bacteria, viruses, and even raw sewage. Second, standing water can lead to mold growth. Once your business is dry, you’ll want to tackle the cleaning process one step at a time. Scrub all surfaces with hot water and a heavy-duty cleaning solution. Afterwards, disinfect with a solution of ¼ cup chlorine bleach for every gallon of water. This will help kill any remaining bacteria and contaminants.

Follow the same procedure with business items that can be saved. Immerse all hard objects (made of glass, plastic, or enamel) in a bleach solution for at least 10 minutes, then allow them to air dry.

2. Ask For Help

Before opening your doors for business, you’ll want to thoroughly clean every wall, floor, and surface to minimize the risk of contamination. This is a huge undertaking and may require professional help. Hire a commercial cleaning company to help you disinfect and ready your business for customers once again.

3. Replace All Flooring and Wall Coverings

Once your surfaces are clean and the business is dry, it’s time to replace your flooring and patch the holes in your walls. Replace insulation as needed and have a contractor reapply plaster or drywall.

It may take a long time, but a thorough cleaning is vital to protect your business from contaminants and further damage. Once you follow all these steps, you’ll be ready to open your doors for business once again.