Remember the golden rule of clean-up work:
Wash your hands thoroughly - and do it often!

Simple, basic hygiene - handwashing - is the single most important thing you can do to protect your health when you clean up after a flood.

Be sure to wash your hands:

• after you touch any surfaces or objects that may have been in contact with flood water or sewage.
• before you eat or drink anything.
• before you touch your face.

What if there's no running water?

• transport and store clean water in clean plastic containers
• get a beverage cooler equipped with a spigot - and keep it filled with clean water for handwashing

What if the water is contaminated?

If the water is suspect, add a tablespoon of bleach to each gallon of water before you wash your hands with it.

Food and Beverage Container Salvage

You must generally discard anything in soft packaging or screw-top glass bottles that may have been in contact with flood water. You can sometimes save commercially canned goods or rigid plastic containers depending on condition of container.

Canned Goods

To salvage canned goods:

• remove the labels.
• wash in warm water and detergent.
• sanitize with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.

Destroy canned goods if:

• the surface is badly rusted or pitted.
• the can is swollen or leaking.
• the can is badly creased or dented at the rims or seams or the can is a flipper.

Rigid plastic containers

Salvage rigid plastic containers only if:

• they have not been submerged in water or other liquids.
• the product is not contaminated.
• if the soil can be removed and it does not involve the closure.
• there is no rust on the closure.
• the container is not defective.
• the closure is not defective or rusted and pitted and the seal is not improper.
• there are no cap or crown dents affecting the rim seal.

Beverage Containers

Salvage beverage containers only if they meet the above requirements for food salvage and do not have a "twist cap" or do not have a cork sealed with foil or wax such as wine bottles

Relabeling requirements:

The new label must be complete including:

• common or usual name of the product.
• net contents.
• name, address, zip code of distributor.
• any other mandatory labeling requirements that may be applicable.
• label codes are carried over to the new label.

If in doubt, throw it out!

The Structure

Cavities in walls, floors and ceilings must be opened, cleaned, decontaminated and thoroughly dried.

Walls, floors and ceilings

• Most plaster, wallboard/wallpaper and paneling that contacts flood water must be discarded.
• Remove stainless steel wall panels and set aside for re-use later.
• Insulation that contacts flood water must be discarded.
• All absorbent floor coverings including linoleum, tile, carpet and carpet pads must be discarded.
• Thoroughly scrub floors and woodwork within 48 hours, using a stiff brush, water, detergent and sanitizer.
• Discard ceiling tile or other absorbent materials contaminated by flood water.

Remember:

• If any materials are still wet or moist after 24-48 hours, you should assume they have mold growing on them.
• You can disinfect floors or wood surfaces using a solution of 1/4 cup bleach in a gallon of water. If mold has already begun to grow, use a stronger solution - approximately 1/2 gallon of bleach in a five gallon pail.

Equipment

Thoroughly clean and sanitize all equipment if it can be salvaged using a detergent and a sanitizing solution of 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water.

Reusable Equipment

• All new refrigerators and freezers should have closed cell polyurethane insulation and should not be absorbent. Check with the manufacturer.
• All stainless steel equipment and other equipment that is non-absorbent.

Warning: Manufacturers recommend caution when restarting equipment with electrical components.

Discard:

• Any equipment with fiberglass insulation.
• Any old compressors with Freon that need recharging.
• Any equipment with rusted, deteriorated surfaces.
• Equipment that is damaged and not repairable to standards.
• Counters, cabinets, and bars that are made of wood/particle board and plastic laminate that have been damaged by flood water.

Furniture

• Discard flood water-contaminated upholstered furniture such as: chairs, stools, benches and seats.
• Tables and booths that cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.