If you live in Nashville, TN and the surrounding areas, you may unfortunately be experiencing flooding now or in the near future. While the heavy rain can be inconvenient at best and tragic at worst, with a little planning, the right tools and procedures, and reliable professional help, you and your home will be able to recover quickly.
Here are 4 tips for cleaning your home after a flood:
1. Protect the Perimeter
Ideally, you’re able to assess your home before flooding starts to block any openings where water may be able to enter your indoor space. However, if you were not able to do this beforehand, once the flooding stops, it’s still critically important to use sand bags or similar items to block any runoff water or resulting mud from entering into your house. When it comes to outdoor furniture, consider bringing anything valuable inside before the flooding. If time doesn’t permit this, try to throw waterproof tarps over any essentials as soon as possible.
2. Remove Debris Quickly
Unfortunately, it’s not just water that creates problems after floods. Debris, including leaves, dirt, and sometimes hazardous materials can gather by the entrances to your home and in your outdoor spaces, as well as inside if any doors or windows were left open. Removing debris immediately will help to ensure minimum damage to your space. Get some gloves, a face mask, and a trash bag and pick up as much as possible by hand. For the smaller dust and dirt build-up, try washing it away with a hose or filling buckets with water and pushing it as far away as possible.
3. Consider Air Flow
One of the biggest issues that arises with flooding is the resulting moisture and the growth of mold, particularly anywhere in the house that may get damp from the rain such as windowsills, doors, etc. To minimize this risk, try to allow as much air flow into your home as is safe. While the water is still falling, this may mean fans and air conditioning. As soon as the rain stops, open windows and doors to allow ample air flow. Using a hairdryer to dry any cushions or furniture that may have been soaked will help minimize the water damage.
4. Ask for Help
Depending on the severity of the flood, you may be dealing with major damage, both indoors and outside. Improperly managed flood damage can lead to mold, as mentioned above, as well as water damage in flooring, furniture, and appliances. To make sure your home is properly cleaned and protected, reach out to Nashville Brighthouse. Our expert team of reliable, thorough home cleaners can assess your home and will create a custom cleaning plan for your unique space. Using only green, non-toxic products, Nashville Brighthouse ensures a safe, clean, healthy environment for you and your family.
Dealing with a flood is tough, but if you act quickly to guard your home from water and mud, remove debris immediately, enable maximum air flow, and get help from the cleaning professionals at Nashville Brighthouse, you will be able to minimize the stress and get back to enjoying your beautiful, clean, safe home as soon as possible.
