The Best Way to Clean Up a Sewer Backup
- 1). Dry the contaminated basement or crawlspace floor where the sewage settled. Open up windows to increase air circulation and prevent fumes in an enclosed space. Run a fan to increase air flow and run a dehumidifier to help reduce the humidity. Keep closets and drawers open throughout the process because potentially dangerous organisms thrive where there is constant moisture.
- 2). Mop up standing water. Use a wet/dry vac to make sure all the moisture is removed.
- 3). Throw out heavily contaminated and saturated fabrics as well as any paper or porous materials. This includes upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows and carpet padding. Also throw out exposed food items and cosmetics. Seal these items in plastic and take them to the landfill. For items that fit in your washing machine, such as clothes and small rugs, use hot water to wash, with added bleach if it won't harm the color.
- 4). Mix one gallon of water and ¼ cup of chlorine bleach into a bucket. The chlorine bleach will kill organisms left by the sewage. Use large sponges to apply the solution to areas that were contaminated by the sewer backup. Leave the bleach solution on the surface for at least one minute and then rinse it off with another sponge that has been soaked in water. For walls where the bleach cannot soak for a minute without it dripping down, apply the bleach and rinse it from the surface of the wall two or three times depending on severity of the sewage.
- 5). Clean with a household disinfectant that does not contain ammonia any areas that would be damaged by bleach. Read the label to be sure it is a disinfectant product.
- 6). Fill a bucket with warm water and mild soap. Use new sponges to clean areas that were in contact with the bleach solution to get rid of all traces of chlorine bleach. Again, rinse with plain water to remove any soap.
- 7). Dry the area using large towels, your wet/dry vac, the dehumidifier and fans.
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