We had a TON of rain last weekend and the sewers were overwhelmed, causing rain water run-off to pour in the various drains in the basement.
My husband has removed all of the soaked carpeting, baseboards and furniture. What product should we use to clean the floor and walls to prevent mold, mildew and other unpleasant stuff.
I need to suggest something good or he may gas himself using bleach and cleaner. Also the product needs to be available both in retail and in Canada.
Bleach in a 1:32 concentration will disinfect and take care of things just fine. That won’t be too fumey to gas anyone. It’s when people use too high a concentration that causes problems. Do not mix the bleach with any other cleansers, so as to avoid making a chemical weapon!
Bleach really is the best disinfectant available for household use. The trick with it is that bleach does not disinfect well when other organic materials are present. So for the best disinfection, the surface should be cleaned first. Whatever cleanser you use (Simple Green is nicest to all), just make sure surfaces are rinsed well and dry before applying bleach solution.
Your EPA is on the job! Read about flood cleanup here. Doesn’t specify cleaning products but specifically warns against mixing them. Especially tossing in some bleach.
The Louisiana based National Organization of Remediators & Mold Inspectors also warns against bleach. A video with sound starts playing when you click here.
As usual, every link has more links. I’ve never been flooded but live in Houston, where many people have. Most homes here don’t have basements, but many commercial buildings do. Ah, the scent of a building with a ripe basement! Especially because the AC isn’t up to snuff, being powered by generators parked outside. Because the building’s electrical switching stuff was located in the basement & didn’t like being covered with water for hours.
Good luck!