Jefferson City Basement Water Cleanup Tips

Basement water cleanup is one of the most commonly needed restoration services. Basements can fill with water before you even notice. Getting the mess squared away and protecting your furniture and other valuables are the only things that matter. These tips will help you figure out what you can and cannot tackle on your own.

1. Call Professionals if You Have Standing Water

If your basement is sitting under an inch or more of water, you should call in professionals. The risks when dealing with large amounts of standing water include bacteria and mold infestation. Standing water can become a biohazard!

Standing water will need to be pumped away by a professional. It will take you too much time to bail out your basement yourself. Time is of the essence with basement water cleanup. To begin the restoration process, you have to get everything as dry as possible.

2. Keep Yourself Safe First

If you’re going to be tackling basement water cleanup, you’re going to need to protect yourself. Before you even venture down to the basement, you need to make sure you have what you need to stay safe. Start by protecting yourself from contamination. Get a face mask, goggles, and gloves. You don’t want any water to get onto your bare skin, but you especially don’t want it in your eyes, nose, or mouth. Mucus membranes can allow bacteria to infect you.

Make sure that you’re wearing sturdy shoes. Closed-toed shoes are the minimum. If you don’t want to throw out your shoes at the end of the cleanup, wear galoshes over your shoes to keep the water out of your shoes. Long sleeves and trousers that can tuck into your socks or galoshes complete your look.

3. Turn Off the Power

Once you have the proper equipment, make sure the area is safe to enter. Turn off the power at the source, even if you don’t think the water was high enough to touch any sockets. You don’t want to risk electrocution. Before you restore the power, have the area looked at by a professional electrician. This is an area where a mistake can have dangerous consequences.

4. Pictures are Essential

Get the details while you can. The era of smartphones has made it much easier for you to document the damage done to your house. Before basement water cleanup efforts begin, take photographic evidence of how bad things are. It will help you when you file a claim with your insurance company.

5. Get Air Moving

Moving air is the enemy of stagnating water. Get air flow into your basement. Put in fans (once the area has been cleared for electronics) and dehumidifiers. If your basement has any windows, open them! The more you encourage evaporation, the sooner your basement water cleanup will be complete.

Basement water cleanup is never easy, but you don’t have to make it hard on yourself. Know when to call in the professionals. If you’re dealing with stagnant water, you need a pump to quickly drain it out. Only an electrician can tell you if it’s safe to plug in down there. Other than that, take lots of pictures and protect yourself and you should be good to go.