Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home After the Flood Cleaning of ¼ cup chlorine bleach per Hard Surfaces gallon of water or a product The four major steps to cleaning that is labeled with an EPA Mildew may be removed from many items after the flood are: registration number as a walls and similar hard surfaces with this solution: 1. Remove contaminated mud. disinfectant. After wiping or Shovel out as much mud as spraying with a disinfectant, • 1 gallon water possible, then use a garden put the item out in the sun, • ¾ cup liquid chlorine bleach if possible, for additional sprayer or hose to wash away • 1 cup trisodium phosphate natural disinfecting plus drying. mud from hard surfaces. (available in hardware and (See cleaners and disinfectants Start cleaning walls at the discount stores as TSP) bottom or where damage is chart, page 2.) worst. Remember to hose out Follow all safety precautions 4. Dry. heating ducts, disconnecting when using this strong solution. Ventilate with an entrance the furnace first. Wash a small area at a time. Rinse and exhaust opening for air quickly, and dry with a soft cloth. 2. Clean. to promote cross-ventilation. Scrub surfaces with hot water Place a fan in a window or door and a heavy-duty cleaner. with the fan to the outdoors. Scrub off all contaminants Seal the rest of the opening with Clothing with a brush. Rinse off soap. cardboard, plywood or blankets To remove mildew from clothing so the fan can create a vacuum. or textiles that are colorfast 3. Disinfect. Wood should have a moisture Soak in a solution of 2 tablespoons Bacteria can only be destroyed content of less than 15 percent liquid chlorine bleach and 1 quart by disinfecting or sanitizing. before drywall, paneling or other water 5-15 minutes, then rinse. This can be done by wiping or coverings are placed over it. spraying surfaces with a solution To remove mildew from non-bleachable items Mildew Mix 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon salt. Moisten the For more information, If mildew has developed because stain. If possible, spread in the www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood the molds weren’t killed and the sun to bleach. Rinse thoroughly. source is still damp, a strong Another option is to soak the stain in product is required to remove it, 3% hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes. and the required strength may ruin some household items. Cleaners and Disinfectants Additional Type of Cleaner Uses Precautions Suggestions Liquid household cleaner Wash hard surfaces such as Dilute with water as directed (Top Job, Ajax, Janitor in painted walls, floors, woodwork, on container for specific uses. a Drum, Lysol, Mr. Clean) porcelain. Powdered household Removes mud, silt, Dissolve in water to make a cleaner (Spic’n Span,Ajax) greasy deposits. solution. All-purpose laundry soaps General household cleaning. Do not use on wool, silk or Rinse well to Hand-washing and laundry. fabric blends containing these remove suds. Moderately and heavily soiled fibers. and washable colorfast textiles. All-purpose laundry Moderately or heavily soiled Do not use on wool, silk or Rinse well to detergents (Tide, Wisk, washable, colorfast textiles. fabric blends containing these remove suds. Oxydol, Cheer) Outside of appliances. fibers. Painted walls and woodwork. Floors. Light-duty dishwashing Lightly soiled washable fabrics Safe for wool and silk fibers Rinse well to soaps (Ivory Snow, Dreft) and household textiles. Rugs and fabric blends containing remove suds. or detergents (Lux, Joy) and carpets. Appliances and these fibers. Safe for most dyes. furniture. Washable wall paper. Household ammonia Hard surfaces: windows, walls, Dilute in water. Do not get in woodwork, floors, tile, porcelain. eyes. May irritate skin. Trisodium phosphate Walls, woodwork, floors. Powder. Dilute in water. Do not 6 tablespoons per (TSP 90) get in eyes. May irritate skin. gallon of water. Quaternary ammonium Laundry-safe for all fibers. May cause some color change. Add at beginning disinfectants of rinse cycle. Pine oil disinfectants Laundry-safe for washable Do not use on wool or silk. Add before putting (Pine-Sol) clothing. Pine odor will linger on these clothes in washer or fabrics. dilute in 1 quart water. Liquid chlorine bleach Laundry. Do not use on wool, silk Add bleach before disinfectants (Clorox, or water-repellent fabrics. putting clothes in Purex, Hilex) washer or dilute in 1 quart water. Phenolic disinfectants Laundry-safe for washables. Do not use on wool or silk. Add in wash or (Lestoil, Lysol) rinse cycle. 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