How to Clean Flooded Bathroom

For this D.I.Y. I will show you how to clean a flooded bathroom. A Flooded bathroom is a nightmare, indeed! The worst thing about a flooded bathroom is that it’s difficult to point your finger at one particular reason for the same. Burst pipes, overflowing tubs, problems with sewage or drainage lines and more – the reason could be anything for a flooded bathroom!

It is important to act immediately when you notice such a situation because the humidity caused by water can lead to quick mildew and mold formation in the bathrooms. Once you notice a flooded bathroom, take a minute to understand if it can be corrected through DIY tricks. If yes, you can keep reading to know about some of the steps you need to follow in such a situation. If the flooding is beyond your control or understanding, don’t waste any time seeking professional help to get rid of the issue quickly and effectively.

Important steps in cleaning  a flooded bathroom

What do you need?

• Supplies to seal the leak – epoxy putty or fiberglass tap preferably
• Towels
• Heavy Mop
• Bucket
• Fans
• Dehumidifier (Optional)
• Disinfectant

Process

Identify and switch off the water supply

The first and foremost step in cleaning a flooded bathroom is to prevent further damage. Identify what’s causing the water leakage and switch off the water supply to the same. If you cannot identify the source of the leak exactly, the best idea is to cut off the main water supply to prevent further issues.

Switch off the electricity supply

Safety is the top priority when you notice a flooded bathroom. Switch off the electricity supply to the bathroom and the appliances inside it. Check if they are exposed to standing water before unplugging them to avoid short circuit issues. Get all electrical appliances like lamps, hair dryers and geysers out of the bathroom as quickly as possible.

Fixing the leak

This is where you have to exercise absolute caution. Sometimes, the issue may be simple, and you may be able to fix it with a seal of epoxy putty or fiberglass tape. Patch up the sealed pipe with some clamps. You can easily buy these clamp kits from any hardware store. However, more often than not, the problem may not be as simple as it seems to be.

Sometimes, your plumbing line may have to be changed completely to control the flooding. In these cases, the best option is to contact a restoration company to get the issue corrected. Let a professional come and inspect the damage in your bathrooms to find out the exact cause of flooding, and fix it the right way.

Documents for insurance

Changing pipelines, replacing drainage lines and pipes and other flooding correction issues may cost you a lot of money. This is why it is important to take photos of the flooding in your bathrooms and submit them as proof while submitting your insurance claim to cover your expenses for restoring your bathrooms to their original condition.

Cleaning the flooding

Once the cause of the flooding has been identified and corrected, it is now time to mop the excess water from the bathrooms. Use a heavy-duty mop for the job. Keep mopping and wringing the mop in the bucket as many times as you can, until you have removed all the excess water from the floors. Yes, it is a painstaking job, but you have to do it to minimize the flooding. Use as many dry towels as you can, if the flooding is minimal. Else, a mop or wet vacuum cleaner can do the job for you. If you have called a professional to get the flooding issue corrected, they may do a thorough job for you. However, until the team arrives, you still have to do your bit to get rid of the excess water, so that it doesn’t flow to other parts of your home.

Get the bathroom cleaned thoroughly

If you have taken this as a DIY project, you have to be thorough with the process of cleaning the flooding in your bathrooms. Once you have mopped the excess water, you need to check all the cabinets and storage compartments inside the bathrooms to check if water has gone inside.  If you notice that the items inside have become very wet, you need to dispose of them immediately. Keep the other items outside and allow them to dry completely.

Get the bathroom to dry thoroughly

One of the most important steps in cleaning flooded bathrooms is to dry them thoroughly. Even slightly damp floors can lead to mildew, mold, moisture collection in walls and other problems. You can set up some fans in the bathroom to allow the bathrooms to dry quicker than the usual time. You can also use a dehumidifier, if the humidity caused by flooding is causing you many problems. However, when using a dehumidifier, please remember to empty the water collected in it at regular intervals. If the flooding was severe, you might need something more than fans or dehumidifiers to do the job effectively for you. You can rent big, industrial-grade drying tools from hardware stores for this purpose. Be patient with the process, and allow a few days for your bathrooms to become completely dry.

Check for side effects of flooding

Once the major issue of flooding has been corrected and the bathrooms have dried thoroughly, you have to check for the side effects of flooding. These include mildew and mold formation in the walls, drywall inspection, and other areas where moisture could have spread. If these are not checked immediately, they may lead to big and costly issues later on.

Finish off with a good disinfectant

The last step in cleaning flooded bathrooms is to scrub the walls, cabinets, toilet seats, floors, sinks and other surfaces affected by flooding with a good disinfectant. This prevents germs from building up in the bathrooms.

Additional Tips and Advice

• Check for small cracks in the pipes and taps in the bathrooms at regular intervals. Seek professional help as soon as you notice an issue, as these issues may lead to a burst in the pipe, leading to flooding issues.
• Never take the risk of doing this as a DIY project, especially if you don’t have any prior experience in dealing with plumbing or drainage lines.
• Though you may be successful in getting rid of the water from your bathrooms, you may not be able to identify if moisture has seeped into the walls, underneath the floors, subfloors, inside the drywalls and other remote places. So, it is highly recommended that you seek professional help when you notice flooding in bathrooms.

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