Sanitizing after the storm

NORFOLK, Va. - It's the perfect storm for bacterial infections and mold. If you don't clean up flood damage the right way you could end up with black mold growing inside your walls.

Flood restoration specialist Brandon Campbell said don't immediately reach for the bucket of bleach, "The molecule of bleach itself is too big to penetrate into wood."

Campbell warns if you have wet walls, they need to come down. Even if the outside is dry, he says don't be fooled. You can't see the moisture behind the wall. That's why he uses a thermal imaging device. It showed water nearly three feet high in an apartment in the Ghent section of Norfolk.
That is just food for mold spores.

"If the concentration gets high enough it'll cause a problem for everybody," said Dr. Carl Wentzel.
Sucking those spores into your lungs will cause coughs, congestion and headaches. Flood soaked carpets and appliances may carry bacteria that can cause infections including cholera and infectious diarrhea," said Dr. Wentzel.

A dehumidifier and big fans can help save some things if you set them up quickly, within 24 hours of a flood, but at this point Campbell advises you leave it to the professionals. "If not, you're going to get into problems that are going to cost you a lot more down the line."

Campbell uses a peroxide-based cleaner to kill mold spores and suck them out with a dry vac.
You can, and should still, use bleach on things like counter tops, and concrete or tile floors.

Related Link: www.floodsquad.com/