DIY Danger: Sewage Cleanup

Water Damage
Author: ServiceMaster Restore

A sewage backup is the stuff of nightmares. In little time at all, your home can suddenly be overwhelmed with fetid water, waste, bacteria and other dangerous and unpleasant elements of sewage. If you suddenly experience a sewage backup or overflow, having it cleaned up immediately is of the utmost importance.

While you may think you know how to clean up sewage that's backing up into your home, we need to start by saying this is not a DIY project. It's not just the “ick” factor – although that's considerable. The health dangers involved here are also serious, with biohazards that can present potentially deadly health risks. Read on to learn more about these dangerous backups, how to avoid them and why this is a definite cleanup job for the professionals.

Professionals Know How to Clean Sewer Backups

When you hire an expert with experience in how to clean-up sewage, you'll realize just how intensive a job it is. Don't be tempted to handle the problem yourself – only a residential sewage backup cleaning service like ServiceMaster Restore® has the equipment and know-how required to clean your home thoroughly and safely.

Your clean-up pros will take care of these steps for you:

  • Removing water and sewage. Special equipment including commercial-grade vacuums and pumps safely removes toxic water from the premises. Operating this kind of machinery, especially where water is involved, is something only professionals should attempt.
  • Removing contaminated property. Your cleaning crew will safely remove any items, such as furnishings and carpet, that pose too great a health hazard to leave in the home. Knowing what's salvageable and what has to go is a call the experts need to make.
  • Drying out your home. This is where you start to see light at the end of the tunnel. Your home needs professional-grade air movers to dry out any affected areas and ventilate dangerous fumes and airborne particles.
  • Sanitizing. Only a thorough cleaning job will prevent the spread of microbes that can harm you, your family or your pets. Proper treatment of the area is also necessary to prevent mold growth, which causes its own host of health problems and property damage. Using the right cleaning agents and techniques, your cleaning crew will get into all the crevasses, ducts and other areas you can't reach on your own, leaving your home fully sanitized and safe to occupy.

A sewage backup is unpleasant and unhealthy. If you discover that your home has been overtaken by sewer water, contact the experts at ServiceMaster Restore right away. We are available 24/7/365 to help your family stay safe in hazardous conditions and get your home cleaned up and comfortable again as soon as possible.

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