5 Myths About Sewage Cleanup

You don’t want to think about it, but it’s always a possibility: sewage flooding can strike your home when you least expect it. Whether pipes burst or your toilet backs up, there’s always the potential for this type of flooding to occur, no matter where you live. If you find yourself dealing with sewage in your home or if you just want to know how to be prepared in the event that this ever happens to you, we’ve got information you need below. Check out these myths about sewage cleanup and see for yourself if there’s something new you can learn.

Myth #1:
​Insurance Covers Sewage

Most of the time, insurance does not cover sewage damage, and it may not cover flooding at all. You usually need to add flood insurance or a mold clause to your insurance plan if you’re worried about something like this. If you live in a location where hurricane insurance is required, keep in mind that this is not the same thing as flood insurance, either. You should always keep a copy of your insurance documents in a safe location that will be less likely to be affected by any disaster that may befall your home.

Keep in mind, too, that calling your insurance provider in a timely fashion is important, but you should consider contacting a cleanup service first. The longer you let sewage and water sit in your home before it gets cleaned up, the more damage it’s going to do in the long run. Because of this, many insurance companies actually prefer it if you contact a service before calling them. This is not true of every insurance provider, however, and if you know it’s not your provider’s policy, be sure you contact them first instead.

Myth #2:
​You Can Keep Your Carpet

Sewage is very contaminated and coming into contact with it is extremely likely to cause health problems, illness, and potentially even death, depending on how severe the contamination. For this reason, you should never plan to clean and keep your existing carpet when you’ve had a sewage backup situation. If sewage touches anything in your home, that item or surface needs to be removed and disposed of in the proper way. This is just one of the many reasons why you should contact a professional cleanup service that knows how to handle this type of water damage restoration.

Damage restoration services can help you get rid of your old, contaminated carpet and determine whether or not there is damage underneath it as well. Remember, you should never attempt to keep any carpeting that has come into contact with sewage water. This carpeting should be removed and disposed of safely to prevent contact with contaminants. You should also get rid of the carpet pad and any other porous materials that have come into contact with the sewage.

Myth #3:
You Can Clean It Yourself

Although you may be tempted to just rent a steam cleaner and get to work on your home yourself, keep in mind that this type of damage is usually much too significant for an individual (or even a few people) to take care of without being licensed professionals. You need to understand what items should be removed, what can be cleaned or sanitized, and how to go about the whole cleanup process. You should also understand how to keep yourself safe when cleaning so you don’t risk getting sick or causing unpleasant odors from bacteria left behind. As well, the type of rental equipment you can usually find is not going to be adequate for the level of water removal you need for your home.

Unless you have had a lot of experience with cleaning up after water damage in the past, you probably aren’t going to be trained to recognize the signs of deeper damage than just what’s on the surface. There are a lot of different types of damages your home can suffer when you’re dealing with sewage backup, and most homeowners are not aware of the damages they can’t see on the surface. For this reason, it’s always important to call a professional service to deal with sewage cleanup rather than trying to take care of it yourself and suffering the consequences later on.

Myth #4:
​Bleach Will Take Care Of It

Bleach is not advised for use when cleaning any mold and especially not for sewage. Chlorine bleach is 80% water and will only encourage mold to grow. It will not remove or kill mold at all. So if you have sewage back up into your home, you’re much better off calling a water clean up company than expecting bleach to take care of any of the potential health hazards that will come from this unpleasant experience. 

Myth #5:
​Sewage-Flooded Buildings are Safe

There are several reasons why this is not true. To begin with, if a building has been flooded by sewage, then the whole building has been exposed to all sorts of different contaminants that are found in that sewage. Just think about how unpleasant it would be to walk through sewage water that has backed up out of your toilet or spilled from broken pipes. Just because the water itself has dried up, that doesn’t mean all the rest of the bacteria and other pollutants present in sewage is gone. It lingers behind on any surface it has touched, including your walls and floors.

Aside from the obvious reasons why you wouldn’t want the floors, walls, and items in your home to be contaminated with sewage bacteria, this type of flooding can also cause structural damage, especially if you don’t schedule your sewage cleanup in a timely manner. The longer water sits in your home, the more it has time to seep into any structures and surfaces. A good flood damage repair company will check to see if you have any structural issues to worry about, and if so, they will recommend the best course of action for you to take before going back into your damaged home.
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Cousino Restoration is available 24/7/365 to help you when disaster strikes.
Call us at 800-874-2122.