Cleaning and using your home after a flood
If you rent your home, your landlord is usually responsible for repairs. Read about repairs to rented homes.
When cleaning your home after a flood, you should:
- Avoid using rooms that have been flooded until they've been cleaned and dried.
- Remove all soft furnishing and fittings that are damaged beyond repair.
- Wash all hard surfaces with hot soapy water.
- Food preparation surfaces, such as kitchen worktops, storage cupboards, fridges and freezers should be washed with food-safe disinfectant.
- Allow areas you've cleaned to dry naturally. This will help to destroy any germs left behind.
- Leave the heating on, if possible, and open your windows to help with the drying process.
- If you don't feel safe cleaning up alone, you can hire professional cleaners to help.
- Wash clothes, bedding and toys that have been in contact with floodwater at 60oC.
- Soft fabrics and furnishings that can't fit in the washing machine need to be professionally cleaned. If it's not possible, throw the items away. Read more about cleaning up after a flood.
Using your home again after a flood
Moving back to your home or living in your home again after a flood can be difficult. Using a dehumidifier can make sitting in a wet or damp room more comfortable, but avoid living in rooms that are still drying out.