Sewage Backup: Cleaning and Restoration

Sewage backup is one of the most unpleasant obstacles a home or business owner may face. Besides the bad odor, sewage backup can also lead to serious property damage and health risks for you and your family. It’s important to act quickly and to know when professional help is needed to get things back to normal. 

What to Do Immediately After a Sewage Backup 

Signs of a sewage backup include multiple fixtures draining slowly, a soggy and/or foul smelling yard, bubbles coming up through toilets and drains, and flooding. Whether you use a professional cleaning service or decide to do it yourself, there are a few important precautions to take after a sewage backup occurs: 

• Evacuate children, seniors, and pets from the property. Do not allow them to return to the affected area until it’s restored safely.
• Open as many windows as possible to ventilate the area.
• Shut off the electricity, gas, and water supply to your home by contacting the utility companies servicing your area.
• To help prevent bacteria from spreading, add small amounts of chlorine bleach to any standing water.
• Remove any dry, uncontaminated items. 
• Notify your insurance company about the sewage backup in your home. Make sure to take several pictures of the spill as well as any damage. 

Cleaning After a Sewage Backup 

Cleaning up after a sewer backup is a hard, unpleasant and often risky undertaking. Letting professional cleaners handle the mess is highly recommended. In fact, you should only consider doing a sewage cleanup yourself in the case of a minor spill. Major spills require professional help. Below are ways to safely deal with the problem: 

• Unclog the drainage system using treatment options that contain enzymes instead of chemicals. Harsh chemicals can make the problem even worse by damaging your sewer lines and pipes.
• Remove as much water as possible … as soon as possible. 
• Dry the area out using dehumidifiers, opening windows and running fans. 
• Disinfect floors, walls and other areas that have been affected by the sewage backup. 

When to Call in the Professionals 

Due to the possible health and safety risks that sewage backups present, using professionals to handle the clean up is always recommended. However, using professionals is absolutely necessary if: 

• The spill is caused by a sewer or septic tank backup. 
• The spill is not confined to a single room of your home or business. 
• The backup happened more than 24 hours ago or has been sitting for an unknown number of hours. At this point, bacteria and viruses will have already started to spread, posing severe threats to your health. 
• There’s any possibility that sewage water may have come in contact with your property’s air-conditioning system. 
• You or a member of your family have health conditions that may be exacerbated by the contaminants in the sewage water. 

Your Sewage Cleanup and Restoration Professionals 

No matter what type of water damage you experience, you will need the help of restoration experts to restore your home or business to its pre-loss state. Our team of water mitigation and restoration experts will take all appropriate steps to ensure your health and safety are protected from potentially dangerous levels of contamination. Meanwhile, we also work to get you back onto your property as quickly as possible – staying true to our mission to ensure continuity of lives and businesses. Contact Guarantee Restoration today to get started.