Flood Damage Cleanup: The Kitchen And Food Preparation

Surviving a flood means having to deal with all the messy details like cleaning everything and putting a semblance of order, where you try to bring your home's appearance back to its normal condition. Having gone back to your house after the floodwater has gone down will normally bring you to looking at everything including your kitchen. Following are some flood damage cleanup recommendations on how to properly clean and shape up your cooking and dining area:

Remove all the contents of the refrigerator and freezer. Clean the interiors with soap and water and leave the freezer and refrigerator doors open to remove any foul smell and allow it to dry off. Sort out all the food contents which were taken out. Food and beverages which were not properly sealed or which sustained damage like cracks and broken seals must be disposed of correctly.

Food which were not covered and left exposed within the confines of the refrigerator must be discarded. Do not try to salvage anything since this can cause food poisoning. Wrap all the food which is to be thrown away in thick plastic bags which should be sealed and dumped into a waste container that has a lid. This is to prevent children, animals, vermin and insects from foraging into the dirty food.

Do not attempt to use the freezer or refrigerator without having a repairman check it thoroughly because the wirings could have bee damaged by the flood.

After cleaning out the refrigerator or freezer, tackle all the food shelves and cabinets where you store food, silverware and other paraphernalia in the kitchen. Clean, rinse and sanitize the food shelves and cabinets and allow to dry thoroughly before using again. Segregate food which was affected by the flood water. Look for rust on canned goods; inspect for tears and holes in plastic containers of food and see whether cracks occurred on bottled jars which contain food. Same with the exposed and unsealed food found within the refrigerator - disposed said food items correctly and placed them inside waste containers that have lids.

As for the silverware (forks, spoons, knives, etc) clean them up with soap and water and boil them for ten to fifteen minutes. Aluminum plated cooking wares should just be washed with soapy water, rinsed and dried. Never attempt to disinfect silverwares and aluminums with chlorine to prevent tarnishing.

The next stages for your flood damage cleanup would be to clean, rinse and disinfect the tables, chairs and food counters. There is no need to brush these surfaces because the finishing could be damaged. Instead use a clean cloth rag dipped in warm soapy water and rinse the said surfaces with a rag and a clean pail of water. Disinfect by using chlorine and water, but it is advisable that once the disinfectant has dried another rinsing should be done to avoid cross contamination between the food and the disinfecting solution.

Clean the floor by brushing with soap and water and rinse by mopping up the suds. Apply a disinfectant and allow to dry naturally or you can use a fan to speed up the drying process.

Before preparing food for your family in the kitchen and after doing any flood damage cleanup work, wash your hands and utensils thoroughly. It is also advisable that you replace all wooden cooking gear with plastic ones since plastic materials are less porous which means that the penetration and absorption of pathogenic microbes are less compared to wood.

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