Floods can wreak havoc on your property. However, intensive and quick actions can help in recovering your possessions from more extensive flood damage. Although there are many steps involved in this recovery process, disinfection is one of the most important steps to save things from flood damage, which should not be ignored.

Why disinfection?
Different kinds of bacteria can be found in the water after a flood. They can be the cause of many serious diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. Therefore, disinfection after floods is extremely important. It helps in removing these bacteria and preventing their further growth and more extensive flood damage.

How is disinfection done?
Most of these water-borne bacteria can be killed using two of the most common methods. The first method involves the use of chlorine bleach and the second method uses rock salt. Both these are commonly available. You also don't need to spend much on them. And they are also the best chemicals available for disinfecting after floods.

What is chlorine bleach and how is it used?
The chemical name for chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite. You should ideally have a 10% bleach water solution. If the solution has the smell of chlorine in it, then it means you have the necessary amount of chlorine in the solution. In case the water is severely infected, the water source which you are using may also be infected. In such a situation, wait for 15 minutes. If you still cannot smell the chlorine, then find another water source.

The chlorine bleach helps in removing germs from solid surfaces which have been infected due to sewage water. Make sure to rinse the surface thoroughly as soon as you are done with disinfection.

If your clothes have also been infected with flood water containing sewage, simply drying them will not help. Since they will come in direct contact with your skin, you do not want to take the risk of using them without properly disinfecting them. Here, chlorine bleach will also come handy.

If you have a private well, or a pool or a water tank in your compound, disinfect them with 10% of chlorine bleach mixed in about 10 gallons of water which is then poured into the water body. Let the solution stay in for a minimum of 24 hours. Then drain the chlorinated water from your water tank. Although this will help in proper disinfection of the water and prevent it from further contamination, make sure to get it tested in a certified laboratory after a week.

How to use rock salt as a disinfectant?
You can prepare a rock salt solution by using 1 cup of rock salt in one gallon of water. Sprinkle the rock salt water solution on the floor or the wall. Let it stay on for a few minutes. Then rinse it off with a soap solution. This will not only remove any kind of smell emanating from your floors and walls but also prevent the formation of mold and mildew.

However, contact with concrete should be avoided as far as possible since it will cause more flood damage as the concrete will chip or break. If you pour the solution on dry wall, make sure to rinse it with clear water after.

Although most of us are more concerned about recovering our property after flood damage, floods can lead to many serious diseases. Using some of these simple disinfection methods can help in reducing flood damage and getting your life back on track.