Water everywhere! - The rain has stopped but upon returning to your home you discover knee-deep water still has not receded. Panic not. The first step to flood damage cleanup is adding chlorine bleach to standing water. Bleach can help protect you from microbial health hazards while you go through the tedious flood damage cleanup process.

Slowly but surely - Flood damage cleanup is not a one-time task. It's important to remove water from your flooded home slowly. Eliminating water quickly can cause the walls or the floor to collapse. What you can do is drain out about a third of the volume each day. Use buckets, pumps or pails to remove standing water. Once the floor is clearly visible, you can start mopping up. Dry the remaining wet spots with a vacuum cleaner.

Beware of heat - Until your home is completely dry, do not set heaters to more than 4 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Get a carbon monoxide sensor if you plan to use gas-powered pumps or heaters. These devices can produce lethal amounts of carbon monoxide when improperly ventilated.

Removing dirt and debris - The next step to flood damage cleanup is discarding soaked materials and debris. Break down walls and remove wood paneling and insulation. Take out furniture, appliances, clothing and beddings. Hose down mud and soil sticking to walls several times. Before washing or wiping surfaces with chlorine bleach, make sure there is adequate ventilation to eliminate fumes. Wear a charcoal respirator when working with bleach in any enclosed space. Wipe surfaces that have not been soaked in flood water with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts cold water. You can mix in a little non-ammonia dishwashing detergent then rinse.

Wall and flooring - After flood water has been drained, clean all floors as quickly as possible. Replace flooring that has been soaked and warped by flood water or sewage. Clean walls and floors with a solution of water, chlorine bleach, and non-ammonia dishwashing detergent. When molds appear, apply chlorine bleach directly. Flush floor drains with undiluted chlorine bleach. Scrub them to remove greasy dirt and soot.

To keep or not to keep - It's always difficult to throw away items with sentimental value. But keeping certain items that were soaked in flood water can be hazardous to your health. Replace all articles that have been drenched, including mattresses, stuffed toys, pillows, as well furniture padding and cushions. Frames that can be salvaged should be cleaned, disinfected and rinsed. Wood furniture should be dried slowly and away from direct heat or sunlight. Drying them too quickly can cause warps and cracks.

All throughout the flood damage cleanup process, it is important to keep children away from contaminated areas during clean-up operations.

Finish up with these flood damage cleanup steps before moving back into your home:

* Have your water supply inspected and officially declared safe for use by local authorities

* Check each section of the house, making sure it has been thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and dried

* Wash and disinfect contaminated dishes and utensils; sterilize them in boiling water or a solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts water

* Make sure your plumbing system is in good condition