Charlotte Crawford, Lois E. Smith
University of Illinois Extension
Floodwaters
that have passed through homes and other buildings generate
health and safety concerns. Many clothing items and household
articles that have been submerged may not be safe or worth
the time, effort and money to try to make useable again and
should be discarded. Other items may be salvageable. Remember,
it is best to assume that anything touched by floodwater is
contaminated.
When
you can safely return to your home or business to assess damage,
wear clothing that will protect you from injury and protect
your health. Wear rubber or other water-resistant gloves and
boots with long pants tucked into the boots. These items will
provide protection when walking through debris-littered areas
and when handling items inside the structure. Mold spores
will be present in the air inside the structure. Wear a face
mask to cover your nose and mouth to protect against inhalation
of the mold spores.
Almost
any textile items, such as carpeting, mattresses, pillows,
upholstered furniture, stuffed toys/animals or clothing, that
have been submerged for weeks in floodwater should probably
be discarded. The contaminants, odors and organic soils are
so imbedded in the fabrics and fillers or stuffing that is
doubtful that any cleaning products and efforts will completely
clean the items. The amount of soil in or on an item can make
a disinfectant less effective. If all soil and contaminants
are not removed, odors and possible health risks will remain.
Textile
items that have been elevated in the house or building out
of the reach of floodwaters may be salvageable. However, the
combination of heat and humidity may have created the perfect
conditions for mildew growth. Use products and procedures
to remove mildew that will not further damage the specific
fiber or fabric in the textile item. Keep in mind that all
cleaning products are not suitable for all uses. For example,
a mildewcide product intended to remove mildew from wood is
not formulated for use on textiles. Do not use products that
are not intended to be used in the home for mildew removal,
such as toxic products intended for outdoor use where human
contact is not a constant concern. If a textile item or furniture
piece is an antique or very valuable, you may wish to invest
the time, money and energy required to save the item. In many
cases, this is the time to consult with a professional cleaner
or restorer of textiles and furniture.
If any
washable clothing and household textiles are uncontaminated
and salvageable, separate them from nonwashables. Be sure
to wear protective gloves while handling these items. Take
all of these articles outdoors. If any are dry, shake out
dried mud and dirt. Hose off any wet, muddy items. Hang items
on a line or spread them out to dry. Air and sun will help
the fabrics dry quickly and will help stop mildew growth.
Launder items as soon as possible. If your laundry equipment
has been in the floodwater and is not safe to use, use a public
laundromat or equipment at the home of a relative or friend.
Laundromats have over-sized washers and dryers that will handle
larger items, such as throw rugs, blankets and bedspreads.
If clothes and other items need to be pre-soaked to remove
more mud before machine washing, soak in a container of cold
water. Do not pre-soak in the washer. Separate soiled articles
into light-colored, dark-colored and hand-laundered loads.
Follow these general guides for machine laundering articles.
- Be
sure water supply is clean and safe. Use hot water, the
recommended amount of heavy duty laundry detergent and 1/2
cup of water conditioner. Do not overload the washer.
- Use
a disinfectant in wash water to kill bacteria, mildew and
other microorganisms. Remember the word "disinfectant" and
an EPA registration number must appear on a cleaning product
label if the product meets the standards required as an
effective disinfectant. If safe for fibers and dyes of fabric,
use chlorine bleach. (Note: If there is a large amount of
iron in soil deposits or water, chlorine bleach can cause
rust stains to appear on fabrics.) Put 1 cup liquid chlorine
bleach which is labeled as a disinfectant in the wash water
before laundry is put in a top-loading washer or use the
automatic bleach dispenser on the washer. For front-load
washers, use 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach. If chlorine bleach
is not safe to use with some of the textile items, use another
type of disinfectant, such as one of the pine oils or other
types of disinfectant products which carry a manufacturer
label statement that the product is safe to use for laundering
textile items. Never mix bleach with ammonia or ammonia-based
cleaning products. Mixing this combination will create toxic
fumes. It is important to have good ventilation and air
circulation when using any cleaning product.
- Use
the regular wash cycle and maximum water level. For permanent
press or synthetic fabrics, use the permanent press cycle.
- Heat
kills germs, so tumble dry items on regular drying cycle.
If drying in automatic dryer may cause excess shrinkage,
hang these items in the sun to dry.
- Use
appropriate detergents and safe disinfectants for items
that require hand laundering.6. Ironing also helps kill
germs on cellulose-based (cotton, linen, ramie, rayon) fabrics
and blends of cellulose fibers with synthetic fibers (polyester/cotton.)
Steam pressing will help kill germs in items that are air
dried away from the sun.
If the
care label says "Dry Clean Only", shake out loose dirt and
take the items to a professional dry cleaner. The solvents
used in dry cleaning, the flushing action and the steam used
in the finished process are effective in reducing bacteria
to safe levels. Coin-operated dry cleaning units do not provide
for use of the steam finishing process and should not be used
to clean flood-soiled clothes.
Dry,
clean clothing and other textile articles do not support mildew
growth. However, if the storage area where you place your
clean items is not also dry and clean, the textile items may
gather moisture from the air and mildew can start to grow.
So, if the closets, drawers and other storage areas in the
flooded house are damp and humidity is high, do not store
them there until the storage areas have completely dried.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
Issued
by Charlotte Crawford, Extension Educator Consumer and Family
Economics (618)242-9310 Lois E. Smith, Extension Educator Consumer
and Family Economics (618)692-9434 February 1995 Copyright ©
1995 by University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
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