Basements are the biggest areas of any home to get hit hard with water damage in the case of a flood. As a homeowner, this can be devastating, but luckily, there are ways you can clean up the water damage and restore your basement to how it was before with just a few steps. Here's what to do.

Be Safe:

Before you begin on water damage clean up in the basement, you want to be sure that you are going to be safe. You are going to have to turn off the electricity by shutting off the main power supply to the home in order to prevent electrocution during the clean up process. You also want to determine whether or not the water in the basement is clean or dirty. Most likely, you are going to have to wear protective, waterproof boots and gloves. 

Be Prepared:

The next step to take is to be prepared by gathering all cleaning supplies that are needed, including disinfectants. You will also need a vacuum, water pump, fans, and dehumidifiers. Most of these things can be rented from your local hardware store. Or you can hire professionals, like those at Accutech Restoration, to help with the clean up process and they will provide most of this equipment, which will be included in the cost of their services. 

Remove as Many Items as Possible:

The final thing to do before you actually begin to clean up the water in the basement is to remove as many items in the basement as possible. Anything that is still salvageable should be collected first before it becomes completely damaged and brought into the main part of the home. Once this is done, you can begin discarding all other items that cannot be saved from the water damage that they have endured. 

Remove Dirt:

Now, you can begin the process of actually cleaning up from the flood in your basement. The first thing to address is debris. Since flooding is likely to bring in a great deal of debris from outside of the home, such as leaves, you will want to gather this, place it in trash bags, and get it out of the basement. This is going to help to ensure that the water becomes as clean as it can possibly get. 

Remove the Water:

Finally you are ]at the step where you can actually begin to remove of the water. The best way to do this is to use a water pump. However, these can be expensive, so if you would rather save money, then you can manually remove the water with buckets. Once all the water is removed, you will need to remove the excess water that has soaked into the carpet with a vacuum. 

Disinfect:

Since water damage can cause things such as mold growth, you will need to disinfect the carpet or any other type of flooring in the basement. You will probably even need to remove the padding underneath the carpet and replace it to ensure mold growth cannot occur in the future. 

Dry:

The final step is to use the fans and dehumidifiers to dry the basement. Once this is done, your basement should become livable once again.

By following these steps, you are ensuring a successful water damage clean up in your basement. Keep in mind that the best way to get this done quickly is to facilitate the help of professionals who can provide the equipment and be extra hands in helping to disinfect and clean the space.