How to Clean Up After a Disaster
Contents
– Cleaning up after a disaster: how to react?
– After a disaster: how to proceed with the cleaning?
– Who can perform a post-disaster cleanup?
– How much does it cost to clean up after a disaster?
Companies or buildings that are victims of disasters (fires, water leaks, floods, electrical shorts) must get their business premises back in working order as quickly as possible.
For this, a specialized cleaning must be carried out. Post-disaster cleaning is a complex cleaning service, just like fire cleaning, end-of-site cleaning, or decontamination. Let’s see closer below.
Cleaning after a disaster: how to react?
Here are the steps:
– After a disaster, it is essential to contact your insurance company, first of all, to find out who is responsible for the repair and cleaning of the damaged premises.
– You must ensure that the cleaning is feasible with the insurer or the services concerned (firemen, for example, or insurance expert).
– If the damage is not too extensive and the space is secure, you can do the cleaning yourself or hire a specialized cleaning company for the most complex tasks.
– In case of a lot of damage, it is advisable to find a specialized cleaning company and ensure the cleaning is feasible.
After a disaster: how to proceed with the cleaning?
The cleaning of premises that have suffered a disaster requires:
– to cut the current to avoid the risks of electrocution,
– to protect yourself with gloves, glasses, or masks,
– the evacuation of the residues of materials,
– drainage, dehumidification,
– checking for residual moisture,
– cleaning up traces of moisture or soot,
– the restoration or replacement of floors and wall surfaces,
– cleaning of glass surfaces (scraping, degreasing, washing…),
– to evaluate the risks of correction and, if necessary, to treat the surfaces likely to be attacked,
– odor removal and use of air fresheners, etc.
Who can carry out a post-disaster cleaning?
The maintenance of premises after a disaster is an unusual activity that requires special precautions, specific training, and adequate equipment.
If the damage is minimal, it is possible to do the basic cleaning yourself in-house. Nevertheless, a maximum of precautions must be taken. This solution is difficult to envisage if the activity of the company implies particular standards of hygiene.
The wisest thing to do is to call on a cleaning company specializing in maintenance and restoration after a disaster:
– The service provider uses products (room sanitizers, disinfectants, treatment solutions for wood, marble, leather, and textiles…), equipment (water and dust vacuum cleaner, filtration systems, ultrasonic tanks…), and equipment adapted to the situation (insulation, protection against toxic fumes, being connected to the ground to avoid electrocution, eye protection) and has been trained for this type of intervention.
– If the cost is naturally higher, it guarantees quality and a quick and serene return to activity.
What is the cost of a post-disaster cleaning?
Whether you want to do the cleaning yourself or call in professionals, it is difficult to evaluate the costs in absolute terms. Each case is particular and also depends on the involvement of insurance companies.
It is, therefore, necessary to compare several estimates from different companies to get a precise idea of the right price. This implies particular skills and the use of specific equipment.
Hope this post has been informative and hope a disaster never happens. We promise to get back to you with as much information as possible in the shortest time if you leave your comments below to let us know if you want to read about some cleaning in particular.
