Cleaning up after your burst hot water
Burst hot water systems leave chaos in their wake like any other accident. After the damage is done, the cleaning up must begin.
Fight the mould
As if a burst hot water system wasn’t enough to deal with! Water damage will attract mildew and mould. This leads to further damage in the home and it will affect the health of people who live there.
To combat mould from growing, start opening doors and windows to air out the house. Bacteria loves wet, enclosed spaces.
Start throwing things away …
Following on from the last point, saturated items need to get thrown out. Mould and mildew grows in porous material like carpeting and fabric. Get a Skip bin or a trailer and start loading it up with stuff to take to the tip. Carpet, furniture, ceiling panels and anything else dripping should go.
…then start rescuing
When you throw the larger stuff away you’ll come across smaller items like photos, toys and more. Go through the house and find what’s salvageable. First on the list to check are items of value, like jewellery and expensive equipment.
Once you’ve found what you can rescue, box it up and move it away from the house. This will prevent any further water damage and give you more space to clean. You don’t want to trip over stuff, especially on a slippery surface.
Get scrubbing
You might need to hire professionals for this one, especially if mould is involved. Effective materials you need for water clean-up include; sterilizer/bleach solution, mops and brooms, hot water, buckets and gloves. You also need protective gear like masks, goggles and gloves. You can’t be too cautious when working with chemicals and in areas where mould is present.
Of course, there’s more to do when you’re dealing with cleaning up the aftermath of a burst hot water system. This list is just to help you get started, and perhaps give you food for thought about the condition of your hot water tank. If in doubt, call the plumber before any real damage is done.
Photo credit: JK and Rocky via Visual hunt / CC BY-ND
