In My Area
Floods can cause damage to your property and leave dangerous mess and debris in or around your home.
Here’s how you can get it cleaned up safely, what you can do and how we can help.
Contact your insurer
The first thing to do before any cleaning begins is to talk to your insurer.
They’ll be able to give you advice and guidance on how to clean up and which professional cleaning companies you could use.
You may also need to discuss any loss or damage to your home and belongings that have been caused by the flood.
Make sure you take pictures or videos of the flooding damage before you start to clean, as these can help you with any claim you make to your insurance company.
We can help you with an initial clean
If the flood has been caused by the public sewerage network then, once the flooding has gone down, we’ll usually be able to help you begin cleaning up.
You should contact your insurer if the flooding was caused by a problem with a private drain.
We can
- Pump out the water, removing most solids
- Disinfect any hardstanding areas, like paths and driveways if the flooding was outdoors
However, we won’t do anything that could risk further damage or contamination of your home or belongings.
This could include things like removing water where access to an area of the property is restricted.
We cannot
- Dry out your property
- Remove or replace damaged items
- Replace or repair structural damage
- Provide alternative accommodation
- Pay compensation for loss or damage to your contents or property
You should contact your insurer to get help with repairs, replacement items and alternative accommodation.
Organise a deep clean of your home or garden
You should get professional cleaners in to deep clean any affected areas of your home and outside spaces.
Talk to your insurer about the clean-up
It’s best to talk to your insurers about the clean-up. They may have preferred organisations or companies who they’d like you to use to do a deep clean of your home.
Always check this before you look for a private company to clean up for you.
Cleaning up yourself
Sewer flooding debris contains human waste including poo, wee and other unhygienic, unpleasant items.
We strongly recommend that you get professional cleaners who can deal with flooding clean-ups to do the cleaning for you.
Cleaning up after a flood can be dangerous and unpleasant work. The debris left behind by sewer flooding contains lots of germs, bacteria, pathogens and viruses that could make you ill.
If you can’t use professionals and you need to clean up yourself, you should:
- wear protective clothing – waterproof coats and trousers, wellies, face masks and gloves
- cover any cuts and wounds
- don’t touch your mouth
- keep children and pets away from the debris
- regularly and thoroughly wash your hands
If you start to feel unwell at any point during or after cleaning up the flood debris, contact your doctor and tell them about the flooding, how you’ve cleaned up and your symptoms.
Ventilate and dry your home
After the clean-up you’ll of course want to dry your home as soon as possible.
The best way to do this is to make sure the property is well ventilated. Keep your windows open and unblock any air bricks to under-floor spaces so there’s a good flow of air.
Do not turn on any gas or electric items that were in the flood water
It could be dangerous if flood water has got into your appliances or heating. Do not turn anything on.
If your gas meter or any gas appliance was submerged in the flood, don’t turn on the gas or light any appliances until you’ve spoken to your gas supplier.
Don't turn on your electric meter, fuse box, or any appliances or sockets that were in the flood water. You will need to speak to your electricity supplier first.
