TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida's east coast. And, it's expected to bring strong winds and potentially dangerous flooding.
There are few things as uniquely devastating as a flooded home. But, the clean up after the flood is still crucial to the future of your home. So before you begin to clean up, you need to know these things:
- Invest in gloves, goggle, and a respirator. A regular dusk mask or handkerchief won't protect you from mold. Look for an N-95 respirator from a hardware store. They'll cost you $25 at the most.
- Work quickly. Clean up and dry the house as quickly as possible. Open all the doors and windows and use fans and dehumidifiers to get things dry again.
- Take anything porous that has been wet for more than 48 hours out of the home. Even dead mold can cause allergic reactions.
- Use a mixture of detergent and water to clean wet items and surfaces and to prevent mold growth. For mold that's caused by floodwaters use a mixture of 1 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water to clean the mold. Don't mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Doing that could produce toxic fumes.
- If an area you need to clean is more than 10 square feet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you consult this Environmental Protection Agency guide.
- Fix any water leaks or plumbing issues promptly. To prevent mold from growing, it's absolutely essential that you control the moisture inside your home.
What other people are reading right now:
- Hurricane Dorian could be powerful Category 4 storm by the time it nears Florida
- Live blog: Hurricane Dorian to become major hurricane over next few days
- Hurricane Headquarters: Track the tropics, find your evacuation zone
- Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Dorian
- Where to get sandbags to prepare for Hurricane Dorian
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