The health risks associated with a flooded basement

A home that has a flooded basement can pose a significant risk to your health and the health of your family. In no time at all, you can expect a flooded basement to be a breeding ground for mold and mildew, which will necessitate the removal of the fungi as quickly as possible.

The health implications of mold growth have the potential to be extremely serious, especially if you or members of your family have pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or bronchitis.

Once you have discovered mold and mildew in your home then it is not advisable to eradicate it yourself, it can be dangerous to tackle mold without the proper safety equipment as spores can become airborne and they may spread to other parts of your property, as well as being inhaled by anyone in your home.

Therefore, it is a good idea to call in a team of professionals who have the equipment and the experience to tackle this kind of infestation properly. It is imperative that you call in a specialist mold cleaning company as soon as you spot mold growth to limit the damage to your home and its possessions.

A basement that has become the victim of flooding has the potential to cause you and your family a significant number of problems with your everyday life, but these problems can be prevented by yourself by carrying out regular routine inspections of your basement every so often. Inspecting your basement on a regular basis will help you to detect the early signs of water leakage or water seepage which could lead to a serious case of basement flooding in the future. So remember that old adage that prevention is a lot better than the cure and that making sure that you do not become a victim of basement flooding and its adjoining health problems is the way to go.

Dangers Lurking In Wet Carpets

When your property experiences flooding, one of the worst consequences is a wet carpet. It takes only 24 to 48 hours for water damage to destroy your floor coverings, leaving them smelly and infested with mold. Time is a priority when dealing with carpet drying. A flood does not necessarily mean that the carpet is irreparable, if you get on the case immediately then there is every possibility of it being rescued. The carpet itself is not so much a danger, it is the padding beneath it which acts as a huge sponge, absorbing moisture and creating the perfect breeding ground for mildew and other bacteria. That is why even if your carpet appears dry on the surface, you cannot risk leaving it alone because the underlying padding could still be wet and be breeding all manner of nasty things which will soon become airborne and affect your health.

Timing is everything. In an ideal situation, the water should be drained and your carpet dried within 24 hours of exposure to moisture, even up to 48 hours afterwards can still allow for reasonable rescue although it may only be possible to salvage the carpet and not the padding. However, when you hit 72 hours after exposure, it is best to assume your wet carpet cannot be saved. The longer your carpet is soaked the worse the problem is going to get so you should call in professional assistance immediately to extract the water, dry the surface and the underneath of the carpet and steam clean it to kill lingering microbial growth and eliminate odors.

Failure to dry a wet carpet after a flood will put to your health at risk. Inside of a week the carpet will be showing visible signs of mold growth. Mold spreads unbelievably quickly and once airborne can have a negative impact on your health. Health concerns include respiratory difficulties, irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat and exacerbation of existing health conditions. The elderly, young children and expectant mothers are especially at risk.

A Happy And Healthy Kitchen

I am suremost people will agree with me that the kitchen is pretty much the heart ofany home, it may even be the most important room of all. One reason for this is that it is where you prepare and maybe even eat all of your family meals. That means that your kitchen must always be clean and healthy, otherwise you are exposing your loved ones to an unneccesary risk of illness. Here are my steps to maintaing a clean and healthy kitchen.

Clear It Out and Clean It Up!

How often do you clear out your kitchen cabinets? I bet if you went and took a look right at the back you would be shocked to find food that is long past its use by date! Or maybe you have things you haven't used in years. This might include dishes that are gathering dust or dried goods that have been lurking there for years. Why not clear out your kitchen cabinets and clean them thourughly. You will be very pleased with the amount of extra space you will find when you rid your cainets of unused items. I set aside a few hours every month to do a complete blast of the kitchen. (In addition to daily cleaning). I will empty the cabinets, throw out unused items, check sell by dates, cean drawers, sharpen the knives and wash down the walls. This really keeps my kitchen in top shape!

Check Under The Sink

If you are anything like me, you will keep cleaning products in the cupboard under the sink. However, what exactly is under there? Look at your prducts. You might have disenfectant, silver polish, oven cleaner and many more. Look at the labels, you might be surprised to see how toxic those chemicals are and yet you use them to clean food preparation surfaces! A few years back our family ditched those comercial products. Now we use traditional home made cleaners where possible. Vinegar, lemon juice, cornstarch and baking soda are all amazing cleansers. Whatever we cant clean with thoe we will use organic cleaners which are more expensive but much helathier. If you are not buyng 6 products anymore, then buying one or two organic products won't make much difference to the family budget anyway.

Is Your Fridge A Fright?

Try to promote healthy eating in the home. Check out labels on jars and packets. How many items in the fridge alone feature natural products? How many have additives? I aim to eat asmuch freh produce as possible, but where I must buy jars and packets I look for those without additives. Sure they area little more expensive, but my family is more important and I take their health seriously!

Take a look around your kitchen and see what you can do to make it healthier for your family!

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