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This fact sheet is
available in:
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 PDF files require a free reader. Download
a reader. This document was produced in cooperation with the Emergency
Management Division of the Washington State Military Department.
Cleaning up a sewage spill
Thorough cleaning of indoor sewage spills is necessary to
protect people -- especially small children -- from harmful bacteria and
viruses. Clean-up should begin as soon as possible to reduce the risk of
exposure to sewage.
Clean up tips:
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Keep children and pets out of the area until clean-up has
been completed.
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Wear rubber gloves and boots. Use eye protection.
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Wash your hands thoroughly and launder clothes separately
after completing the clean-up.
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Remove all furniture, loose rugs, and so on from the area.
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Saturated wall-to-wall carpeting (and the pad) usually
cannot be adequately cleaned. They should be removed, wrapped in plastic,
and taken to a transfer station or sanitary landfill. If you decide to
keep the carpeting, hire a licensed carpet cleaning company to steam clean
and disinfect the carpet.
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All hard surfaces, such as linoleum, hardwood floors,
concrete, wood moldings, wood, and metal furniture, and on should be
thoroughly cleaned with hot water and a mild detergent (dish detergent),
and then rinsed with a bleach solution by mixing one tablespoon of liquid
household unscented bleach to one gallon of water. Let the surface air
dry.
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Upholstered furniture, loose rugs, drapery, and so on
should be professionally cleaned. Notify the cleaner of the problem.
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Remove and replace plaster, plasterboard, and lath that
have been saturated and are soft to the touch. If the surface has been
wetted, clean as you would a hard surface, but do not saturate the
plaster.
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Clean sinks, dishwashers, and other plumbing fixtures that
have had sewage back-up with detergent, and then rinse with the bleach
solution.
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Disinfect clean-up mops, brooms, and brushes with the
bleach solution.
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Prevent mold growth and reduce odors by increasing air
circulation -- open all windows and doors. The use of fans and heaters may
speed this process.
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You can clean undamaged canned food:
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Remove labels
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Wash with a scrub brush in a detergent solution (use
washed cans as soon as possible because they will rust)
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Rinse in clean water
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Sanitize by:
• Boiling for 10 minutes, (Do not boil cans of carbonated beverages), or
• Immersing cans in bleach solution for 15 minutes
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Re-label with marker or grease pencil
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Discard
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Sealed food items
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Home canned foods
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Food items packaged in paper or cardboard
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Unpackaged foods such as fruit, potatoes, squash
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