Keeping a clean and sanitary living space is important for you and your family for many health reasons. So when your sewer backs up into your home in any amount, it can leave you with a clean-up project that should be handled as soon as possible. Here are some considerations you need to handle after you have a toilet sewer backup inside your home and you are arranging for professional services.

Sewage Contamination

One of the main problems you have to deal with in a sewer backup is the contamination that raw sewage brings into your home. Sewage is a biohazard and can introduce pathogens and harmful microbes in your home that cause illness and disease. So it is essential that you clean the area yourself or hire a cleaning service to clean and disinfect the area.

As you clean, it can be helpful to work in small areas through the area of contamination. For example, if the sewage has backed up into the bathroom, laundry room, and hallway in your basement, start by cleaning the furthermost areas of the contamination down the hallway, working on the walls, then the floor to clean and disinfect. Remove any solid waste first with a broom and dustpan or a garden shovel. 

Remove the wastewater with a shop vacuum or carpet cleaner extractor, and clean the area with soap and warm water. Then, always follow up by disinfecting the area with a bleach and water cleaning solution or a similar antibacterial cleaning agent. When you hire a sewer backup professional cleaning service, they will remove all the wastewater and contaminated materials, to follow it up with thorough decontamination of the area.

Damaged Materials

When sewage floods into your home, you can be left with a lot of contaminated surfaces and materials. Some items you may not be able to save even with proper cleaning, and they should be disposed of in plastic trash bags so they don't contaminate other areas. Remove and discard items, such as drywall and insulation, upholstered furniture, or your bed's mattress. Check with a professional sewer cleaning service to see if they can assist you with salvaging important or personal significance.

Mold Growth

Another danger that you may be at risk of after a sewage flood is mold growth related to the moisture on surfaces and in the air of your home. Mold and mildew can start growing inside water-damaged areas of your home within just a few days of the problem occurring. Do your best to clean up and begin drying out the area to prevent mold growth.

For more information about toilet backup, contact a local repair service, like Rob's Septic Tanks Inc.