Water damage is a serious concern on any property because it can lead to an extensive amount of damage. Some people feel that water damage is an issue that they are able handle on their own, particularly if the damage is minimal. However, water damage becomes an even more concerning situation if the water involved contains sewage, and the presence of sewage alone means you should not handle the damage on your own.

Whether it enters your home because of a storm and its floodwaters or whether there’s a sewage backup in your basement, the presence of sewage in your property is never good. Sewage contains various harmful contaminants that can spread disease and infection. If you try to clean up the sewage yourself, you put yourself at risk for various health concerns. However, the harmful nature of sewage is just one reason that sewage cleanup is never a do-it-yourself project.

Use the following information to learn more about sewage contamination, why you should never clean sewage yourself, and why only professionals should handle sewage cleaning.

What Makes Sewage Harmful?

Sewage is a biohazard material which means it possesses hazardous bacteria and substances that can cause infections and viruses, including but not limited to e. coli, norovirus, and rotavirus. Because of this, the presence of sewage in water makes that water contaminated and dangerous to deal with. This is also why black water is referred to as such. Black water is water that has been contaminated by toxic matter, like sewage. Knowing this, if your property is damaged by sewage or contains black water, then you’re in a dangerous situation and need to act immediately.

Furthermore, any materials that come into contact with sewage also become contaminated. They either need to be cleaned or, if damaged beyond repair, replaced entirely. The contamination, however, isn’t limited to what it has been directly affected. The contaminants can spread throughout your property and can worsen the damage.

Why Shouldn’t I Clean Sewage Myself?

If you come into contact with sewage, you are at risk of suffering from the health issues that sewage can cause. In fact, it is recommended that you do not even go in the same room or area that contains sewage. That’s how dangerous it is.

If you have protective gear to safeguard yourself from the hazards presented by the sewage, you still should not clean the sewage yourself. This is because cleaning up sewage isn’t a simple cleaning task that can be easily taken care of. Standard cleaning products you can find readily available in stores won’t be enough to combat the harmful nature of sewage, and not even bleach is an effective, strong enough product to clean sewage. DIY cleaning methods will not thoroughly eliminate the contaminants.

When there is sewage on your property, it is essential that an effective cleaning job is done. Otherwise, ineffective cleaning allows the dangerous substances to linger and can continue to harm people, and you don’t want that for yourself, your family, your employees, your clients and customers, or anyone else. That said, it is in everyone’s best interest to pass on using do-it-yourself cleaning methods when dealing with a sewage backup or other situation regarding sewage.

How Should Sewage Be Cleaned?

If you need sewage cleanup for your home, business, or other property, then you need to hire and seek help from professionals who provide sewage cleanup services. While some people might be hesitant in general to resort to professional services because of the costs involved, professional sewage cleaning is well worth the money for several reasons.

First of all, by having licensed professionals conduct the sewage cleaning, you don’t expose yourself to the sewage and its harmful contaminants. This then provides some protection for you and limits your risk of suffering from the viruses and other symptoms it can cause.

Second, professionals have the proper protective gear, necessary cleaning equipment and products, and training to effectively clean sewage and restore your home or business. Because sewage isn’t a standard cleaning job, you need to use more advanced, specialized cleaning products and equipment to get the job done correctly. Licensed professionals are also trained to conduct such cleaning, so you can feel at ease knowing that the job is being taken care of properly.

Third, sewage often involves some amount of water damage, so you also need to worry about that problem. Sewage cleaning professionals can handle this within the sewage backup cleaning services they provide. With dehumidifiers and other equipment, professional technicians will effectively remove excess water and moisture from homes and buildings to prevent them from sustaining further damage. Afterwards, they will also conduct restoration and repairs for the areas and materials that were damaged.

Fourth, when sewage is present in a property, the chance that it will produce strong, lingering odors is high. These smells can be difficult to remove. Using air refreshers and airing out your property may not be enough. In such a case, professionals can use special deodorization equipment to eliminate the lingering odors and restore clean breathing air.
Knowing all this, you should not hesitate to get professional help if you are in need of sewage cleaning, and make sure you keep your distance from any sewage.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.