{"id":18482,"date":"2025-07-22T15:45:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/blog\/the-risks-of-diy-sewage-flood-cleanup-in-your-home\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T15:45:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:45:02","slug":"sewage-flood-cleanup","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/blog\/sewage-flood-cleanup\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Risks of DIY Sewage Flood Cleanup in Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#health-risks-of-diy-sewage-flood-cleanup\">Health Risks of DIY Sewage Flood Cleanup<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#why-sewage-flood-cleanup-requires-professional-restoration\">Why Sewage Flood Cleanup Requires Professional Restoration<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-takeaway\">The Takeaway<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#c\">For Sewage cleanup in Tacoma, Quickly Call us on (206) 929-0155 <\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sewage flooding, typically occurring in the basement or bathroom, is a critical problem that needs to be addressed immediately. While there are minor flooding incidents that you can tackle yourself, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-sewage-backup-in-a-basement\/\">sewage flood cleanup<\/a> involves several risks that would not make it DIY-friendly. If you\u2019re considering cleaning up sewage flooding yourself, you may put your health, home, and wallet at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"health-risks-of-diy-sewage-flood-cleanup\"><strong>Health Risks of DIY Sewage Flood Cleanup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sewage consists of greywater (from utilities like sinks, tubs, showers, and dishwashers) or worse \u2013 black water. It&#8217;s the water used to flush toilets mixed with the human waste that it flushes away. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/what-causes-sewage-backups-in-homes\/\">Sewage backups<\/a> in your home can result from different causes \u2013 clogs in the home\u2019s drain pipes, tree roots, damaged sewer lines, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sewage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sewage<\/a>, especially black water, contains contaminants ranging from parasites and viruses to bacteria and fungi. Contact with sewage without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and following proper procedures is a serious threat to your health. There\u2019s the risk of contracting over a dozen diseases, such as hepatitis A and encephalitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mold growth is another risk when attempting DIY sewage cleanup. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/blog\/the-dangers-of-mold-exposure\/\">Mold exposure<\/a> can worsen allergy and asthma symptoms, especially in children and people with compromised immune systems. Flooding provides ideal conditions for mold to develop as it only needs moisture, organic material, and optimal temperature. What\u2019s worse \u2013 it can grow within just 24 to 48 hours of the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the greatest danger is not the risk of disease but the risk of electrocution or explosion. Never enter a flooded area or light matches until the utility companies have shut off the electric and gas service. If you detect or smell gas, immediately evacuate your home and notify the gas company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also never enter your home if you did not turn off the main power switch before flooding. Touching electrical lines, wires, equipment, and fixtures during and after a flood can be dangerous even with the power switched off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-sewage-flood-cleanup-requires-professional-restoration\"><strong>Why Sewage Flood Cleanup Requires Professional Restoration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Water damage is a progressive issue, so the longer you wait to deal with standing water, the greater the damage to your home. Your carpets, your furniture, your walls, and much more, will be compromised without quick and proper intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, sewage flood restoration poses unique challenges and genuine dangers. Professional restoration technicians use the proper equipment and follow standard safety procedures and remediation techniques that typical homeowners would not normally access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a nutshell, here\u2019s what professionals do to restore your property:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pump out contaminated water and remove debris<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify and address the origin of the sewage backup<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove and replace damaged drywall and floors if necessary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use industrial dehumidifiers and air scrubbers to speed up the drying process<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sanitize the area using specialized cleaners and procedures; this helps eliminate bacteria and mold to prevent health risks and preserve infrastructure and belongings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>An experienced restoration company can also help with the insurance claims process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-takeaway\"><strong>The Takeaway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering the difficulty and health risks of DIY sewage cleanup, we strongly recommend that you leave this critical task in the hands of professionals. You can count on our IICRC-certified PuroClean teams 24\/7 for water damage repair services, so you can rest easy knowing that your home will be back in order quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The Risks of DIY Sewage Flood Cleanup in Your Home\" class=\"wp-image-20010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2021\/03\/blogpost-74.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"c\">For Sewage cleanup in Tacoma, Quickly Call us on <a href=\"tel:2069290155\">(206) 929-0155<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Handling sewage flood cleanup on your own can be incredibly risky and hazardous to your health. Raw sewage contains harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause serious illness if not properly managed. Beyond the health risks, improperly cleaned areas can lead to mold growth, structural damage, and lingering odors that affect your home long after the mess appears gone. Most homeowners don\u2019t have the protective gear, equipment, or expertise needed to thoroughly and safely remediate sewage contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical to contact the professionals at PuroClean for sewage cleanup. Our trained technicians respond quickly with industry-grade tools and proven sanitation methods to restore your home safely and effectively. Don\u2019t put your health or property at risk\u2014call PuroClean at <a href=\"tel:2069290155\">(206) 929-0155<\/a> for expert sewage cleanup and peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sewage flooding, typically occurring in the basement or bathroom, is a critical problem that needs to be addressed immediately. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20010,"template":"","blog-category":[10],"class_list":["post-18482","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog-category-biohazard-clean-up"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/18482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/18482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puroclean.com\/northeast-tacoma-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-category?post=18482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}