Clean all surfaces, including inside cupboards, with soap and hot water. Rinse with clean water. Disinfect with a solution of 1/4 cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Allow to air dry.
Kitchen appliances need to be completely dried out and inspected by a professional before they are used. Salvageable appliances should be cleaned with soap and hot water and thoroughly disinfected with a solution of 1 cup bleach per five gallons of water.
Fresh bleach solutions should be made each day. Do not save solutions to be used the next day. Always use bleach that is at least 5% sodium hypochlorite.
Sanitizing Dishes, Pots, and Pans After a Flood
Wash enamelware and glass, porcelain, china, ceramic, and melamine dinnerware in hot soapy water using a brush, if necessary, and sanitize by one of two methods:
- Soak in a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of clean water for 2 minutes. Let air dry.
- Wash on the sanitizing cycle of a dishwasher that has been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation.
If unable to wash dishes first, immerse unwashed dishes for 10 minutes in a disinfecting solution of 4 tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of clean water. Let air dry.
Fresh bleach solutions should be made each day. Do not save solutions to be used the next day. Always use bleach that is at least 5% sodium hypochlorite.
China, porcelain, or ceramic ware with cracking or crazing should not be used for food as bacteria can seep into the baked clay under the coating.
Sanitize silverware, metal utensils, pots, and pans by washing in hot soapy water using a brush, if necessary, and then use one of two methods:
- Boil in clean water for 10 minutes.
- Wash on the sanitizing cycle of a dishwasher that has been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation.
Chlorine bleach should not be used because it reacts with many metals and causes them to darken.
References:
- Colorado State University Extension How to Recover After a Disaster
- www.floodsafety.com/national/property/cleanup/
- https://www.reviewed.com/dishwashers/features/how-does-the-sanitize-feature-work-on-a-dishwasher