Many of us in the restorative drying field come from a cleaning background and know the importance of cleaning in maintaining a wholesome indoor environment. Recent awareness of contamination and the potential for mold and bacteria growth have increased our industry's concern over liability issues. There is now considerable concern even in Category 1 (clean) water damages.

The purpose of this article is to challenge restorers to place greater emphasis on cleaning on the front end of a restoration project. If more cleaning were done in the early stages of the loss mitigation, the potential for contamination would be much less. The focus is on Category 1 water damage situation. Our industry standard of care, the IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration, addresses cleaning in considerable detail for contaminated restorative drying projects.

Why clean first?
Cleaning first just makes sense. If we clean before beginning our drying, the risks for problems down the road are surely minimized. If we clean first, we are not only removing soils and other organic materials, but will possibly be removing some microorganisms as well. The fewer microorganisms and organic material that are present during the drying process - the less likely we are to experience amplification.

Let's define clean. Clean means that we have used some type of detergent and (often) hot water solution, rinsed and removed residues. Of course, cleaning also involves agitation and proper dwell time.

What about biocides and antimicrobials?
The use of biocides and antimicrobials is a controversial subject. There are many experts who feel as though they accomplish little. Having said that, there are restorers who use these products on nearly every water loss. There are several issues to address.

When using biocides in an occupied structure, it is always necessary to communicate with the occupants. The occupants should be given a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet and given the opportunity to ask questions. The occupants should also sign an informed consent agreement. The occupants should be evacuated from the building during the application and for a specified period of time. Naturally, technicians should always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when applying biocides and antimicrobials.

When using EPA-registered biocides and antimicrobials, it is always necessary to follow label directions. Make sure you mix it correctly, use the proper application method as well as make sure you are apply it to a material listed on the label. Failure to follow label directions implicitly can result in legal and liability issues for you and your business.

There are some products available that are disinfecting cleaners. Most of these products that I am aware of are quaternary ammonium compounds. "Quats" are cationic detergents that have some mild cleaning capabilities. Some are even rated as carpet sanitizers. When using these products, follow the label instructions.

What should be cleaned?
We should be cleaning all materials directly affected by water. This would include but not necessarily be limited to: carpet; trim; frame lumber; paneling; drywall; subfloors; wet cleanable upholstery; bedding; and fabrics.

When first arriving on a water damage job, I would obviously recommend that the initial efforts would be to address safety issues and excess water removal as well as the protection of contents. After making restore/replace decisions on materials, cleaning would be an integral part of the procedures that follow.

For example, if through your inspection you made a decision to remove and replace the carpet cushion, I would recommend cleaning the subfloor during the removal of the cushion. You could and probably should also clean the backing of the carpet (taking care not to contribute to delamination).

After cleaning the subfloor and carpet backing, I would clean the carpet during the extraction process. The method or equipment type does not make as much difference as to the fact that you have "flushed" and rinsed it to remove the organic materials.

Another example would be drywall and baseboards. You should clean, rinse and remove the resulting residues from all materials that are wet. Taking these steps will minimize the risk of materials supporting microorganism growth.

Make sure it's dry
After cleaning and water removal, you should set up your drying system. Make sure you install enough equipment initially to promote a rapid rate of evaporation and dehumidification. Follow up with detailed inspection procedures, document your findings and leave equipment on the job until the building has returned to a pre-loss condition.

This point cannot be over-emphasized. By using moisture meters and establishing drying goals, you and your client will know when the building is dry. In fact, you may want to consider going back a day or two after you have removed equipment just to make sure. Pockets of moisture can migrate into areas and materials previously unaffected.

Should post cleaning be performed?
You bet! Carpets should be cleaned after reinstallation to remove tracked and wicked soils. After a restorative drying project, the air movers will have stirred up some dust and debris. A "final clean" should be part of every water damage job.

Conclusion
The IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide is very specific about pre-cleaning in Category 2 (gray) and Category 3 (black) water damages. However, little is addressed concerning cleaning prior to drying. This is a direction that, in my opinion, our industry will go. There are already numerous restoration companies that are successfully employing this.

In my travels, I frequently visit restorative drying sites. It is not uncommon to see projects that could use some additional cleaning. Cleaning before drying is a concept that has not been actively discussed but needs more attention.

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