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 Coming home to discover that you have inches or even feet of standing water in your home is shocking, heart-breaking and very stressful. However, even though the situation looks grim, you can minimize the damage done by acting quickly.

The main thing to keep in mind following a flood is the time. Believe it or not, mold can begin to grow in as little as one to two days following a flood, so it is very important to remove the standing water as soon as possible so that the sanitation and drying processes can occur. Water damage-related mold is a nasty and dangerous thing that receives a lot of lot of media attention as it can be very dangerous to breathe and can cause long-lasting health problems. Black mold in particular is very harmful and the spores can spread quickly and infiltrate damp areas in crawl spaces, around pipes and inside walls and closets.

If you have a sump pump, get it working right away to help cleanup a flooded basement. Pump out all of the standing water and then bring in dehumidifiers and fans so that the area is dried thoroughly.  It is recommended that affected baseboards and door frames be removed and small holes drilled in the walls behind these areas so that they are dried. Mold loves dark and damp places and if you fail to dry these unseen areas you could very well face having to move out of your home if mold is left to grow and thrive.

If carpeting and upholstered furniture has been soaked, remove it from the area. Most often thick carpeting must be thrown out as it is virtually impossible to clean and dry it well. Heavily damaged couches, chairs and mattresses will also need to be disposed of. Remember that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to mold, so if in doubt - throw it out!

Heavy-duty chemical cleaners should be used to scrub the affected non-porous surfaces. Once the areas have been cleaned, rinse them off using a sponge and clear, clean water. You can purchase industrial strength cleaning solutions at nearly every hardware or home improvement store so be sure to read the labels to ensure you are purchasing the correct type.

Of course, if the flooding was severe and/or if you feel that you cannot handle the cleanup job yourself, you should call in a flood disaster cleanup company. If you happen to have flood insurance then your policy will cover the charges. You can easily locate a company to use by simply looking online for a water damage repair company.