Photo by Emily Chung on Unsplash
Not everyone loves doing laundry – but no one loves it when the washing machine overflows and floods your laundry room. When your washing machine malfunctions, you must take fast action to cleanup water to prevent it from seeping behind walls, under floors, or even leak all the way down to your basement.
Here, we will review what you need to do after your washing machine overflows to minimize water damage in your home.
Cleaning Up A Washing Machine Overflow
Once you’ve stopped the washing machine overflow in your laundry room, you should immediately begin the clean up process to help minimize the chance of water damage or mold growth.
1. Remove Wet Items
To make the cleanup process easier, you should remove any wet items such as area rugs or furniture from the affected area. Put them in a place to dry. If the weather permits, have them dry outside.
2. Cleanup Standing Water
You should complete this step as soon as possible to help prevent water from seeping underneath floors and affecting other areas of your home. Depending on how much the washing machine leaked, you may only need a mop and a few towels to get up all the water. For larger amounts, you should use a wet dry vacuum to more quickly suck up water.
If you can tell that you can’t clean up all the water from your flood, you may need the help of a local water damage service. These companies have equipment and training needed to quickly and more completely remove water in your home – especially if flooding has reached carpeted areas.
3. Dry Out the Laundry Room
To dry out, you’ll need to gather any fans or dehumidifiers in your home. Set up the equipment in all flood-affected areas and open windows and doors to help circulate air around the room.
You must leave fans and dehumidifiers for a minimum of three days after a flooding event. Depending on the extent of your damages, this process may need to be extended. You should not turn the equipment off until you’re sure all areas of moisture are completely dry.
4. Clean and Sanitize Walls and Floors
Even though the water from a washing machine overflow isn’t hazardous and may be clean, you should still take steps to clean and sanitize any affected walls, floors, or furniture in your laundry room. This step removes any lingering bacteria or mold spores that could develop and cause problems over time.
5. Empty Out the Washing Machine
For this, you should grab a large bucket to help catch dripping water from the washing machine.
Remove clothes from the machine and wring them out over a sink. Don’t leave these clothes in a pile – be sure to hang them out to dry or put them in the dryer so that they don’t develop mold or mildew.
Once the clothes are taken care of, you can use a bucket to remove any remaining water in the washing machine. If you can’t get it all out, use a wet dry vacuum to get the rest. You don’t want to leave any water in the washing machine as it can cause mold to grow.
5. Inspect for Signs of Water Damage
After you’ve completed your cleanup, you should closely inspect all areas of your home for signs of water damage, structural issues, or mold growth. Water can make its way beneath flooring or behind walls. You should inspect rooms next to and below the laundry room for the following signs:
Water stains
Bubbling or peeling paint
Sagging ceilings
Squishy walls or floors
Bowing or bending flooring
Mold growth
Musty smells coming from carpeting
When you notice any of the above signs after your washing machine floods your house, you should immediately call a water damage restoration company for a professional damage inspection.
Why Do Washing Machines Overflow?
The most common causes of washing machine overflows include:
Using too much laundry detergent
Overloading the washing machine
Old or worn water supply hoses can leak, crack or even detach from the washing machine
Faulty water inlet valve, which controls to flow of water into the washing machine drum
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