Cleaning Up an Overflowed Toilet

12/17/2022 (Permalink)

An overflowing toilet is a disastrous sanitary issue that can potentially cause massive amounts of damage. Preventing the sewer damage from reaching other areas of your house is key to keeping damage at a minimum. Quickly follow the steps below if your home University Place / Lakewood West, WA, has an overflowing toilet.

1. Stop the Overflow

Lift the lid from the back of the flooded toilet and press down on the rubber valve to close the tank. Then lift the float to stop more water from entering the toilet bowl. Turn the valve at the back of the toilet clockwise to completely shut off the water supply.

2. Mop Up the Spill

Quickly mop up the standing water on the bathroom floor to prevent liquid sewer damage. Once you finish, wring the mop out into an empty bucket.

3. Unclog the Toilet

Try using a plunger to dislodge the clog first. If this doesn't work, you can opt to use a closet auger instead. To do this, insert the auger so the curve of its tip faces the same direction as the drain. Crank the auger as far as you physically can in both directions to dislodge the clog. Carefully pull the auger out before switching back to a plunger. If these steps aren't successful, call a plumber.

4. Discard the Toilet Waste

If, and only if, you were successful in Step 3, pour the contents of the mop bucket back into the toilet and flush. Use hot water to rinse and clean the mop and the bucket.

5. Sanitize the Area

Create a cleaning solution using a gallon of hot water, and 1 cup of bleach. Use this solution to scrub and sanitize any area that came into contact with the toilet water. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin during this process.

Sewer damage caused from toilet overflow can wreak havoc on your residential bathroom. After you finish cleaning the bathroom, you need to contact either a sewage company or water remediation professionals to help resolve the damage.