Last month our basement breaker tripped and we were unaware that we lost power to our two sump pumps. As a result, the basement flooded. Needless to say, it was a mess. The water was 4" to 5" deep throughout, so anything that was not in plastic boxes or up on shelves was soaked. Including all the flattened moving boxes I had saved for when we moved again. I wanted to pull my hair out and cry! As if we didn't have enough work to do in the spring, now this!
Some of our stuff was up off the floor, but there were many boxes of stuff that were not. Some of my nicer dress clothes and shoes that I rarely wear, a few large boxes of clothes that were earmarked to be donated, as they were too large, and a box of spring/fall jackets that were stored down there because they were out of season. I also had a few nice throw rugs and more craft supplies than I ever remember having!
On top of all that the smell was awful. A musty, mildewy wet odor that smelled exactly like what it was: wet basement. If you've ever smelled it, you would not forget it. UGH! The clothes were the worst. The smell of those wet clothes was just gross! So after sorting everything (it really is amazing when you go through basement stuff, you find things that you never knew you had or still had) I filled a giant plastic tote with clothes and took them upstairs to wash. I figured washing them would take care of the smell and then I could just repack them for storage or donation. After washing a couple loads, I took a sniff and EWWWWW!! They still had that awful smell, somewhat reduced but definitely still there.
It Worked!
Not only was the smell gone but any stains from the dirty water were also completely gone! I was thrilled. It was gentle on my dressy clothes but did a great job on both odor and stains, even on blue jeans. It was win/win for this problem, for sure!
So if you ever have the misfortune of a flooded basement, you know what to buy to save much of your stuff!
What a great idea, and a happy solution to your flooded basement problem. Terrific that you were able to save what must have originally looked to be a total loss! Thanks so much for sharing your happy solution discovery as I can see the solution helping many residents in flood-prone areas throughout the country, not just sump-pump failures!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great information
ReplyDeleteHow awesome that you found a way to remove the mildew smell from fabric! I will definitely have to try your method, although I would have to wash everything one more time in a fragrance free laundry detergent for sensitive skin. It would still be worth it to get the mildew smell removed! Thanks for sharing what works.
ReplyDeleteI’m with Sylvestermouse. I would definitely try your method and then re-wash with a fragrance-free laundry detergent for sensitive skin. So glad you were able to come up with an effective solution!
ReplyDeleteHow awful that you had to deal with that kind of flood! It’s happened at my parents house in the past, and that is no fun! Good tip on getting doors out, I’ll remember this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTracey, that sounds like a great idea! When I was a teenager, our house was flooded and muddy waters were left behind. My family lugged furniture out to the yard and hosed them down every day for days. Your solution would have come in very handy, if those products had existed back then. Thanks for sharing your recommendation.
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