Sewage spill response - in your home

Clean up safely

Use a bleach solution to disinfect hard surfaces, sponges and mops that come into contact with sewage

• Wear rubber boots and gloves.
  • Disinfect all mops, sponges and brushes.
  • Launder clothes worn during cleaning separately from other laundry.
• Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
  • Plumbing fixtures and vinyl, metal, wood and concrete surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly with hot water and a mild detergent, such as dish detergent, and then disinfected with bleach solution.
  • Mix one part of liquid household bleach with 10 parts of water (1:10). Dampen contaminated surfaces and allow them to air dry.
• Remove and discard porous materials.
  • Upholstered furniture, loose rugs and drapery can not be salvaged and must be discarded properly.
  • Remove and replace lath, plaster, plasterboard and drywall saturated to the point of being soft to the touch.
  • Wall to wall carpeting and pad cannot be reliably disinfected, and must be removed and sent to a local transfer station.

The Washington State Department of Health's guidance for cleaning up a sewage spill (external link) is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese