Toilet overflows are shocking and disgusting, and a pain to deal with! If you’re not certain how to clean up after toilet overflow the right way, this is the article for you. There is a lot of advice on the internet about cleaning up toilet overflows. Unfortunately, almost none of them are from water cleanup professionals, and they are missing some key information.
We’re Cleaner Guys, a professional water damage cleanup company with more than 20 years of experience cleaning up water accidents like this. We’re here to tell you that we see this kind of disaster every day, and a lot of the advice you’ll see from unprofessional sources… is wrong. Read on to learn why.
Table of Contents
- How to Stop An Overflowing Toilet – A Quick Overview
- How To Clean Up After Toilet Overflow – 5 Important Steps
- Can I Clean Up An Overflowed Toilet Myself?
- Key Takeaways
How to Stop An Overflowing Toilet – A Quick Overview
If you have not already stopped the actively overflowing toilet, follow these basic steps quickly:
- Shut off the water to the toilet. This should be as simple as locating the valve shutoff behind the toilet, and twisting to tighten and close. Wash your hands immediately after (the water may be contaminated).
- Use a plunger to plunge the toilet carefully. Only once the water in the bowl has receded should you cautiously twist the water shutoff valve back open. The water should begin to slowly refill the bowl. If it starts getting close to overflowing again, quickly shut the water off again. Then, call a plumber to fix it.
Note: If multiple drains are overflowing all at once, such as sinks, shower drains, and toilet drains, then you’re most likely dealing with a sewer line backup, not just a clogged toilet. Immediately shut off the water to the whole house, evacuate the contaminated area, and call a plumber!
How to Clean Up After Toilet Overflow – 5 Important Steps
The essential steps of cleaning up after a toilet overflow should include wearing proper personal protective equipment, starting to dry out the area while AVOIDING TOUCHING THE WATER, and calling a professional water damage cleanup company to effectively clean up the damage. Let’s dig into each of these essential steps in more depth.
1: Put On Personal Protective Equipment
The most important thing you need to know in all of this is that the water that has overflowed from your toilet is contaminated and hazardous. You should do everything possible to avoid touching it! Unfortunately, we have not seen ANY other article on this topic emphasize this danger like they should. They just tell you you can clean it up fine yourself. Nothing about the health hazards of the water you’re handling.
But the fact is, the water that comes out of toilets is considered highly hazardous, and is even called “black water”. Black water must be handled with extreme care, because it likely contains sewage, fecal matter, and extremely high amounts of bacteria.
Your job as you clean up your overflowed toilet is to not touch that black water. In every step of this process, you should be wearing proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This includes cleaning gloves (ideally elbow-length), rubber boots, safety goggles, and a mask. Even if you do not have access to all of this gear, wear as many pieces as you have. A long-sleeved shirt and long pants are also a good idea.
If you don’t have all of these PPE items, be very careful to not splash any water as you’re working to dry it. You want to avoid getting the contaminated water anywhere near your eyes, mouth, nose, or skin. Getting black water on any of these areas may lead to irritation or bacterial infection!
2: Lay Down Towels and Blankets
While it’s very important to not touch the contaminated water, it is also important to begin soaking up and drying out the overflowed water as quickly as possible.
Gently lay out as many towels and blankets as you can on all the wet areas around the toilet. Be careful not to splash the contaminated water on yourself.
This is essential because the longer the water sits on your floors, the longer it has to soak into the drywall and the wood of your cabinets. This will cause water damage and mold, which can make you sick! It will also seep into any little cracks or gaps in your flooring, base trim, and caulking, making its way inside your walls and under your floors! Then it can grow mold where you can’t even see it.
3: Call a Water Damage Cleanup Company Immediately
Because water soaks into drywall, flooring, and every little crack and crevice so quickly, it is essential to call in a professional water damage cleanup company to make sure the area is thoroughly dry! We know that no one wants to have to spend the money on that, and many other articles on the internet will tell you that you CAN just clean up the mess yourself and move on.
Please understand, it is extremely risky to just clean up the contaminated water from an overflowed toilet by yourself. The chance that some water soaked into the interior of your walls, floors, or cabinets is very high. And if every bit of water isn’t cleaned up — even inside wall cavities and under floors — the water will sit there, unseen, and cause mold infestation and increasing damage. This is why we highly recommend having the area properly cleaned up and assessed by a professional water damage cleanup company local to you.
These companies have commercial drying equipment that can do a much better job than normal cleaning equipment. They also have expert training and tools to assess the affected area and determine if there is any hidden water intrusion or mold. Most importantly, they have professional-grade Personal Protective Equipment! This enables them to stay completely clean and ensure no contamination spreads as they safely clean up the hazardous water.
Don’t skip getting the damaged area assessed by a professional!
4: Set Up Fans
While you wait for the water damage cleanup company to arrive, set up fans around the affected area. This will get the ball rolling on the drying process. Keep in mind, regular fans alone will not be enough — commercial-grade equipment is advised for thorough drying.
5: Isolate the Contaminated Area
The last thing you can do while you wait for the professional water damage cleanup company to arrive is isolate the contaminated area and make sure no one touches it.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that just because this step is last, it is optional! Remember, the water that comes out of your toilet is considered hazardous black water, and is likely highly contaminated (even if it looks relatively clean)! For your safety and health, and the safety and health of anyone else living with you, do not touch the affected area! Leave the cleanup to the professionals.
Can I Clean Up An Overflowed Toilet Myself?
No, professionals strongly recommend against trying to clean up an overflowed toilet yourself. The water that comes out of toilets is called “black water”, meaning it must be treated as highly hazardous and contaminated. It is not safe for anyone other than a professional to clean up hazardous black water. Furthermore, water from toilet overflows often seeps into walls, cabinets, and flooring, leaving behind lasting water damage and mold growth even after the surface looks dry. Toilet overflow cleanup should be left to professionals, who have the training and equipment to handle contaminated and hazardous water effectively and thoroughly.
Key Takeaways
We hope you’re feeling more confident in what you can do to clean up your unfortunate toilet overflow disaster! Remember, it’s important for your safety and health to leave most of the cleanup to the professionals. Black water (the kind of water that overflows out of toilets) is highly hazardous, and you must be very careful not to touch it.
Shut off the water to the toilet, lay down towels and blankets to soak up the standing water, and point fans at the affected area while you wait for professional cleanup assistance.
More Resources
We have a massive archive of information on dealing with water damage, mold, and many other household problems! Click the hyperlink to check out our full archive of one of the best cleaning blogs around, or jump straight to a relevant article below!
Top 10 Signs of Water Damage ➜
What Exactly Is Water Damage? Answers from the Professionals ➜
How to Choose a Trustworthy Water Damage Cleanup Company ➜
If you need water damage cleanup in Mount Vernon WA or anywhere in the surrounding area, consider Cleaner Guys as a high-quality, well-trusted option. We’re proud to boast award-winning customer service, lower prices than others, and top-notch workmanship! Contact us today through the menu at the top of your screen, or call us right now at (360)757-4300. We’re ready to help you!
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
