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🧹 Working With a Clean-Up Crew After a Flood

What to expect, how to help, and why empathy and preparation matter

When a clean-up crew arrives at your home after a flood, it can feel overwhelming. You’re watching the remnants of your life being carried out in bin bags and wheelbarrows — and it’s emotional.

But it’s important to remember:

These are people too. They’re professionals — but they’re not immune to the heartbreak of what you’ve been through.

In fact, many of them say this is the hardest part of their job:

  • Walking into homes that are still soaked
  • Seeing kids’ toys and family albums destroyed
  • Having to strip everything away to give you a fighting chance to rebuild

So treat each other with kindness. They’re there to help you start over — and they’ll do everything they can to get you back on track.

🚚 What Clean-Up Crews Do

Once appointed by your insurer or loss adjuster, the clean-up crew will:

  • Remove water-damaged furniture, flooring, soft furnishings, insulation, plasterboard, and debris
  • Sanitise and disinfect the property to remove contaminants
  • Strip out non-salvageable fixtures like kitchens and bathrooms
  • Prepare the property for drying with dehumidifiers or drying equipment

They are not usually responsible for reinstating anything — their job is purely to clear, clean, and stabilise.

💡 Top Tips to Make It Easier (for Everyone)

1. Ask for a Skip — or Multiple

Clean-up crews often try to remove everything using their vans. But these fill up fast — and they may be working on several properties at once.

👉 Request a large skip (or more than one) so waste can be removed quickly without back-and-forth trips.

This saves time — and keeps your street clear of repeated van loads.

2. Check What You Can Dispose of Yourself

If you’re able and want to start clearing items, get written permission from your insurance company first.

✅ This avoids disputes later about what was removed
✅ It ensures nothing essential is discarded before being documented
✅ It can speed up drying and reduce further damage

Every wet item left sitting inside your home is delaying recovery.
The faster it’s out, the sooner things dry.

3. Work With, Not Against, Their Timelines

Clean-up crews are often:

  • Working under pressure
  • Covering multiple homes on the same street
  • Sharing limited skips and vans
  • Dealing with emotional residents all day long

Be clear, kind, and as organised as you can be:

  • Let them know where they can park
  • Keep pets and kids away from work areas
  • Label what must stay vs what can go
  • Offer a cuppa or a thank you — small gestures go a long way

4. Consider Who Rips Things Out

If you already have a builder, bathroom fitter, or kitchen installer lined up to do reinstatement work:
👉 It may be worth asking them to do the strip-out too.

Why?

Because:

  • They’ll take more care preserving key areas
  • They’ll know how to remove fixtures in a way that makes reinstallation easier
  • You avoid surprises like missing pipework or damaged walls later

Again, get permission from your insurer first, and confirm they’ll cover this cost.

5. Photograph Everything Before It Goes

Make sure:

  • You or your loss adjuster photograph every item before disposal
  • You get a copy of any inventories or disposal reports
  • You note brand names, model numbers, and values where possible

This protects your contents claim and helps avoid underpayments later.

💬 Things to Ask the Clean-Up Team

Here are some good questions to ask when they arrive:

  • “Will you provide a list of everything you’re removing?”
  • “Are you sanitising the floors/walls after removing furniture?”
  • “Can you leave anything that’s salvageable, even if it’s moved elsewhere?”
  • “Will I be notified when drying equipment is installed?”
  • “Can I contact someone if I need to ask about timings?”

❤️ A Word on Empathy

You’re dealing with one of the most traumatic experiences life can throw at you.
So are they — over and over, every day.

You may feel angry, helpless, frustrated — that’s okay. But know that these crews are trying to help you move forward, often under intense pressure themselves.

A little kindness goes a long way in making a hard day slightly easier — for everyone.