Plumbing – Avoiding mold after machine backup

basementplumbingwater-damage

My washing machine just backed up (drain pipe is clogged). Fortunately I was home and just bought a shopvac last weekend, but a lot of water got out. Also fortunately this is an unfinished basement, but I’m worried about two things.

It damaged the seal on the floors – I figure this is easy to fix and probably not an immediate concern?

floor damage

And my bigger concern is water got into two areas. One where the water line comes in which seems to have a hole that goes down into the soil (not sure if this is by design?)

water line entry

And another area that is inaccessible.

Are not accessible

Is there something I should spray in these areas to prevent mold build-up or should a dehumidifier be enough? The basement is generally very very dry – I wasn’t sure if a dehumidifier is even necessary, but I’m worried the inaccessible area will not dry out as fast as there is a lot of dirt, dust and other junk in there that looks like it can hold moisture.

Best Answer

Drying it out will probably be the best but if you want to sanitize it I would use 3% hydrogen peroxide and water. Hydrogen peroxide doesent have the smell and will kill organics very well. Remember to always add acid to water (AAA).