Honestly, I’ve seen enzyme cleaners do more for peace of mind than for actual clogs—maybe they just make folks feel like they’re doing something. Wet/dry vac is a lifesaver, though. I’d throw in a cheap tarp too... keeps the mess contained if things get wild.
Wet/dry vac is a lifesaver, though. I’d throw in a cheap tarp too... keeps the mess contained if things get wild.
Can’t argue with the tarp—learned that the hard way after a backup in unit 3 last winter. Wet/dry vac saved my bacon, but I still found myself scrubbing baseboards for hours. Enzyme cleaners never did much for me either, but I keep ‘em around just in case. Better safe than sorry, right?
I hear you on the enzyme cleaners—never really noticed much difference with them either, but I keep a bottle tucked away just in case. After my last backup, I started keeping a stash of nitrile gloves and those disposable shoe covers too. Not glamorous, but it beats tracking stuff through the house. Has anyone tried those heavy-duty absorbent pads? Wondering if they’re worth it or just another thing to store.
Honestly, I tried those absorbent pads once and wasn’t super impressed. They soaked up some of the mess, but I felt like I still had to go over everything with towels anyway. Plus, they take up a ton of space in the closet for something I (hopefully) don’t need often. I’d rather just keep a stack of old bath towels handy—easier to wash and reuse, and they don’t cost extra. Maybe the pads are better for bigger jobs, but for me, it just felt like one more thing cluttering up my shelves.
I get where you’re coming from about the pads taking up space, but I’ve found them a lifesaver during bigger leaks—like, when you walk in and it’s ankle-deep. Old towels just can’t keep up in that situation. Do you ever worry about reusing towels after a sewer backup, though? I always wonder if they’re really clean after a wash, or if I’m just spreading germs around...