safe room cleaning supplies

3 Cleaning Tips and Tricks for Storm Safe Rooms

Your storm safe rooms need cleaning and maintenance on the regular in order to ensure your and your loved ones’ safety. It can be challenging to know when and how to get the job done.

Sometimes cleaning becomes necessary as a result of general wear, tear, use, and time, and other times you need to clean up in the aftermath of a disaster like a tornado. It’s important to know what you can manage on your own, and where it’s necessary to seek professional help, such as a rescue group, fire department, or disaster management organization.

Key tips to remember when cleaning your shelter are:

1.     Make sure there are no obstructions in the way

If you use your storm safe rooms as a storage spaces, too, or keep seating, supplies, and other objects inside, make sure that the shelter is cleared out and easily accessible. This will help you reach all the surfaces and spaces in your shelter, making cleaning easier and safer for you too. It’s also important to note that you shouldn’t be overstocking supplies and objects in your shelter, to begin with, because tornadoes can come without warning, and you won’t have sufficient time to move things out of the way.

When cleaning, remove all seating, supply kits, blankets, jackets, food, or anything else that’s placed inside because cleaning solutions can react with these objects too.

2.     Wear safety gloves and boots if necessary

This is especially if you’re cleaning after the tornado or hurricane. Since you may not know about loose wiring, broken glass, if there’s water, dirt, mud, or growth, you should wear boots, while gloves are necessary no matter what. They safeguard your hands against exposure to chemicals, irritants, and other potentially harmful elements.

cleaning safe room

3.     Use DIY cleaning and disinfecting solutions

You can make very effective cleaners and disinfectants with common household ingredients like vinegar, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, etc. A quick and easy method is, as listed here, can be used to wipe down surfaces, handles, levers, and clean your shelter, ridding it of bacteria, dirt, and germs. For a more powerful disinfectant, you can use bleach too, which is bound to get rid of viruses too.

Cleaning your shelter should be a regular and routine chore because it helps keep it usable, safe, and ready for emergencies. Try cleaning it out every couple of months if it’s not in use, and more regularly closer to and during tornado season.

If you don’t have a safe room in your home, you can get in touch with us for custom safe rooms in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX.

Other Storm Shelters