RED CROSS READIES FLOOD CLEANUP KITS

Although the Mississippi River is dropping at a snail's pace, American Red Cross and Salvation Army workers are busy preparing for the cleanup operation.

Both agencies are preparing cleanup kits for flood victims that contain brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies.

Flood victims planning to move back into their homes can pick up a kit during business hours at the Red Cross office on 2430 Myra Drive. The Salvation Army at 701 Good Hope is receiving a truckload of cleaning supplies today and expects to have kits ready by Monday.

City emergency operations director Mark Hasheider said debris that accompanies floodwater will give the Public Works Department additional work.

However, until the river falls below the flood level of 30 feet, residents and city officials must watch and wait. The river was at 45.3 Thursday.

"The river has been holding at such a level that we haven't had an opportunity to start the cleanup process," Hasheider said. "Once the water goes down to a safe level, there is a procedure to follow to get your power back on."

After a home is cleaned up, a city inspector will make sure the building is safe to have utilities restored. "When Union Electric is satisfied that the house has been inspected and approved, the company will restore power," Hasheider said.

The Red Cross has a free brochure and booklet to assist flood victims in the cleanup process. There is also a free book titled "Repairing Your Flooded Home."

Some Red Cross cleanup tips:

-- Tackle one room at a time. A two-bucket approach is most efficient. Use one bucket for the cleaning solution and the other for rinse water.

-- Rinse out your sponge, mop or cleaning cloth in the rinse bucket. Wring it as dry as possible and keep it rolled up tight as you put it in the other bucket. After cleaning a room or item, go over it again with a disinfectant to kill the germs and smell left by the floodwaters.

-- Start cleaning a wall at the bottom or where the worst damage was. If you didn't have to remove the wallboard or plaster, you may find the wallboard or plaster won't come clean and you will want to replace it rather than clean it. If you have removed the wallboard or plaster, wash the studs and sills and disinfect them.

-- If you taped your windows before the storm, clean the tape off as soon as possible. The sun will bake the adhesive into the glass. If glass cleaners don't remove the adhesive, try tar remover, acetone, nail polish remover or a razor blade. Next time don't bother taping the windows. You don't get much protection for all the effort.

-- Don't try to force open swollen wooden doors and drawers. Take off the back of the piece of furniture to let the air circulate. You should be able to open the drawers after they dry. Solid wood furniture can usually be repaired and cleaned, but wood veneer often separates and warps.

-- Nonsudsing household cleaners should be the first choice. Laundry soap or detergent is the second choice.

-- Throw out soft plastic and porous items that probably absorbed whatever the floodwaters carried. Floodwaters are contaminated, so you may want to wash dishes by hand in a disinfectant. Air dry the disinfected dishes; do not use a dish towel.

-- Throw out food touched by floodwaters. Even canned food should be discarded if the cans got wet during the flood because there is no way to be absolutely certain the food inside is safe.