Short answer
Get people and pets away from the waste. Stop sending water down the affected drain line, and close off the area. Do not vacuum sewage or run fans over it. Wash your hands well after any contact. Take photos from a distance, then call a cleanup company and your insurance company. If you notice a strong sewer gas smell in a closed space, leave and call your gas utility or 911.
The first few minutes: people, then water
Start with people, not property. Move children, older adults, anyone who is ill, and pets away from the affected area. If the mess is large, move them out of that part of the house. Close the door to the room if there is one.
If sewage is coming up through a floor drain, tub, or toilet, stop using water anywhere in your home that drains to the same line. That means no flushing, no showers, no dishwasher, and no laundry until a plumber has looked at it. Every gallon you send down can come back up somewhere else.
If the mess came from a person who is ill or hurt, see to their care first. Waste on a floor can wait a few minutes. A person who needs help cannot.
You may have a sump pump or a backflow valve, which stops sewage from flowing back in. Check whether it is running or has tripped, but only if you can reach it without stepping into standing sewage. A pump that has lost power may explain the backup, and a plumber will want to know. Do not give in to the urge to reset breakers in a wet basement. Electrical panels and standing water are a dangerous mix. A utility or electrician can make that call.
When it is an emergency for someone other than a cleanup company
Most sewage and body fluid problems are urgent but do not threaten your life. A few conditions change that. You should know them before you go looking for the source of a smell.
Sewage and rotting waste can release hydrogen sulfide, the gas with a rotten-egg smell. NIOSH lists hydrogen sulfide among the gases that can be immediately dangerous to life or health. At high levels, it can make a person pass out fast. Dangerous levels are not common in a typical home. But they can build up in pits, sumps, and crawlspaces with poor airflow.
If you notice a strong sulfur or rotten-egg smell in a closed space, feel dizzy, or have trouble breathing, get out and call 911 or your gas utility. Do not go into a sewage pit, septic tank, or flooded crawlspace to look around. Leave that to people with gas monitors and training.
Cleanup instincts that make a sewage mess worse
Several common urges make the problem larger or harder to clean. It helps to know them ahead of time, so you are not tempted in the moment.
Household equipment that touches sewage usually has to be thrown out afterward. It can also blow dirty droplets and smell into your other rooms.
- Do not vacuum wet waste or run a carpet shampooer over it
- Do not point fans or turn on central air in a way that pulls air from the affected room into the rest of your house
- Do not mix bleach with cleaners that contain ammonia or acid, since that can release harmful gases
- Do not scrub soaked carpet with household products, which can push waste deeper into the pad and the floor beneath
- Do not walk through the area and then through the rest of your house in the same shoes
- Do not throw away items you may need to show for an insurance claim before you take photos of them
If you must go near it
Sometimes you need to step near the mess, for example to shut off a valve or get your medicine. If so, keep the contact as short as you can. Protect your hands, feet, and face.
Wear waterproof gloves. Wear rubber boots or disposable shoe covers if you have them. Do not touch your face. When you leave the area, take off the gloves by turning them inside out, and bag them. Put your footwear in a spot you can clean later.
Then wash your hands well with soap and water, even if you wore gloves. Hand sanitizer cannot take the place of washing when your hands may have touched dirt you can see.
Can you clean up a small accident yourself?
Often, yes. Think of one vomiting accident, or a small bathroom accident on a hard, sealed surface. Many households handle these on their own. You need gloves, paper towels, a disposable bag, and a registered disinfectant used just as the label directs.
For a small spot on a hard surface, work from the outer edge toward the center so you do not spread it. Lift the solids with disposable towels. Clean the area with soap and water. Then put on the disinfectant and leave it wet for the full time printed on the label. Bag everything you used, tie it closed, and wash your hands afterward.
Some things change the picture. Fluid has soaked into carpet, pad, or the floor beneath. The mess came from a sewer or drain line. The area is larger than a small spot. It has been there for days. Or someone in your home is medically fragile. In those cases, the risk of leaving some of the mess behind, or of spreading it, rises fast.
If you are not sure, it is fine to call a cleanup company and describe what you see. A good one will tell you honestly if the job is small enough for you to handle.
Take photos and notes before help arrives
A few minutes of photos and notes now can make a big difference later with an insurance company, a landlord, or a tenant. Take photos and short videos from doorways. Do not walk through the mess to get them.
Capture the source if you can see it safely, such as a floor drain, toilet, or cleanout. Take photos of the edges of the affected area, any waterline you can see on the walls, and belongings that were touched. Write down the time you noticed the problem, what you did about it, and who you called.
If you are a tenant, tell your landlord or property manager in writing, even if you also call. A dated text or email creates a record of when they were told.
Who should you call, and in what order?
The order depends on the source. If sewage is still flowing, a plumber or your city sewer department comes first. Nothing else matters until the flow stops. Many cities have an after-hours line for main line problems.
Next, call a cleanup company that handles sewage and body fluid work. Describe the situation clearly. Give the source, the rooms involved, the types of flooring, and anyone in your home with health concerns. Then tell your insurance company and ask whether you may approve emergency work to limit the damage.
If the situation involves a death in the home, contact local authorities first. Wait until they confirm the area is released before you arrange cleanup.
A calm first hour, sketched out
The sketch below is an example, but it follows the order that works. A parent wakes in the middle of the night. Sewage is seeping from a floor drain in the basement, where the kids' playroom is. The parent closes the basement door and tells everyone not to flush or run water. The family dog goes into a bedroom upstairs.
The parent smells a mild sewer odor but no strong rotten-egg smell, and feels fine. They take photos of the basement from the stairs and write down the time. They call the city's after-hours sewer line, which schedules a crew to check the main.
They then call a cleanup company. The company asks about flooring and belongings and sets a walkthrough for the morning. The parent leaves a message with the insurance company, washes their hands, and goes back upstairs to wait for daylight.
Nothing about that hour required the parent to touch the sewage. That is what a good first response looks like.
What will the company need from you when they arrive?
When the crew arrives, they will want a short, accurate summary. Tell them what happened and when you first noticed it. Tell them whether water was used afterward and whether anyone in your home has been ill.
Point out anything you already moved or threw away, and share your photos. Tell them about pets, medical equipment, or valuables in or near the area.
It also helps to have practical details ready. Where is the main water shutoff? Is there a cleanout in the yard or basement? Where can the crew park? Which entrance should they use, so they are not carrying dirty material through your living room? If you rent, keep your landlord's contact details handy. The company may need to arrange access to areas you cannot unlock yourself.
Then let them take it from there. Your role shifts from first responder to the person who decides. You review the written work plan, ask questions, and approve the work.
