I wasn't sure where to post this so I chose here. I have a list of related questions.

My friend works in water damage restoration and is going down to Louisiana. He warned me to be careful of any used products I buy on Ebay for a while. Many people are bringing trucks down and filling them up with items to sell online. The looters are selling these products for cash to people with U-Haul trucks. These products are bought with the intent to sell them online. Many of these products are contaminated. What would be the dangers in using a product that has been contaminated? Exactly how contaminated is the water there? If you wash a piece of clothing or a purse that had been floating in that water, what is the danger? What if you buy a used toy online for your child? Could you get a disease or the flu? Maybe something worse? Can paper be contaminated? What would or would not be safe? Any information on any of the questions would be appreciated.

Here are the recommendations from the Department of Health:

quote:

The following guidelines are recommended for cleanup activities:

Porous, absorbent, or spongy materials that remain wet for more than 48 hours should be cleaned throughout or thrown away.

Materials that can be cleaned should be washed with a detergent solution, rinsed with clear water, and rinsed again with a biocidal solution such as 1 1/2 cups of household chlorine bleach mixed with one gallon of water.

Allow this solution to stay in contact with the material for five minutes and rinse again with clear water. Avoid skin contact with the solution and use only in well-ventilated areas.

Some materials, such as textiles, may be damaged by the bleach solution. Remember that the use of biocides (disinfectants) is no substitute for drying and cleaning materials.

Fungi and bacteria will re-contaminate materials if they remain wet even after very thorough cleaning and disinfecting.

Make sure the materials are dry before cleaning. If they cannot be dried out, throw them away. Dispose of them properly.

If carpet or other materials become moldy or musty smelling, they are probably contaminated. Carpet cleaning professionals using hot water extraction methods may be able to remove the contaminants. If not, the carpet and padding should be replaced.

Contaminated upholstered furniture, bedding and books are much more difficult to clean than carpet and should usually be thrown away because cleaning may be more expensive than replacement.

Handling and cleaning contaminated materials can result in massive exposures to mold, bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. Individuals with respiratory allergies, or other respiratory illnesses, should not handle or disturb materials that have visible mold growth.

Professional cleaning companies using appropriate personal protective equipment should be used if contamination is extensive.

I doubt the people buying these products will go to all the trouble of cleaning them properly. I'm sure a lot of books will be sold online. I don't see how you would even know. I'm starting to worry about buying any product from Ebay. Can a product become contaminated if its still in the package? What about perfume in a bottle? Many times these are sold as 80% full. It seems so risky.