Toilet Overflow: What to Do First
A toilet overflow is unpleasant and it can be a health risk, because the water may be contaminated. The right first move is not to grab a mop but to stop the water, keep everyone away from it, and call a professional.
- ✓ Written for New York homeowners
- ✓ Visit first, then a plan
- ✓ Call to arrange a visit
This guide covers what to do in the first minutes after a toilet overflow, and why this is one water problem that is professional-only from the start.
Avoid contact with the water
Toilet overflow water may be contaminated, even if it looks clear. Avoid touching it, do not step in it, and keep children and pets out of the room until it has been dealt with by a professional.
If the overflow has spread onto a hallway carpet or into another room, treat all of the affected area as contaminated. Do not try to clean it up yourself, and do not use a household vacuum or mop on it.
Stop the water if you can do so safely
Turn off the water supply to the toilet using the shut-off valve, which is usually on the wall or floor behind the toilet. If you can reach it without stepping into the water, turn it off and lift the tank lid to check whether the water keeps rising.
If the valve is hard to reach or the water is spreading, shut off the main water supply instead, again only from a dry place. Do not keep flushing the toilet to see if it clears, since that only adds more water.
Do not try to clean it up yourself
Toilet overflow cleanup is professional-only. The water may carry bacteria, and the materials it touches, such as carpet, underlay and drywall, may need to be removed rather than cleaned. A professional crew has the equipment and protection to handle it safely.
Our page on sewage cleanup explains what professional cleanup covers in general terms, including removal of affected materials where necessary, cleaning and drying.
Call a professional and what the visit covers
Call a professional and describe how much water there is, which rooms it reached, and whether it is still rising. Take photos from the doorway if you can do so without stepping into the water.
The visit generally covers removal of the contaminated water, removal of affected materials where necessary, cleaning, and drying. In New York City, toilet overflow help in New York City follows the same professional-only approach, and water damage restoration covers the wider process once the contaminated water is gone.
Key Takeaways
- Toilet overflow water may be contaminated, even if it looks clear.
- Turn off the water supply to the toilet using the shut-off valve, which is usually on the wall or floor behind the toilet.
- Toilet overflow cleanup is professional-only.
- Call a professional and describe how much water there is, which rooms it reached, and whether it is still rising.
Ready for the Next Step?
Call to arrange a water damage visit in New York. Describe what you found and we will talk through the next step.
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