If you are looking for a way to help flood victims in South Carolina, then consider putting together flood buckets.  These are buckets filled with needed items to help families clean out their house and start moving forward.

Since most of us have ever had our homes flood, let me explain the process.  The water receded pretty quickly here, but it leaves behind a massive mess.  Homes are filled with mud and gunk from rising storm water, plus they are also struggling with moisture and mildew now.  A flooded house will start to grow mildew in 24 hours, so you need to hurry.

They need cleaning supplies, especially bleach.  Also needed is laundry detergent (imagine throwing your entire closet into a muddy lake and then getting it all out again).

What Goes In A Flood Bucket

Click the links below to see deals on these items this week.

• One 5-gallon bucket with re-sealable lid
• 5 scouring pads. Remove from packaging. No stainless steel, no Brillo or SOS pads- no soap built in.
• 7 sponges (dry only) Remove from packaging. No cellulose sponges due to mold issues.
• 18 cleaning wipes (reusable); Handi-wipes types; no terry cleaning towels. Remove from packaging.
• Liquid laundry detergent 50 oz. (2-25 oz. or 1-50 oz.)
• 1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz. plastic bottle
• 1 disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz. plastic bottle
• 50 clothes pins
• Clothes line (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.) Cotton or plastic
• 5 dust masks
• 2 pair heavy-duty reusable latex gloves
• 1 pair leather palm work gloves; cotton with leather palm or totally leather
• 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon size. Remove roll from box.
• 1 insect repellent spray, 6-14 oz. plastic bottle w/protective cap
• Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. bottle w/protective cap

If you can’t handle all of this, then get together with others and each take a few items.  A friend from church asked our local Lowes for a discount on the buckets with lids and they gave her 25% off.  So don’t forget that it never hurts to ask others, even the store, for help!