A Story From the Field: Coming Home After the Water Recedes

Khru Supawadee teaches at a primary school in Banphot Phisai district, Nakhon Sawan. She lives in a small teacher's house inside the school grounds with her eight-year-old son and her mother, who is in her seventies. The teacher housing here is a mix of single-storey detached houses and short terraced rows, built close together and not far from the banks of the Ping River. From late September into early October 2026, the Ping rose and spilled over into the surrounding land. The whole row of teachers' houses stood in waist-deep water for almost two weeks. Many families had to move in with relatives or stay at a temporary shelter.

On the day the water finally drained away, Khru Supawadee came back and opened her front door. A wave of damp, musty air mixed with mud and drain odor rushed out so strongly that her son pressed his hand over his nose. A water line ran across the concrete walls above the height of the windowsills. Sticky mud clung to the floor tiles. The plywood wardrobe had swollen so badly that its doors would no longer close. The mattress they had not managed to lift in time was soaked through and dotted with black mold. The curtains had green, blotchy stains. Her mother, who already suffers from allergies, started coughing and sneezing the moment she stepped inside.

The houses next door were no different. Other teachers' homes, the staff flats belonging to a nearby government office, and civil servant residences in the district town all faced the same problems. Yet everyone needed to get back to work as quickly as possible: schools had to reopen, clinics had to serve patients, and district offices had to coordinate relief. Khru Supawadee asked herself a simple question: "How do I make this house genuinely safe for my mother and my son, with the little time I have?"

Her question is shared by thousands of public-service families across Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Ayutthaya and the other provinces hit this year. This article looks at what really happens inside flooded staff housing, why the usual clean-up methods are not enough, and how ozone treatment and disinfection fogging can help families move back in with confidence.

The Problems Public-Service Families Face After a Flood

Health of everyone in the house. Floodwater from rivers, rice fields and drains carries bacteria such as E. coli and the organisms that cause leptospirosis into homes. These germs remain in the mud, on floors, on bed legs and inside cupboards. The humidity left behind encourages mold to grow on walls, ceilings, mattresses, curtains and wooden furniture. Mold spores in the air trigger allergies and asthma, especially in young children and older adults, who are very common members of public-service households where several generations often live together in staff housing.

The house is not yours, but you still have to live in it. Government housing belongs to the agency, not the resident. Occupants cannot simply decide to tear out walls or carry out major renovations. They have to wait for official surveys and for repair budgets to be approved. In the meantime, families still need to live in homes that smell musty and are growing mold.

Very limited time. Teachers, nurses, district officials and many other civil servants are needed back at work immediately after the water recedes, because that is exactly when communities rely on them most. That leaves very little time to clean their own homes properly.

Personal costs. Mattresses, clothing, small appliances and personal belongings that are damaged are usually the resident's own responsibility. If mold is allowed to spread, items that could have been saved are lost as well, adding to a financial burden many families are already struggling with.

The agency's image and staff morale. Run-down, moldy staff housing after a flood affects the morale of everyone who lives there. It can also make newly transferred staff reluctant to move in, which matters in rural districts that already find it hard to attract and keep teachers and health workers.

Why Ordinary Cleaning Is Not Enough

Scrubbing with bleach. Bleach can disinfect tiled floors to a degree, but it does not penetrate mattresses, curtains, plywood or ceiling boards, which is exactly where mold lives. In a small house with the windows closed, the chlorine smell also makes older people and children cough and gives them stinging eyes and noses.

Running fans all day. Fans help surfaces dry faster, but they also spread mold spores throughout the house. For anyone with allergies, this can make symptoms worse rather than better.

Incense, perfume and scented sachets. These cover the smell temporarily. The real source of the musty odor is the mold and bacteria that are still present, so the smell returns every time the air becomes humid again.

Painting over the stains. If walls are still damp and still contain mold, fresh paint will bubble and peel, and black spots will reappear within a few months. That is a waste of both money and effort, and in government housing it can also complicate the official repair process later.

Cleaning, drying and ventilation remain essential. They simply need to be combined with proper disinfection and a treatment that reaches into soft furnishings and enclosed spaces.

The Solution: Ozone Treatment Combined With Chemgene HLD4H Disinfection Fogging

World Health Disinfection provides an ozone treatment service for homes affected by floods. Ozone gas penetrates mattresses, curtains, wardrobes and the corners that a cloth cannot reach, acting on mold spores and breaking down the molecules that cause musty odors at their source. We combine it with our disinfection fogging service, using Chemgene HLD4H applied through ULV equipment. The fine mist reaches under beds, behind cupboards, into bathrooms and onto all the surfaces that family members touch every day.

Our Process for Staff Houses and Flats

1. Site survey. Our team inspects each house or flat with the resident or the agency's building officer, recording flood height, areas of mold and items that should be thrown away.
2. Mud and clean-up guidance. We advise on washing mud from floors and walls, discarding mattresses and cushions that were submerged for a long time, and setting aside wet documents to dry.
3. Home preparation. Food, medicines, cosmetics, pets and plants are taken out of the house. Televisions, computers, musical instruments, old photographs and sensitive electronics are covered or removed.
4. Disinfection fogging. We fog Chemgene HLD4H throughout every room, covering floors, lower walls, door handles, bathrooms and kitchens.
5. Ozone treatment. The house is closed and treated with ozone at a dose controlled to its size. Wardrobes and drawers are left open so the gas can reach inside. No people, animals or plants may be in the house during treatment.
6. Ventilation. Doors and windows are opened and fans are used to clear the air. The family returns only after the ozone has broken down.
7. Re-check. We check odors and visible mold with the resident. If walls are still very damp, we recommend a follow-up treatment once they have dried.

Safety note on ozone: Ozone is highly effective at disinfection. No people, pets or plants may stay in the house during treatment, and the home must be properly ventilated before anyone moves back in. Our team controls the ozone dose according to the room size and always recommends covering or removing electronics, rubber items, paintings and delicate collectibles beforehand.

Treating a Whole Row or a Whole Block Works Better Than One House at a Time

Teacher housing and civil servant residences are usually built close together in rows, or in multi-storey staff flats. Treating the whole group at the same time has several advantages.

• Less cross-contamination. If only some houses are treated while the neighbors still have mold and musty odors, spores can drift back through vents and shared walkways.
• Easier scheduling. The agency can ask all families to move their belongings and leave their homes during the same window, allowing our team to treat several houses in a single day.
• Shared areas are covered. Stairwells, corridors, storage rooms and bin areas in staff flats are disinfected at the same time as the units.
• Clear records for the agency. School directors, heads of government offices or hospital directors receive a clear outline of what was done, useful for reporting and for planning further repairs.

In multi-storey staff flats where only the ground floor was flooded, upper units may still have humidity and odors that rose through the stairwell. Our team will assess which rooms would benefit from additional treatment.

10 Reasons Government Housing Should Be Ozone-Treated and Disinfected After a Flood

1. Ozone treatment reduces musty odors in mattresses, curtains and wardrobes that cannot be washed.
2. It deals with mold spores in the home, easing allergy symptoms for children and older relatives.
3. Disinfection fogging throughout the house lowers the risk from floodwater germs.
4. Chemgene HLD4H leaves no harsh chemical smell, which suits homes with young children.
5. Civil servants can return to work with peace of mind, knowing their families are in a safe home.
6. A whole row or block can be treated together, saving time and limiting cross-contamination.
7. It helps save furniture and belongings that can still be recovered instead of throwing them out because of the smell.
8. Agencies receive a clear process they can use in reports and repair planning.
9. Repainting and repairs can go ahead with confidence once the mold has been treated.
10. Add a dust mite removal service for mattresses and sofas that families decide to keep.

Before and After Home Recovery

A Word From a Resident

"I was most worried about my mother because of her allergies. The team told us what to throw away and what we could keep, then treated the whole house with ozone. On the day we moved back, the strong musty smell had dropped a lot. My mother was coughing less, and my son was finally willing to sleep in his own room again."
— A teacher living in school housing in Banphot Phisai district (a representative field scenario)

Advice for Families Moving Back Into Staff Housing

• Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and a face mask while washing out mud. Young children and older relatives should not help with the first stage of clean-up.
• Have an electrician check sockets and wiring before switching on lights or appliances.
• Throw away dried food, medicines and cosmetics whose packaging touched floodwater.
• Wash musty clothes in hot water and dry them thoroughly in the sun.
• Report structural damage, damaged doors and plumbing problems to your agency's building or facilities office.
• Anyone who waded through floodwater and then develops a high fever, headache or muscle pain, particularly in the calves, should see a doctor promptly and mention the flood exposure. Guidance is available from the Department of Disease Control.

A Note for School Directors and Heads of Government Offices

When staff housing is flooded, the people responsible for the buildings are often the same people who must keep a school, a hospital or a district office running at full capacity. It is easy for staff housing to slip down the list of priorities. Yet the condition of staff homes has a direct effect on how well people can do their jobs.

A teacher who spends the night worrying about a coughing child, or a nurse who sleeps on a damp mattress because there is no time to deal with it, will not be at their best the next day. Supporting a coordinated clean-up and treatment of staff housing is therefore not only a welfare measure, it is also a practical investment in the quality of public services in the weeks after a flood.

Some simple steps make the process easier. First, appoint one person to coordinate with residents and with our team. Second, agree on a short list of what the agency will handle, such as structural inspection and electrical checks, and what residents will handle, such as removing personal belongings. Third, schedule disinfection and ozone treatment for the whole row or block on the same day or over consecutive days. Finally, keep a simple record of which units were treated and when, so that follow-up inspections and future repair budgets can be planned with accurate information.

It also helps to talk openly with residents. A short meeting or a message in the staff LINE group explaining the plan, the dates and what each family needs to prepare will prevent confusion on treatment day and show staff that their wellbeing is being taken seriously.

Caring for Belongings: What to Keep and What to Let Go

One of the hardest parts of returning home after a flood is deciding what to keep. Families in staff housing often have limited storage and limited budgets, so every decision matters. Here is a practical guide.

Usually worth keeping and treating: solid wood furniture that can be cleaned and dried, metal and plastic items, dry clothing and bedding stored in upper cupboards, curtains that can be washed, and books or documents that were damp but not soaked. Ozone treatment is particularly helpful for reducing the musty smell in these items once they have been cleaned and dried.

Usually better to replace: mattresses, pillows and cushions that sat underwater for days, particleboard furniture that has swollen and lost its shape, food and medicines exposed to floodwater, and soft toys that young children put in their mouths. These items can hold contamination deep inside where cleaning cannot reach reliably.

Ask for advice: electronics, appliances, musical instruments and family photographs. Some can be saved by specialists; others cannot. In every case, cover or remove them before ozone treatment.

Treasured items: school certificates, letters, children's artwork and small keepsakes often matter more than anything else in the house. Lay damp paper items flat to dry in the shade, away from direct sun, and keep them out of the house during ozone treatment. Once dry, they can be stored in sealed plastic boxes until the home is fully recovered.

What Treatment Day Looks Like for a Family

Many families have never had a home professionally disinfected or ozone-treated, so it helps to know what to expect. A typical treatment day for a small staff house runs like this.

Morning. The family takes out food, medicines, pets, houseplants and anything fragile or valuable. Electronics that cannot be moved, such as a wall-mounted television, are covered. Wardrobe doors and drawers are opened. The family hands over the key and goes to work, school or a relative's home.

Midday. Our technicians fog the house with Chemgene HLD4H, paying extra attention to the bathroom, kitchen, floors and lower walls where floodwater sat. Once fogging is complete, the house is closed and the ozone generator is set to a dose that matches the size of the rooms.

Afternoon. After the treatment period, the team opens doors and windows and uses fans to ventilate. Ozone breaks down naturally into ordinary oxygen, so the aim is simply to give it enough time and air flow to clear.

Evening. When the house is ready, we let the family know it is safe to return. Many families notice the difference in smell straight away, and older relatives with allergies often say the air feels easier to breathe. In homes where walls are still very wet, we may recommend a second treatment after a week or two, once the structure has dried further.

For a whole row of houses or a block of flats, the same pattern is simply repeated unit by unit, with the agency coordinating which families leave their homes at which time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can residents book the service themselves, or does the agency need to arrange it?
A: Either works. Residents can book for a single house, or the agency can arrange treatment for several units at once.

Q: How long does ozone treatment take for a small house?
A: It depends on the size of the house and how strong the odor is. Most small homes can be completed within one day including ventilation time. We will give you a schedule before work starts.

Q: Do clothes need to be removed from the wardrobe?
A: Dry clothes can stay in the wardrobe during treatment, which also helps reduce their musty smell. Clothes that are still wet should be washed and dried first.

Q: How long does the family need to stay out of the house?
A: For the whole period of fogging, ozone treatment and ventilation. Our team will tell you when it is safe to return.

Q: Can you treat an entire block of staff flats?
A: Yes. We plan floor by floor or unit by unit, including shared areas, according to the schedule that suits the agency.

Q: Which areas do you serve?
A: Banphot Phisai, Mueang Nakhon Sawan, Chum Saeng, Kao Liao, Tha Tako and surrounding districts in Nakhon Sawan, as well as other flood-affected provinces.

Make Staff Housing Feel Like Home Again

Talk to the World Health Disinfection team about ozone treatment and disinfection fogging for teacher housing, civil servant residences and staff flats in Banphot Phisai and across Nakhon Sawan.

Book Ozone Treatment – Click Here

See Our Disinfection Service – Click Here

Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

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References: WHO – Floods and health and the Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health.