Important note: This article is general information about keeping a home clean. It is not medical advice. A person with diabetes who has a foot wound, especially one that has been in contact with floodwater, should see a doctor or nurse promptly and care for the wound only as their treatment team directs. If the wound becomes swollen or red, produces pus, smells, the skin around it darkens, or there is a fever, go to a hospital straight away.

A Story from the Field: The Small Wound Uncle Never Felt

Uncle Prasert is sixty-three and has lived with diabetes for more than ten years. The tips of both feet have started to go numb, and his doctor has warned him to check his feet every day and never to walk barefoot. He lives with his wife, Auntie Wandee, in a single-story detached house down a side lane off Ekachai Road in Bang Bon, close to a canal that rises every time there is heavy rain.

During the 2026 floods, the water in their lane stayed close to knee height for several days. Uncle Prasert had to wade out to push the family motorcycle to higher ground, and then went back and forth to the mouth of the lane several times to collect donated supplies. His sneakers were soaked, so he wore flip-flops. Somewhere along the way his foot must have caught on something under the water, but he felt nothing at all because of the numbness.

Three days later, Auntie Wandee noticed a red patch and a scrape on the side of his right big toe. She took him to the hospital immediately. The nurse cleaned and dressed the wound, he was given the treatment the doctor prescribed, and he was told firmly to keep the wound clean and dry and to come back for a follow-up check.

When they got home, Auntie Wandee looked at the tiled floor still streaked with mud, the bathroom with its sewer smell and the damp doormat, and asked herself a simple question: in a house like this, can he walk around safely? How clean is clean enough?

Her question is shared by many families in Bang Bon, Bang Khun Thian, Nong Khaem and the canal-side neighborhoods of western Bangkok, where diabetes is common among older residents and where many people had no choice but to wade through floodwater for days.

Why the Feet of People with Diabetes Need Extra Care After a Flood

• Numbness in the feet. People may not feel it when they step on something sharp or when a small wound forms, so wounds are often noticed late.
• Wounds heal more slowly. Poorly controlled blood sugar and reduced circulation can allow a small wound to get worse.
• Floodwater carries large numbers of germs. It mixes with drain water, sewage and mud, so any wound that touches it is at risk of infection.
• Skin soaked for long periods softens and cracks easily. Damp spaces between the toes are also prone to fungal skin infections.
• The floor at home is the surface feet touch most. If it still carries mud and moisture, the feet meet that dirt again every single day.

Anyone who has waded through floodwater should also be alert to leptospirosis. If a high fever, headache or aching calves develop after floodwater contact, see a doctor and mention the wading.

How Clean Is Clean Enough? A Simple Way to Think About It

No home is ever one hundred percent germ-free. But a home where someone with diabetes has a foot wound should focus on three main things.

1. No mud or floodwater residue left on the floors, especially along the route from the bedroom to the bathroom, the kitchen and the front door.

2. Dry floors. Moisture softens the skin of the feet and lets mold grow on surfaces and in the air.

3. No sharp objects or debris. Floodwater can carry broken glass, nails, splinters of wood and even shell fragments into a house. These must be cleared completely first.

Once these three things are in place, disinfection fogging and ozone treatment help reduce the germs and musty odor that remain. The person with diabetes should still wear indoor footwear at all times, as their doctor advises.

What Not to Do

1. Letting the person with diabetes do the scrubbing. Standing in water, scrubbing with brushes and stepping on debris all raise the risk of a new wound. Other family members or a professional team should do this work.
2. Walking barefoot indoors during the clean-up. Even in your own house, sharp fragments can be hidden under mud.
3. Wearing shoes that were underwater. Sneakers and leather shoes that sat in floodwater often stay damp and smelly. They should be thrown away and replaced with a new pair that fits well.
4. Using strong bleach and walking on the floor immediately. Concentrated chemicals irritate skin and wounds. Rinse with clean water afterward and wait until the floor is dry.
5. Putting home remedies or herbs on the wound. Wound care should follow the doctor's and nurse's instructions only.
6. Keeping the old doormat that was underwater. Doormats trap moisture and germs. Replace them with washable foot towels that are changed often.

The Solution: Disinfection Fogging and Ozone Treatment After the Mud and Debris Are Cleared

World Health Disinfection (WHD) restores flood-affected homes with two complementary steps.

1. Disinfection fogging with CHEMGENE HLD4H through an ultra-low-volume (ULV) fogger. The fine mist reaches into grout lines, along the base of walls, under beds, into bathroom corners and across the walkways of the house, helping to reduce germs on surfaces that were in contact with floodwater.

2. Ozone treatment fills closed rooms with ozone gas, which helps destroy airborne mold spores and breaks down the musty odor molecules soaked into curtains, cushions and wardrobes.

The Work Sequence

1. Site survey. The team checks the flood line, tiled floors, bathroom, damp spots and room sizes.
2. Advice on mud removal, debris clearing and sorting, such as which rugs, shoes and fabrics should be discarded. Outlets that were underwater should be checked by an electrician.
3. Disinfection fogging of floors throughout the house, the bathroom, the kitchen and the entrance.
4. Ozone treatment with rooms closed and the dose controlled. No people, pets or plants may be inside. Sensitive electronics, such as a blood glucose meter, should be moved out or covered, and some rubber parts may age faster under prolonged high-concentration ozone.
5. Ventilation. Doors and windows are opened until the ozone breaks down back into oxygen, before anyone goes back inside.
6. Re-check. The team assesses odor and damp spots and advises on ongoing care.

Places in the Home That Deserve Special Attention

The bathroom is where feet get wet most often. Scrub the grout, check the drains so no sewer smell backs up, add a non-slip mat, and keep a clean, dry foot towel by the door.

The bedside is where the person puts their feet down every morning. It should be clean and dry, with indoor footwear placed ready to slip on.

The front entrance should have a spot for taking off outdoor shoes, so that mud from the street is not tracked inside.

Shoe racks and wardrobes. Socks and shoes stored on lower shelves may have become damp and moldy. Discard anything that was underwater.

The kitchen. Kitchen floors are often slippery with water and oil. After a flood, mud may also remain around table legs and under cabinets.

Uncle Prasert's Seven-Day Plan

• Day 1: Their son and grandson come to wash out the mud and pick up the broken glass and wood the water carried in. Uncle Prasert stays with relatives and does not do any of the work himself.
• Day 2: The doormat, shoes and socks that were underwater are thrown away. An electrician checks the ground-floor outlets.
• Day 3: A plumber checks the bathroom drains. All windows are opened to let sun and air in.
• Day 4: The WHD team carries out disinfection fogging and ozone treatment, then the house is ventilated for the time the team specifies.
• Day 5: The family buys a new pair of well-fitting indoor shoes, a non-slip bathroom mat and washable foot towels.
• Day 6: Uncle Prasert comes home. Auntie Wandee sets up a night light along the route from the bedroom to the bathroom.
• Day 7: He goes for his scheduled wound check and tells the nurse that the house has been cleaned and treated.

The exact timing will be different for every family, but the principle is the same: the person with diabetes does not take part in the heavy cleaning, and comes home only once the floors are clear, dry and treated.

Small Daily Habits the Whole Family Can Share

After he came home, Auntie Wandee set up a simple routine every evening before bed. Uncle Prasert sits on a chair under a bright light, and together they look at both feet: the soles, between the toes and around the heels. If they see a red mark, a new wound, a blister or a change in skin color, they write it down and call the nurse as they were advised, rather than trying to treat it themselves. During the day he wears indoor shoes at all times. Socks are changed once a day or immediately if they get wet. For the first two weeks, the floors are mopped with clean water and wiped dry every day.

These habits do not replace treatment, but they help the family notice problems early. A small hand mirror or a phone camera can make it easier to see the soles of the feet. Some families keep a short notebook beside the bed, so that when the follow-up appointment comes, they can show the nurse exactly what changed and when.

Choosing Footwear for the Weeks After the Flood

Many families in flood-affected areas lose most of their shoes at once, and it is tempting to buy whatever is cheapest or closest. For a person with diabetes, the choice matters more. It is worth asking the doctor, nurse or a diabetes foot clinic what kind of indoor and outdoor footwear they recommend. In general, people are often advised to look for shoes that fully enclose the toes, have a firm sole that sharp objects cannot easily pierce, and fit without pressing or rubbing anywhere. Flip-flops and backless sandals leave the toes exposed, which is exactly how many flood-related foot injuries happen.

New shoes should be worn for short periods at first, with the feet checked afterward for red marks. Keep outdoor shoes by the front door and indoor shoes by the bed, so there is never a moment when bare feet touch the floor. If the floodwater is likely to rise again in the coming weeks, it may also help to keep a pair of rubber boots that fit well, so that wading in sandals is never necessary.

Bang Bon's Canal-Side Homes and the Moisture Problem

Bang Bon sits on low ground on the western edge of Bangkok, laced with canals and older drainage that struggles during heavy rain. Many homes are single-story, built at or near street level, with tiled floors laid directly on concrete. After floodwater recedes, that concrete slab can hold moisture for a long time, and the grout between tiles stays damp and darkens. Water can also collect under cabinets, behind the refrigerator and in the corners of bathrooms, where it is easy to miss.

This lingering moisture is why a home can smell fine on the first sunny day and turn musty again a week later. It is also why the survey step matters. Before any fogging or ozone treatment, the team looks for these hidden damp areas, so that the family can dry them properly. For a person with diabetes who will walk across these floors every day, a home that stays dry over the following weeks is far more important than one that simply smells fresh on the day of the treatment.

Working with the Diabetes Clinic Team

Floods disrupt routines. Appointments are postponed, medicines get left behind when families evacuate, and meals become irregular while everyone is cleaning. For a person with diabetes, all of these can affect blood sugar, which in turn affects how well a wound heals. Auntie Wandee found it helpful to tell the clinic team plainly what had happened: how many days her husband had waded through water, when she first noticed the wound, and whether any of his medicines or his glucose meter had been damaged. The team could then decide whether to adjust anything and how often they wanted to see the wound.

If medicines were lost or soaked, ask the hospital pharmacy about replacements rather than using anything that was underwater. If the glucose meter or test strips were exposed to floodwater or stored in a very damp place, ask whether they are still reliable. Keeping all appointment cards, medicine lists and contact numbers in one waterproof bag is a simple habit that will help if the water rises again.

Around the House: Standing Water, Mosquitoes and Rats

A clean interior is only part of the picture. In canal-side neighborhoods, water often lingers in plant pots, old tires, buckets and blocked gutters long after the street has dried. These pools breed mosquitoes, and the debris left behind can attract rats, which are linked to leptospirosis. Walk around the outside of the house once the water has gone down, tip out anything holding water, clear the gutters and drains, and bag up rubbish so it does not become a nest. If mosquitoes remain a problem, a professional spraying service around the property can help, while the household continues to remove breeding spots each week.

Home Checklist for a Person with Diabetes After the Flood

• No mud left on the floors, especially along the route from the bedroom to the bathroom.
• All glass, nails and debris carried in by the water have been removed.
• Floors are completely dry with no musty smell.
• Disinfection fogging and ozone treatment are complete, and ventilation is finished.
• Shoes, socks and doormats that were underwater have been discarded.
• A new pair of well-fitting indoor shoes is ready beside the bed.
• The bathroom has a non-slip mat and no sewer smell.
• There is enough light along the walkways at night.
• A small mirror or flashlight is available for daily foot checks.
• The date of the next wound check is written somewhere easy to see.

10 Reasons Bang Bon Families Choose WHD

1. The survey focuses on the walkways the person uses every day.
2. Disinfection fogging with a fine mist that reaches grout lines and bathroom corners.
3. Uses CHEMGENE HLD4H, a disinfectant WHD supplies and uses in its own work.
4. Ozone treatment helps reduce musty odor and mold spores in canal-side homes.
5. Ozone dose controlled to room size, with guidance on electronics.
6. A clear ventilation step before anyone goes back inside.
7. Practical advice on discarding shoes, rugs and fabrics that were underwater.
8. A mosquito spraying service around the home after the water recedes.
9. Takes the burden off the family, so the person with diabetes does not have to scrub the house.
10. Easy to reach by phone or LINE @whd268.

Before and After: Uncle Prasert's Home

Customer Voice (Illustrative Scenario)

"We didn't want my husband scrubbing the house while his foot was healing. The team told us what to throw away, then did the disinfection fogging and ozone treatment. Once the house was dry and the smell was gone, I felt much calmer. The wound is still checked by the nurse at every appointment."

Auntie Wandee, wife and caregiver of a person with diabetes, Bang Bon, Bangkok (an illustrative scenario).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: After the house is disinfected, can a person with diabetes walk barefoot indoors?
A: People with diabetes who have numbness or a wound should always wear indoor footwear as their doctor advises. Disinfection reduces germs on the floor, but it does not protect against stepping on sharp objects or knocks.

Q: Does ozone treatment help heal a foot wound?
A: No. Ozone treatment manages the room environment by reducing mold spores and musty odor. It is not wound treatment. Wound care must follow the doctor's and nurse's instructions.

Q: Can the person stay at home during disinfection fogging and ozone treatment?
A: No. Everyone, including pets, must be outside the work area for the whole of the fogging, the ozone treatment and the ventilation period. The team will tell you when it is safe to return.

Q: Can shoes that were in floodwater be washed and worn again?
A: For people with diabetes, this is not recommended. Damp shoes may harbor germs and can change shape and rub the feet. A new, well-fitting pair is safer.

Q: The wound is tiny. Can we wait and see?
A: For people with diabetes, even a small foot wound should be seen by a doctor or nurse promptly, especially if it has been in contact with floodwater.

Q: How should caregivers protect themselves while cleaning?
A: Wear boots, rubber gloves and a mask, watch for sharp debris, and wash your hands thoroughly before helping with wound care or handling the person's belongings.

A Clean, Dry Home Without Asking the Patient to Do the Work

Book a survey of your flood-affected home in Bang Bon, Bang Khun Thian, Nong Khaem or nearby.

See Disinfection Service, Click Here

Book Ozone Treatment, Click Here

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

Related Links

• Residential ozone disinfection
• CHEMGENE HLD4H spray disinfectant
• Mosquito spraying service
• All articles
• External sources: WHO: Floods and health and Department of Disease Control, Thailand