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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Cleaning Blog Posts

Air Ducts & HVAC Cleaning

6/30/2021 (Permalink)

Concealed behind your walls and mostly ignored, your air ducts serve as vital pathways that deliver warm and cool air throughout your home during the year. While they may be unseen, your air ducts are working nearly year-round, whenever you have your air conditioner or heater running. Attached to your HVAC system, air ducts transfer the air from these systems throughout your home. What many homeowners do not realize, though, is that your air ducts, in nearly constant use, continually accumulate dust, grime, debris, pet dander and allergens throughout the year. In fact, according to National Air Duct Cleaners Association the average American home produces 40 pounds of dust per year!

While vacuuming and dusting may be a part of your weekly cleaning routine, these basic methods invariably leave dust and dirt behind, and no amount of regular cleaning can capture every dust mite your home produces. As such, much of that dust and dirt ends up in your air ducts. What’s worse is that this same dust continues to re-circulate over and over again, with the dust continuing to accumulate inside your ducts even while it’s redistributed throughout your home.

This constant cycle of dust accumulation and redistribution can have serious effects on your home’s cleanliness and your family’s health. Constantly re-circulated allergens will irritate allergy sufferers throughout the year, even when their allergies are not in season (like pollen and weed allergies). Additionally, people with compromised respiratory systems may experience difficulty breathing in homes with high dust quantities.

Mistakes to avoid when Spring Cleaning

5/2/2019 (Permalink)

You know once the weather warms up, it is a sign to bust open your windows... And your cleaning supplies! Spring cleaning is very important, especially if you suffer from allergies. While there are articles and lists to help you spring clean, here is an article on what to avoid while spring cleaning.

  • DO NOT start without a goal or plan in mind. Instead of diving in to a house full of mess; start in one area (or room), tackle that one area completely, before moving onto the next.
  • Start from top to bottom when cleaning. Imagine cleaning the bed and floor; only to turn around and knock dust and dirt onto the floor from furniture and the ceiling fan
  • Make sure you avoid using one towel / rag. Like sponges, the more you use them; the dirtier they get. Moreover, cotton and/or microfiber cloths are very efficient for cleaning and drying surfaces.
  • Ventilate – This is super important, as it will make it easier to breathe with the chemicals. Turning on the air will not quite do the trick, as it does not always generate fresh air.
  • Combining chemicals – Because most of us do not always know all the chemicals in cleaner, we would not know how they react with one another. Bleach and Vinegar for example. They work very well, separate; but can become deadly if mixed.
  • Avoid washing the windows when it is sunny and hot out. The sun will dry the cleaner very quickly, which could result in streaks.
  • Waiting for vacuum bags to be full to replace them. A vacuum will lose over 50% of its ability to pick up and retain dirt; after its only 20% full.

HVAC & Air Ducts

3/27/2019 (Permalink)

We may see dust or particles in the air, and brush it away, not thinking twice, assuming it is an unstoppable force. According to the EPA, Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors, but indoor levels of pollutants can be up to five times higher than outdoor pollutants.While most people generally associate us with Fire & Water Restoration, SERVPRO offers so much more than that! As spring approaches, and spring cleaning is on everyone's mind, it is the perfect time to consider having SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo come out for a duct cleaning as part of your spring cleaning. The average home in the United States collects around 40 pounds of dust annually, and the dust in your home is made of skin cells, pollen, pet dander, and more. It gets kicked up, enters the surrounding air, and viruses, bacteria, and allergens enter your respiratory system. When pet dander enters the air, it can flare up allergies, causing sneezing and itchy eyes, without having even touched your pet. 1 in 12 Americans have symptoms of asthma, an inflammatory condition affecting the airway. Moreover, pests, such as mice, might use your vents and leave behind oils, skin cells, and waste that stays in your vents and festers. The results of an infestation could blow harmful bacteria into the surrounding air. Mold spores can also spread through air ducts and some mold may even grow in the ducts themselves. If you have water damage anywhere in your home that leads to mold, this could spread to the air and damage other parts of your house. For more information on HVAC and air duct cleaning, call us today at 858-748-7378.

National HVAC Technician Day!

6/22/2018 (Permalink)

This Thursday, June 22 is the second annual National HVAC Tech Day. A day to acknowledge the hard work of technicians in the HVAC industry — and their positive impact on buildings and homes.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, HVAC professionals have one of the peak rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Their work environments include severe heat or freezing cold, working in confined spaces, and working outside of standard business hours. Moreover, every service call is a new experience and the job can frequently be unpredictable. Additionally, the Bureau has expected a 14 percent growth in employment rates in the next 10 years.

Created in 2016, this day of recognition was founded by ARS/Rescue Rooter, a Memphis, TN-based national provider of air conditioning, heating and plumbing services. As it mentions on the initiative’s website: “A few hours without AC or heat may be uncomfortable for us, but imagine working in those conditions every day of the week! HVAC technicians tirelessly brave the sweltering heat and numbing cold to restore our comfort, often at the hottest and coldest times of the year.”

From installing heavy equipment to performing routine maintenance, SERVPRO says thanks to all the HVAC technicians that do what it takes to keep our homes and businesses comfortable.

Do you need your drapes or curtains cleaned?

5/23/2018 (Permalink)

Our goal is to help minimize the interruption in your life and quickly make it "Like it never even happened."

If so, Call Today – 1-858-748-7378

SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo Professionals excel at cleaning fine fabrics and intricate pieces. Fabrics are carefully inspected and tested to determine which of the System’s five cleaning methods is most appropriate.

Here at SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo, we use state-of-the-art equipment designed specifically for cleaning fine fabrics. Wet and dry cleaning methods are available as required. You can be confident in the SERVPRO System - we inspect and pretest to determine the safest and most effective cleaning method. When it comes to drapery and blinds, SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo has the training, equipment and experience to make them clean again.

When Should My Drapes Be Cleaned?

A good rule-of-thumb is to clean drapes approximately every two years. A recent survey by SERVPRO disclosed that the average customer believes drapes should be cleaned when they look dirty. Depending on your heating system, the amount of smokers in the home, and other factors, drapes may not show soil for two to six years. The oily atmospheric soil will gradually cause the fabric to deteriorate. Often, direct sunlight is unjustly blamed for this. You may triple the life of your draperies through professional cleaning, which is relatively inexpensive compared to replacement costs.

Professional Cleaning

When your draperies need cleaning, make certain they are dry cleaned ONLY. Only a small percentage of materials can be laundered. If in doubt, call SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo for advice. Be discriminating in your choice of professional dry cleaners. Some cleaners have equipment designed for clothes cleaning, while others have equipment specifically designed for draperies.

We have an exclusive process of dry cleaning draperies right in your home. There’s no need to have your home or office exposed while your draperies are out being cleaned. SERVPRO of Poway / Rancho Bernardo Professionals inject a specially formulated solvent into your drapery under pressure and extract the chemical, leaving your drapes clean. This special process results in no damage or shrinkage to the material. Most importantly, you will get quality cleaning at a reasonable price.

Graffiti & Vandalism

4/13/2018 (Permalink)

Your home is one of the largest investments you will make in a lifetime. When your top asset becomes damaged by vandalism, the results and series of events afterward can be distressing. From dealing with your insurance company to attempting to resolve the damage, the experience can be difficult to deal with. 

Having knowledge of the various types of vandalism is in your best interest. Understanding the types of vandalism will come in handy when working with a local restoration company, the insurance company, and potentially the local authorities if you decide to investigate and press charges.

Graffiti

While many consider graffiti to be an art form, home and business owners are not very appreciative of their buildings being turned into a canvas. Graffiti can encompass a vast array of symbols, letters, and artistic expressions. Removing graffiti is a difficult task and requires a certain level of restoration expertise. If your home or business has been vandalized with graffiti, call us as soon as possible and we will get started on restoring your building right away. 

Broken Glass and Structure Damage

Unfortunately, some vandals feel the need to express their anger by breaking glass, denting walls, or causing another form of severe damage to a building. This aggression and vandalism can be detrimental to your home. Often, this damage can compromise the structure of your home and ultimately the safety of your family.

Arson

This is the worst type of vandalism to encounter. If your home has been the victim of malicious vandalism and ultimately fire damage, we can help you restore your home to its original condition. Arson will cause extensive harm and damage to your Poway / Rancho Bernardo home, so make sure you have an emergency plan in the case of a terrible fire.

SERVPRO is ready to restore your home or building no matter what type of vandalism you experience. Contact us today to learn more by calling (858) 587-1722

For more information on our services, please visit http://www.SERVPROpowayranchobernardo.com/vandalism-graffiti-cleanup