Recent Posts

Mold Defense

8/22/2023 (Permalink)

Defending against mold growth can feel like such a major feat to take on, but have no fear, your local mold specialists are on the case! However, just because we are on hand to help whenever mold should occur, we think you should be prepared to prevent mold on your own. Use these following tips to amp up your mold defense:

  • Keep the humidity in your home or business between 30-60%
  • Make sure your property has property drainage to keep water away from your building's foundation
  • Regularly inspect your plumbing and other appliances for any leaks. Water left to sit is mold's favorite food!
  • Keep your gutters and drains clear and free of any debris
  • Inspect your roofs, windows, and any other potential entryways for water. Perform maintenance ASAP when necessary
  • Immediately deal with water intrusions in your home
  • Never try DIY mold removal!
  • If your home experiences water damage, call SERVPRO of Washington County for immediate assistance, as improper mitigation of water damage can lead to secondary damages such as mold

Dealing with any damage to your home or business can feel so daunting, but that is what SERVPRO of WashCo is here for. Other mold cleaning services might not take the time to educate you and answer any questions you might have, but we know how important it is to make sure you understand the process your home is undergoing in such stressful times. We're the number one name in the disaster mitigation industry and we're here to help!

Extinguishing a Kitchen Fire

8/22/2023 (Permalink)

When a fire starts in the kitchen, you need to act fast to keep the fire from getting out of control. But how you act depends on what kind of fire you have and where it is. Follow these instructions for putting out kitchen fires:

If you have a fire in the oven or the microwave, close the door or keep it closed, and turn off the oven. Don’t open the door! The lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames. If your oven continues to smoke like a fire is still going on in there, call the fire department. If you have a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot.

If you can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don’t have a lid for the pan, use your fire extinguisher. Aim at the base of the fire — not the flames. Never use water to put out grease fires! Water repels grease and can spread the fire by splattering the grease. Instead, try one of these methods:

If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner. Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. Never use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse. Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth.

Use a fire extinguisher. Don’t swat at a fire with a towel, apron, or other clothing. You’re likely to fan the flames and spread the fire. If the fire is spreading and you can’t control it, get everyone out of the house and call 911! Make sure everybody in your family knows how to get out of the house safely in case of a fire. Practice your fire escape route.

Don't Let Water Wait

8/22/2023 (Permalink)

When a disaster occurs in your home or business, it typically comes and goes. Fires burn and then they die out, wind blows through your neighborhood and then disappears, but water works a little differently than other types of damage. Water stays, and in many cases it continues to get worse and worse.

If you find an area in your flooring, walls, ceiling, appliances, etc. that is affected by water damage, it must be coming from some source. If that water is not removed and the source fixed, then the damage caused by that water will only grow. Oftentimes, it will turn into a nasty mold problem that nobody wants to have to deal with. The longer you wait to mitigate the problem, the more of a problem it will become!

Water damage can also come in many forms such as rotting wood, rusting metal, or even something as simple as mold or mildew. Sometimes it can be very hard to spot, but if you think you’ve spotted the beginnings of a water issue in your space, give us a call for an inspection so we can help you as soon as possible! When it comes to any type of disaster in your home or business, the sooner it is caught and remediated, the better. We are here for you no matter how big or small the disaster may be!

Safety Tips During and After a Flood

8/22/2023 (Permalink)

SAFETY FIRST (For businesses and home owners)

  • Account that all employees or family members are safe by establishing evacuation plans in advance, identifying areas outside the building that are designated meeting places. Assign select individuals to keep a list of their assigned team’s names and contact numbers in order to account for their whereabouts.
  • If water enters the building and evacuation becomes impossible, move to an upper floor, and wait for rescuers.
  • While evacuating, avoid attempting to drive through floods or rising water, nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are auto-related.
  • Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
  • Do not walk through moving water. Even six inches of moving water can make you fall.
  • Use no open flames (there may be gas escaping from ruptured mains).
  • Avoid floodwaters. Water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged. If the water has entered the structure through the flooding of a creek, stream or river, or if it has filtered through insulation during its intrusion, it is considered to be black water and could be hazardous to your health. Avoid contact with contaminated items as much as possible.
  • Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.
  • Listen for news reports to learn if the community’s water supply is safe to drink.
  • Return only when authorities indicate it is safe.

SECURE THE PROPERTY

  • Contact local emergency officials.
  • Secure main entrances to building.
  • Alert Security company and Alarm company of the situation.

STABILIZE THE PROPERTY

  • Open basement or low-level windows to equalize water pressure on the building’s foundation and walls.
  • Begin water damage mitigation steps only if local emergency officials deem the structure safe to enter.
  • Notify your insurance agent or Risk Manager to determine insurance policy guidelines and steps to take.

Let's Talk about Sewage Water

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

It's definitely not the most pleasant problem to talk about, but sewage backups or leaks are very real and very serious issues you could face in your home or business.

Earlier we discussed how to tell if the water flooding in your property is clean or contaminated. It's probably the most important to know that sewage water should be assumed to be contaminated and hazardous at all times (until one of our professionals determines otherwise). Sewage water is typically referred to as category 3 black water. This classification is due to the dangerous contaminants in it. It's important to note that sewage water has the ability to appear clean. This is an instance of top water. If sewage runoff looks clean, it's usually because the waste and contaminants have sunk to the bottom. This water is still categorized as black water; not for the color, but for the risk it carries with it. In most cases of any standing water in your home, it's crucial to understand that just because you can't particularly see the contaminants or just because the water looks clear...doesn't mean that it is safe to try to mitigate yourself. 

Our SERVPRO of Washington County crews are specifically trained to deal with hazardous water and how to clean any harmful remnants once the water is drained. Without that training, your knowledge is your most powerful tool to keep you from putting yourself at risk upon spotting standing water in your residential or commercial property.

If you experience sewage backup or sewage related flooding, let us be your first call. We make it, "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO of Washington County

Life-Long Learners

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power"...(David Bailey)

It always makes sense to be a lifetime learner. SERVPRO of Washington County couldn't agree more. 

Our crews are always learning. Learning new equipment, new techniques etc. Our crew members have to always keep their credentials up to date every year and have to keep adding to their expertise. 

SERVPRO of Washington County is so proud of the men and women that are called in to help people on some of their worst days. We are able to keep them informed every step of the way. Our crews are able to help them understand the methods they are using, the chemicals they are using and why. The more they know the more "super" powers they have ;). Next time you see one of our crew members don't be afraid to ask them about their credentials etc.

We are here to help. 

Being Proactive Cleaners

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

As disastrous possibilities become realities, you can lean on on us at SERVPRO. SERVPRO is helping to contain the coronavirus and mitigate the impact on our neighbors.

It is important to note that the cleaning methods need to be more sophisticated and effective with this level of Bioremediation than just wiping hard surfaces with disinfectant. Health comes first and with the use of PPE and protective masks, our teams adhere to OSHA and CDC guidelines.

SERVPRO of Washington County will use the fogging methods to more deeply disinfect. SERVPROxide, the hospital-grade disinfectant, is released from the fogger, and its particles adhere strongly to surfaces and objects. The procedure must ensure that all surfaces including walls, doors, floors, and ceilings are uniformly coated. Instead, we follow our initial fogging with a wiping of all surfaces followed by a further fogging round. It is an extreme and comprehensive disinfection process, which should be the norm when dealing with this magnitude of a virus hazard.

Our team is ready to assist with preventive or post-contamination.

In describing "Proactive," we would say that means as cleaning when no person is suspected of being exposed to COVID-19. It would be a smaller area of study since no verified case has been identified.

If there was exposure to anyone suspected of either testing positively for COVID-19 or being subjected to someone displaying symptoms in your facility, we call this "post-contamination" cleaning. In this situation, the scope of work and the required safety measures will increase.

Call SERVPRO of Washington County with any questions. (301) 797-0677

Possible Water Issue Sources

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

If you are like a lot of people you might think of water damage to your home being caused by weather; maybe a hurricane or heavy rains. 

In reality most water damage comes for non-weather conditions. This might mean a plumbing issue such as pipes, drains and valves failing. It could also be many times from an appliance. This is something that most people don't think about.

Appliances do not always offer warning signs until the damage has already occurred. That is why it is important to check them regularly.  

First, know where the main water supply is located in case of emergency.

If you will be away from home for an extended period, shut off the water supply and drain the pipes.

Exceptions might be if your home is heated with steam system or your fire sprinkler system so consult with a professional if you can turn this supply off when leaving.

Consider having your air conditioning system inspected regularly by a professional. Check the drain lines annually and clean them if they are clogged.

Inspect water heaters, showers, tubs, toilets, sinks and dishwashers annually, and have them repaired if there are any signs of leaks or corrosion. When possible, install water heaters in areas with floor drains to minimize damage if leaks should occur.

Check caulking around showers, bathtubs, sinks and toilet bases, and make repairs as needed.

If your refrigerator has an ice machine or water dispenser, the hose between the wall and the refrigerator should be made of braided copper. 

Check pipes for cracks and leaks. Have pipe damage fixed immediately to prevent more costly repairs in the future.

Check appliance hoses and plumbing fittings for breakage, crimping or bending. 

You can't always prevent water damage from happening in your home but many times prevention is your best friend in avoiding water damage from happening.

Wildfire Safety

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

In recent years it seems like there are more wildfires than ever. Many times we have no control if we are going to lose our home to a wildfire but there are things we can do to prepare and hopefully at times save our home.

So be prepared. Create a defensible space around your home. Keep at least 30 feet between your home and your potential sources. Clean and remove all dead and dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters. Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that would catch fire. These could be things like patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.

Stay aware of the latest news and updates from your local media and fire department. Get your family, home and pets ready to evacuate. Place an emergency supply kit and other valuables in your vehicle. Be sure to also close and protect your home’s openings, these could be the attic and basement doors and vents, windows, garage doors and pet doors to prevent embers from penetrating your home. Connect garden hoses and fill any pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water. Leave as early as possible, before you’re told to evacuate.  

SERVPRO of Washington County is here to help. Please be safe! (301) 797-0677

Sick Building Syndrome

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a common worldwide health concern, where people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness or become infected with chronic disease from the building in which they work or reside. The outbreaks may or may not be a direct result of inadequate cleaning or inappropriate cleaning methods.  Certain symptoms tend to increase in severity with the time people spend in the building; often improving over time or even disappearing when people are away from the building. Exposure to toxic black mold might cause health effects. Sick building causes are frequently pinned down to flaws in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Other causes have been attributed to contaminants produced by out gassing of some types of building materials, volatile organic compounds, molds, improper exhaust ventilation of ozone, light industrial chemicals used within, or lack of adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration. SERVPRO of Washington County is dedicated to cleaning any source of SBS and restoring the area back to its original condition so you and your employees or coworkers can feel safe and healthy going into the office!