One thing that most people who own a cell phone or a laptop are very concerned and careful of is spilling water or another liquid onto it. It happens quite often and can easily put you out $100 and up, depending on what the liquid ruins. Maybe you like to drink a cup of coffee while you’re working and you reach over for a pen and it topples onto your keyboard or maybe you’ve dropped your cell phone into the toilet or the bath tub. No matter how the liquid came into contact with your electronic device, most of the time you assume that it’s completely dead and there’s nothing that you can do about it. Sometimes this really isn’t the case.
Even if you completely submerse a CD player or other electronic device in water, if it’s not powered on at the time, it can usually be saved if you allow it to dry out completely before trying to turn it on and use it. One thing to worry about, though, is how long the object is allowed to stay in the water. Depending on what the inside is made out of, it may or may not absorb water and expand the longer it stays submerged. Wait at least a few days before trying to power on the device again and allow it to dry out naturally.
If you have a device that is powered on when it comes into contact with a liquid substance of any kind, unplug the device from the wall or from your car’s cigarette lighter or whatever power source it happens to be using at that moment. Remove any batteries that could accidentally be instructed to supply power to the device by pressing a button.
If you have an item that has been water damaged by more than just spilling a cup of liquid on it or just dropping it in the toilet, it’s best to consult a professional. For example, a computer that has been submerged in flood waters for a period of time isn’t that likely to be recovered, but with the right care and proper conditions, it can be done. It all depends on the circumstances of your situation, but whatever you do, don’t try to power on the device or use it in any way before it’s dry, no matter what size or kind of device it may be.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Cleaning Moldy Clothes
Our first instinct when we come into contact with clothing that has been contaminated by mold is to throw it away. Depending on the lifestyle you’re currently living, as in whether you work a full time job or have children or other matters to tend to, it might indeed be more beneficial to your situation to just throw them away. But, if you have a little more time on your hands and a little patience, you can keep the clothing that was covered in mold as long as you’re careful to completely decontaminate it.
Most items can be cleaned and the mold gotten rid of, but one thing that mold tends to do is cause stains. If you’re dealing with white clothing, you can possibly use bleach to remove them, but the longer you let the clothes sit without treating them, the more difficult it will be to remove the stain in the long run. A brush can be used to remove the mold and putting a pre-wash spray onto it and soaking it in water and laundry soap can be a good way to begin the process of removing the stain. Let it soak in the water around 45 minutes and then wash it in the washing machine. The best thing that you can do after they’re done washing is to let them dry outside naturally on a clothes line in the sun instead of using the clothes dryer in the laundry room. Using this artificial heat source can hinder your effort to remove the stain, but putting white clothes outside in the sun can actually help whiten them.
If you have something made of real leather and mold grows on it, the easiest thing to do is throw it away. Leather items can usually not be restored back to their former condition after becoming contaminated with mold.
If you need to clean mold off of furniture or anything else made of cloth, using the brush method mentioned a minute ago is the best way to go about doing this. Using a vacuum cleaner that has a hose and brush attachment piece can help in making sure that the mold spores get sucked up into the vacuum instead of into your air conditioning system. Clean the item where the mold was with a clean white rag and laundry or dish liquid, as long as you’re sure that the cleaner won’t stain the fabric.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Most items can be cleaned and the mold gotten rid of, but one thing that mold tends to do is cause stains. If you’re dealing with white clothing, you can possibly use bleach to remove them, but the longer you let the clothes sit without treating them, the more difficult it will be to remove the stain in the long run. A brush can be used to remove the mold and putting a pre-wash spray onto it and soaking it in water and laundry soap can be a good way to begin the process of removing the stain. Let it soak in the water around 45 minutes and then wash it in the washing machine. The best thing that you can do after they’re done washing is to let them dry outside naturally on a clothes line in the sun instead of using the clothes dryer in the laundry room. Using this artificial heat source can hinder your effort to remove the stain, but putting white clothes outside in the sun can actually help whiten them.
If you have something made of real leather and mold grows on it, the easiest thing to do is throw it away. Leather items can usually not be restored back to their former condition after becoming contaminated with mold.
If you need to clean mold off of furniture or anything else made of cloth, using the brush method mentioned a minute ago is the best way to go about doing this. Using a vacuum cleaner that has a hose and brush attachment piece can help in making sure that the mold spores get sucked up into the vacuum instead of into your air conditioning system. Clean the item where the mold was with a clean white rag and laundry or dish liquid, as long as you’re sure that the cleaner won’t stain the fabric.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Bursting Winter Pipes: What You Can Do
Most experience homeowners know all about this water damage prevention necessity, but anyone who’s just beginning to live in a new home or a rental might not think about it. The winter is a crucial time for the water system in your home and if it’s not taken care of, some pretty big problems will ensue. This happens when the temperature outside reaches under 20 degrees, water pipes located underneath your house, in the basement, or any other area that is exposed to the elements can freeze and burst, spilling water everywhere.
Any water pipes that you can easily gain access to should be covered completely with insulation of some kind and the more warm air that can reach your pipes during the winter, the less of a chance the pipes have of freezing and rupturing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinets whenever it’s convenient and leave them that way as long as possible to make sure the pipes inside of them get at least a little warm air. Sometimes using space heaters can help keep pipes from freezing, so keeping one in the kitchen or wherever you have pipes exposed can be a fair idea, as long a few feet away from anything that can catch on fire.
If you have any water hoses connected to the house, be sure to disconnect them before the freezing weather hits.
Try to leave a trickle of water running through your faucets at all times during the winter; it doesn’t have to be very much at all and it might cause your water bill to be a tiny bit extra at the end of the month, but it’s worth it. The water running through the pipes is less likely to freeze than water that’s standing still inside them.
Water damage is generally covered under most insurance policies depending on how you report it, but one of the things that is usually a direct result of water damage, mold, is not. Unless you pay for a special policy that covers mold, most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover it. Mold is expensive to get rid of and when a cracked or ruptured pipe in your wall or under your house bursts during the winter, it’s a very real threat. Your family and pets will become sick over time if the mold isn’t removed as quickly as possible, so doing your best to prevent water damage to your home is the first line of defense. It can start to grow as quickly as 48 hours after water has been soaked up by a surface like sheetrock.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Any water pipes that you can easily gain access to should be covered completely with insulation of some kind and the more warm air that can reach your pipes during the winter, the less of a chance the pipes have of freezing and rupturing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinets whenever it’s convenient and leave them that way as long as possible to make sure the pipes inside of them get at least a little warm air. Sometimes using space heaters can help keep pipes from freezing, so keeping one in the kitchen or wherever you have pipes exposed can be a fair idea, as long a few feet away from anything that can catch on fire.
If you have any water hoses connected to the house, be sure to disconnect them before the freezing weather hits.
Try to leave a trickle of water running through your faucets at all times during the winter; it doesn’t have to be very much at all and it might cause your water bill to be a tiny bit extra at the end of the month, but it’s worth it. The water running through the pipes is less likely to freeze than water that’s standing still inside them.
Water damage is generally covered under most insurance policies depending on how you report it, but one of the things that is usually a direct result of water damage, mold, is not. Unless you pay for a special policy that covers mold, most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover it. Mold is expensive to get rid of and when a cracked or ruptured pipe in your wall or under your house bursts during the winter, it’s a very real threat. Your family and pets will become sick over time if the mold isn’t removed as quickly as possible, so doing your best to prevent water damage to your home is the first line of defense. It can start to grow as quickly as 48 hours after water has been soaked up by a surface like sheetrock.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
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