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.
Aspergillosis and Its Forms
While some of us might know what causes mold to grow and what it can do to our bodies and buildings, we’re not exactly familiar with the different species of mold that exist in the world. Not all mold species grow effectively indoors, but aspergillus is a genus of mold that does quite well in that area. Depending on the species, some aspergillus molds can be harmful to human beings and some can cause any number of conditions that are collectively known as aspergillosis.
Aspergillosis symptoms can vary depending on the type of infection. In its allergic form, these symptoms can include coughing up blood or brown mucous, weight loss, shortness of breath, coughing, and fever, among others.
Aspergilloma, which are fungus growths in the body that are caused by mold, are typically found growing in the lungs, but can also grow in other parts of the body. They are usually found growing in pre-existing cavities in the lungs or other organs, such as when a person has had lung cancer, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, or other infections that cause them. A lot of the time when a person actually has aspergilloma somewhere in their body, they have no symptoms. When symptoms do finally show up, they sometimes include coughing up blood, fever, weight loss, and shortness of breath. Wheezing can also be heard in some patients. Some tests that can be done to test for aspergilloma are a chest x-ray, a bronchoscopy, or a blood test that can be done to find antibodies to fight off aspergillus mold.
Pulmonary aspergillosis of the invasive type is known to occur in people who have weakened immune systems and the symptoms of this can include blood in the urine, headaches, chest pain, meningitis, sinusitis, and shortness of breath, among others. Chest x-rays, skin tests, and blood counts are a few of the methods that can be used to test for it.
Pulmonary aspergillosis causes some inflammation of the esophagus and the air sacs located within the lungs. Aspergillus mold is a common genus and so infections that are a direct result of touching it or inhaling it are possible, but rare. Some people are hypersensitive to the presence of aspergillus mold and have an allergic reaction and this may imitate such conditions as pneumonia or even asthma because a lot of the time patients that have allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) also have asthma.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Aspergillosis symptoms can vary depending on the type of infection. In its allergic form, these symptoms can include coughing up blood or brown mucous, weight loss, shortness of breath, coughing, and fever, among others.
Aspergilloma, which are fungus growths in the body that are caused by mold, are typically found growing in the lungs, but can also grow in other parts of the body. They are usually found growing in pre-existing cavities in the lungs or other organs, such as when a person has had lung cancer, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, or other infections that cause them. A lot of the time when a person actually has aspergilloma somewhere in their body, they have no symptoms. When symptoms do finally show up, they sometimes include coughing up blood, fever, weight loss, and shortness of breath. Wheezing can also be heard in some patients. Some tests that can be done to test for aspergilloma are a chest x-ray, a bronchoscopy, or a blood test that can be done to find antibodies to fight off aspergillus mold.
Pulmonary aspergillosis of the invasive type is known to occur in people who have weakened immune systems and the symptoms of this can include blood in the urine, headaches, chest pain, meningitis, sinusitis, and shortness of breath, among others. Chest x-rays, skin tests, and blood counts are a few of the methods that can be used to test for it.
Pulmonary aspergillosis causes some inflammation of the esophagus and the air sacs located within the lungs. Aspergillus mold is a common genus and so infections that are a direct result of touching it or inhaling it are possible, but rare. Some people are hypersensitive to the presence of aspergillus mold and have an allergic reaction and this may imitate such conditions as pneumonia or even asthma because a lot of the time patients that have allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) also have asthma.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Easy Ways To Maintain A Smoke Free Fireplace
Quite a few homes have fireplaces, but not all of them are fit to be used as they are because they have not been cleaned in so long that when you do try to use them, it fills the house with smoke. This can do a lot of damage to the inside of the home, including ruin the paint on your walls, your curtains, and discolor your carpet. It is also a health risk, since breathing this in is not good for anyone, but the elderly, people with allergies, pets, and children are especially affected. Fortunately, though, in most situations you can make a fire that will not smoke up your house without much trouble as long as you follow a few rules.
The damper of your chimney needs to be open before you do anything. Burn some paper or other easily combustible materials in the fireplace, because you want to warm the chimney up. Cold air in the chimney is will push the warm air down and cause the smoke to fill up the room.
Open up the windows in the house and make sure that there is enough air circulating to ignite the fire. A home that is insulated well might not have enough of a draft to allow the wood to catch on fire.
You should also have some fireplace bricks underneath the grill to add some more air circulation to the process. More draft in the fireplace will make it easier for the fire to ignite.
The top of the fireplace also needs to be cleaned out regularly, since anything that gets stuck in it like leaves, sticks, bird nests can keep the smoke from being able to escape and so it floods back into the house, which is exactly where you do not want it.
You should also have the fireplace cleaned by a professional cleaning service if possible, since a layer of creosote is likely built up on the inside of the chimney. This is a tar-like substance that results from burning wood in the fireplace and if your chimney has not been professionally cleaned before and you have lived in your house for many years, then it is time for it to be. Creosote can catch on fire and cause the whole house to burn down, so having it cleaned out is essential.
To keep your fireplace functioning the way that it should, you need to know how to use it and take care of it and by the time winter gets to you, you will be able to enjoy your fireplace once again.
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.
The damper of your chimney needs to be open before you do anything. Burn some paper or other easily combustible materials in the fireplace, because you want to warm the chimney up. Cold air in the chimney is will push the warm air down and cause the smoke to fill up the room.
Open up the windows in the house and make sure that there is enough air circulating to ignite the fire. A home that is insulated well might not have enough of a draft to allow the wood to catch on fire.
You should also have some fireplace bricks underneath the grill to add some more air circulation to the process. More draft in the fireplace will make it easier for the fire to ignite.
The top of the fireplace also needs to be cleaned out regularly, since anything that gets stuck in it like leaves, sticks, bird nests can keep the smoke from being able to escape and so it floods back into the house, which is exactly where you do not want it.
You should also have the fireplace cleaned by a professional cleaning service if possible, since a layer of creosote is likely built up on the inside of the chimney. This is a tar-like substance that results from burning wood in the fireplace and if your chimney has not been professionally cleaned before and you have lived in your house for many years, then it is time for it to be. Creosote can catch on fire and cause the whole house to burn down, so having it cleaned out is essential.
To keep your fireplace functioning the way that it should, you need to know how to use it and take care of it and by the time winter gets to you, you will be able to enjoy your fireplace once again.
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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