Christmas Fire Safety Tips

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Its the “most wonderful time of the year”, but also one of the most dangerous times of the year for house fires.  Here are some tips to avoid a fire in your home this holiday season.

 

Candles

According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), 4 out of the 5 days most dangerous for candle house fires are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.  1/3 of these fires start in a bedroom.  More than half are due to the candles being too close to flammable materials.

  • Consider flameless LED candles
  • Keep lit candles at least 12″ from any flammable items
  • Have secure & sturdy bases for each candle
  • Blow out candles before going to bed and before leaving home
  • Never leave a candle burning in a child’s bedroom or unoccupied room
  • Don’t have candles close to where kids can knock them over

Cooking

Cooking is the top cause for house fires.  According to the NFPA, 40% of cooking fires start from leaving pots or pans unattended to do something for “just a minute”.

  • Don’t leave cooking food unattended
  • Have fire extinguisher in an easy-to-reach location in the kitchen
  • If deep-frying turkey, do it OUTSIDE on a flat/level surface AT LEAST 10 feet from home and not under any portion of home or trees.
  • Don’t throw water on a grease fire.  Instead, put a lid on the pan to smother fire.
  • If oven flares up, turn off oven and keep oven door shut until fire extinguishes itself

Christmas Trees

Christmas tree fires are obviously more common during the holidays.  It takes less than 30 seconds for a dry tree to go up in flames and engulf the entire room.  Christmas tree fires cause an average of $18.3 million dollars in damage each year.  The reasons for most Christmas tree fires are a dry tree. electrical failures/lights, and being too close to fireplace or candles.

  • Buy a fresh tree and water EVERY day (when lights are OFF)
  • Dispose of dry Christmas tree quickly (usually dries at a month)
  • Consider buying a fake Christmas tree that is flame-retardant
  • Turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed
  • Check lights before adding to tree for any electrical issues
  • Keep tree away from heat sources like fireplace, wood stove, or open flames

Children playing with fire

The NFPA states that an average of 7,100 house fires each year are started by children.  Younger children under 6 years old are more likely to start a house fire INSIDE the home, while older kids are more likely to start a fire outside the house.

  • Keep matches and lighters AWAY from children
  • Teach children fire safety
  • Supervise children closely, especially near open flames

Electrical Lights

There are a variety of origins for electrical light fires.  More than half of electrical & lighting house fires are due to wiring.  This time of year, there are more fires due to Christmas decorative lighting.  Hope these tips help reduce risk for your home.

  • Don’t overload the circuit
  • Don’t string more than 3 light strands together
  • Use outside cords for outside use and inside cords for inside
  • Turn off Christmas lights when leaving home or going to bed
  • Have electrician perform an annual checkup of your home’s wiring
  • Avoid using nails or staples to hang up outside lights

Fireplaces

Make sure to have your fireplace ready for Santa AND safe for everyone in your home.

  • Have chimney inspected BEFORE lighting fireplace each season
  • Add screen in front of fireplace to avoid embers from popping out to flammable materials
  • Never use flammable liquids to start fire
  • Only burn seasoned wood, no wrapping paper
  • When cleaning out fireplace, put embers in metal container and set outside to cool at least 24 hours before disposal

Smoking

Fires caused by smoking has an average of 17,600 house fires and 490 related deaths.  More than half of the deaths are 65 years old or older.

  • If smoking, consider smoking outside
  • Use large sturdy ashtrays
  • Don’t smoke when tired or in bed
  • Don’t smoke around medical oxygen

 

At Pure Cleaning & Restoration, we specialize in fire, water damage restoration and smoke and odor cleaning. We have specialized equipment, specific training, and certifications that allow us restore your home to pre-fire condition. We understand you may be feeling stressed, and worried. Our technicians will treat your family with empathy and your home with great care.  Call/text us at 801-750-2928.

 

This article is provided for your convenience; it is not intended as insurance advice or otherwise. 

 

Avoid SCARY Home Damage this Winter

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Winter is coming….

Here are some ways to avoid SCARY damage to your home this winter!  At Pure Cleaning & Restoration, we repair many homes each winter that could’ve been prevented.  We hope this list helps prevent damage to your home for the cold months to come.

  • Stow away your lawnmower.  Add fuel stabilizer to keep gas from deteriorating the internal engine parts.  Make sure to run mower for 5 minutes so stabilizer can reach carburetor.
  • Turn off outside water.  Detach all hoses, drain them, and store for winter.
  • Drain sprinkler system.  Turn off water at main valve and automatic controller.  Open drain valves to drain water from the system.  Remove, shake out, and replace sprinkler heads.
  • Clean out gutters.  Replace any damage gutters or downspouts.  Downspouts should aim at least 5 feet away from home to prevent water damage to foundation.
  • Inspect roof.  Check for any broken, damaged, or loose shingles.  Get replaced if needed.  Verify there isn’t any damage to flashing.
  • Caulk exterior of home.  Get a couple tubes of color-matching caulk and fill into any cracks around your home, paying attention to windows, door frames, and where pipes come in/out of home.
  • Get furnace serviced.  Replace filter every 3 months.
  • Check your fireplace.  Make sure damper opens/shuts and there are no obstructions.  Chimney should be cleaned out every couple years.

 

Have a safe winter!  Remember Pure Cleaning & Restoration if you do have any damage to your home.  Our professional restoration services are quick to respond and able to fix any damage.  Our technicians will treat your family with empathy and your home with great care.  801-750-2928

 

Fall Cleaning Checklist

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Weather is getting cooler, leaves are changing colors, days are getting shorter, and your house needs some extra cleaning before winter.  Here is a free Fall Cleaning Checklist from your Utah Carpet Cleaners, Pure Cleaning & Restoration Services.  Remember, we provide cleaning services that can help speed up your Fall Cleaning along with improving the cleanliness and air quality.  We can help with cleaning carpets, upholstery, rugs, hard floors, tile/grout, windows, air ducts, and restoration services from mold, fire, and water.

Enjoy this list!  Feel free to share with your friends!

 

Download here:  pure-cleaning-fall-checklist

20 Things You Should CLEAN More

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Here are 20 Things you should CLEAN more often in your home!  Many of these things get overlooked but can be essential in keeping your home clean and reducing allergens/bacteria for your family’s health.  Please feel free to SHARE this list to your friends & family!

  1. Wooden cutting boards: Try using salt & lemon to reduce odor.  Try not to use wooden cutting boards for raw meat.  Use anti-bacterial soap and scrub.
  2. Kitchen sponge: Don’t leave in sink, let air dry on counter or dish.  Wash with soap, replace every 2 weeks.  Or use a Norwex cleaning cloth that kills the bacteria due to the silver within the cloth and can be cleaned with very hot water.
  3. Walls/baseboards:  Wash down every few months
  4. Bathtub toys/ kids toys:  fill a bucket with warm water + 1/2 cup white vinegar and let soak in for 10 minutes then gently clean off with cloth or sponge.
  5. Under your oven:  pull out the bottom drawer, vacuum, and clean floor
  6. Refrigerator Condenser Coil:  Use vacuum attachment 1-2x per year
  7. Under your couch/chairs:  Move your couches & chairs and vacuum/clean carpet underneath.  Try to push away furniture when carpet cleaner comes.
  8. Your mop:  Detach & put in washing machine
  9. Light switches:  Use cloth with mild soap & warm water to wipe down.  If very dirty, remove plates and clean separately.
  10. Door knobs:  Wipe down with anti-bacterial soap & wet cloth
  11. Remote Control: Use Norwex cloth or Q-tips dipped in rubbing alcohol to get buttons
  12. Cell Phone: Clean daily with anti-bacterial cloth
  13. Your computer/laptop:  Dust weekly, use spray & cloth that is safe for screen, turn keyboard upside down & spray with condensed air can, clean sides of keys with Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol)
  14. Front door area:  Wipe down this whole area to remove dirt, cobwebs, and grime.
  15. Wooden chairs/ stools:  Wipe down the legs of the chairs and stools with a warm wash cloth + mild soap.
  16. Dishwasher:  run empty with a dishwasher-safe cup filled with white vinegar on the top rack.  Then run dishwasher again with a cup full of baking soda sprinkled on bottom of dishwasher and run with HOT water.
  17. Mattress:  Put 1 cup of baking soda in mason jar with 4 drops of lavender essential oil.  With kitchen strainer, sprinkle mixture directly to mattress.   Leave on there for an hour.  Then vacuum up with attachment.
  18. Bed Pillows:  Check cleaning instructions, clean in washing machine.
  19. Bathroom mats:  Clean in washing machine in HOT water along with a few towels then tumble dry low.
  20. CARPETS:  With all the foot traffic, dust, pets, & germs – the Carpets gather a huge amount of dirt & bacteria.  Get your carpets professionally cleaned to improve life of the carpet and for a better clean.  We would love if you used us at Pure Carpet Cleaning, give us a call at 801-750-2928.

Top 7 Ways to Avoid Home Water Damage

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Water Damage in your home can be very frustrating and costly.  We have helped many Utah residents with water damage restoration and have come across some top reasons that the damage occurred.  Here are the Top  7 Ways to Avoid Home Water Damage:

Broken pipes – Its a good idea to inspect all the pipes and hoses in your home.  Look for wear and tear that could bring damage soon.  Replace old pipes and hoses with PVC piping, metal braided washing machine lines, and copper pipes.  This will lower risk of water leaks or bursts.  Get a plumber or replace hoses on your own.

Accidents – There are many accidents that can happen ranging from overfilling the bathtub or a misuse of shower curtain.  Keep an eye on running water and kids using water.  Re-caulk shower/bathtub areas.

Broken/plugged toilets – Once per year, check your toilet for any worn or damaged materials.

Home Appliance leaks – Check the hoses of your home appliances including refrigerator water lines, dishwasher, laundry machine, and water heater.  Check hoses and if they look worn, replace them.  For dishwashers, look under sink to make sure hose connection is secure and then check base of dishwasher for any possible leaking.  Fridges with ice maker, check hose connection attached to water supply.  For sinks, re-caulk around sink.

Heavy Storms–  Even though we live in a “desert” climate in Utah, big rain storms happen and can cause flooding in basements or leaking through windows.  During/After a big storm, make sure to check basements for possible flooding.  Its important to get the water removed quickly to avoid significant damage.

Sewer back up –  Tree roots invading and clogging drain lines can cause sewer back up. Buy a sport “enzyme” drain treatment that can be flushed on a monthly basis during Spring and Summer months when tree roots grow most prolifically.

Sprinkler lines – Check all sprinkler heads for possible malfuntions, inspect spigot /house bib on side of home, watch sprinklers run to make sure water is spreading evenly, make sure no area of lawn is extra soggy/watered as that area may have a sprinkler leak.

 

If water damage does occur, give us a call at Pure Cleaning & Restoration.  We utilize fast-dry techniques to quickly clean up the mess to prevent mold growth, and get your home or office back to normal as quickly as possible. Contacting us as soon as the water damage is discovered is very important, because fast cleanup minimizes the long-term damage from the water. We will use tools to detect unseen moisture, which will insure to properly dry all affected areas. Once we begin the cleanup process, we will focus on extracting the water to prevent the water from spreading. We will also setup high powered air movers that are used to dry out the area.

Click HERE to learn more about our Water Damage Restoration Services in Utah.

Non-Toxic Products you can make to Clean your Home

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There are so many cleaning products that you can buy at the store that are chalked FULL of harmful chemicals and toxins!  Some of the “green” products are advertised as safe, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) doesn’t require disclosure of all ingredients.

We have created a list of SAFE non-toxic products that YOU can make to clean your home!! Not only are they safe, but they are also very effective.

So get some empty spray bottles and start mixing!

Mirror Cleaner

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
  • 5 drops peppermint essential oil
    • Combine & mix in spray bottle. Spray & wipe with dry soft cloth.

-OR-

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Rust Remover

  • Saturate paper towels or rags with white vinegar and lay on top of fixtures.  Let sit for 15 minutes and then rub.  Rinse, and repeat if necessary.

Disinfecting Toilet Bowl Cleaner

  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 10 drops tea tree oil
    • Combine ingredients directly into toilet, it will fizz.  Let sit for 5-15 minutes then scrub with toilet brush and flush.

Soap Scum Remover

  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup Borax
  • 2 cups hot water
    • Mix in spray bottle.  Shake and spray surfaces thoroughly.  Let sit up to 15 minutes and use Magic Eraser sponge to clean.  Rinse and wipe dry.

Oven Cleaner

  • Spray bottle with mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water
  • Coarse salt
  • Baking soda
    • Remove racks.  Spray entire oven with mixture.  Sprinkle baking soda all over then add thick layer of salt on top of baking soda.  Spray again with mixture.  Let sit overnight then scrub with sponge.  Spray again with mixture to help clean out then wipe with rags or paper towels.

Weed Killer

  • 1 gallon white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup liquid dish soap
  • 1/4 cup salt
    • Mix then add into empty spray bottle

Kitchen & Bathroom Disinfectant

  • 20 drops lemon (citrus limon)
  • 20 drops orange (citrus sinensis)
  • 20 drops grapefruit (citrus paradisi)
    • Blend essential oils in 16oz spray bottle filled with 14oz water and 2oz white vinegar.  Spray freely and wipe with towel or sponge.  Make fresh every few weeks.

All-purpose cleaner

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 10 drops tea tree oil
    • Mix in spray bottle.  Kills bacteria and mold.  Don’t use on marble or travertine.

Silverware Cleaner for silver and stainless

  • Soak silverware in full strength white vinegar, rinse with water and dry

Souring Cleanser for pots/pans

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon dish soap
  • Add white vinegar to make paste

Wood cutting board sanitizer

  • Wipe with full strength white vinegar OR rub with cut lemon

Disposal freshener

  • Cut narrow lemon slices and grind up in disposal

Norwex Products

We use Norwex products in our home also because they are non-toxic, safe, and it makes cleaning so much faster!! We especially love the EnviroCloth, Window Cloth (say good-bye to window/mirror streaks!), Cleaning Paste, Laundry detergent, and the Mop Collection.  Click HERE to view products.

Cleanest, Healthiest Water

Find out how to produce the BEST drinking water (which can also be used for cleaning) on this website http://www.ninepointfive.com and watch their video to learn more.  Even bottled water has bad chemicals in it, from the plastic, that is harmful for our bodies.  Learn more HERE.

 

Also, keep in mind, we use non-toxic chemicals for our CARPET CLEANING as well!  Regular Carpet Cleaning keeps your home safer from toxins and bacteria along with making your carpets look beautiful!  Contact us to schedule your next carpet cleaning, 801-750-2928.

10 Reasons why you need Carpet Cleaning Regularly

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“Why do I need carpet cleaning year-round?”

 

 

We hear this question often.  Here are the Top 10 Reasons why you need carpet cleaning more regularly in your home or office!

 

  1. Protects indoor air quality of your home.  Carpets trap airborne pollutants.  Indoor air quality can be 8-10 times worse than outdoor air quality if you don’t clean your carpets regularly.
  2. Extends the life of your carpet.  Flooring can be very expensive with materials and installation.  Carpet Cleaning protects your investment.
  3. Removes stains and prevents old stains.  Old stains are harder to remove when you skip regular carpet cleaning.
  4. Prevents buildup of allergens and bacteria.  This can be very unhealthy for your family.  Millions of people suffer from indoor allergens.  To avoid this, professionals say to get carpets cleaned every 6 months or 4-6 weeks if you have a pet.
  5. Makes vacuuming more effective.  With regular carpet cleaning, vacuuming your floors at least once per week will keep abrasive dust particles out of your carpet.  Make sure to vacuum SLOWLY!
  6. Looks great!  Clean carpet speaks volumes to the cleanliness of the home or office space.
  7. Prevents the worn out high-traffic areas.  Professionals say to get high-traffic areas cleaned every 2-3 months.
  8. Feels good on your feet!  Clean carpet feels good to walk on, play on, roll around on….
  9. Removes dust mites and bedbugs – making for a healthier night’s rest!  Carpet cleaning regularly will help get rid of these nasty buggers.
  10. Maintains warranty on your carpet.  Most carpet warranties require professional carpet cleaning every 12-18 months as a minimum to keep your warranty valid.

 

Professional Carpet Cleaning vs Rental Carpet Cleaning Machines

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Many have asked us, “What is so bad about using rental machines?” To begin with, the cleaning solutions used in those machines are low quality and not always the safest. The “soap” suds get trapped in the carpet fibers which cause the fibers to attract more soil into the carpet…..defeats the purpose right? Why would you want to spend all this time and energy cleaning the carpets on your own when it will cause your carpets to get dirty faster? Not only does it cause the fibers to attract the soil but it also damages your fibers. In the long run it will cause your carpets to wear out faster. We have personally seen this, high quality carpets in customer’s homes that are not that old look worn out. So thinking that you are saving money by not hiring professional is actually the opposite. All carpets are different. One size fits all is not the way to go for carpet cleaning. Investing a little in getting them cleaned properly will help your carpets last longer and stay cleaner for longer period of time.

Pure Cleaning Spot and Stain Remover

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We recently started promoting our own product that helps remove stains from carpets and upholstery.

Some of our customers have been in situation where they had recently gotten their carpets cleaned by us and had an unexpected accident. One of them had their dog walk in the house with mud and another one had grease brought in by a family member. We wanted to have a product available to help with those situations. The awesome thing about our product is that it has 6 different accreditations for safety and it is non-toxic. Having a spot and stain remover on hand will help maintain your carpet and upholstery in between our cleaning appointments.