Why SERVPRO of Olive Branch & Marshall County

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

Your local SERVPRO in Olive Branch & Marshall County is ready for any size job that comes our way.  Did you receive water damage to your home, office, or even warehouse?  No problem!  We have the equipment (and enough of it) to handle whatever job you need us for.  Once we arrive on the scene we will quickly assess the situation and decide where to start and what to use.  We have a warehouse full of equipment, but some of the most common types that we use are listed below.

Detection Equipment - we have sensors that help us locate where the water could be hiding and other sensors that constantly monitor the moisture in the surrounding areas.

Extraction Equipment - these tools are used to start removing the liquid.  Think of everything from a wet/dry vacuum, all the way to one that hooks up to one of our trucks on site.  Yeah….it sucks. 

Air Movers - we use multiple-sized air movers (we won’t get upset if you call them fans) to start circulating the air and removing the remaining moisture.

SERVPRO of Olive Branch & Marshall County will be here for you, no matter how big the job is.  If water damage should happen to your property in the future, don’t hesitate (you don’t want the water sitting there either) to call the team at SERVPRO!

Tips On How To Prevent Home/Office Fires

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

Nobody wants to think about their home or office catching on fire.  Sometimes these things happen and they are totally out of our control, but there are a lot of things that we can do to help prevent them.

FEMA’s records show that just over half (50.2%) of residential fires are caused by cooking-related accidents.  The next three biggest reasons are Heating (9.3%), Electrical Malfunction (6.8%), and Intentional (4.5%).

Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent a house fire and protect your family.

Pay attention when cooking.  If you need to step out of the room, ask someone to watch the food until you get back, or turn off the stove and stop cooking.

Test your smoke alarms regularly.

Check the dryers’ airflow.  Pull the lint trap and clean it every time you dry a load of clothes.

Be careful with power cords and strips.  Attaching too many appliances to one power strip can draw more power than the cord is able to handle.  This can cause it to heat up and potentially catch on fire.

Store flammable products away from heat sources.

Place fire extinguishers in key locations around your house.  Make sure that everyone in the home knows how to properly use them.

If you need help after a fire, SERVPRO of Olive Branch & Marshall County is here to help.  We can replace the damaged areas, check your electrical system for any potential issues, and can even help you get that smoke smell out of your home.  

FEMA, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/#causesR

SERVPRO Commercial Services

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Olive Branch & Marshall County offers office disinfection services that are a step above cleaning with household chemicals.  The Center for Disease Control suggests hospital-grade cleaners that are able to kill certain bacteria.  It is extremely important to target the high-touch and high-traffic areas of your business.

The EPA defines the differences between Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfection as follows:

Cleaning - removes dirt and organic matter from surfaces using soap or detergents.

Sanitizing - kills bacteria on surfaces using chemicals.  It is not intended to kill viruses.

Disinfecting - kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces using chemicals.

Some of the most common places that need extra attention at your business are handles, keyboards, public tables, faucets, light switches, phones, desks, and probably everything in the break room.

Feel free to call SERVPRO of Olive Branch & Marshall County to set up a consultation on helping keep your office environment at its best.

EPA link - https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/what's-difference-between-products-disinfect-sanitize-and-clean-surfaces

CDC link - https://www.cdc.gov/

Dryer Lint Fire Prevention

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

While it is easy to forget to clear dryer lint between loads of laundry, this small oversight can have severe consequences. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are approximately 2,900 dryer-related fires each year, accounting for $35 million in property loss, five deaths, and 100 injuries. Additional facts include:

• 34% of people regularly fail to clean their dryers, making it the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires
• Dryer fires occur most prominently in the fall and winter, spiking in January

Keeping an eye on your dryer lint is an easy way to prevent fire damage to your home or business and keep yourself safe. This article outlines the ways dryer lint can pose a fire threat, how to safely ensure your dryer lint is regularly disposed of, and how SERVPRO^® can help if your dryer catches on fire.

What is Dryer Lint?

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, lint is defined as “Fuzz consisting especially of fine ravelings and short fibers of yarn and fabric.” In other words, it is the material that comes off clothing, towels, and other cloth during the drying process. If not regularly emptied between loads, your lint trap could become stuffed with lint to the point of being a hazard. Combined with the friction and heat of a dryer, fires could be triggered during routine laundry duties.

Dryer Vent vs. Lint Trap

Before we get into precautionary tips, it is important to outline the difference between two commonly confused parts of a dryer: a dryer vent, and a lint trap. So, what’s the difference?

This resource on Whirlpool’s website outlines the internal and external parts of a dryer. According to Whirlpool, a lint trap is “located either on the exterior of the dryer or the inside door opening. It collects lint and debris as it passes through the dryer vent.”

Allwords defines a dryer vent as “A vent connected to a clothes dryer that is used to screen lint and remove exhaust.”

Dryer Lint Fire Prevention Tips

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the following tips can help prevent dryer lint and other laundry-related fires:

• Every three months, clean lint out of the vent pipe
• Clean behind the dryer where lint can build up
• Use a nylon brush to clean the lint filter every six months (or more often) to prevent clogging
• Have a professional regularly inspect and clean your dryer, especially when it is taking longer than normal to dry
• Unplug or disconnect the dryer if you will be away for an extended period
• Ensure the area surrounding the dryer is free of materials that may catch fire

Furthermore, there are two things you shouldn’t do:

• Do not use a lint filter that is clogged, damaged, or loose
• Do not use a dryer without a lint filter

Ultimately, one of the easiest tips to remember (mentioned at the beginning of this article) bears repeating—clean out your lint trap between each load of laundry, and you will substantially reduce the chance of fire.

Storm Season doesn't end when Hurricane season does.

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

Even though storm season is wrapping up rather quickly, a nearby road overflow can cause significant issues in the ground levels of your property. Heavy rainfall results in sewer systems backing up and overflowing with contaminated Black Water. Due to the potentially harmful effects of Black Water, it is essential to hire a professional, qualified technician to help repair and restore your property safely. Indeed, many of your possessions can be salvaged by using professional cleaning equipment promptly.

Where there is Flood Damage in SERVPRO® of Olive Branch & Marshall County homes, the likelihood of contaminants being spread around the home is high. In the circumstances, it is not uncommon for our technicians to wear Hazmat suits to protect themselves from pathogens during the cleanup operation. We may also have to remove sections of drywall to clean in and behind walls, floors, and fittings. Left behind debris is not only odorous but has the potential to be harmful if not dealt with thoroughly.

For owners who find themselves in this position, it is only natural to immediately assume the worst, especially where personal possessions are concerned. Here at SERVPRO®ofOlive Branch & Marshall County,  we always work with a restore over replace mentality. Unlike other providers, our services are geared toward salvaging as much as possible. We enable our technicians to achieve this by providing them with state-of-the-art cleaning equipment and technology.

We can assess items immediately on-site to decide which possessions are salvageable and which need disposal. Generally speaking, porous materials absorb black water making them exceptionally difficult to clean; this could include your carpets or curtains. However, where they are valuable fabrics, we can send them to a specialized facility for mechanical cleaning using Esporta washing machines. This equipment is expensive because they are advanced. However, SERVPROOlive Branch & Marshall County provides technicians with everything they need to restore items rather than replace them.

Floods are considerable emergencies which is why SERVPRO training involves a rapid-response unit as well as a 24-hour emergency call line. Our skilled specialists are local to the area and can reach you fast to help mitigate loss and reduce the risk of permanent damage.

In an emergency, contact the SERVPRO professionals right away!