4 Tips for Preventing Dryer Fires

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

There are many ways for a fire to break out in a home in Minneapolis, MN. One overlooked location is the dryer. There are a number of ways for a dryer fire to develop. Nearly 3,000 of these fires are reported every year, and they result in over $35 million in property damage annually. Fortunately, with some routine maintenance, you should not have to worry as much about a lint fire forming.

1. Keep the Top of the Dryer Free of Any Debris

In the event a fire does break out in your laundry room, you do not want to give it more fuel that could cause it to spread to other areas of your home. Therefore, do not leave anything on top of your dryer. This includes clothing, boxes and books. You also want to keep the areas behind and around the dryer clear.

2. Clean Out the Lint Screen After Every Load

A good habit to get into is to clean the lint screen before every use. After a while, you will start doing it without thinking about it. Even a small amount of material in the system can result in a lint fire. To remind you, you should keep a small wastebasket in your laundry room.

3. Clean the Vent Line Regularly

You should detach your vent line once in a while and make sure it is not getting clogged up by lint or various pieces of debris. If you are unsure of what to look for in the vent, then you should consider hiring a professional to come out and take a look at it.

4. Inspect the Vent Hose

Another component to examine regularly is the vent hose. If your current hose is not made out of aluminum, then you should replace it with one that is. You want the hose to be as short as possible to reduce the likelihood of it getting crushed and potentially starting a lint fire.

How To Save Personal Items After a Fire

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

How To Save Personal Items After a Fire

Cleaning up your home after a fire is not an easy task. Not only may you have lost personal belongings to the flames, but smoke leaves an acrid scent behind that is incredibly difficult to remove. Regardless of the type of content storage you use, chances are the odor has become attached to nearly every item in your house. When you begin the long task of content cleaning, utilizing dry cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning may be able to remove the odor from your home.

Dry Cleaning

Clothes, bedding, curtains, and any other kind of fabric can absorb the smoke smell, and the odor will not come out with a regular washer and dryer. Having any porous item dry cleaned can help remove the smell and get the items back to smelling fresh. A professional company uses a special solvent and a method called extraction to remove the water. This process is much more effective at removing the smell of smoke from porous items than any other kind of cleaning.

Ultrasonic Cleaning

For nonporous items, you need a different method of cleaning. Many personal items are nonporous, as are many building fixtures, including those on the following list.

Some furniture
Walls
Counters
Storage containers
Doors

For a thorough cleansing, try ultrasonic cleaning. This method involves blasting the item with a special solution that contains millions of microscopic bubbles. As the bubbles pop, they release intense heat and pressure, cleaning nonporous items quickly, and efficiently removing the smell of smoke.

When dealing with the aftermath of a fire, your first instinct may be to discard any item that smells like smoke. Unfortunately, the odor penetrates nearly every item it comes in contact with, but your possessions and content storage can almost always be saved. Different types of content cleaning such as dry cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning may be effective in saving many of your personal belongings from the unpleasant odor of smoke. Visit https://www.SERVPROnortheastminneapolis.com/  for more information on fire damage.

Winter Checklist

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

Temperatures are just going to get colder and colder as we enter into the winter months. By following this checklist, you ensure that your family and you will be safe while spending more time in your home. 

Turning off the space heater

Alliant Energy has mentioned that customers should expect an increase in utility bills this winter as the gas price has increased since last year. Many consumers are looking at alternatives to counteract the rise by looking into other heating alternatives such as space heaters."

Cutting the bottom of the Christmas Tree's trunk

If you're like me, you might have a family tradition of going out to the local Christmas tree farm to pick out the best-looking tree. During our first year of having a real tree, my family learned the importance of cutting off a part of the trunk. This is critical because the sap will harden the bottom of the trunk, especially as it sits on the lot. When the sap hardens, the tree can't absorb any moisture from the stand. This causes the needles to dry out, making them very flammable. 

Blowing out candles

Don't you love going down the isles and smelling all of the new season scents; Bourbon Pecan, Pumpkin Pie, or Evergreen are some of the best. When you mix in these longer, cooler nights, all you really want to do is snuggle up the couch with all of your favorite scents. When you forget to blow out the candles, which is an accident waiting to happen. This is because pets, especially cats, are rebellious and knock things off the counter. When using candles, you should use a candle warmer to help lessen the chance of a fire-related accident. Another practice that you should keep in mind is the 3-foot radius rule, which means you should move anything flammable away from the candle when in use. 

Getting your chimney cleaned

Getting your chimney checked and cleaned is something that everyone likes to cut corners around. When a chimney settles during the summer, it becomes a perfect home for creatures such as birds, squirrels, and sometimes raccoons. Another risk you run into is that by not cleaning the chimney, there is a chance that gases can enter your home. 

By making it an effort to check off the list, you ensure that your home is prepared for the colder months ahead.