Month: July 2018

5 Household Items Considered Hazardous Waste

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When an item is considered hazardous waste, that means it can be ignitable, explosive, corrosive, or toxic. This means that if hazardous waste is discarded in a trash can like any other item, it may cause a reaction that can compromise your safety. Therefore, you’ll want to be aware of what items are considered hazardous waste. And believe it or not, some of your household items may fit this criterion.

The experts at RestoPros would like to inform Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners on 5 household  hazardous waste examples.

1. Mothballs

Mothballs are small, chemical-filled balls that are used to repel certain pests and mold from a given area. And you’ll typically find them scattered in closets and attics. But while their function may seem useful at first – they contain enough pesticides and chemicals to be considered hazardous waste.

Mothballs can contain two active chemicals – naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene. Both chemicals are considered hazardous waste and must not be discarded in the trash can or flushed down the drain. Additionally, mothballs should never be placed within reach of pets or children. If consumed, they should be taken to a medical facility immediately.

2. Furniture Polish

Furniture polish can be a very toxic concoction. It’s made of several different polishing agents, solvents, and hydrocarbons. And if accidentally consumed, even in small amounts, emergency medical attention is quickly needed. Simply inhaling furniture polish can also lead to headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Due to this high toxicity, furniture polish is considered hazardous waste.

Usually, the manufacturer will provide instructions for proper disposal on the product’s labeling. If not found, research the manufacturer’s website to see if any instructions are available.

3. Glass Cleaner

Most glass cleaners contain very potent cleaning agents. And while it may be able to remove stains off glass surfaces more thoroughly, it can also be toxic, flammable, and corrosive. Glass cleaners tend to contain isopropyl alcohol, ethanolamine, and butyl glycol. These chemicals, especially ethanolamine, can be highly reactive if mixed with other chemicals. Therefore, it’s important to take considerable caution and find the right disposal procedures for glass cleaners.

4. Drain Cleaner

Drain cleaners can contain strong acids as their active ingredients. The common chemicals found are lye and sodium hydroxide. But you can also find drain cleaners containing potassium hydroxide. All these chemicals are highly corrosive, with sodium hydroxide even able to be explosive if mixed with certain metals.

5. Batteries

Certain batteries can contain the same chemical found in some drain cleaners – potassium hydroxide. And if a disposed battery containing potassium hydroxide gets punctured or damaged while in the trash, this chemical can leak. Potassium hydroxide can cause severe burns on the skin and eyes if contacted, as well as being corrosive and reactive to water. Therefore, you’ll want to research the type of batteries before discarding them, and follow any additional instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Help improve the safety of your home by knowing which household items are considered hazardous waste. And contact RestoPros if your Dallas/Ft. Worth home ever requires professional hazard cleanup services. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started.

Related Links:

Household Hazardous Waste Collection for Dallas County Residents

Household Hazardous Waste – Environmental Protection Agency

How to Avoid Water Damage in the Kitchen

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There are two areas in a home which use the most water: the bathroom and kitchen. And since we’ve previously discussed preventing bathroom mold and moisture, we now want to help Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners on preventing water damage in the kitchen. After all, kitchens are where we cook, clean, and eat, making water damage the last thing we want in there!

The experts at RestoPros have detailed a guide below on how to avoid water damage in the kitchen. Be sure to follow this guide to better protect your Dallas/Ft. Worth home.

Avoid Putting Certain Items Down the Drain

Not all organic material can go down the drain of your kitchen sink. Items such as fat, oil, and grease may seem fine at first if they’re a liquid. But once cooled down they solidify, which can clog up the plumbing and further cause leakage and eventually water damage. In general, avoid putting any oils down your drain (which includes greasy protein and vegetable scraps.

Additionally, you want to avoid putting any fibrous, starchy, or durable food waste down the drain. Items such as eggshells, pasta, rice, celery stalks, and fruit pits can all clog your drain, as well as damage your garbage disposal.

Clean Spills as Quickly as Possible

The more a spill lingers, the higher the chance it can cause water damage. If you spill any liquid in the kitchen, you’ll want to clean it up as soon as possible. Spills left unattended will begin to soak into porous surfaces such as wood and drywall. And once the surface becomes too damp, water damage can occur.

The best way to clean up water spills is by using an absorbent cleaning material such as a towel or rag. After soaking up all the water, be sure to pat down the stain with paper towels to remove any leftover moisture.

Inspect Your Plumbing Regularly

Every now and then, look at your kitchen’s plumbing for any drips, leaks or damaged pipes. Malfunctioning plumbing can be hidden, and water could be seeping into your cabinets and drawers without you even knowing. Therefore, you’ll want to regularly keep an eye on your kitchen’s plumbing, which includes your refrigerator if it has a water/ice component.

Wash Dishes More Carefully

When washing dishes, set your faucet to a lower pressure. Too much water pressure will cause water to bounce off dishes and onto other areas of your kitchen. This can lead to water soaking into walls, cabinets, and other areas.

If you use a dishwasher, remove any large food chunks and waste from your dishes before filling the racks. This helps prevent bits of food from clogging the water pipes, which can lead to a leaking dishwasher. Additionally, only use dishwasher soap for the dishwasher. Regular dish soap is not compatible with dishwashers and can also cause your dishwasher to leak.

Protect your kitchen from water damage by following these prevention tips! If you’ve discovered water damage in your kitchen, or any other part of your Dallas/Ft. Worth home, contact RestoPros for our water damage restoration services. Give us call at 855-587-3786 to have our leading experts restore your home from water damage.

Related Links:

Water Damage – Cleanup and Mold Prevention – Environmental Protection Agency

Handling Water Damage Claims – Texas Department of Insurance

Treating Swimming Pool Mold and Algae

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If your Dallas/Ft. Worth home has a swimming pool, it’s probably seen a fair amount of usage over the summer. After all, temperatures for the metroplex have been reaching the triple digits, so spending several days in your swimming pool is a common go-to solution for beating the heat. However, with this extra usage comes a higher need to clean it, especially if you’ve discovered swimming pool mold and algae.

Mold and algae are both self-reproducing organisms that can infest your swimming pool. Their growth can be the result of several causes with your swimming pool such as chemical imbalances, improper water circulation, no filtration, and other maintenance-related issues. And since mold and algae thrive on warm temperatures, summer is their preferred time to grow. Therefore, it’s important to know about treating swimming pool mold and algae.

RestoPros has detailed a step-by-step guide on this process below for Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners.

Remove all Pool Items and Sanitize Them

Pool toys and accessories used in mold or algae-infested water should be regarded as contaminated. Remove all pool items from the water and sanitize them using bleach and a soft scrubber. Be sure to wash any used swimwear as well. If you feel bleach is too strong, try using white vinegar instead.

Vacuum the Pool

Once pool items have been removed, it’s time to vacuum the pool. You will need a pool vacuum hose, pool vacuum head, and a pool pole to do this. Once assembled and connected, you’ll then want to switch your pool’s valve to the “waste” setting. Finding this setting is dependent on your pool’s valve type. But for multiport valves there should be a handle position with a “waste” setting. Begin vacuuming the bottom of the pool to start removing lingering mold or algae. Be quick, as the water levels will be dropping!

Scrub All Noticeable Spots on the Pool’s Sides

After vacuuming as much of the mold or algae as possible, you’ll then want to start scrubbing away all the mold or algae spots you see on the sides of the pool. Be sure to use a brush with firm bristles that stay intact underwater. Scrub away stains as thoroughly as you can.

Note: Do NOT use bleach as a cleaning agent to scrub the pool. Bleach mixed with chlorine creates a deadly gas that can seriously harm you.

Test Your Pool’s pH Levels

After scrubbing, you’ll then want to test your pool’s pH levels. pH levels show whether your pool is considered acidic or basic. Any pH level below 7 is considered an acid, while levels above 7 are considered a base. Generally, your swimming pool should be within 7.4-7.6, as this keeps chlorine levels high enough to kill mold and algae without being harmful to your body.  You can find pH level testing kits at almost any department store. Once pH levels have been measured, adjust your chlorine levels if necessary to fit within the 7.4-7.6 range. This should help eliminate what’s left of the mold or algae.

Protect your swimming pool for the summer by knowing how to treat swimming pool mold and algae! If you’ve noticed a mold infestation in your home, you’ll want to contact RestoPros for our mold remediation services. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to have Dallas/Ft. Worth’s leading mold-removal experts treat your mold problem.

Related Links:

Healthy and Safe Swimming – CDC

Disinfection & Testing – CDC

4 Summer Mold Prevention Tips

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During the summer, Dallas/Ft. Worth residents are usually more concerned about beating the heat than preventing mold. But it’s easy to forget that mold requires warmth, moisture, and shade to grow. And with summer weather bringing both heat and humidity, mold has a higher chance of infesting your home if you’re not practicing summer mold prevention.

Not sure how to keep mold from growing in your residence? Let RestoPros guide you! We have detailed 4 summer mold prevention tips for your Dallas/Ft. Worth home.

1. Keep Home Humidity Levels Low

As described, mold seeks humidity as one if its requirements to grow. And if your home’s humidity levels are too high, mold can more easily spawn and reproduce. Therefore, it’s important to maintain your home’s humidity levels for the summer. Below are a few tips to help achieve this:

  • Purchase a use a hygrometer to measure your home’s humidity. Generally, you’ll want to keep humidity levels between 40-60%.
  • Consider opening a door or window when humidity levels are high.
  • Utilize a dehumidifier to absorb and reduce moisture.
  • Run the exhaust fan in your bathroom after a bath or shower to prevent moisture build-up.
  • Run ceiling fans on high speed to air out any nearby moisture (use this also to save money on air conditioning!)

2. Keep Your Home Clean

Summer is the time for cookouts, barbecues, and pool parties. And while all these activities are staples for the season, the mess afterwards isn’t something you want sticking around. It’s important to clean your home as thoroughly as possible during the summer. Messiness can lead to dampness, and when it’s coupled with the summer heat it can create a suitable habitat for mold.

Be sure to clean any spill or stain immediately, and remove any food packages, cups, and other trash to avoid further surface contamination. Additionally, opt for using a natural mold cleaner to help boost the strength of your cleaning.

3. Maintain Home Temperature

Mold grows best when temperatures are above 75 degrees. So, it’s best to keep your home’s temperature below this amount to help prevent mold from growing. We recommend using both your AC and ceiling fan to achieve this temperature. Not only will this maximize cold air distribution, you’ll also be saving energy compared to just using the AC.

4. Air Dry Wet Clothes/Towels Before Storing Them

After hitting up the pool or water park, our first instinct is usually to throw our wet clothes and towels in the hamper and head for a nap. However, this is entirely not recommended, as the bundling of wet clothing and towels in a hamper creates the perfect environment for mold growth.

You’ll want to dry your wet clothes and towels before storing them. We recommend doing this via air drying, as the summer heat should remove the moisture in no time!

Maintain your Dallas/Ft. Worth home for the season by following our summer mold prevention tips. And if you have discovered mold infesting your home, contact RestoPros for our mold remediation services. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started.

Related Links

Why and Where Mold Grows – Environmental Protection Agency