Month: August 2018

4 Ways to Control Clutter in Your Home

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control clutter in your home

How many times have you left something uncleaned or messy in your home, thinking “I’ll worry about it tomorrow”? But when tomorrow comes, that same phrase is repeated, and eventually you’ve sort of put yourself in an endless cycle. This has happened to almost everyone, especially when their focus is cluttered by work or school.

While RestoPros understands that Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners may not have all the time in the world to deep-clean their homes, we do recommend practicing proactive cleanliness. Cluttered homes only get dirtier as time progresses, and they can eventually be victim to mold growth if they go unmanaged.

We have detailed 4 tips to control clutter in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home.

1. Have Specific Locations for Each Item

Organization is one of the key solutions for a messy home. Creating designated spaces for important documents, office supplies, tools, cables, and other items makes finding items easier. This also helps prevent clutter in your home.

2. Donate Items You No Longer Use or Want

Don’t hold onto items, thinking they’ll be of some use later. If you haven’t used it in three months to a year, it’s time for it to go. Consider selling these items, giving them away to friends or family, or donating them.

Donating valuables such as clothes, blankets, pillows, movies, video games, canned food, or even electronics can be a great way to both give to those in need and reduce clutter in your home. Additionally, donating is easy to do. Just find local center that accepts your valuables.

3. Clean Messes as Soon as They Occur

Right now, your first habit when a mess is made might be to put cleaning off until later. Create a new habit: Clean the mess as soon as it’s made. Cleaning the mess in that moment may seem draining, but it creates less trouble for you in the long-run.

The longer you wait to clean a mess, the worse it can become. A simple dirty dish can lead to a pile-up in the sink, which may take several hours to clean if you’re doing it by hand. Save time and create a cleaner living space with this new habit.

4. Minimize Paper Usage

A few small piles of paper can turn into stacks upon stacks of unorganized documents if you’re not careful.

We recommend minimizing your paper usage as much as possible to help avoid clutter. This can be done by switching to digital filing for most situations that require paper, such as receipts, monthly newsletters, bank statements, and other documents.

Help reduce clutter in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home by following these tips! And if you’ve discovered any instance of mold while removing clutter, contact RestoPros for our mold remediation services. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started.

Related Links

Quick Tips to Stop Hoarding Before it Starts – The Spruce

Healthier Homes Lead to Healthier Families – City of Fort Worth, Texas

 

5 Common Mold Growth Areas in Your Home

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Ever wonder where you might commonly find mold in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home? There are several different areas, the most of which have a close proximity to a water source. It’s important you’re aware of these common places, as keeping out a watchful eye will help prevent the growth and spreading of mold before it becomes out of control.

RestoPros has assembled a guide on the 5 common mold growth areas of a home.

1. The Bathroom

Bathrooms are where we use water the most. And mold thrives in areas that are moist, humid, and dark. This unfortunately means a bathroom is more vulnerable to mold growth than other areas of your home.

After a long shower or bath, the leftover moisture can coat the walls and mirrors of your bathroom. And if you didn’t run your exhaust fan to help remove the moisture, porous surfaces such as drywall and wood will begin to soak and allow for mold growth.

Additionally, bathrooms can also experience plumbing leaks under the faucet, which, if left unattended, can create another instance of mold growth.

2. The Kitchen

Not far behind the bathroom, kitchens are second in terms of water usage in your home. If mold growth occurs in the kitchen, it is usually the result of a leak from a faucet, dishwasher, or refrigerator. Each of these items draw and use water, and often have enclosed, hidden areas which are dark and warm enough for mold growth if moisture is present.

3. The Laundry Room

If the laundry room is meant for cleaning, how could mold growth, an exact opposite of cleaning, choose it as a common place to spawn? Mostly because of the water from your washing machine. Although it’s rare to find mold actually inside the washing machine, it can still appear if there’s a leak or loose connection with a hose. Once water starts to spill and lingers under the washer or dryer, mold can easily start to form.

4. Next to the AC Unit

While not all AC units may be the same, most provide cooling through the means of evaporation. A designated unit (simply titled the evaporator coil) traps warm air and begins to cool it, which creates condensation that forms in and around the coil. Usually, this moisture is supposed to be collected into a drip pan, which is then drained out of your home. However, if the drain becomes clogged or there’s a problem with the coil, condensation can drip into puddles, which helps create mold growth.

5. Under Carpeting

If there’s one item we don’t want associated with the term “brush it under the carpet,” it’s any liquid. Carpeting can become a common area for mold growth if any spills or moisture are not immediately cleaned. This is because once a liquid hits carpet, it slowly starts to soak through the threads and pads, eventually reaching the flooring underneath. And with the dark, warm, and now-damp environment under your carpet, mold can spawn and reproduce.

Always keep in mind the 5 common areas of mold growth in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home. And if upon checking these areas you’ve managed to find an instance of mold growth, contact RestoPros for our mold remediation services! Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to schedule an appointment and get started.

Related Links

You Can Control Mold – CDC

4 Patio Mold Prevention Tips

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Sitting outside in your patio is a great way to relax during the evening. But this experience can be ruined if your patio has been inundated by mold. To help ensure you have a clean, nice looking patio year-round, you must take some preventative measures against mold.

How can mold grow on a patio? Since most patios are exposed to the elements, they come into contact with rain, humidity, and other forms of precipitation. And as long as the patio’s surface is warm, dark, and wet, mold is able to grow. Therefore, patios, even those made from concrete, are at risk of mold growth.

RestoPros has detailed 4 patio mold prevention tips you can practice for your Dallas/Ft. Worth home!

1. Regularly Examine Patio for Damages

When water hits a surface, it will try and seep into any opening it can find. And if your patio is full of cracks or segmented pieces, moisture is more likely to build-up, making it easier for mold growth to occur.

It’s important to give your patio a quick inspection every month, checking every surface for any noticeable cracks or openings. Be aware that if you do notice some patio damage, it will only get worse as time goes on. You’ll want to fix any problem you find as soon as possible.

2. Mop Up Water and Liquids Immediately

Never let a spill stay on your patio. The longer a spill lingers, the more it can soak in the concrete, wood, or other material. When moisture manages to find a warm, dark area underneath the surface of your patio, mold spores are able to latch on and reproduce. As soon as you notice a wet spot or a spill on your patio, wipe it up using a mop or cloth. 

3. Keep Patio Free of Leaves and Trash

Although the occasional leaf or piece of trash on your patio doesn’t necessarily mean mold will grow, it should still be removed immediately. Leaves and trash can carry water and various liquids, which can eventually soak into your patio’s surface if left there long enough. Just to be safe, always sweep and clear your patio any time you notice any leaves or trash. Be sure to clean any stain or water left over as well.

4. Clean Your Patio with a Mold-Killing Substance

One of the best ways to prevent mold on your patio is by adding a mold-killing product to your arsenal when cleaning. Not only will using a mold-killing product add a protective coating to your patio to help prevent mold – it may eliminate some already-existing spores as well.

Not sure what type of mold-killing cleaner to use? While there are plenty of commercial options available, most of them contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which can be damaging to the environment. Instead, we recommend opting for a natural mold cleaner such as vinegar or lemon juice. These natural cleaners can kill mold as well as protect it from further growth.

Follow these tips to help give your patio some added protection against mold. If your patio has already succumbed to the clutches of mold, and there’s an infestation, you’ll need to contact a mold-removal expert. Fortunately, you have RestoPros as your number-one resource for mold remediation services! Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to speak with Dallas/Ft. Worth’s leading professionals today.

 

 

What Foods Mold the Fastest?

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Have you ever opened your fridge for a quick snack, only to be greeted by the sight (and smell) of moldy food? Almost every Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowner has gone through a similar experience. And while the sight of moldy food may be bad enough, the damage it can cause can lead to worse issues. Mold spores can spread to other food items as well as the surfaces of your fridge, and too much contamination could eventually lead to requiring mold remediation.

You want to keep your fridge clear of mold as much as possible. And to help do so, you want to be aware of the foods that can expire the fastest. RestoPros has listed some of the worst offenders below.

Cooked Eggs

A staple for most refrigerators, eggs are so commonly used that we tend to forget how easily they can spoil when cooked. While raw, unopened eggs can last up to 3-5 weeks in the refrigerator, cooked eggs can last less than a week. But this expiration times varies depending on how you cook them.

If you scramble eggs or make an omelet, chances are it will only be good for about 3 days refrigerated. Hard-boiled eggs can last a little bit longer, usually up to a week. After this time, mold and bacteria will begin to form in the cooked eggs, leading to foul smell and discolored look.

Milk

Due to the high lactose amounts, adequate pH levels, and major water content, milk can become moldy very quickly, especially after being opened. Whole milk can only last 7 days unopened in the fridge, which is reduced to 5 days after being opened. However, milk can last a little longer if the fat and lactose is removed. Lactose-free or fat-free milk can last up to 10 days in the fridge, which is a bit longer but still a short lifespan overall.

Sliced Fresh Fruits/Vegetables/Mushrooms

The fresher a fruit, vegetable, or mushroom is, the higher amount of water it contains. And as soon as it’s sliced, diced, or cut in any way that exposes its flesh, mold can more easily form. Sliced fruits, vegetables, or mushrooms can only last about 3-5 days, even if refrigerated.

Cooked Grains and Beans

You wouldn’t expect grains or beans to have a short lifespan, especially considering they’re usually stored in the pantry for long periods of time when raw. But once they’ve been cooked, they only last about 3-4 days in the fridge. Cooking grains and beans expose their interiors to bacteria growth, helping mold to spawn and feed off their nutrients. Additionally, cooking grains and beans also adds water to them, which is another essential for mold growth.

Raw Meat

Raw meat is filled to the brim with bacteria and water. And only after about 3-4 days in the fridge the bacteria along with mold will grow rapidly, completely ruining the meat. Raw meat should always be cooked and eaten as soon as possible, or it should be frozen if you don’t plan on using it immediately. Although thawed frozen meat may lose some of its flavor, it’s a much better experience than eating moldy raw meat!

Help protect your refrigerator from the clutches of mold by learning about some of the foods that can turn the fastest. If you’ve discovered moldy food that has spread its spores to the surfaces of your fridge, you’ll want to contact RestoPros to have mold-removal experts restore your fridge back to a suitable condition. Call 855-587-3786 for our mold remediation services.

4 Tips for Dealing With Water Damage

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dealing with water damage

If water damage has occurred in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home, it’s important to learn how to deal with it right away. The longer you let water damage persist without doing anything about it, the more the issue will exacerbate. Therefore, once you notice water damage, be ready to perform some steps to help prevent the situation from worsening. By following the right tips for water damage, you’re helping to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

RestoPros is here to inform homeowners on how to deal with water damage. We have detailed 4 tips below for your Dallas/Ft. Worth home.

Try to Find the Cause of the Water Damage

Water damage can be the result of several different causes. Whether it be roof leakage, poor insulation, faulty plumbing, or flooding, it’s important to see what may have caused the incident. Knowing what caused the water damage in your home is one of the first steps towards resolving it, as you’ll have a clearer idea on what solutions to implement.

You may be able to find the cause easier depending on the location of the water damage. For example, if the water damage is below your sink, the probable cause may be faulty plumbing or improper water pressure levels. If water damage occurs on your ceiling, the cause may be faulty insulation, damaged roof, or improper gutters.

Try to Find the Extent of the Water Damage

If you see one spot of water damage, it’s important to check around and attempt to see the extent of its size. The entirety of water damage may not always be visible at first, so you want to be sure to find as much of it as possible. This can help you determine how bad the situation may be, as well as how much planning you’ll need to do.

Remove Any Items Close to the Water Damage

If there are any items close to the water damage, remove them as quickly and safely as possible. Most household items, especially fabrics, clothing and electronics, do not fare well when close to water damage. They may be hurt beyond repair if too close to the water damaged area. Additionally, electronic items close to water damage can also be a shock risk if the moisture seeps into the components.

Consult with a Water Damage Remediation Professional

After performing these steps, your next objective is to contact a water damage professional. Consulting with experts such as RestoPros will help you determine the most cost-effective solution for your home, as well as having the restoration be done by licensed and trained technicians. Additionally, this will help resolve the situation as soon as possible, which helps to prevent water damage from spreading throughout your home.

Better protect your home from the dangers of water damage by following these tips when the situation occurs. And contact RestoPros if you believe water damage is in your Dallas/Ft. Worth home. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 for our water damage restoration services.