University of Calgary Awarded CIMS-GB Certification

The green cleaning program at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has successfully completed certification to ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard-Green Building... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry http://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/university-of-calgary-awarded-cims-gb-certification/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

5 Ways To Protect Your Home During The Rain Season

Rain Season and Mold

While winter may not see constant rain day in, day out, it’s nevertheless a challenging time of year for hill-bound households. Without the proper precautions and planning, your home may be susceptible to various rain-related problems – including mold.

Not only is it unsightly, mold’s effects run deeper than the aesthetic: mold has been known to cause irritated throats, congestion, coughing, eye discomfort, and skin issues. In some rare cases, it can even lead to infections in people suffering from serious problems with their immune system.

You want to protect yourself and your family from any frustrating smells or health concerns as much as you possibly can – and we’re going to help you!

Here are our five tips for protecting your home during the upcoming rainy season:

Dry Dampness Without Delay

As mold thrives on moisture, you have to be quick to tackle any signs of dampness. Wet areas, created by rain seeping through a hole in your ceiling or down into your basement, should be addressed as soon as possible. If you just leave them to dry by themselves, you could endanger yourself, your property’s structural integrity, and your family.

Hire, or buy, a dehumidifier, and open your windows from time to time to allow moisture to escape. Obviously, you may be unable to do this in pouring rain, so take the opportunity whenever it presents itself. Also, if you see condensation forming anywhere, wipe it down immediately.

Identify Problem Zones Before the Rainy Season Starts

While you can’t make your entire home resistant to mold, you can search your property to identify the most vulnerable spots.

Pay attention to every room. Have you noticed dampness forming in your basement in past rain seasons? Have you found condensation on your bedroom window but failed to wipe it down? Have you spotted a drip from an overhead pipe?

Any and all of these can lead to dampness and, ultimately, mold. Take care to address such issues with effective moisture control before the season begins.

Never Underestimate Good Ventilation

Earlier, we mentioned opening your window once in a while, to help stave off damp and combat mold. However, you can reduce your risks even further by effective ventilation.

Every home has appliances that create moisture (such as stoves, driers etc.), but it’s important to make sure these are being vented outdoors rather than running up to your attic, allowing the moisture to escape. This may appear a little more difficult to set up, but there’s a wealth of information on doing so out there.

Inspect Your Roof Gutters

If it’s been a while since you had your roof gutters inspected, be sure to rectify this before the start of rain season.

Your gutters may well have been damaged without your realizing, and lead to leaks over the coming months. Either examine them yourself (taking great care and proper precautions), or hire a professional to do so on your behalf.

This is one of the most effective moisture control techniques.

Buy a Moisture Meter to Monitor Your Humidity Levels

A moisture meter is one of your best tools against mold.

With one of these devices, you will be able to keep an eye on your humidity levels and address the cause of dampness as soon as possible. How will you know when to take moisture control action? According to the EPA, levels should be kept at between 30 and 60 percent – anything over this in your home, and you should pay attention to potential condensation, leaking pipes, or damp patches on walls.

You can find these at most hardware stores or online.

Don’t let yourself panic about mold: just follow the above tips and take effective action to keep dampness within your home to a minimum.

This post was written by 911 Mold Oakland.

from Mold Blogger http://moldblogger.com/5-ways-to-protect-your-home-during-the-rain-season/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

5 Steps to Avoid Bathroom Condensation

Stop the Condensation

Condensation is an issue for every bathroom – it’s a humid environment where moisture is released into the air in an indoor environment by something as simple as taking a shower or a hot bath. Condensation forms when the hot steam meets cold air and surfaces, forming droplets on windows, mirrors and every hard surface. The hotter the water vapour, the more moisture the air can hold and the more condensation will be deposited on cold surfaces.

But condensation is not merely a case of having to demist mirrors and windows. In addition to being a nuisance, it can also cause all sorts of problems, from peeling wallpaper to unsightly mould stains. Mould spores love nothing more than warm, damp environments where they will thrive, wreaking havoc in your bathroom… if you let them.

Obviously, you won’t be able to change the essential function of your bathroom, but there are some simple and effective steps you can take to dramatically reduce condensation in your bathroom, for everyone’s sake – and here are 5 advised by Mike James, who worked with the Bathroom Discount Centre on this steamy issue:

Ventilation

The first, basic step to reducing the harmful effects of condensation is to increase ventilation in the room to keep the airflow up and the moisture content down. Open a window when you’re running a bath or having a shower, and air the room well when you’ve finished.
Interestingly, double glazed windows offer extra protection as the inside pane is warmer than the outside pane. Single glazed windows, by contrast, attract more condensation.

You may think that opening the bathroom door may also be helpful, but you’d be wrong. All you’re doing is spreading the steamy air to other rooms, increasing the risk of the harmful effects of condensation there.

Finally, make sure that the shower door or curtain is left open after use so that the inside of the shower cubicle gets a decent airing too.

Clean and dry surfaces

Do ensure that your bathroom surfaces are kept clean and dry when the bathroom is not in use. This goes for baths, showers and washbasins as well as windows, mirrors and tiles. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s important to discourage the moist environment in which mould can thrive.

If any black spots do appear around your bath, shower or washbasin as a result of too much condensation, use a solution of bleach and water to eliminate them as soon as you can, and prevent your bathroom from becoming a breeding ground for mould.

Extractor Fans

Every bathroom should have a fully operational extractor fan. Even if there is an outside window in the room, bathroom fans are non-negotiable. Ideally, install one that comes on automatically with the bathroom light or when you switch on the shower. If that’s not possible, at least keep the fan switch next to the light switch, so you won’t forget to turn it on.

It really cannot be stressed enough that not having/using a bathroom fan is a recipe for future disaster. And don’t forget to check your fan regularly, so that dust and dirt build-ups can’t impede the operational efficiency of the fan.

Dehumidifiers

A dehumidifier is a clever gadget that takes moisture from the air and collects it as water. They’re not cheap and not pretty, and are perhaps not a long-term solution to the problem, but having a dehumidifier running while you have a hot bath or steam shower will certainly lead to a big reduction in condensation. It’s a thought.

Warming up bathroom surfaces

Cold hard surfaces such as tiled areas, floors and mirrors are most likely to attract condensation. However, warming up these surfaces will help, as it reduces the contrast between hot and cold and therefore leads to less condensation.

Underfloor heating can help in this regard, as can demistable mirrors that are fitted with heat pads to keep the glass surface warm automatically.

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with Hutton & Rostron.

from Mold Blogger http://moldblogger.com/5-steps-to-avoid-bathroom-condensation/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Weekly Product Showcase December 9, 2016

Stay up to date on the industry's newest products and services from these ISSA members. True Grit The Sonic Scrub Mal-Grit Scrub™ from Malish Corp. is a patent-pending, rectangular... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry http://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/weekly-product-showcase-december-9-2016/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Innovative Cleaning Services Joins WBENC

Innovative Cleaning Services (ICS) recently received certification as a woman-owned minority business from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). As a certified... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry http://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/innovative-cleaning-services-joins-wbenc/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Janitized Honors Riches Associates

Janitized, a division of APC Filtration, Inc., recently presented its annual Manufacturer Representative of the Year Award to Riches Associates. Riches Associates received the award for its... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry http://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/janitized-honors-riches-associates/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Employees Rank Clorox Among Best Places to Work

The Clorox Co., parent company of Clorox Professional Products Co., has been named to the 50 Best Places to Work list by employer review website Glassdoor.com. To develop its eighth annual index,... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry http://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/employees-rank-clorox-among-best-places-to-work/
Mold Remediation Baltimore