Month: January 2020
How Homeowners can Clean Mold Out of Clothes Without Harsh Chemicals
Contact Satin Touch in Minneapolis Today For Mold Remediation
There are few things more dismaying than mold in a pile of clothing. Mold can grow in clothing for a large number of reasons. You changed out of damp clothes and forgot to wash them quickly. Your bathroom flooded and laundry got soaked. Or even clothes in the washer that didn’t get moved to the dryer fast enough.
Moldy clothes happen sometimes. Maybe your clothes or — typically — your kids clothes were left in a damp pile for too long and the mold happily leaped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, removing the mold is much more easily said than done. In many cases, hot water and detergent can’t quite hack it alone and there are often mold stains or a lingering smell left behind.
Today, we’re here to talk about how to wash mold, along with mold stains and that moldy smell, out of your clothes once and for all.
Two-Step Process
The first thing to understand is how the process works. And therefore, why there are a variety of ways to approach removing mold from your clothes. Restoring your clothes will actually be a two-step process. First, you have to remove the mold growth and kill the spores that are trying to make more mold. Otherwise, the clothes will just continue to grow new mold.
Second, after the mold is dead, you need to remove what’s left to get rid of the stains and smell. It’s easiest to think of mold as a plant, which it is. After a tree is cut down, for example, you still have to remove the stump. That’s also exactly how killing mold works, only on a particle level involving tiny plant spores and clothing fibers.
Hot Water
When cleaning mold out of your clothes, it’s best to use hot water whenever possible. Hot water makes detergent more effective and can kill mold spores with the intensity of the heat. If your clothes can be safely washed in hot water, use this option every chance you get until the mold is completely gone.
Of course, not all clothes can be safely washed in hot water. For delicates and temperature-sensitive garments, don’t use hot water. It’s not necessary to the process and you can clean the mold out with other methods. Hot water simply contributes to the solution.
Vinegar
The home remedy most people know for fighting mold is simple white vinegar. You may have also heard that citrus fights mold. Both are true for the exact same reason: Acidity. Even mild acids like vinegar can chemically burn and neutralize the tiny mold spores that make up a larger mold infestation.
For small mold spots, consider spraying a vinegar and water solution onto the clothes until damp, possibly scrubbing the vinegar into mold spots. For badly moldy clothing or large mold areas, soak the clothes in vinegar instead. This will kill the mold spores of most varieties of household mold, making it impossible to regrow after you’re done cleaning.
Borax
Borax is one of the coolest cleaning substances you’ve barely heard of. And it fights mold in a completely different way. Borax is called a ‘detergent enhancer”, helping soap to suds up and making it a lot easier to scrub things. For the same reason that it’s great at killing mold.
Borax is incredibly sharp and spiky on a molecular level. So even when it’s partially dissolved in water, soap bubbles suds up on it and those sharp molecules slice through mold spores, killing the organic cells and the growth. It’s also incredibly affordable to buy in bulk.
Washing your clothes with borax is a great way to get them cleaner by adding a scrubbing element to the washing machine. And a great way to kill mold because the mold spores can’t survive in borax-rich water. Washing your clothes in borax regularly can also help you to prevent mold growths in the future if your home tends toward humidity and/or mold growth.
Lemon Juice
Just like the acid in vinegar can kill mold, so too can lemon juice. And lemon juice smells a whole lot better than vinegar after you’re done using it. Soaking clothes or spraying them with lemon juice can help fight mold, though you will need to use higher concentrations than with vinegar.
However, the most useful application of lemon juice when fighting mold is removing the stains afterward. Lemon juice is a natural stain remover, especially combined with salt to add a scrubbing element. By mixing lemon and salt into a paste, you can create an effective mold stain removing solution to rub into any lingering stains.
Essential Oils
Many people don’t realize this, but there are actually a surprising number of fungicides (things that kill fungus) in nature. Peppermint, Thyme, Oregano, Cinnamon, Lemon, and Clove just to name a few. If you love any of these smells, you can use a small concentration of sprayed essential oil to help kill mold. And then later infuse your clothes with these essential oils to discourage the growth of any free-floating mold spores in the future.
Essential oils are also a great way to end a mold fighting round. If you have used vinegar, for example, to kill the mold and eliminate the lingering smell, then you may still be left with recognizable vinegar smell. And no one wants to wear vinegar clothes. Essential oils can help refresh your clothing back to it’s original enjoyable state.
Natural Mold Cleaning Formulas
But if remedies from your pantry don’t come through, we strongly recommend that you do not turn to chemical bleach. Bleach and other chemical mold cleaners can come with toxic fumes, damage clothing color, and even result in rashes after wearing treated clothing.
Instead, look for industrial-grade organic mold cleaning solutions and stain removing. Because the formula is natural, you won’t have to worry about damaging your clothes or harming your health after the mold is finally gone.
Rescuing your clothes from mold growth can be a real challenge, but it is possible. Whether this is the aftermath of a pool party or a chronically damp laundry room, mold can be defeated using these natural chemical-free home techniques. For more on ridding your home of mold once and for all with mold remediation and prevention, contact us today!
Storm Damage When Your Home is Already on the Market
Selling a home on the real estate market involves a certain amount of investment. You get the place fixed up, repainted, maybe stage it to enhance the beauty and functionality of the rooms. You hire a landscaper to shape the yards. Then you keep the house in this pristine condition until the right buyer comes along and falls in love with the home you’ve prepared for them.
But what happens when a storm ravages your region after you’ve already done all your careful work preparing the house for market? What if it tears up your roof or adds water damage to your once-pristine house? Don’t worry. You can recover from this minor natural disaster quickly if you know what to do. You might even come out ahead.
Here’s how to handle quick storm damage restoration when your home is on the market:
Don’t Panic
The very first step is not to panic. Unless the storm went full Wizard of Oz, chances are that the damage is fixable without too much cost before your home is back to that pristine ready-to-sell condition. All you need to do is get the home repaired and clean up the yard, the problem isn’t as big as you may be feeling right now. In fact, you might not know this but very recent restoration work can actually raise your final sale value by as much as $2,800.
Call for Inspections and Repairs
The moment the storm is over, the next step is to call for a home inspection. You need your home to be in tip-top shape for buyers which means knowing about any damage caused by the storm and fixing it pronto. Listen carefully to your inspector and they’ll frame out just how much damage was really done and the repairs you’ll need. In most cases, a single storm worth of damage equates to a few replaced surface shingles and siding panels that took the brunt of the storm’s force.
Talk About the Upcoming Home Sale
While you’re arranging for your home repairs, remember to mention to your restoration team that the home is currently on the market for sale, or that you are almost ready to list it. Restoration professionals are very used to being called right before a home sale and might have a few ways to make your home look truly polished when they’re finished with these necessary repairs. Not only is recent maintenance good for your bottom line, it might even improve your curb appeal with a smooth and beautiful-looking new materials. Your restoration might offer to do a few little extras, like repairing or improving your gutters while they’re working.
Let Your Buyers Know the Home is Recently Maintained
Once your home is fully repaired and beautified by the restoration team, it’s time to get right back on the market. Be sure that you mention recent maintenance and quality assurance from your restoration team to new buyers to help increase the well-maintained value of your home. Buyers like a house that has clearly been kept in great condition with ongoing repairs. In highly competitive markets, it may be necessary to have regular maintenance to stay in the top tier of well-maintained homes.
If a storm hits while your home is on the market, don’t worry. This is something our Satin Touch restoration team is prepared to handle. A restoration touch-up is not just a quick service you can schedule, it can also potentially increase the final sale price of your home. All you need to do is get in touch with your restoration team for inspection and speedy repairs. Let them know your home is on the market and they may even have a few helpful extras they can offer to make your home even more attractive from the roof down. Contact us to begin your consultation on recent storm damage and the restoration steps you can take to get your house right back to beautiful and market-ready.
A Step-by-Step Repair Guide for Fire and Smoke Damage in the Kitchen
If your home or office kitchen has suffered from a recent fire, the first step to returning to normal is cleaning up the fire and smoke damage. If your kitchen is still mostly in good condition except for the smell and the soot stains, you’re in luck. It is possible to restore your kitchen completely if you know how to clean away the soot. Of course, soot takes more than just a soapy sponge and elbow grease to get rid of. You’ll need a few specific techniques.
Today, we’re here to share a comprehensive step-by-step guide to repair the fire and smoke damage in your kitchen and restore it to a cheerful, functional, and safe place for cooking.
Supplies:
- Box Fans
- Protective Gear
- Rubber Gloves and Long Sleeves
- Mask and Hair Coverings
- Close-Toed Shoes and Long Pants
- Clean Sponges
- Bucket
- Clean Water
- Mild Citrus-Scented Detergent
- Chemical Sponges
- TSP Cleaning Chemical
1) Confirm Safety
The first step is always to ensure that the building and kitchen are safe to reenter, and that the air quality is not so laden with soot that you will be in danger. Confirm this with your fire authority before entering to perform cleaning repairs.
When you enter, gear up in protective rubber gloves with a long sleeve shirt tucked into the gloves. Cover your hair and wear a bandana or mask over your face. to protect yourself from breathing too much residual soot, and to protect from the chemicals you’ll be using.
2) Ventilate Thoroughly
When you’re sure it’s safe, bring your fans. Open any nearby windows and use them to ventilate the area of any soot hanging in the air. If you can, set one fan in the doorway pointing into the kitchen and another fan pointing out the kitchen window. This will channel the soot outside instead of into the building.
3) Remove All Contaminated or Damaged Items
Any food that was open or that has spoiled since the fire needs to be thrown out. If you’re not sure, default to throwing out food items. However, items sealed and closed in an undamaged pantry may be okay to keep. Any kitchen items that were damaged by the fire or is permanently damaged by the soot should be thrown out.
4) Put Down Drop Cloths on the Floor and Counters
To clean up, you’ll be kicking up a lot of soot so it’s a good idea to protect the floor and lower surfaces. Put down drop cloths to fully cover the floor, countertops, and any tables that were undamaged. Consider laying electrical tape along the gap between the wall and footboards as well, which can prevent mold when you scrub the walls later.
5) Vacuum Up Loose Soot
Use your vacuum with the plane (flat wide) hose attachment on the walls, holding the attachment about a half-inch away from the wall to pull away the loose soot. Any soot that doesn’t get vacuumed up will fall on the floor.
6) Brush Away Soot with a Chemical Sponge
Use a dry chemical sponge when the vacuum has done all it can. The chemicals in the sponge will help fight soot while the dry sponge will gently brush any additional loose soot off the walls.
7) Use a TPS Solution to Scrub Soot From Walls, Counters, and Cabinets
TSP stands for Tri-Sodium Phosphate. This is a cleaning solution made from a molecule of Sodium and phosphate in a 3:1 ratio, as you may have guessed from highschool chemistry class. It’s the recommended way to wash soot from your walls, cabinets, and otherwise undamaged appliances.
Mix the TSP in your bucket with 1 gallon of water to 1 tablespoon of TSP. Dip your sponge and wring it to a non-dripping damp and scrub away at your walls. Rinse and repeat. Then rinse the walls with a clean sponge damp with clean water.
8) Deodorize Your Walls
When you’re done with the TSP and rinsing, you’ll probably still smell soot even if you can’t see it. You can use white vinegar, fabreze, or citrus-scented detergent to help deodorize the room. Our recommendation is the citrus-scented detergent mixed with soap and sponged over damaged surfaces.
9) Decide If You Need Commercial Restoration
If, after all your hard work, you still see soot stains or fire damage, it may be time to call for professional restoration. DIY can handle mild fire and smoke damage, but serious smoke cleaning chemicals and methods may require the help of a professional restoration team.
10) Repaint Everything
When the smoke and soot are fully cleared away, you’ll probably want to repaint your kitchen. Interior paint seldom survives soot damage followed by rigorous chemical scrubbing. If your paint has faded or scuffed, reapply a coat of primer and fresh interior paint to make your kitchen “good as new” again.
A fire in your home or business kitchen is not the end for that room. Buildings recover from fire and smoke damage all the time. Your kitchen can be returned to a beautiful and functional state with thorough cleaning, deodorizing, and repainting. If your DIY efforts are not as effective as you’d like, contact us today and our restoration professionals will be happy to help you get your kitchen back into ship-shape with no lingering staining or odor.
