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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived General Blog Posts

Cleaning an Artificial Christmas Tree

10/29/2019 (Permalink)

As the holiday season rolls around, it's likely that you'll be pulling your artificial Christmas tree out of storage. About 70 percent of Americans will celebrate Christmas this year, and of those who celebrate the holiday, only about 20 percent of trees are real! Many people recognize the benefits that come with artificial Christmas trees; reliability, easiness, and attractive looks.

After months in storage, however, many artificial Christmas trees both look and smell a little dusty. No matter how well you try to keep the dust out, it always finds a way in.

Dust

One of the necessities in cleaning an artificial Christmas tree is to remove any dust clinging to its branches and needles. Using a static cling cloth, gently wipe it along the branches. The static will pick up loose dust and make your tree looking drab.

Shake with Salt

If your tree needs something a bit more intensive, salt can help! This is a method that is effective for small trees and larger trees that come apart into smaller pieces. Add small trees or tree pieces to a large bag with a handful or two of kosher salt, and then vigorously shake. The salt will act as an abrasive cleaner, scrubbing away any grime that's clinging on tightly.

A Seasonal Sponge Bath

For heavy cleaning, a light dusting won't be enough. At the start of every season, carefully wipe each branch down with a gentle, wet sponge. This will pick up the dust and dirt that settled between the needles while the tree was in storage. Sponging a tree, especially a larger one, can be time-consuming, so plan to tackle this at short intervals or enlist the help of others.

Deodorization

After your tree is clean, you'll still need to deodorize it periodically. You can hide a scented air freshener intended for a car in the branches of your tree to give it a seasonal scent, or periodically spritz the branches with an air freshener to keep them smelling fresh.

Professional Services

Sometimes, home cleaning just doesn't cut it. For more extensive cleaning services around your home, SERVPRO of Piatt/DeWitt County is locally owned and operated, and has expert solutions to keep every part of your house clean. Call us today for a free estimate (217) 935-2992

Building the Customer Experience

2/4/2019 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Piatt/Dewitt Counties 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (217)935-2992.

How can we help you?

The interaction between a policy holder and their insurance agent sometimes only occurs during the purchasing of a policy or when they file a claim. SERVPRO of Piatt/Dewitt Counties would like to help bridge that gap through greater involvement that ultimately ensures that the client will be able to take the right action at the right time. That is why SERVPRO of Piatt/Dewitt Counties is always offering our insurance agents Tips and Advice, High Visibility Water and Gas Shut-Off Tags and Emergency Ready Profiles (ERP). We want to help local agents by providing them with most up to date information, most useful tips and tools.  We are always available to answer questions, offer quotes or give advice within our field. SERVPRO of Piatt/Dewitt Counties is here to help our community! 

(LB)

Protecting Your Undamaged Property

1/21/2019 (Permalink)

Cardboard and shoe covers used to protect flooring

SERVPRO® does everything possible to prevent the homeowner's property and contents from becoming dirty, dusty or damaged during the demolition/ mitigation process. Covering furniture and contents completely with plastic, and isolating the area with a containment barrier before the demolition begins, helps to prevent dust and debris from getting into the cracks and the crevices. Our technicians wear foot protection to prevent them from tracking dirt into the home.  To protect flooring a path of cardboard, plastic or cloth is placed over the unaffected areas that lead from the work area to the exit door. This keeps other areas of your home cleaner and prevents the tracking of dust and debris throughout the home. When carpets are cleaned, corner guards are used to protect the walls and block/ pads are placed under the furniture to ensure there is no damage to the furniture from the moisture of the freshly cleaned carpet.

Smoke Detectors

11/29/2018 (Permalink)

 

You really can never be too prepared. Fires can happen anywhere, at any time...under the right conditions. The preventative measures you take prior to a potential fire loss could save your home, or more importantly your life! Replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year is a must. A good rule of thumb is when you change the clocks change the batteries in the smoke alarms, this will provide consistent battery life in your detectors.  This gives you a chance to check your smoke detectors to make sure they working properly. Put an evacuation plan together. Make sure your loved ones and those living with you know what to do in the event of a fire. Having a central location to meet once everyone is outside is a great plan. After you and your loved ones are safe, call SERVPRO to make it "Like it never even happened."