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Seasonal Cleaning & Fire Safety Tips for Your Atlanta Home
4/15/2021 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of South Atlanta is here to help home & business owners when disaster strikes. If you experience smoke or fire damage call SERVPRO!
With Summer weather quickly approaching, Atlanta is in the full swing of Spring. The weather is getting warmer and the days are starting to get longer. Spring is an ideal time to do some seasonal cleaning and maintenance around your home. From washing baseboards to cleaning or dusting ceiling fans and light fixtures, springtime is a great time to go a little above-and-beyond with your cleaning efforts. Periodically clearing out unused or neglected items prevents build up of clutter and makes for a much more neat and tidy living space.
Spring Cleaning To-Do-List
In every room of your home wipe down or wash the baseboards, doors, window sills, and walls. Vacuum or wash air vents, while window blinds, drapes and other window treatments can be carefully and gently vacuumed or professionally cleaned (window treatments that are delicate, complex or made of special material should probably be professionally cleaned). Sweep, mop and wax applicable flooring. Pack winter items like clothes and decorations to be stored away, after cleaning, washing or dry cleaning the items. Dust or vacuum light fixtures, lamp shades and overhead lights; be sure to replace dead light bulbs while cleaning the lighting in your home. Wash windows inside and out, ensuring a streak free finish. Sweep the front porch and back deck.
In the kitchen cleanout, wipe down and wash both the insides and outsides of the refrigerator and cabinets. Move the refrigerator and clean out behind the unit, also take this opportunity to vacuum the refrigerator coils (always consult and follow the manufacturer's maintenance instructions). Sweep, mop and wax applicable flooring and wipe down countertops. Deep clean your oven thoroughly then if the oven has a “self-cleaning” function, use this set in accordance with the manufacturer's directions. This is a great opportunity to donate dry goods and canned foods to your local food pantry, but please make sure the food’s shelf-life date has not lapsed. Clean out the pantry and throw away out of date food products.
In the living room, move the furniture so you can thoroughly vacuum the carpet. Dust and polish furniture and fixtures. Wipe down or dust electronics, upholstery, and lamp shades. Carpets should be vacuumed and shampooed. Hard surface flooring like tile, hardwoods, and vinyl flooring should be swept and mopped (waxed if necessary). As long as it is safe to do so, blankets and throw pillows should be washed or steam cleaned.
In bedrooms move furniture so that you can thoroughly vacuum and sweep the floor (mop and wax where applicable). Flip or rotate the mattress and wall all bedding, including pillows. Purge anything under the bed or in the closet that you don’t want anymore. Consider donating to the local Goodwill, Salvation Army or other local donation center.
In the bathroom, clean and disinfect the tub and shower. Clean grout in tile where applicable using household grout cleaner. Wash and/or replace shower curtains and shower liners. Dust and replace/refill decorative items like potpourri, air fresheners, reading materials, and other items.
Not only can seasonal cleaning make your home look more presentable, but it can also make your home a more safe place. Update your first aid kit and properly dispose of expired medications. Make testing your checking expiration dates on fire extinguishers, replacing smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm batteries part of your seasonal cleaning regime. You can also use this time as a reminder to review and practice your family's fire escape emergency exit plan. If you don’t have an emergency exit plan please be sure to visit our friends over at the www.nfpa.org for more information and direction.
SERVPRO of South Atlanta is the premier fire restoration company in the Atlanta Metro, call us at 404-505-1760 if your home or business has suffered fire or smoke damage. We are the fire restoration company that is faster to any size disaster and can get the job done right the first time. Let us make your smoke or fire damage claim “Like it never even happened.”
Springtime Fire Safety Tips
If you have a propane grill, make sure that the tank is not overfilled and is always stored outside in a well-ventilated area. If your grill has not been used recently, you should make sure it is in good working order by inspecting its hose connections and making sure that the venturi tubes that deliver gas to the burners are not blocked. You should never grill in enclosed areas and keep your grill at least five feet away from any structure. With charcoal grills make sure never to add lighter fluid directly to flames or hot coals, this could cause dangerous flame flare-ups and could even cause the flames to flash back up into the container and explode. When finished grilling make sure that hot coals are properly extinguished and disposed of safely. Douse hot coals with water and stir them to ensure that the fire is out, and never place them in combustible containers made of plastic, paper or wood.
When building a campfire make sure to take precautions so that it can not spread out of control or get out of hand. Keep campfires to a manageable and reasonable size, ideally no bigger than three-by-three feet. Clear a five-to-ten foot circle around the campfire of any flammable materials. When setting up your tent, you should set it up at least fifteen feet away from the campfire and keep open flames away from your sleeping area. Do not leave a campsite until the fire is completely out and any coals are extinguished. Extinguish campfires thoroughly by drowning them with water or suffocating them with sand or dirt.
You should never leave a fire unattended and should always have plenty of water nearby or reliable means of extinguishing the fire like a fire extinguisher. Do not wear loose clothing while tending a fire, and if you have long hair please make sure it is tied back. Keep children and pets well away from the fire, and do not assume they will listen to your warnings. Teach children to never play with matches or lighters, and make sure that everyone knows when to Stop, Drop, and Roll. If someone is severely burned call emergency services or 911.