Importance of Air Duct Cleaning
Duct systems accumulate a significant amount of household dust, dead skin, and pet dander. If the accumulation builds up in your air ducts, these partials may be re-circulated back into your living space. According to the National Air Duct cleaning Association (NADCA) duct work should be inspected every 2 years and minimally be cleaned every 4-5 years. For more information about air duct cleaning please contact Clean Pro Cleaning & Restoration.
Carpet Cleaning for Health
Does carpet contribute to bad indoor air quality? You may be surprise by the answer. Recent studies indicate that carpet actually help improve indoor air quality. The reason is simple, carpet traps the pollutants like a filter or a sponge not allowing them to go air born, and therefore you are not breathing them in. Of course the studies have proven you have to maintain reasonable care of the carpeting. I am sure your next question is how do I maintain my carpeting? Proper maintenance starts with frequent vacuuming. We recommend a high performance, HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner. H.E.P A. stand for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter, describes an air filter that removes 99.97% of particles at 0.3
Microns in diameter. Most carpet manufacturers recommend you should also have your carpets cleaned every 12 to 18 months using Hot Water Extraction (steam cleaning). For further information or assistance please don’t hesitate to call our office at (504) 443-0009 or visit our web site at www.cleanprocarpet.com.
Carpet Cleaning
…and Carpet Beetles
What are the facts?
Carpet beetles deserve to rank near the top of your list of uninvited guests. These oval-shaped flying insects can ruin your carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and clothing as well as cause irritating dermatitis in children and sensitive adults. These are unwelcome guests you really want to “show the door” as quickly as possible.
Life Cycle of a Carpet Beetle
The four life-stages of carpet beetles are egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. Female carpet beetles lay up to a hundred eggs, which hatch into larvae in approximately 35 days. This stage is the most damaging because larvae feed on carpets and clothing. The larval stage lasts 6 to 18 months, during which these voracious insects do the most damage. The final part of the larval stage is metamorphosis, after which the adult beetle emerges. Adult carpet beetles can live up to a year.
Identifying Carpet Beetles
The larvae are very small, so it can be difficult to spot them. Larvae look like tiny, hairy worms and prefer dark, undisturbed areas such as under furniture, rugs and in closets. Adult black carpet beetles are black with brown-colored legs, and their length in inches ranges from 1/8 to 3/16.
As larvae, these pests shed skin and fecal pellets, each of which can cause allergic reactions in some people. Carpet beetles do not bite people or animals. The irritation caused by contact with carpet beetle larvae can be confused with bites from bed bugs or fleas.
Property damage from carpet beetles is very similar to moth damage. Small, irregular-shaped holes in clothes and rugs are a telltale sign of either a carpet beetle or moth problem. If it is a moth problem, you will usually see moths in the area. Adult carpet beetles prefer to live outdoors and graze on pollen.
Fighting back
Maintaining cleanliness may not be enough to avoid an infestation from carpet beetles. Since these pests can enter on food packages, luggage and on shoes, they are difficult to avoid—especially if you have a pet, as larvae feed on animal fur and dander. Along with vacuuming, professional carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning are essential. Detergent and hot water kill the larvae, so this is an important means of limiting carpet beetle populations indoors. Other recommended measures to reduce the likelihood of a carpet beetle problem are:
Effective sanitation including routine vacuuming and housekeeping of pantry shelves and pet feeding and sleeping areas helps reduce the breeding sites and food sources;
Storing items like wool clothing, leather and fur coats in sealed garment bags;
Checking flowers, patio plants, and any second-hand items carefully before bringing indoors;
Dry cleaning and using a clothes dryer on high heat to kill carpet beetle larvae in clothing and drapes;
Ensuring that air ducts are clean and attics and crawl spaces are free of animal nests or carcasses.
Pesticides may be necessary to eliminate an existing infestation. Choose a pesticide designed for carpet beetles and follow label directions. Eliminating a heavy infestation is best left to a professional pest control specialist.
If you suspect that you have a carpet beetle problem or want to avoid one, call Clean Pro Cleaning & Restoration so that we can clean your carpet, upholstery and drapery. That is a logical first step to eliminating these destructive invaders.
Mold Restoration…
the silent pest
Say the word “pests” and people think about common household varieties such as ants, roaches, and spiders or even mice and rats. But did you know that molds are also considered pests? That’s right. Pests are generally defined as undesirable organisms that are detrimental to humans or human concerns.
Some molds produce gases called mycotoxins that can cause sickness and allergic reactions in humans. There are molds, such as wood-destroying fungi, that cause property damage. Children 2 years and younger are especially susceptible to mold-related illness. Serious complications can result from prolonged exposure. So it is good to know a few things about mold so you can avoid having a problem in your home.
What is Mold?
Molds are fungi that feed on nonliving organic matter. In nature, mold and other fungi are responsible for breaking down dead leaves, plant material and wood. Mold derives energy from these materials by secreting enzymes that break them down into simpler compounds that the mold can absorb. This decomposition is a necessary part of Earth’s ecosystem.
Molds are ubiquitous; they are found everywhere.
Some species of mold can survive in sub-freezing temperatures, while others will thrive in extremely high temperatures of the desert, gaining what little moisture is available from the air. Some molds can even grow on diesel fuel and other chemicals like anti-freeze.
Common Mold in the Home and Office
The two most common molds found in indoor living environments are Aspergillius and Penicillium. Given a food source, suitable temperature and elevated moisture or humidity, these molds can begin to grow and flourish on many surfaces within a home. Molds travel from one location to another by releasing microscopic, seed-like spores which can remain dormant for a very long time. When conditions are right, spores begin to grow into an active mold colony.
Stachybotrys is another mold, often referred to as “toxic black mold”, which has gotten massive media attention. Stachybotrys is a sticky, slimy mold that grows on surfaces such as drywall, wood, and even paper on insulation. While Aspergillus and Penicillium can begin to grow in only a couple of days, Stachybotrys needs at least 7-12 days of constant moisture, warm temperatures around 70-80 degrees and minimal air movement. Therefore, you are most likely to encounter it in your home if you have an ongoing water intrusion from plumbing, foundation problems, roof or window leaks, etc. Note that you may not see it because it tends to flourish in dark areas where it will not be disturbed.
Since Stachybotrys is a sticky, slimy mold, the spores rarely become airborne. However, it may begin to release spores if it begins to dry out. It can also release mycotoxins into the air as a defense mechanism against other fungi. Spores and mycotoxins can be transported into the breathable air of the home and create symptoms such as cough, headaches, asthma, rhinitis and other allergic reactions. In some cases, infants or others with underdeveloped or compromised immune systems can have serious, even life-threatening, pulmonary complications.
What Should You Do if You Find Mold?
If you have any type of mold in your home or business, it must be removed. The visible presence of any mold is an indicator that there may be more unseen hiding elsewhere. Because mold can potentially harm people who live and work in structures, you should call Clean Pro Cleaning & Restoration so that we can identify the cause and develop a strategy to solve the problem and remove the mold.