Cleaning Your Commercial Dryer Vents

8/2/2022 (Permalink)

Lots of companies do their own laundry, such as country clubs, fitness centers, and schools, just to name a few. With businesses it can be hard to keep up with the maintenance and cleaning of large commercial equipment. Preventing a lint fire in your business takes little time and effort, and it can help save you thousands in fire restoration services costs. Here are three ways you can remove lint from a dryer.  
 

1. Clean the Screen to Prevent a Dryer Vent Fire

 
Clean the lint from the dryer’s lint screen after every load. This helps prevent a fire, and it also helps your laundry dry faster. One thing that a lot of people don’t know is that it’s also helpful to clean the screen in warm, soapy water every two weeks to help remove built-up dust and small bits of debris that could cause a lint fire. Be sure to thoroughly dry the screen before putting it back into the dryer.  
 

2. Clean the Vents

 
Over time, pieces of lint get trapped in the vents and can eventually block airflow from the dryer. When that happens, you are at a much higher risk of fire damage happening to your home. SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita will come into your business, assess your vents, and clean them out.  
 

3. Deep-Clean the Interior of the Dryer

 
Because lint pieces can be small and light, they often make their way to the dryer's interior. If not addressed, the pieces of lint can quickly build up and cause blockages, which can be a fire hazard for your machine. It is so important to keep up with the cleaning in your dryer and its vents, this is one step you can take to help protect your business and your employees from the scary possibility of a fire.  

If you need your dryer vents cleaned, or if it’s too late and you need a fire restoration company to help you get back to your preloss conditions, give SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita a call at (316) 260- 9011. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

Pretesting Your Items After A Fire

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita, our technicians use pretesting to determine the scope of the loss, type of fire loss, and the method of cleaning for areas that have been affected. Pretesting helps determine what items are restorable or repairable vs. those items that will need to be replaced. Every surface is different and will require a certain method of cleaning.  

We use several methods of cleaning your contents, including: 

• Dry Cleaning - Used for cleaning light residues or to pre-clean prior to wet cleaning. 
• Wet Cleaning - An effective cleaning method for removing moderate to heavy residues. 

• Spray and Wipe -Effective for items that can’t withstand wet cleaning. 
• Foam Cleaning - Used for upholstery fabrics that might shrink or bleed if wet cleaned. 
• Abrasive Cleaning - Involves agitation of the surface being cleaned. 
• Immersion Cleaning - Contents are dipped into a bath of the cleaning product. 
   

Every fire damage event is a little different, and requires a unique solution, but the general process and approach stays the same. We have a method that has been perfected over the years and the tools and chemicals that are needed to get you back to your preloss condition. Call SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita to have a professional come in and figure out the best course of action. Our 24/7 emergency line is 316-260-9011! 

Common Plumbing Problems in Commercial Buildings

4/9/2022 (Permalink)

Plumbing problems in your commercial building can cause big issues. Due to heavy use, commercial bathrooms need special attention. The smallest leaks can cause not only an increase in your water bill but can cause future mold growth that will need remediation. Here are the most common issues a commercial bathroom can experience: 

1. Toilet Clogs

While most toilets in a commercial building are built for heavy use, they are still prone to clogs. Clogs in commercial buildings can be so much worse than those in a house. Most often residential toilets store water in their tanks. The water from the tank then pushes out the water and waste in the bowl when it is flushed and re-fills the bowl with clean water. Commercial toilets, on the other hand, receive water from a water supply line at a high level of pressure. If it clogs and floods the bathroom, this can force you to hire water damage restoration professionals. 

2. Leaks

Leaking pipes and faucets can be problematic for numerous reasons. While small leaks may not seem like a big deal, they can lead to a lot of wasted water over time, high increases in your utility bill, as well future mold issues if not dried correctly. If you notice a leak, be sure to have it fixed as soon as possible and call SERVPRO to inspect the area for additional water damage. 

3. Broken Toilet Handles

Excessive clogs are not the only thing that can be a problem with commercial toilets. They also are more likely to have a broken handle due to excessive use. Over time the toilet’s flush handle can become loose or break-off completely and allow water to continually flow into the tank or bowl between flushes.  

4. Sewage Blocks

Another thing that's worse than leaking pipes is a sewage block. Your main sewer line is responsible for draining all of the waste water that goes down the drains, so if it clogs it could quickly turn into a large problem. This can lead to foul smells throughout your business, water backups, and more. Water from sewer system backups should be considered very dangerous. The water is grossly unsanitary and may contain bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illness.  

SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita provides free inspections on commercial properties which can help identify the entire scope of water damage which is often larger than you can see. Additionally, we provided free Emergency Ready Plans or ERPs to businesses which can drastically reduce the size of a potential loss. Call us today at 316-260-9011 to get your ERP started before anything goes wrong on your property! 

SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita Can Handle Your Commercial Size Job

8/20/2021 (Permalink)

Our warehouse is stocked with equipment, no job is too big. Give us a call 316-260-9011.

Not only does SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita handle residential jobs we can tackle commercial jobs as well, no job is too big. We have the equipment and vehicles ready for whatever is needed to get your business back up and running again. SERVPRO has over 1,700 franchises that are ready to help with more equipment and people if needed, so you don’t have to be worried about the capacity of your job. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claims that nearly 40% of businesses that close due to a disaster fail to reopen. The businesses that can reopen normally usually have some type of emergency plan set up to ensure a fast and efficient shift back to normalcy. SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita actually offers an emergency ready plan at no cost to you, check out our blog to learn more.

SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita recently handled a job in a building that was over 6,500 square feet. This building was affected by a water fountain malfunction that caused standing water throughout the structure. Sometimes, with large commercial jobs we have to create the most effective environment in order to dry areas efficiently. Water damage doesn’t always happen close to drains, so we must be ready for whatever happens. We often bring large buckets to drain the dehumidifiers hoses in. Dehumidifiers can suck up to 125 PPD out of the air a day and that water needs to go somewhere so the dehumidifier can pump its reservoir tank.

We are ready 24/7 for any emergency that may occur where you would need our assistance. If you are experiencing a water damage loss of any size give us a call, day or night (316) 260-9011.

Does Your Wichita Business Have an Emergency Ready Plan?

6/23/2021 (Permalink)

We offer an emergency ready plan app!

As a business owner you try to prepare yourself, your business, and your employees for all sorts of possibilities. Commercial risks can span from burglaries to fires, shortage of staff, slow business, and flood damage. Wichita and surrounding area business owners who have an emergency ready plan will find it easier to get back up and running after an incident.

A flood can occur due to many reasons such as a natural disaster, bursting pipes, or a leaking window during a storm. SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita recommends all businesses have an emergency ready plan in place, even if your property does not seem prone to flooding. You never know when a flood might occur. We offer your business an emergency ready plan, this plan highlights some of the biggest security and safety concerns in your business and allows you to take steps to avoid them altogether. These plans show where the water, sprinkler or gas shut offs are so anyone at your business can have access to that information. If the only people who know where these important locations are then your small disaster can quickly grow out of control into a huge disaster.

One of our SERVPRO representatives comes out, documents, and assesses your facility then provides a concise profile for your organization and employees to use if an emergency occurs. The profile also provides information about the chain of command in place for an emergency, having this information will not only ensure that the process of recovery begins much faster, but it takes the stress of looking for the right company out of the equation. The emergency ready plan can also be accessed and edited via an app that we provide to your organization. This whole process we provide is completely free of charge.

If your organization doesn’t have an emergency plan give us a call and we can show you the benefits of working with SERVPRO as your disaster preparedness partner- (316)260-9011