Should you have your air ducts in your home cleaned?

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.

If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

On the other hand, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor.

Cleaning Tips 101

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

Below are some helpful tips on how to keep your home clean and safe from your neighborhood friendly SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest.

Clean a Mirror

You don’t have to buy glass cleaners and paper towels to clean your mirrors.  Just some vinegar and an old newspaper is all you need to keep your mirrors shining as new. Your house will look cleaner if the mirrors are clean.

Cleaning the Oven

Does your oven get used every day?  Someday if you’re not using your oven, give it a quick spray of oven cleaner and keep it like that till the next day. Before you turn on your oven the next day, give it a quick wipe down. The baked on stuff comes off much easier than ever.

Cleaning the Microwave

Cleaning a microwave is easy. Fill up a cup of water and put it in there on high for a few minutes. The steam from the cup will loosen any stuck-on food, and then you can just wipe it away. It’s that simple.

Cleaning the Fridge

A fridge looks big and cleaning it looks even bigger. Follow my steps and the work will be a bit easier. First toss out any bad food. Then start with wiping down the top shelves and work down. Baking soda and water make a great cleaner and won’t leave your fridge smelling like a harsh cleanser. After you wipe out the crispers, line them with paper towels for easier cleaning next time. Cleaning the fridge was never this easy.

Cleaning your Bathroom

You can use lemon oil to shine the tiles of your bathroom. Lemon oil will also prevent mold and mildew. Use a false teeth bubbling tablet to avoid rings. Sometimes the problem with shower is that hard water gets build up there. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place it over shower head to remove hard water buildup. You can use alcohol to  shine bathroom faucets.

Toilet Hygiene

One of the most hated things to do but fortuitously, it can be done very fast if you follow the way I do, few steps to follow to get it done quickly. First pour some cleaner in the bowl to soak. Then wipe down the seat and outside of the bowl with an antibacterial wipe or spray cleaner. After that scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and finally wipe down everything again with a dry cloth to make it shine.

Bathtubs can be cleaned too EASILY

To clean bathtubs here are a few things that may help:

Use a cleanser that will foam or bubble. This allows you to “soak” your tub or shower, even if it’s a vertical wall. Get a scrubber that fits your needs, a long-handled one or an extra firm one, pick a scrubber that will be easiest for you to use. Moreover, spraying the tub or shower down after each use can make deep cleaning easier.

With any other questions, don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest at 559-261-9765.

Clutter Free

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

With fall just around the corner, we here in Fresno try to accomplish new goals, get a new fresh start and tidy up our homes. Getting healthy, organizing and bettering our lives' always seems to be at the top of the list. One space to start cleaning and organizing is the garage! That extra storage area that easily becomes a catchall for excess items.  We have compiled a list of items that should not be stored in your garage for not only the better of the item, but also for safety. Get them out and reclaim your space.

1. Paint- Because the garage is prone to extreme temperature changes, paint should not be stored in the garage.  Recycle paint according to your county guidelines or donate it.
2. Electronics- If you are putting electronics out in the garage, you must not be using them.  Donate these items because they can’t withstand the temperature fluctuations and will easily break.
3. Propane and Hazardous Chemicals- Proper ventilation is key for storage of propane and hazardous chemicals.  For safety reasons, these items need to be stored outside.  
4. Food- Keeping food in the garage is an open invitation to rodents and insects.  Although shopping in bulk can save money, storing extra food in the garage will cause problems. The moisture and humidity will spoil the food. Find room in the house for food storage.
5. Cardboard boxes- Insects, mice and other rodents love cardboard.  Invest in waterproof plastic bins to store your items.

Hope these tips will better assist you when cleaning up your Fresno home!

If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call your local SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest at (559) 261-9765 

Clutter Free

7/30/2017 (Permalink)

With fall just around the corner, we here in Fresno try to accomplish new goals, get a new fresh start and tidy up our homes. Getting healthy, organizing and bettering our lives' always seems to be at the top of the list. One space to start cleaning and organizing is the garage! That extra storage area that easily becomes a catchall for excess items.  We have compiled a list of items that should not be stored in your garage for not only the better of the item, but also for safety. Get them out and reclaim your space.

1. Paint- Because the garage is prone to extreme temperature changes, paint should not be stored in the garage.  Recycle paint according to your county guidelines or donate it.
2. Electronics- If you are putting electronics out in the garage, you must not be using them.  Donate these items because they can’t withstand the temperature fluctuations and will easily break.
3. Propane and Hazardous Chemicals- Proper ventilation is key for storage of propane and hazardous chemicals.  For safety reasons, these items need to be stored outside.  
4. Food- Keeping food in the garage is an open invitation to rodents and insects.  Although shopping in bulk can save money, storing extra food in the garage will cause problems. The moisture and humidity will spoil the food. Find room in the house for food storage.
5. Cardboard boxes- Insects, mice and other rodents love cardboard.  Invest in waterproof plastic bins to store your items.

Hope these tips will better assist you when cleaning up your Fresno home!

If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call your local SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest at (559) 261-9765 

Cleaning Tips 101

7/25/2017 (Permalink)

Below are some helpful tips on how to keep your home clean and safe from your neighborhood friendly SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest.

Clean a Mirror

You don’t have to buy glass cleaners and paper towels to clean your mirrors.  Just some vinegar and an old newspaper is all you need to keep your mirrors shining as new. Your house will look cleaner if the mirrors are clean.

Cleaning the Oven

Does your oven get used every day?  Someday if you’re not using your oven, give it a quick spray of oven cleaner and keep it like that till the next day. Before you turn on your oven the next day, give it a quick wipe down. The baked on stuff comes off much easier than ever.

Cleaning the Microwave

Cleaning a microwave is easy. Fill up a cup of water and put it in there on high for a few minutes. The steam from the cup will loosen any stuck-on food, and then you can just wipe it away. It’s that simple.

Cleaning the Fridge

A fridge looks big and cleaning it looks even bigger. Follow my steps and the work will be a bit easier. First toss out any bad food. Then start with wiping down the top shelves and work down. Baking soda and water make a great cleaner and won’t leave your fridge smelling like a harsh cleanser. After you wipe out the crispers, line them with paper towels for easier cleaning next time. Cleaning the fridge was never this easy.

Cleaning your Bathroom

You can use lemon oil to shine the tiles of your bathroom. Lemon oil will also prevent mold and mildew. Use a false teeth bubbling tablet to avoid rings. Sometimes the problem with shower is that hard water gets build up there. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place it over shower head to remove hard water buildup. You can use alcohol to  shine bathroom faucets.

Toilet Hygiene

One of the most hated things to do but fortuitously, it can be done very fast if you follow the way I do, few steps to follow to get it done quickly. First pour some cleaner in the bowl to soak. Then wipe down the seat and outside of the bowl with an antibacterial wipe or spray cleaner. After that scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and finally wipe down everything again with a dry cloth to make it shine.

Bathtubs can be cleaned too EASILY

To clean bathtubs here are a few things that may help:

Use a cleanser that will foam or bubble. This allows you to “soak” your tub or shower, even if it’s a vertical wall. Get a scrubber that fits your needs, a long-handled one or an extra firm one, pick a scrubber that will be easiest for you to use. Moreover, spraying the tub or shower down after each use can make deep cleaning easier.

With any other questions, don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest at 559-261-9765.

Should I use bleach?

8/1/2016 (Permalink)

Don't Reach for the Bleach!

Ah, the smell of it! Growing up, you always knew when it was your mom's cleaning day because of the smell of bleach. A lot of the products she used (and that we still use) contain chlorine bleach. There's Lysol, Ajax, Comet and many others. But these are not the kind of products that a professional restorers use. Why?

1. Chlorine is lacking detergency. In other words, it contains no wetting agents to allow it to penetrate soils so surfaces must be pre-cleaned before chlorine will effectively kill germs. This is a two step process that requires more time.

2. Chlorine is very caustic to human tissue. It can burn skin and eyes.

3. Chlorine can react with other chemicals to create toxic byproducts and gases. It's notably incompatible with products that contain ammonia, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid and acetic acid (vinegar).

4. Chlorine bleach fumes can be very unpleasant or irritating to workers or people in surrounding areas.

5. Chlorine may emit carcinogenic gas if it comes in contact with formaldehyde or is hyper-chlorinated by hot water.

6. Chlorine bleach should never be used in mold remediation. The goal in killing mold is to kill it at its "roots", which bleach fails to do.

7. Chlorine is extremely corrosive to metal surfaces and can permanently discolor countertops. It can also damage floor finishes, requiring them to be stripped and recoated, which is an expensive process.

8. Chlorine will discolor fibers and colored surfaces. Carpets, entrance matting and clothing are just a few of the fibers that may be damaged.

9. The disinfectant power of chlorine bleach is rapidly inactivated by contact with organic matter, i.e. blood, saliva, tissue, urine, feces, dirt, etc. Chlorine is also inactivated by sunlight.

10. Diluted chlorine bleach will quickly relinquish its effectiveness, is unstable and can lose its disinfectant qualities very rapidly, compared to most quat-based disinfectants, which are very stable.


Although bleach products may be a bargain, you owe it to yourself to use a product that truly cleans, thoroughly disinfects and is safe to use.

Long time smoker

7/25/2016 (Permalink)

You can see he difference as we cleaned.

The nasty and stale stink of cigarette smoking lingers inside a house or room long after the cigarette is out and the smoker is gone. It also causes a yellowish tar and nicotine discoloration on the walls that hardens with time. Whether you just quit smoking, moved into an apartment that had been smoked in or bought a house from a previous smoker, don't get discouraged, SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest can remove the stink and the smoke stains from the walls. This Picture shows a senior living facility in Fresno that called SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest out to take a look at an apartment they had that the tenant had been a smoker in for 9yrs. They were impressed with how clean we were able to get it. They were happy to know they could proceed with painting without worrying about the smoke smell bleeding through.

Spring cleaning your work place

4/21/2016 (Permalink)

What a mess!!

You may think that you don’t have time to organize your office, but if you really knew how much time that disorganization cost you, you’d reconsider. Rearranging and moving piles occasionally doesn’t count. Neither does clearing off your desk, if you swipe the mess into a bin, or a desk drawer. A relatively neat and orderly office space clears the way for higher productivity and less wasted time.

Organizing your office doesn’t have to take days, it can be done a little at a time. In fact maintaining an organized office is much more effective if you treat it like an ongoing project, instead of a massive assault. So, if you’re ready to get started, here are a couple of tips that will help you transform your office into an efficient workspace.

Purge your office – De-clutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. Look around. What haven’t you used in a while? Take one area at a time. If it doesn’t work, send it out for repair or toss it. If you haven’t used it in months and can’t think of when you’ll actually need it, out it goes. This goes for furniture, equipment, supplies, etc. Don’t forget about knick-knacks, plants (real or artificial), and decorations – if they’re covered with dust and make your office look shabby, they’re fair game.

Gather and redistribute – Gather up every item that isn’t where it belongs and put it where it does. 

Establish work “zones” – Decide what type of activity happens in each area of your office. You’ll probably have a main workspace (most likely your desk,) a reference area (filing cabinet, shelves, binders,) and a supply area (closet, shelves or drawers.) Place the appropriate equipment and supplies are located in the proper area as much as possible.

Once you have your work place orginized, call SERVPRO of Fresno Northwest to schedule your carpet to be cleaned. 559-261-9765