Winter safety kit

Summer is officially over, so it’s probably a good time to start looking at your winter safety kit.

Useful for in the car, at home or work, a winter safety kit often holds necessary items to keep you safe this winter.

Here’s what you might need in your winter safety kit for the home:

  • Salt, or a similar product that can melt ice on walkways
  • Sand to improve traction in the event you need to leave by vehicle
  • Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment in case you need to clear a snow-blocked door or walkway
  • Heating fuel and equipment in case your regular fuel source is cut off
  • Clothing and blankets for each family member
  • First aid supplies, essential medications and necessary personal hygiene items
  • Non-perishable food and water to last at least 3 days, in case you get snowed in
  • Torches and plenty of batteries
  • Portable chargers for mobile phones in case the power goes out
  • A battery-operated radio to get news and weather updates

Here’s some items that would be suitable to keep in the car for those winter emergency situations:

  • Torches
  • Batteries
  • Blankets
  • First aid kit
  • Water bottles
  • Non-perishable food
  • Tire chains
  • Ice scraper
  • Snow shovel
  • Jump cables
  • Extra fuel
  • Mobile phone charger
  • A battery-operated radio
  • Gloves, hats, and boots
  • Spare jackets

Finally, how about at work? Here’s a list of more items suitable for winter emergencies if you are at work:

  • Non-perishable food
  • Water
  • A complete change of warm clothes
  • Boots, gloves and a jacket
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Essential medications
  • First aid kit
  • A battery-operated radio
  • Torches
  • Batteries

Getting stuck in a winter storm is uncommon, but not impossible. Therefore it’s a good idea to be prepared should the worst happen.

Fortunately we can offer help with the after effects of any winter weather. You can visit our home page here for more information or speak to a member of our team for urgent restorative help on 0845 762 6828

Fireplace safety tips

As the nights draw in and the temperatures drop, it’s a good time to brush up on your fireplace safety.

A fireplace is a great way to keep the home warm and cosy in the cooler months, but they can bring with them some dangers if not recognised and reduced. Here are some fireplace safety tips to keep your family and your home safe this autumn and winter.

Have a real fire? Read on!

  • Clean out ashes from previous fires
  • Have your chimney checked regularly by a professional
  • Where possible, crack a window open whilst the fire is burning
  • Smaller pieces of wood burn quicker and produce less smoke
  • Install a safety screen to protect children and pets
  • Ensure the area around the fireplace is free from any flammables
  • Never leave a fire unattended
  • Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Keep a fire extinguisher on hand
  • Keep tools used to manage the fire out of reach from children
  • Educate children on fireplace safety!

Following the above fireplace safety tips should go a long way in helping to keep your family and your home safe. But if you are unfortunate enough to be affected by fire damage from any source, there are professionals who can help.

ServiceMaster Restore are professionals when it comes to smoke and fire damage clean ups. You can read more about our service on our website.

For any urgent help in restoration, contact us at 0845 762 6828 

Winter cleaning through the flu and winter illness season

Winter cleaning through the flu and winter illness season is something that you need to start thinking about. Particularly, as we’re now in to Autumn, the darker nights are drawing in and temperatures are starting to decline.

Don’t worry, there are things that you can do to reduce the risk to your home or business through winter cleaning, including:

  • Clean first! Yes there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Clean first to remove the dirt, dust, debris, Disinfect after to remove bacteria, viruses and germs
  • Do it regularly – especially the ‘high touch points’ (the areas in the property that are most commonly touched, things like remotes, switches, handles etc)
  • Use effective products – Check the product label for what they are effective in cleaning against. Not all products can disinfect common viruses
  • Follow the manufacturer instructions – To get the best from a product, you should read the label for how to use the product most effectively
  • Wear gloves – Protect your hands from dirt, germs and cleaning products by wearing suitable gloves
  • Use microfibre cloths, not sponges – That’s because they have multiple surfaces to give you better contact with your surface

If you have a larger cleaning and disinfection job, perhaps after a virus case, you can contact a professional for help. The professionals at ServiceMaster Restore are trained in cleaning and disinfection to give you the peace of mind of a job done right!

If you require our help, contact us on 0845 762 6828 for winter cleaning and disinfection, as well as your other requirements for restoration services

Factors affecting the cost of water damage restoration

If you’re reading this blog, you may be unfortunate enough to experience water damage to your property and be wondering what are the factors affecting the cost of water damage restoration.

Well here’s 10 possible factors affecting the cost of water damage restoration:

  1. Size of the affected area – The larger the affected area, the longer period of time it takes to restore the water damage. Size can also mean more products, equipment and materials as well as time too!
  2. Amount of water – The more water you have, the more likely it is to spread. High volume leaks can take a lot of extraction and drying, thus making the restoration a larger job
  3. Type of water – The 3 different categories of water (see blog on categories of water here) affect the equipment and time it takes to clear it up
  4. Where the water is coming from – The source of water will affect the type of clean up required, again affecting timing and equipment needed to restore it
  5. If water is still present – It may be a case of extracting the water first, before the drying and clean up process can begin. This extra stage in the process can make it more costly
  6. Time since the water damage began – The amount of time the water has been present can reflect the damage caused and what is required to restore it
  7. Types of materials affected – Different materials react to water in different ways. Some materials are better at withstanding water than others so it all depends on what’s affected and if it can be restored easily, with difficultly or not at all and needs to be replaced
  8. Mould growth – Is another type of restoration that may be needed if it is apparent within your property as it can be seriously dangerous to health
  9. Weather – The weather can affect the time it takes for your property to dry out if it works against dehumidifiers rather than with them to naturally dry the property
  10. Reconstruction needed – Repair and replacement will be taken in to consideration with regards to cost and timing

That said, the costs are small in relation to saving your property and making it safe for you to live in.

If you’d like to discuss the factors affecting the cost of water damage restoration, contact our team on 0845 762 6828