Spring Cleaning to Protect your Home

May 24, 2017 at 8:45 AM

Winter has ended (finally!) Spring is here and as is tradition, it’s time to spring clean! Personally, I love this yearly ritual! There is something therapeutic about opening the windows and letting in the fresh spring air, and to top it off with a newly washed and scrubbed home is something I look forward to every year. There is one room in the house, however, that I need to call in the professionals for… the laundry room.

This compact corner of my house haunts me every year, but there are many reasons why a thorough cleaning is a necessary evil. Not properly caring for your washer and dryer units can leave you vulnerable to flooding and fire damage.

For starters, poor maintenance of your dryer can cause multiple issues, the most obvious being longer drying times. As the dryer is one of the most “energy intensive” appliances in a household, longer drying times will lead to higher utility bills. Longer drying times can also cause shrunken or heat damaged clothing.

A less obvious but much more serious threat from a neglected dryer is the possibility of a fire. Did you know that an unclean dryer is the number one cause of house fires? A study conducted by the Product Safety Commission estimates that 7,000 fires, 200 injuries and 10 deaths occur each year, due to not cleaning your dryer properly.

Now, you might be thinking “well, I clean the lint screen every time I run mine, so I am okay.” Doing this is great, but it’s not enough. Small fibers from your clothes can easily get through the screen and build up inside your dryer vent. If there is enough built up lint, the smallest spark could lead to the biggest disaster. If you’re one of the lucky ones who can access your dryer vent by sliding the unit away from the wall, cleaning the vent yourself is a simple task*. If not (like me) you’ll need to hire a professional.

*Start by disconnecting the dryer from its power source at your home electric panel, then pull the vent from the dryer and use the crevice attachment on your vacuum to clean from both ends.

While you’re protecting your house from fire damage, why not take steps to prevent water damage, too?  When you have your laundry units moved, that is the perfect time to install a Suds Sentry pan, an inexpensive and easy way to prevent your home from water damage caused by a leaking washing machine. Suds Sentry is the right choice for every laundry room. It's a disaster pan beyond your typical washing machine tray.  Suds Sentry gives inspectors, property managers, repairmen and you the confidence they need to protect homes

Did you know that about 93 percent of all water damage can be prevented? Or that water damage is the second most frequently filed insurance claim in the U.S.? Water damage can be costly as gallons of water spill on to your floor, causing them to warp. The biggest issue with washing machine spills is mold. If the room is not entirely dried, the damp dark areas become the perfect breeding ground for mold which can greatly affect your family’s health.

Whether or not you have noticeable water damage or mold, it is important that you take the time to sweep and mop beneath your washer and dryer. At that time, don’t forget to inspect the drain beneath the washer. Lint from the nearby dryer can easily collect here, clogging the drain, causing water to back up in to your home.

You should also clean the interior of the washer. The easiest way I have found is to use washing machine tablets that are specifically designed to break up residue inside your washer. All you have to do is run a normal cycle with only the tablet and you get an awesome deep clean. My favorite is the  Affresh Washer Cleaner Tablets, but there are plenty of homemade options as well! The easiest being a baking soda and vinegar solution.

Interested in learning more about what Sud Sentry can do to help protect your home or property? Contact us today with your needs! 866-507-8347



Tags: Laundry tips, laundry room maintenance, water damage, washing machine pan
Category: Laundry Room Maintenance

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