Well, today threw a curve ball my way. Due to some issues with the vehicle fleet, i will be unabe to publish the article on flu prevention as i had planned for today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some peace at the office to allow me to get writing. 

Let's Talk Mold

So once again, I find myself back on a hot topic: Mold. I am often asked to take a look at structures that are thought to have mold issues. Too many times customers ask about the cheapest and easiest way to rid their home or other building of mold, as well as what they can do to take care of the issues on their own. Let me make this very clear: mold in your home or any other structure that is inhabited is an extremely serious issue that should be left to trained and knowledgeable professionals.

Let's cover some reasons why you should not risk your health and your structure's integrity trying to remediate fungal issues on your own.

-Fungal growth such as mold can cause various health issues (skin irritation, eye irritation, and nasal congestion are just some minor affects). CDC: How do molds affect people?

-Attempting to remediate mold on your own can actually do more harm than good. If your cleaning methods involve introducing any more moisture to the environment that is not properly dried, more extensive fungal growth is a possibility. Also, you may inadvertently add another food source for the fungus to feed on and continue growing.

-If one attempts to remediate mold on his or own, he or she may cause the fungus to go airborne. If this happens, it may put you or the other inhabitants of the building at an increased risk for respiratory problems.

-Fungus knows how to do two things: eat, and grow. When a fungus feeds it is actually breaking down the food source (fruit, bread, your home's structure) and aiding as well as accelerating the natural decomposition process.


As you can see, the risks associated with trying to remediate mold without the help of a certified professional far outweigh the money that may be saved up front. Please, if you suspect there may be mold growing in your home, contact a certified professional first.

We at ServiceMaster by Bell, Inc. have trained professionals on staff that can help assess any fungal issues you may have, as well as lay out a plan for what needs to be done to correct the issues. We use professional grade products and instruments to remediate mold and other fungal issues, so why not leave the health of you and your family to trained professionals?

Thanks for reading!

ServiceMaster by Bell, Inc.
877-214-1664
814-764-3232
smbybell@gmail.com

Cleaning Up Spills On Your Carpet

Often I have people ask what they should do to treat small spills on their carpets or furniture. The answer is relatively simple and will save you may headaches down the road. Let's say you're having spaghetti for dinner and your child, who insists on watching his or her favorite cartoon while eating dinner, drops some sauce on your light colored carpet. This glaring red splotch may be the end of the line for your living room carpet, right? Wrong...Don't panic and don't throw every cleaning supply from the cupboard on to the spot. Just wet a clean cloth with warm water and keep another dry, clean cloth handy as well. Start by blotting the spot with the damp cloth. Look for transfer of the spot from the carpet to the cloth. Continue blotting until there is no longer transfer visible. Then blot the spot with the dry cloth, again looking for transfer. Never rub a spot in an attempt to remove it. This will only grind the substance in to the carpet and worsen the situation. 

Thanks again for reading, and as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Summer Concerns

Ahhhh, Summer is finally upon us. It feels like it took forever to get here. As you may have noticed with the increase of temperature we also often experience an increase in humidity. This can really present a problem for many people. Have you ever noticed that as summer sets in, there is an odd musty odor that creeps in to your home seemingly coming from your basement? If this is the case, there may be some issues to address within your home to protect you and your family from the dangers that indoor fungal growth presents. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in learning more about, send me an email at kurtis.smbybell@gmail.com .

Thanks again for reading,

Kurtis

Let's Do Lunch Slideshow

For those of you who couldn't make it to my presentation today or if you were there and want another look at the slide show, I have posted the slides from the slide show below. As always, please feel free to email or call me with any questions you may have.

Thanks,

Kurtis

ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

Indoor Air Quality and Its Importance...Plus a Coupon Just for You!

Coming up very soon you will have a unique opportunity to sit in on a lunchtime seminar hosted by the Clarion Hospital. This happens quarterly, but why am I excited about the upcoming seminar? Because I am one of the featured speakers! That's right, I'll be at the Holiday Inn on February 9th at noon to give a presentation on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as part of Clarion Hospital's "Let's do Lunch" series.

The cost of each program is $6, and a full lunch is included. Programs begin at 12:00 noon and are held at the Holiday Inn of Clarion in the courtyard.

Reserve your seat by calling 814-226-1362. The deadline to make a reservation is the Friday before each program, which would be February 2, 2012.

Now if that isn't great enough, I'll sweeten the deal some more for you. At the end of the post I'm putting up a coupon for 10% off your next service of $100.00 or more with us at ServiceMaster by Bell Inc. To take advantage of this coupon you have to print it out and bring it to the seminar at noon on February 9, 2012 and see me afterwards. I'll endorse it, making it valid for use. Please note that any coupons that are not endorsed by me will not be valid.

So let me recap this post for you:

At noon on 2/9/2012 for $6.00 you get lunch and get to hear some great people talk about keeping a healthy and safe home. If you print off the coupon attached below and bring it to the seminar for me to endorse, you can save 10% off your next service bill of $100.00 or more with ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

It doesn't get much better than that. Well, maybe it does, but not as far as I can see. So, clear your lunch hour on February 9th and I'll see you at the Clarion Holiday Inn.

Here's a link to Clarion Hospital's "Let's Do Lunch" page: http://www.clarionhospital.org/clh.nsf/View/letsdolunch

Also, here's a map of where the Holiday Inn is located, just in case you are not sure: http://g.co/maps/t37pg

One last thing. As I promised, below is the coupon. Remember to print it out and bring it to the seminar for me to endorse. That is the only way to cash in on this offer.

My Pet is uh...Peeing on the Carpet...

So you have a problem. Maybe Precious the cat has found a new litter box and it just so happens to be your new living room carpet. Now before you kick the cat, hose down the carpet with Febreze, and dump your favorite cleaning solution on it think about it for a minute. In you mind, kicking the cat may be a practical idea but I would suggest taking your anger out in a different way. It also may seem like a good idea to spray as many air fresheners and cleaning products on your carpet as you can find, but think about what you are doing to that new carpet you just had put down. You're creating a lovely chemical cocktail that may bleach out your carpet (refer to a prior post to hear my rant on that).

So, if Spot the dog happens to spot your carpet please give us a call. We would love to help. If we can get in to take care of the spots before the pet continues marking the area and before you try to treat the spots, there is a good chance we can remove the spot and the odor. If you let this go for a few months and then call us you'll be looking at more than a cleaning bill to fix the problem. In that time the urine will most likely soak down through the carpet and in to the carpet pad and subfloor. If this is the case the only way to truly correct the issue is to lift the carpet, remove the pad, seal the subfloor, replace the pad, put the carpet back down and then clean the carpet. Sounds like a big headache right? So when your pet decides it is too cold to go outside and starts doing its business indoors just give us a call right away. We'll save you some headaches and some cash, and who doesn't want that?

Well, thanks again for reading and have a great holiday!

Kurtis

ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

kurtis.smbybell@gmail.com

877.214.1664

814.764.3232

Did you Experience a Furnace Puffback?

If you have turned on your home heating system this fall and discovered a dark film over the contents of your home, you may have experienced a furnace puffback. If this is the case there are some things you must know. First off, please call a professional restoration service (as always, our contact information will be provided below). Second, do not touch anything that is covered in this dirt, or film. Chances are it is not just dirt or dust. Most times it is an oily substance that will smear, making it nearly impossible to clean off completely. At ServiceMaster by Bell Inc., we have the proper training and tools to clean up after a furnace puffback so you don't have to worry about a thing.

If you have any questions, or think you may have experienced a furnace puffback please giv us a call. I have provided our contact information below for your convenience.

Thanks again,

Kurtis

ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

877-214-1664

814-764-3232

kurtis.smbybell@gmail.com

Something to Keep in MInd

Hey there, it's another lovely day at the office. As I sit at my desk looking out at the lovely grey skies and think, I can't get the images of ugly carpet discoloration out of my mind. It seems that 1 in ever 3 carpet estimates I do I see discolored carpets. The first thing I ask is what made the stain, or discoloration. This is so I can decide what chemicals our crew needs to use to get the best results. Secondly, I ask if it was a stain and is now discolored if they tried to clean it and if so what they used to clean it. 90% of the time I hear the customer tell me they used a stain lifting product from the local store which will remain nameless (I will tell you, it stars with "RE" and ends with "SOLVE"). I can not stress to our customers how much I am against using off the shelf carpet spotters or stain removers. Often, they think I am just trying to sell them on my product but that is not the case. I am trying to save them from having unsightly spots on their carpets that will never come out. Right now you may even be thinking "Oh wow, he is trying to sell me on some product right now", but that is not the case. Want to find out first hand? Go out and get some of the aforementioned stain remover or carpet cleaner and try it on the stain. If you have done this you will probably have a nice pink or bleached out stain on your carpets that will not come out. Of course I really do not want anyone to try this and will not be held responsible if you do try that.

Take care of stains the right way. Blot the excess liquid up from the carpet. Do not try to wipe the stain out because this will simply set it in making it more difficult to clean. Then, grab your ServiceMaster spot kit and go to town with the carpet spotter and a damp rag blotting until there is no transfer occurring. If this has still not completely removed the stain just give us a call and we'd be glad to come take care of it for you!

Thanks again for reading and make sure you subscribe!

Kurtis

ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

814-764-3232

877-214-1664

kurts.smbybell@gmail.com

As I promised bloggers, you will find a coupon below to help you keep your carpet and upholstery looking great for less. If you read some of my older posts, you will see that I am big on protecting your carpet as well. Maybe use this discount as a great chance to try out our carpet protector in your home. I am confident you will notice stains lifting much easier from your carpet as well as the carpet looking better for a longer period of time in between cleanings.

Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to call us with any questions.

Kurtis Bell

ServiceMaster by Bell Inc.

877-214-1664

814+764-3232

kurtis.smbybell@gmail.com

To print the coupon, simply click the coupon and it will open in a new window. Then go to the top of your window and select file, then print.