Recent Posts
Safety tips for a safe Thanksgiving & holiday season
11/7/2024 (Permalink)
Follow these tips to keep your kitchen & home safe during the holiday season.
As Thanksgiving approaches (exactly 3 week away as we're writing this blog!), SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Laurel, Greenbelt and Beltsville would like to offer a few important tips on how to keep your home safe during the holidays.
Believe it or not, far too many homes catch on fire during this time of year! Imagine preparing for the holidays just to have flames devour your property over something as small as a turkey. The impact around this time of year (as winter holidays quickly approach following Thanksgiving) is astronomical and quite stressful to say the least.
Yet time and time again, we are called to homes around Thanksgiving to clean up and restore fire damage… all because of a turkey.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, compared to any other day of the year, the number of house fires reportedly doubles on Thanksgiving Day.
We don’t want our friends & customers to have to experience such a catastrophe, especially during the busiest time of your year.
So, how does the bird cause a fire? Well, these fires usually originate from a deep fryer. The oil used typically spills over the sides of fryer in these instances, and falls into flames beneath. Even vapors can react with the heat, causing a fire.
If your turkey has not been completely dried and thawed, the excess water will cause the oil to bubble and spill down.
Here in the Maryland/DC area, temperatures around the holidays drop. It’s typically quite cold outside. Rain or snow can also factor into the catastrophe. It can cause the oil to splatter.
Due to chilly weather, you might be tempted to shield yourself from the cold weather and fry your turkey in the garage or under your deck. Maybe you have a nice, screened-in deck you’d like to cook inside. Don’t! If your turkey catches on fire, the flames will extend to the ceiling or roof, then spread, engulfing the room and beyond.
Of course we understand people enjoy cooking their special dinner in a propane deep-fryer. So, we are including a few tips to help avoid a fire:
- Make sure your fryer is equipped with a gas valve controller
- While in use, keep your fryer away from children, pets, trees, shrubs, bushes, vehicles, etc. alike
- Your turkey must be completely thawed and dry before placing it in the fryer
- Make sure the fryer in placed on a flat surface
- Do not leave your fryer unattended
- When you notice the oil begins to smoke, turn the propane tank off immediately!
- Have a fire extinguisher handy
We wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. Keep our number handy in the unfortunate event you have a fire in your home or business. 301-323-8862. We're here 24/7 to help!
What's Leaf Mold?
11/7/2024 (Permalink)
Autumn foliage is beautiful, but when leaves fall to the warm ground, mold growth can occur that's not friendly to those with allergies.
Now that Autumn is in full swing and while the foliage is spectacular in our Maryland, DC & Virginia region, the leaves in many parts of the area have begun to fall from their trees.
While we've enjoyed some cooler days, the warm, humid weather from summer & spring enabled mold growth on dying grass patches, and as soon as the leaves fall, the mold on the ground begins to quickly spread over them.
Do you have a mold allergy? If so, you may be wondering if leaf mold is a threat at all.
Indeed, leaf mold can certainly cause symptoms including itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestions, and runny noses.
Not only does the leaf mold lay under the foliage, but it also disperses through the air when leaves are raked or blown about by wind or leaf blower. When spores are stirred up, they’re basically being thrown up in the air to linger around.
However, leaf mold isn’t the fall season’s only allergen. Grasses and ragweed are also common sources of your sneezes.
If you suffer from mold allergy, you can look forward to colder temperatures within the next couple months. Once frost begins showing up on the ground, the mold begins to die off, and you can expect your symptoms to recede.
To learn more about mold and the remediation process, visit our website. We have an entire tab dedicated to mold for your knowledge: www.SERVPROlaurelgreenbelt.com/mold-remediation
Safety tips for Thanksgiving baking
11/4/2024 (Permalink)
Follow these tips for a safe turkey bake & Thanksgiving!
Autumn is in full swing if the colorful foliage and cooler weather are any indication. Which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner!
While Thanksgiving is a joyous time when family and friends gather and give thanks, it’s also the time of year when the number of house fires increases. Team Gutierrez of SERVPRO Laurel & SERVPRO Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E offers a few tips to better ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your family, pets, property and belongings during the holiday season.
First, let's talk turkey and oven preparation. To prepare, clean your stove and oven. Old food crumbs and grease must be removed as over time, grease can build up, leaving quite a residue that can be flammable.
When you’re ready to put the turkey (or duck!) in the oven, set a timer. Also make sure your smoke alarms are working in case of an emergency.
While a fire caused by baking a turkey in the oven is much less common than a fire caused by frying a turkey, it’s still very important to take all precautions, including constant monitoring of the oven.
A few safety tips to follow:
- No long sleeves while cooking to avoid catching on fire
- Pot handles turned towards the back of the stove to avoid tipping or falling
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure turkey has been fully cooked
SERVPRO Team Gutierrez wishes our customers & friends a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Visit our website for more fire safety tips: www.SERVPROlaurelgreenbelt.com/fire-smoke-damage-restoration
Restoring your home or business after fire damage
11/4/2024 (Permalink)
Fire damage can be devastating. Give us a call today, and we will make the restoration process as easy as possible for you.
Life has enough interruptions and bumps along the way without the unwanted disaster of a house or business fire. The aftermath is almost as bad but much longer-lasting. Even small fires can merit the use of a professional restoration company. Cooking fires that spread beyond the stove, barbecue grills that go haywire, and even small appliances that catch fire can cause damage to surrounding areas.
Small Fires Can Pose High Risks
While you should never pour water on a grease fire, nor on an electrical one, many times that is a person's first reaction anywhere. This can cause even more damage.
Cooking fires and electrical shorts are common causes of fire damage in Montgomery County, Prince George's County and surrounding areas. It can also create physical risks to people standing nearby. With grease fires, baking soda should be poured into the skillet and any grease or oil that has caught fire outside of the cooking pan or skillet instead of water.
With electrical fires, the appliance should be unplugged if it can be safely done, but not by pulling on the cord. This can cause the cord to snap, leaving the plug, without the cord, still in the outlet. The power to the area where this is happening should be shut off at the fuse box as quickly as possible to eliminate the hazard.
After the Fire is Out, It's Time to Repair the Damage
When there has been a localized fire, you should have someone assess the damages for you. This can often help with insurance documentation. Team Gutierrez of SERVPRO of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E can also help with this process.
Landlords, if you are renting, will also appreciate if you inform them of the fire, and they can see the damage for themselves. It is every landlord's worst nightmare to have a fire or flood damage their properties. If they can see the amount of damage, they can rest easier knowing the extent of the repairs required. Fires do happen, through nobody's fault, and your landlord will know this.
Damage can range from blackened walls and countertops to heavily burned surfaces, electrical wires being damaged and requiring replacement, to floors suffering damage so severe they must be replaced to be safe again. Having experts conduct the repairs needed can greatly facilitate insurance claims being resolved, as well.
Hopefully you will never have to experience a fire in your home, business or building, but if you have recently dealt with this catastrophe and need professional restoration to your residential or commercial property, give SERVPRO of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E us a call today at 301-323-8862.
Our SERVPRO Team Gutierrez's highly-trained emergency response crews are always “Faster to any size disaster.” No job is too large or too small for us!
Mold: We cannot ignore it, but we can prevent it
11/4/2024 (Permalink)
Mold can grow just about anywhere in our home or business. SERVPRO of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/Beltsville can help with mold remediation.
Mold can be found just about anywhere around us, as there’s always some level of mold or mildew.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the following tips to help prevent mold growth in your home:
- Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home’s humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
- Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
- Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
- Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood.
- Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
- Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
- Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
To learn more about mold, how to clean it and whether to test for mold in your home, check out this article by CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/mold-health/about/clean-up.html
Severe and visible mold in your home or business? Leave it to Team Gutierrez at SERVPRO of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E. We are the experts on mold remediation, as well as fire & water damage cleanup and restoration. Call us 24/7 at 301-323-8862.
Considering a move to Laurel, Beltsville, or Greenbelt?!
11/4/2024 (Permalink)
The Metro can save a lot of time and money and a convenient way to travel.
We love our Laurel, Beltsville and Greenbelt communities, where our two SERVPRO franchises provide restoration services to residents & businesses here and surrounding areas! Thinking about moving here? We’ll give you a few reasons why our community stands out to us!
Great schools: Numerous Prince George's County Public Schools campuses are nationally ranked and recognized. Additionally, the area boasts some great private schools if you are looking for those options. Prince George’s Community College at University Town Center is a 5-minute walk from the Prince George’s Plaza Station on the Metrorail Green Line. For an affordable tuition, you can obtain your associate degree from this institution for a fraction of what you would pay at other colleges and universities.
Quick access to transit: Our area offers public transportation ranging from buses to trains. While the Metro rail allows quick access from the county to DC, parts of Virginia and other local hotspots, bus services from PGC's TheBus are available throughout the county with hundreds of bus routes.
Plenty of shopping centers, restaurants, entertainment
Safe communities: From amazing career opportunities to safe neighborhoods, Prince George's County is a great place to live and to start a great career with close proximity to DC and VA.
Speaking of DC: From weekend activities such as parades and museum trips, to sports venues including the Washington Nationals Park, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Oreos stadiums, we are fortunate to have easy access to a hub of many work, play and entertainment opportunities.
Arts, history and culture: Our area is known by its culture and history. Much of it is celebrated through art. Our area offers a wide variety of tours, including tours of farms, mansions, and old school houses for example. There happens to be many museums and theaters in our area as well. Keep an eye out on community pages for local concert series, pop-ups and festivities.
Our Teams Are IICRC-Trained and Certified
10/28/2024 (Permalink)
Our technicians are certified & trained in the latest industry techniques and services.
At SERVPRO of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/ Beltsville E, we strive for excellence at every job we do. It's why our team members go through regular training and certification.
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is recognized internationally as a knowledgeable industry voice and resource. It serves as an independent, nonprofit standard-setting and certification body, to set and promote high standards of ethics; and to advance communication and technical proficiency within the inspection, cleaning and restoration service industries.
The IICRC offers certifications in several categories of Cleaning, Inspection and Restoration. Additionally, there are Journeyman certifications available to those with advanced levels of recognition, which can be achieved by having several certifications in select categories and a minimum of three to five years of experience in the cleaning and restoration industry.
SERVPRO Team Gutierrez technicians are IICRC-certified and continue their education and certification throughout their employment. As new certifications become available through the IICRC, steps are taken to ensure that our technicians are certified in the latest techniques and services. Our customers can rest assured knowing that only the most qualified technicians will be sent into your business or home to restore and repair damage when you use our company!
Our accolades speak for themselves, as SERVPRO Team Gutierrez - which includes our Laurel & Greenbelt NE/ Beltsville E franchises as well as our parent company, SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring North - was named 2023 Small Business of the Year by the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and 2021 Small Business of the Year by the Greater Rockville Chamber of Commerce. Our mitigation director, Alex, was recently honored as the 2024 Field Hero of the Year by the national Cleaning & Restoration Magazine!
We are here 24/7 to help tackle water, fire, mold or biohazard damage to your property, residential or commercial. Call us, SERVPRO Team Gutierrez, at 301-323-8862.
Strange Odor in your Home? SERVPRO Laurel can help!
9/9/2024 (Permalink)
Candles can mask indoor odors temporarily. But for more serious and lingering odor, SERVPRO of Laurel/ Greenbelt can help!
Detect a strange odor in your Laurel or Beltsville-Greenbelt home or commercial building?
If so, you might ask where it’s coming from. Is there a specific source that’s letting off this smell? What’s causing it, and how can it be eliminated once and for all?
Sometimes, an odor can originate from a deceased animal trapped in your attic. That’s a simpler cleanup. Other times, the odor could be much more difficult to pinpoint. When the situation is more complex or dispersed, there’s more of a science to identifying the root of the issue.
This is when SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Laurel and Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E steps in. Our highly-trained technicians have taken IICRC technical classes to learn how to properly identify and remove odors.
Oftentimes, people try masking a serious odor. In attempt to scare the smell away, here are a few common methods used, but are either very temporary or to be used with caution:
- Purchase and light a candle warmer
- Spray a pleasant scent
- Sprinkle baking soda everywhere (which can neutralize odors permanently, however, use caution or avoid if you have pets. If ingested, animals can become ill)
- Cleaning furniture or walls with soapy water
- Leaving windows open (which is sometimes a preventative measure to take, but can also allow additional moisture to travel inside depending on climate and temperatures)
If the odor stems from an issue such as mold, a gas leak, improper heating equipment, a blocked chimney, or spilled chemicals, the methods above might cover the smell for a short while, but will not be able to stop the smell from resurfacing. In many of these instances, the smell could lead to health effects.
If you discover the source, and it’s an easy fix (rotting vegetables in your refrigerator, a bag of old gym shoes in your garage, food stuck in your drain because you forgot to use the garbage disposal, etc.), then you’re in luck. However, you will want to call a professional immediately if the circumstances seem more dangerous/hazardous or if you cannot pinpoint a harmless source after searching.
Leave it to SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Laurel and of Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E if you want a safe, thorough and effective cleanup. With our extensive knowledge and latest, state-of-the-art equipment, we will have the odor source identified and carefully eliminated.
Call us at 301-323-8862 with any questions or needs for odor removal and deodorization.
Visit our webpage for details:
www.SERVPROlaurelgreenbelt.com/odor-removal-deodorization
Sept 12 is National Day of Encouragement!
9/9/2024 (Permalink)
Small gestures and words of encouragement can make someone's day or change their lives.
Sept 12 marks the annual National Day of Encouragement, and this year that’s this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024! Its purpose is to encourage people to encourage others.
You never know how you can shape someone’s day or how you might be able to turn someone’s day around.
Were you ever having a rough day and a co-worker complimented you? Maybe a classmate told you that your presentation was great. Maybe a co-worker, sibling, or friend told you to keep up the great work. The gesture costs little to nothing, but it can impact someone’s day, week, or even life unimaginably. Check out the story in this link (talk about life-changing!):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/alabama-woman-reveals-life-changing-advice-she-received-from-state-trooper-who-pulled-her-over-for-speeding-right-person-right-time/ar-AA1qbRaH
Here a few simple ideas on how you can encourage someone:
- Write a simple note or send an email
- Give them a small gift, such as a flower or notepad
- Invite them to lunch and talk with them. A listening ear is all someone needs sometimes!
- In an encouraging manner, share an advice on how they can stay on top of their goals
At SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Laurel and of Greenbelt/ Beltsville, encouraging team members to “Be the Best,” “Be a Game Changer,” “Do the Right Thing,” and “Be Positive” are our daily mottos. We’re confident you’ll be able to inspire and encourage someone every day!
A SERVPRO Emergency Ready Plan can expedite service & save time and money
9/9/2024 (Permalink)
Having a SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile can save a lot of time, energy and money when disasters strike.
Did you know up to 50% of businesses afflicted by a disaster will never reopen? The statistic may be shocking, but what isn’t very surprising is that the vast majority of the surviving businesses had previously established a preparedness plan.
Disasters such as storms and flooding can strike at anytime, anywhere, and Prince George's County, Maryland is no exception. Unfortunately, all catastrophes cannot be prevented, which means it is imperative to have an emergency plan in place just in case an unexpected event occurs.
It's why preparation is key and can save a lot of time, energy and money: The SERVPRO® Emergency Ready Plan app works to prevent situations from escalating. The app, designed for commercial use, is marketed towards property and risk managers and towards business owners.
Some benefits of the app include:
- An assessment at no charge
- A Profile Document containing only necessary information geared for a time of emergency
- A quick reference for you and your employees (especially if the owner/manager is away on a business trip, for example).
- A free guide outlining important steps to take post-disaster
- A connection and direct contact with your local SERVPRO
SERVPRO Team Gutierrez customers, including those in Laurel, Beltsville & Greenbelt are offered this service free of charge. After downloading the SERVPRO Emergency Ready Plan app onto an electronic device, a SERVPRO team member will meet with the client to map the property they own or manage.
Mapping the territory includes, but is not limited to, making note of water pipes, crawl spaces and fire exits. Information such as the square footage of the building and photographs of the property are collected and stored in the app as well.
Although gathering and recording this information on the app may sound like a lengthy process, employees have noted they can finish the plan in about 30 minutes. Additionally, owners can go back into the app and add more detail or update over time. There’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
If you prepare for the future, you will “Save Early for Disaster Costs.” Utilizing tools to prevent damage, to prevent loss, and to prevent losing your business to a disaster, is one of the best ways to ensure the “health” of what you own or manage.
It’s simple, and it’s free. Save now to avoid large costs later. Download the application in the App Store or from the link below:
https://ready.SERVPRO.com/Home/MobileApp
Please feel free to call SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Laurel & Greenbelt NE/Beltsville E at 301-323-8862 with any questions you may have about the ERP.
We're also here 24/7 for any cleanup & restoration needs from storm, water, fire, mold or other property damage.