21. December 2010 by Dean of Clean.

We are fantastically fortunate here in Southwest Colorado to live in towns where crime/trauma scene cleanup is very seldom needed. However, in the rare instances where these service are required, it’s important to choose a discreet, caring provider with the proper training and certification.

God forbid anyone should need these services; but even worse would be to have to perform the work yourself without knowing the Bloodborne Pathogen rules, or be taken advantage of by a company that is not certified or cuts corners in cleanup and disposal protocol.

UltraSteam has 2 Certified Bio-Cleaning Technicians on call at all times to serve the community should the need arise. Richard and Shelly are courteous, compassionate experts who have been through an intensive, week-long course of classroom and on-site training with Don McNulty, former owner of BioClean Services of America in Kansas City. They passed the course with flying colors, and have earned their place among the very few experts nationwide to become certified in Bio-Remediation. This certification comes on top of over 30 years of combined experience performing meticulous cleaning and remediation of biohazard, crime and trauma scene cleaning, and similar detailed work such as mold, smoke and water damage.

UltraSteam has invested heavily in the training, equipment, protective gear and medical waste disposal protocols to provide Durango and La Plata county with the utmost in discreet, professional service to remediate any crime or trauma scene, unattended death or unsanitary dwelling (hoarding situation).

Should you have any questions about this service, please call Richard direct at 970-759-2395 for 24/7 Emergency Service.

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20. November 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Did you know that on average, a household will experience a water damage loss of some type once every 10 years? It’s not a matter of if you’ll have a water damage, it’s a matter of when…and when it happens to you, you’ll need expert help to clean up, dry the structure and restore your home to it’s normal state.

Even a seemingly small situation like a backed-up toilet or washing machine overflow can spread harmful bacteria through your carpet,the pad and the wood subfloor, causing an unhealthy and potentially hazardous indoor environment for your family if not addressed by a competent professional. Unfortunately, some companies still use carcinogenic chemicals to clean and disinfect your home - and untrained or careless personnel can further complicate the situation! Without the training and equipment to properly test your structure and make certain it’s completely dry, you may end up with hidden pockets of moisture that contribute to mold and fungal growth that make a bad situation worse.

Fortunately, help is just a phone call away at 385-8444, or 759-2395 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…even on holidays. UltraSteam Professional Cleaning & Restoration Services offers complete emergency water damage restoration, including water extraction from wet carpet, structural drying of wet walls and floors, drying, restoration and cleaning of oriental and area rugs, post-restoration cleaning of carpet, upholstery, and air duct systems.

With over 60 years of combined experience, our courteous, careful water damage restoration experts will help restore your home to it’s pre-loss state - as though the damage never happened at all.

And, UltraSteam uses “Green” cleaning products with no VOC’s, and safe, effective botanical disinfectants instead of the phenols and glutaraldehydes that other companies still use…to protect your family’s health, and that of the environment. Meanwhile, our state-of-the-art drying equipment dries your home faster, using less electricity than ever before!

To learn more about our company, click on “Green” Water Damage Restoration in Durango or call us at 385-8444. For after hours service call 759-2395 24/7.

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5. September 2010 by Dean of Clean.

There are two good reasons: Fire Prevention and Energy Efficiency!

Each year there are more than 4000 fires and 10 deaths in the United States caused by lint buildup in dryer vents. The Consumer Products Safety commission recommends regular cleaning of dryer vents to help prevent these fires. Fortunately, UltraSteam cleans dryer vents in the Durango area, as well as providing professional air duct cleaning.

This inexpensive service does more than safeguard your home and family though - it helps improve your dryer’s energy efficiency, since partially blocked vents cause the dryer to work harder and use more electricity or gas to dry the clothes.

Call 385-8444 in Durango, Bayfield and Hesperus for dryer vent and air duct cleaning this fall, and go into winter with a clean, safe, healthy home!

To learn more about dryer vent safety and what the best type of duct is for your clothes dryer, check this link at Consumer Reports: Dryer Vent Fires, Cleaning and Piping 

And to see how we clean your dryer vent to keep it safe and efficient, click here: Dryer Vent Cleaning Durango, Bayfield and Hesperus (81301, 81303, 81122, 81326)

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19. August 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Fall is rapidly approaching, and now is an excellent time to get a jump on your fall cleaning…that’s right - I said fall cleaning. Specifically, cleaning your air ducts before you turn on your furnace for the winter.

You see, your furnace and air ducts may contain quite a buildup of dust, dirt…even small toys and deceased mice! (Gross, I know…but we’ve seen it on a regular basis.) So a good thorough cleaning before switching the system on this year may be in order - but why stop there? Wouldn’t it be nice to have your carpets and upholstery freshly cleaned before the holidays as well, sending you into winter with a clean, allergen-free house?

Call 385-8444 during the month of September and ask for our Fall Cleaning Special. We’ll clean your air ducts and your carpet, all in one day, and give you a 20% discount on both services! But we have a limited number of appointments available for this special offer, so call today to reserve the date that works best for you! Then relax as our IICRC Certified cleaning specialists remove the dirt and allergens from your heating system, carpets and upholstery, leaving your home fresh and healthy for the winter months, and sparkling clean for holiday visitors. Learn more about our Carpet Cleaning here, or click here to see us performing Air Duct and Dryer Vent Cleaning in Durango, Bayfield and Hesperus (81301, 81303, 81122, 81326)

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22. July 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Have you ever looked around your yard or property and wondered whether the colorful plants sprouting randomly about were wildflowers…or noxious weeds?  You can find out with some help from my friend Eve Gilmore who helped me with my landscape planning earlier this year.

Eve  has specials exclusively for UltraSteam clients this month…check them out and be one of the first to call!

Two 30 minute Garden Consultations from Gardens by Eve for a resident or business in La Plata County
Consultations are directed by the garden owner’s lifestyle needs and experience of her or his space.  Perhaps you have particular questions regarding opening up a view, screening views you’d like to see less of, finding the perfect plant for a key area in the landscape, making the overall outdoor space more cohesive, or relaxing, or whimsical.  A consultation with Eve leaves her clients feeling inspired and empowered to create an outdoor space they will love.

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8. June 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Here at RugMasters of Durango, we took in some old Persian Rugs for cleaning the other day, and two of them were, as we say in the cleaning industry, “painted” - that is to say, they were worn to the foundation fibers, and those white cotton fibers had been colored to look like the original wool pile and “blend in” with the pattern on the rest of the rug! So I made a video about “painted” rugs - how to identify them, and the cleaning considerations that go with this condition, and posted it to YouTube…you can find it here:

Cleaning “Painted” Oriental Rugs

Enjoy, and click the following link if you have any questions about Oriental Rug Cleaning and Restoration

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12. April 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Ultrasteam Restoration team members Mark Helmich and Jim Winzer recently completed their Renovation and Repair Certification course to comply with the EPA’s new lead paint rules concerning water damage and other types of restoration. You can read more at this link:  Durango Flood Professionals receive EPA Lead Certification

This makes UltraSteam the first and currently only restoration firm in Durango to be certified under this new EPA rule. Other companies have until April 22nd to get in compliance or face fines of up to $32,500 per offense.

The Renovation & Repair course taught us how to identify lead paint in older houses, and how to properly deal with it to avoid causing any harm to occupants and workers on flood restoration projects and water damage in residential or commercial situations. Most lead pain is found in houses built prior to 1965, but some houses built as late as 1978 can have lead content in the original paint. It’s important that your restoration company know how to avoid dispersing that into your indoor environment as they clean up water damage or flooded carpet in your home.

For more information about disaster restoration click here: Flood and Water Damage Cleanup, Drying & Restoration or call us at 385-8444 for prompt, courteous service from our IICRC Certified Water Damage Experts!

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16. March 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Well, spring is here in Durango and soon you’ll be hooking up the sprinkler or hose to water your lawn or flowers. And chances are, you have a so-called “freezeless” outside faucet on your house. But did you know these faucets aren’t actually freezeless?
Freezeless faucets actually can freeze if a hose is left attached to them in cold weather…and even the best of us often forget to take the hose off during that first hard freeze or two.

Due to their design, if they freeze, the pipe will often break inside your wall…and when you turn the faucet on, most of the water will run into your walls instead of out to the hose! And it’s all too easy not to notice until suddenly there’s a big puddle in the living room or basement!

So before using your outside hoses unattended this year, check them first. Use a closed nozzle on the hose and listen carefully for any unusual noises inside the wall that might indicate a leak. If you hear something odd, or the water pressure seems low, turn the faucet back off and call a licensed plumber to repair the pipe before using it. (I use Brad at TimberLine or Gene at Roto-Rooter)

And if in spite of your best efforts you experience a broken pipe, ice damage or any other water damage situation, call UltraSteam at 385-8444 for Water Damage Restoration in Durango, or click the link for more information about water damage and the steps you must take to minimize the damage if you should experience it.

Happy gardening, may your green thumb shine bright - and have a great spring!

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3. March 2010 by Dean of Clean.

Hi everyone! We just wrapped up three floods in a row, all caused by melting snow on the client’s roofs, running into an ice dam at the edge that caused the water to flow into the attic and down walls, damaging the drywall, carpet, pad and subfloor. So as the weather warms up, be sure to check your roof, especially north-facing eaves, and make sure you don’t have ice dams built up that prevent your roof from shedding its’ winter snowload.

Water damage in your walls, ceiling or flooring is not a simple do-it-yourself matter. Just because you can’t feel moisture on the interior wall surface doesn’t mean that there is not be moisture trapped inside. If not dried promptly, it can lead to microbial growth within just a few short days, damaging your home’s structural integrity and your family’s health. Sometimes we can dry your walls and carpet in place, minimizing the disruption to your life, but on some jobs we may need to remove wet drywall and insulation to prevent mold growth in exterior walls. UltraSteam has the sophisticated moisture mapping equipment needed to detect moisture inside walls, ceilings, floors and carpet, and a dedicated team of IICRC Certified Water Damage experts with over 50 years of combined experience, to return your home to normal…like nothing happened at all!

If you need help removing the snow or ice here in Durango, CO, give my friend Chip Huntoon a call at 946-8041 and his friendly, professional crews will be glad to help out, or check his website at CH Property Services of Durango for a complete list of services.

If you should suffer the misfortune of water damage to your house, call 385-8444 right away and UltraSteam’s courteous Water Damage experts will respond right away to remove standing water and start drying your house, keeping it healthy and secure.  Learn more here: Durango Flood & Water Damage or call us with any questions you may have!

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7. February 2010 by Dean of Clean.

 Durango now has two IICRC Certified Master Textile cleaners - both at UltraSteam! Richard Carpenter and Mark Helmich have both just attained this prestigious designation,joining a select handful of the professional cleaners worldwide who have achieved this certification. It requires at least 5 years experience (and they each have over 17) as well as certification by the Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification in the following areas: Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Odor Control, Color Repair (Spot Dying)and Carpet Repair and Reinstallation. Both men are also certified Water Damage Restoration technicians; Helmich is certified as a Stone, Tile and Masonry cleaner, while Carpenter holds the Rug Cleaning certification.

“It’s a great honor to be among the select few cleaners in the country who have attained Master Cleaner status. Knowledge is the key to solving our clients’ cleaning problems”, said Carpenter. He added, “To tell the truth, though, I feel that exceptional customer service has always been the key to our success – and that grows from what we keep in our hearts, not the information in our heads.”

The Institute for Inspection, Cleaning & Restoration Certification is a worldwide nonprofit teaching and certification body for the cleaning and restoration industry. More information about the IICRC can be found at CertifiedCleaners.org, including a complete list of certified firms in your area, and the certifications they hold.

Click the link for more information about UltraSteam Professional Cleaning & Restoration Inc.  or call 970-385-8444 for cleaning services in theDurango, Colorado area.

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