The Top 5 Must Have Restoration Equipment for Removing Mold Damage from Wood Furniture

Removing Mold from Wood Furiture

Removing or cleaning mold and mildew from wood is actually much simpler to do than it looks.  You typically only need a handful of equipment that will help you kill the pesky mold.  Not only that, the great thing is you probably already have much of the necessary restoration equipment available on hand!

Mildew is a type of mold that thrives in warm, moist environments. It can grow in nearly any location that has oxygen, moisture, and the slightest amount of organic material such as food or soil. Most mildew can be killed and removed with a few simple steps. If the mold continues to return, it usually means that all of the spores were not removed. Most mildew removers are chlorine based and if they are not removed completely, the mildew will use the residue to grow on when humidity levels rise again. Periodic cleanings may be necessary until the mold is gone for good.

Removing Mildew from Painted Wood

You Will Need:

• Chlorine bleach
• Water
• Buckets
• Sponges
• Rubber gloves

Steps to Remove the Mildew and Mold:

1. Begin by mixing one gallon of water with ¾ cup of bleach in the bucket.
2. Fill a second bucket with plain, clean water.
3. Moisten a sponge with the solution and gently scrub the mold and mildew until it is gone. Avoid letting water set on the wood for too long as it may cause damage. If necessary, repeat several times, drying each time so that the wood does not become saturated and warped.
4. When the stains are removed, rinse with clean water from the second bucket.
5. Ensure that all bleach residue is removed or it can lead to future growth.
6. Allow the wood to dry completely.

Article from http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/outdoors/how-to-remove-mildew-from-wood/

Restoration Equipment: Aprilaire 1710 Dehumidifier Review

Restoration Equipment: Aprilaire 1710 Dehumidifier Review

When there is excessive moisture formation throughout crawl spaces, the area becomes a breeding place for bacteria, fungi and other harmful organisms.  Dehumidifiers in general are the perfect weapon for homeowners to fight mold and mildew as they are specifically designed to remove water and prevent mold, mildew and musty, damp odors.   The Aprilaire 1710 is a quality basement and crawlspace dehumidifier to use for water damage restoration.

The 1710 Aprialire freestanding dehumidifier is the latest and most trustworthy solution to relieve excessive basement humidity or even bigger areas throughout your home. This ultra quiet dehumidifier provides 300% more efficiency and 100% more capacity than other leading products. It is very easy to install and operates down to 40 degrees F and efficiently removes about 90 pints of moisture in 24 hours for rooms up to 2000 square feet. There are no tanks or overflowing buckets to empty. The 1710 Aprilaire dehumidifier is in a different class altogether. It comes with a 5 year warranty and it does not have to be connected to a HVAC system. It is Energy Star rated and includes an aluminum MERV 8 filter for intake of air. The best choice for a comfortable and healthy air in your house is the 1710 Aprilaire dehumidifier .There are lifting handles and Caster Wheels for easy portability. You can set the desired humidity level and includes a PVC condensate trap to prevent the back flow of condensation.

Moisture levels can be automatically sensed with an internal humidistat in order to control and maintain optimal humidity levels and control and reduce dampness after flooding. Though priced at around $1200, it is definitely a worthy investment keeping in mind the health and safety of your loved ones.

Key features

• Easy water drainage
• Frost protection
• Low temperature operation
• Removes 50% more water per hour than other popular portable dehumidifiers
• Does not require costly installation
• Quiet compressor
• Optional water drainage
• Automatic detection of moisture levels and
• Maintains optimum humidity
• Easy to operate

The Aprilaire 1710 dehumidifier works throughout your home. There is no need to automatically control the dehumidifier. You just need to set it and forget about it.  Purchasing the Aprilaire 1710 crawlspace dehumidifier is a wise investment for homeowners with moisture concerns.

Don’t let flood water damage slow you down! Visit Air & Water, Inc. for all your water restoration equipment needs! Save on name brands like Iqair, Soleus, SteamFast and more! Plus get 7% off all orders when you use code APH7AFF at Air-Purifier-Home.com

Bye Mold and Mildew, Hello Clean Air! Invest in an Air Purifier

Finding the best air purifier is easy once you identify exactly what you want the purifier to accomplish.  In regards to flood damage, manufacturers have designed purifiers that are capable of capturing and removing mold and bacteria from the air and from surfaces.  If you’re looking for an extremely high quality air purifier then a brand like the Iqair Healthpro is an excellent choice.  If you’re looking for an air cleaner that is a bit less powerful than Iqair purifiers (and not as expensive) but just as reliable, you’re in luck too.

Dangers of Mold

Once flood water subsides, one of the next steps in water damage clean up is to tackle air quality problems in the home.  Dangerous mold and mildew will start to appear and grow in spores while having a detrimental effect on the air that you and your family are breathing in.  This can be a concern to consumers who have allergies and are sensitive to airborne particles.  It’s important to improve the quality of air in the house in the most effective way possible.

Air Purifiers and Mold

There are many great air cleaners to choose from and one award winning design is from Blueair.  Blueair air purifiers are made in Sweden and provide great filtration of mold spores, bacteria and other airborne irritants.  They offer many different models, from compact air purifiers for smaller rooms to purifiers that provide coverage up to 698 sq. ft.

The price tag ranges from approximately $200 to over $700 depending on style. The only drawback of the cheaper Blueair purifiers is that they cover less space but this makes them ideal for personal use in a bedroom or small apartment.

The purifiers are very energy efficient across the board and are great for those who want a quiet air purifier for their home.

What makes the air purifiers so effective against mold spores is their ability to capture the tiniest of particles 99% of the time.  This makes for excellent filtration and airborne mold control at the touch of a button.  You also get the comfort of having Hepa air filters as the standard.

Let’s take a quick review and see what some of these purifiers have to offer:

Blueair 203 HepaSilent Purifier

• Uses HEPASilent™ technology, a combination of the best features of electrostatic and mechanical filter technology that allows delivery of more clean air, at a faster rate, with less noise.
• The 203 is among the highest energy efficient and quietest operating air purifiers in its class, with a room capacity of 175 sq. ft .
• The unit is available in silver and white.

For more information on the BlueAir 203 air purifier, please visit:

Blueair Blueair HepaSilent 203 Air Purifier. $299.95

Blueair 270E Electronic Purifier

• Uses HEPASilent™ technology, a combination of the best features of electrostatic and mechanical filter technology that allows delivery of more clean air, at a faster rate, with less noise.
• The 270E comes with an easy to use remote control and digital display system that gives the user instant feedback of particle detection, air purifier speed and timer operation.

For more information on the Blueair 270E Electronic Air Purifier, please visit:
Blueair Blueair HepaSilent Electronic 270E Air Purifier. $399.95

Blueair 603 Purifier

• The 603 cleans more air, more efficiently.
• In rooms as large as 640 square feet, our patented two-stage HEPASilent™ technology captures 99.97% of 0.1 micron particles, including allergy-provoking pollen grains, dust mites, mold spores and pet dander particles.

For more information on the Blueair 603 Air Purifier, please visit:

Blueair HepaSilent 603 Air Purifier . $649.95

Don’t let flood water damage slow you down! Visit Air & Water, Inc. for all your water restoration equipment needs! Save on name brands like Iqair, Soleus, SteamFast and more! Plus get 7% off all orders when you use code APH7AFF at Air-Purifier-Home.com

Consumers agree! Iqair Healthpro Air Purifier is the best!

Any review of the Iqair healthpro air purifier will always tell you that it is considered the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to whole house air purifiers. This top rated air cleaner is so powerful and performs so well that it may be too much for typical home use.

Buying an air purifier of this nature will best suit allergy and/or asthma sufferers who are extremely sensitive or those who are caring for a sick loved one and want to maintain optimal air quality in the home. Mold and mildew won’t stand a chance after a flood. Whatever the case, if this is the best air cleaner for you then you’ll definitely be making a wise investment into an excellent air purifier!

Iqair Healthpro was initially manufactured for hospital use which means that it picks up and cleans particles as small as .01 due to its advanced Hepa filters, whereas most purifiers pick up particles as small as .03 and have standard filters. There are no other air filters that come close in comparison to the efficiency found on the Iqair.

It also has six superb fans that allow the full size purifier to reach a coverage of 1,100 sq. ft; enabling it to reach particles in an area the size of a nice sized condo or house. The Iqair Healthpro also comes in a compact size that reaches up to 900 sq. ft.

With all of the incredible features and superb ability to remove particles, it’s hard to believe that anyone would have something negative to say about the Iqair. But, there is one thing that may keep it out of reach of consumers and that is the price tag. This is not a cheap air purifier. It runs at a cost (approximately $749 and up) that is typically double and sometimes even triple the cost of others.

If cost is not an issue, the Iqair Healthpro may be a smart choice for you. Consumers are guaranteed to own one of the best air purifiers with high quality performance. A wise choice indeed.

To purchase the Iqair Healthpro Air purifier, please visit:

IQ Air HealthPro Compact HEPA Air Purifier Cleans up to 900 Sq. Ft, 6 Fan Speeds up to 700CFM at 2950RPM, Made in Switzerland, 5 Year Warranty Engineered and built in Switzerland. Home filtration of mold spores, pet dander, dust mites, allergens, and pollen. Great for allergy sufferers. Smaller housing than HealthPro; not upgradeable. EN 1822 Certified. EN(European Norm)1822 is the world’s most advanced and stringent air filter standard for H.E.P.A.(High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance) filters. Used in many of the world’s finest hospitals and laboratories. Each unit comes with it’s own two-page Certificate of Performance, detailing the test results for that very machine. Each unit is tested for particle filtration efficiency, filter leakage, and air delivery. 5 year parts and labor warranty on unit including fan motor, excluding filter elements.

Don’t let flood water damage slow you down! Visit Air & Water, Inc. for all your water restoration equipment needs! Save on name brands like Iqair, Soleus, SteamFast and more! Plus get 7% off all orders when you use code APH7AFF at Air-Purifier-Home.com

What are the different types of steam cleaners?

Steam cleaners are a relatively new tool used for cleaning that do not require any chemicals. Here we have gathered some useful information for people wanting to know more about steam cleaners or people who are looking to buy one.

Two types of steam cleaners

There are basically two types of steam cleaners. The difference is based on how the steam is created in the apparatus.

Type 1. Cooler but more humid steam cleaner.

This type will generate the steam without actually boiling water. This means that the steam will not be as hot as real steam but a bit cooler. On the other hand it will hold more water and therefore the steam will be more humid.

Type 2. Hot and dry steam cleaner.

The second type is a system that boils the water and thus creates a very hot steam, above 260 degrees Celcius usually.. A boiler fed system creates a very low humidity steam, a so-called dry steam. These steam cleaners are therefore sometimes referred to as dry steam cleaners.

What kind of vapor steam cleaner should I choose?

It should be no secret that we are in favor of the boiler fed vapor steam cleaners. There are several reasons for this:

• The steam leaves less moisture on the surface. This means that the surfaces you clean dries much faster. When it comes to materials that absorbs moist – like carpets – this is a big advantage.
• Boiler fed systems create much more heat than the non-boiler steam cleaner – steam temperatures over 300 degrees. Due to this excessive heat you need to scrub less and further the heat will sanitize as the high temperatures effectively kills germs and bacteria’s.
• A little water goes a long way with a boiler fed system, one quart of water produces about a thousand gallons of steam.
• Less moisture is left in the indoor environment, far better for those suffering from allergies.
• It will be more easy to clean ceilings as you will have far less dripping water from the excessive moist generated.
• No chemicals needed.

Carpet steam vapor cleaners

Home steam carpet cleaners are getting more and more popular as people realize that these are actually sufficient to do a thorough job – and there’s really no need to hire a professional carpet cleaner. Today you can actually purchase quality rug steam cleaners that are almost as effective as the professional ones.
However, we do advise a bit of “window-shopping” before you go and make your decision. Check out different stores and prices, that is always a good idea.

Steam cleaners vs. vapor steam cleaners – is there a difference?

There is no official difference between the two terms although steam cleaner often refers to high temperature systems. So one could say that vapor steam cleaners correspond to the type 1 cleaner described above in “Types of steam cleaners” and steam cleaners correspond to type 2.

Portable steam cleaners (hand held steam cleaners)

Portable steam cleaners, as the term insinuates, are made as smaller and more handy devices. The hand held steam cleaners are less powerful than the regular steam cleaners but also cheaper. The applications vary, but are generally for smaller jobs such as cleaning a stove for example.

Steam cleaner manufacturers:

WhiteWing, Bissel, Eureka, Polti Eco Pro 3000, Ladybug, Ladybug XL, Tidy Vap, VaporJet, Steamax.

Article from http://www.cleaning-guide.com/steam-cleaners.html

Don’t let flood water damage slow you down!  Visit Air & Water, Inc. for all your water restoration equipment needs!  Save on name brands like Iqair, Soleus, SteamFast and more!  Plus get 7% off all orders when you use code APH7AFF at Air-Purifier-Home.com

What is a carpet steam cleaner and how does it work?

About Carpet Steam Cleaners

A carpet steam cleaner is a device that uses vapor steam to clean and sanitize carpets and can even be used for sterilization and disinfection of the surface since the machines can reach up to 360º F. All steam cleaners utilize a boiler to heat the water and convert it into the vapor steam that comes from the machine’s nozzle. The steam loosens dirt on hard surfaces and in soft fibers, so it can then be vacuumed. Some steam cleaners use cleaning solutions that will foam and add extra cleaning and some come dual with vacuums.

Water Damage and Carpet Steam Cleaners

What this means for a consumer or business owner is that a steam cleaner is an excellent solution for carpet cleaning and freshening, especially if you are dealing with water damaged carpet. Carpet that has come in contact with flood water needs to be cleaned immediately and thoroughly. An effective carpet steam cleaner will perform well and kill fungus, mold and bacteria due to its high temperatures.

Popular Carpet Steam Cleaners

Not all steam cleaners are intended for use on carpet so make sure to pay special attention that your brand can be used in this way. Daimer is a popular brand/manufacturer that offers steam cleaners that can be used on both carpets and hard surfaces such as hardwood floors, tile, kitchen counters and more. Hoover Steamvac and Bissell are other popular brands that provide the same flexibility. These devices reach very high temperatures when in use and should not be used on anything that is likely to melt. As well, practice caution and keep the device from small children when in use.