Terminally Cleaning a Healthcare Facility
5/28/2020 (Permalink)
Amanda Baranczyk
Healthcare professionals all over the United States are bravely caring for COVID-19 patients. We here at SERVPRO of Appleton are proud to assist them in any way we can. Every night we have a crew, headed up by our very own Amanda Baranczyk, that goes into a local medical facility and terminally cleans the entire floor being used for COVID-19. This includes COVID-19 patient rooms, the nurse’s station, lounges, restrooms and more, the entire floor.
Terminal cleaning is a cleaning method used in healthcare environments to control the spread of infections. It is the thorough cleaning/disinfection of all surfaces including walls, floors, ceilings, and re-usable equipment.
Amanda says that she really enjoys her work at the hospital. She enjoys helping people, and the contribution she can make to her community during this global pandemic. This work is a perfect match for Amanda as she has even joked that she would do this work for free. We here at SERVPRO of Appleton, and the entire Appleton community, are lucky to have her and her crew! Together we will get through these difficult times.
Dehumidifier Recalls
5/9/2017 (Permalink)
We all know that spring and summer can bring increased humidity levels in the air. This can present a special problem for areas of our home that are already prone to high humidity levels like basements and laundry rooms. Dehumidifiers reduce indoor humidity which is important because excessive humidity can cause mold, mildew and an increase in other potential allergens. Additionally, humidity can make the indoor temperature feel hotter than it is.
But you should also be aware that as with any other electrical appliance in your home, dehumidifiers bring the risk of fire. They have numerous moving parts that generate significant amounts of heat, including motors, compressors and condensers. Dehumidifiers often run for long periods of time out of view in the basement, which amplifies the risk.
Don’t forget to clean and maintain your dehumidifier regularly according to the manufacturer’s directions and be aware that in recent years, there have been multiple dehumidifier recalls due to fire risk. SERVPRO of Appleton and SERVPRO of Winnebago County has been called in to clean up multiple fires caused by dehumidifiers.
In November of 2016, ABC News reported that a recall of millions of dangerous dehumidifiers that can overheat, smoke and catch fire was reannounced, in an effort to get more consumers to check their units. Gree USA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission jointly publicized the recall for a second time. The CPSC first announced the recall in September of 2013. The recall affects about 2.5 million dehumidifiers sold in the United States and 55,000 sold in Canada.
According to ABC News, “The appliances were manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances of China and sold under various brand names including Danby, De’Longhi, Fedders, Fellini, Frigidaire, GE, Gree, Kenmore, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SoleusAir and SuperClima.
Retailers that sold them included AAFES, HH Gregg, Home Depot, Kmart, Lowe’s, Menards, Mills Fleet Farm, Sam’s Club, Sears, Walmart and other stores nationwide and in Canada, and online at Amazon.com and Ebay.com.
The recall involves various models of 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 65 and 70-pint dehumidifiers.
For a full list of affected model numbers, click here.
The model number and date code are on a sticker on the back, front or side of the dehumidifier.
If you have one of these dehumidifiers, immediately unplug and stop using it and contact Gree for a full refund. You may call toll-free at (866) 853-2802 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday or go to www.greeusa.com and click on “Recall” for more information.”
In November of 2016, ABC News also reported that, “Midea announced a recall of 3.4 million units – for similar reports of smoke and fire -- sold under these brands: Airworks, Alen, Arcticaire, Arctic King, Beaumark, Coolworks, ComfortAire, Comfort Star, Continental Electic, Crosley, Daewoo, Danby, Danby & Designer, Dayton, Degree, Diplomat, Edgestar, Excell, Fellini, Forest Air, Frigidaire, GE, Grunaire, Hanover, Honeywell, Homestyles, Hyundai, Ideal Air, Kenmore (Canada), Keystone, Kul, Midea, Nantucket, Ocean Breeze, Pelonis, Perfect Aire, Perfect Home, Polar Wind, Premiere, Professional Series, Royal Sovereign, Simplicity, Sunbeam, SPT, Sylvania, TGM, Touch Point, Trutemp, Uberhaus, Westpointe, Winix, and Winixl.”
Be sure to check if your dehumidifier is one of the recalled units.
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