Recent Cleaning Posts

Dryer Vent Cleaning

12/13/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Lancaster East and Southern Lancaster County provides more than water and fire damage cleanup!  We also provide a variety of cleaning services such as carpet cleaning, HVAC duct cleaning, post construction cleanup and general cleaning to include ceilings, walls, floors and more!

One of our specialty services is dryer vent cleaning.  When your dryer builds up of dirt, dust and lint, a clog can form that can potentially lead to a fire if ignored.

Dryer vents should be cleaned once per year, or as needed.  If you use your dryer more often or have pets, this may need to be done more often.  If your clothes take longer to dry or become overly warm, you may need a cleaning.  You should also look for any signs of musty or burning odors.

Should you have issues with your dryer, SERVPRO of Lancaster East and Southern Lancaster County can help to remove the excess materials that are clogging your vent.  We continuously suction everything out of the vent through the back of the dryer until the vent is clear.  We then ensure that there is no other debris that could cause a clog, leaving you with a much lower risk of fire damage.

Our team provides 24/7 emergency services for water and fire damage, but we are equipped with the expertise and resources to handle smaller disasters as well!

Destroy Odors with Deodorization

3/29/2019 (Permalink)

Other odors that may required deodorization: cigarette smoke, pet odors, decomposition, and mold.

Even a small fire can cause odors for years to come if the affected areas are not properly cleaned and deodorized. Fire, smoke and soot damage in your home or business can create unpleasant and potentially permanent problems.

As various materials burn, the smoke produced travels throughout the structure, leaving odorous residues and deposits on surfaces and in the hard-to-reach places. Unless fast, professional action is taken, these residues and deposits can cause permanent damage to contents and may result in resurfacing odors.

With technicians certified certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC), and the professionals at SERVPRO of Lancaster East who provide specialized services that can rid your home or business of offensive odors left by fire or soot damage. The professionals at SERVPRO of Lancaster East does not cover up lingering odors from fragrance; they seek out and remove the source of the odor. Once the source is found, SERVPRO's own proprietary line of cleaning products is used to treat and prevent the odor from returning. Any restorable item in affected areas will be also professionally cleaned and deodorized, including furniture, draperies and upholstery, electronics, art, flooring, walls, ceilings, HVAC air ducts and more.

Ask the professionals at SERVPRO of Lancaster East to explain the various deodorization methods available and which will work best for you.

If you or a customer suffer a fire damage or some other accident and required deodorization services, contact SERVPRO of Lancaster East. Whether it's a fire, water, or mold damage or just stubborn odor that refused to go away, we'll help to make it "Like it never even happened."

Hoarding: A Serious Situation

3/23/2018 (Permalink)

Before Cleaning

According to The Mayo Clinic, “Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.” Many people with hoarding disorder do not find their habits to be a problem.

Hoarded items are often things others would throw away or look at as junk or garbage such as old newspapers, junk mail or packaging.

Hoarding can lead to homes filled with extreme clutter to full capacity from years of accumulation, making living conditions unsanitary and crowded. Bugs, fleas, rats and other vermin may be present, at which point an exterminator would need to be called. At times, hoarding may spread to outside the home as well, to storage facilities, or even the garage or yard.

SERVPRO of Lancaster East has encountered hoarding situations several different ways. Often, SERVPRO of Lancaster East is called for a fire or water loss and find the hoarding situation when they arrive on-site. Our Franchise Professional will communicate with the insurance company regarding their contents coverage, and after approval, contents can be packed out and possibly cleaned, dried, and stored by SERVPRO of Lancaster East, or relocated to a storage facility so work on the fire or water loss can begin.

Another way SERVPRO of Lancaster East may encounter hoarding jobs is through calls from landlords, case workers, real estate agents, or family members, often after the death of a loved one. In these situations, the crew will see if they should look for any items of  importance while they clean the job. Sometimes, family members will come and try to help the hoarder sort through their contents as well.

Each case is very different, and hoarding jobs are often sensitive situations, but SERVPRO of Lancaster East Professionals are here to help make it “Like it never even happened.” If you encounter a hoarding situation at one of your properties, or with your insureds, call SERVPRO of Lancaster East today at 717-519-0767.

CALL THE CLEANUP TEAM

3/31/2017 (Permalink)

Blaze and Stormy

Spring is in the air! With the warmer weather comes the tradition of spring cleaning, a time to organize and clean the environments—home, business, office—we encounter on a daily basis.

Perhaps you are selling or renting a home or apartment and want to vanquish years of cigarette smoke odor that won’t go away, or want to see if your ducts or HVAC system needs to be cleaned.


Some of the specialized cleaning services your local Franchise Professionals can assist you or your insureds with during spring cleaning—or any season, are listed below.



SERVPRO of Lancaster East offers the following cleaning services:



  •  HVAC duct Cleaning

  •  Carpet Cleaning

  •  Upholstery Cleaning

  •  Ceiling and Wall Cleaning

  •  Hard Floor Cleaning

  •  Deodorization



Whatever your spring cleaning needs, SERVPRO of Lancaster East has you covered. Call 717-519-0767 today to discuss or schedule your necessary spring cleaning services. 

Cleaning Dryer Vents

2/27/2017 (Permalink)

Dirty versus Clean Ducts

The Importance of Cleaning Dryer Vents


According to FEMA, failure to clean home dryers causes 34% of home dryer fires. Home dryer fires cause $35 million in property loss and can even cause injury or death. To reduce the risk of these
fires happening in your or your insured’s home or business, SERVPRO® of Lancaster East can help clean dryer vents and ducts that may have lint buildup.



Other tips for keeping your dryer vents clean from the National Fire Protection Agency include:


1 -Cleaning the lint filter before and after each load.
2- Making sure the outdoor vent flap will open and is not restricted by snow, a bird’s nest, or other potential obstacles.



For more information on cleaning dryer vents contact your local SERVPRO® of Lancaster East Franchise Professionals at 717-519-0767.