Electrical Appliance Safety Tips – Staying Safe at Home and At Work

The number of people who injure themselves at home or at work trying to repair electrical appliances, or using electrical appliances incorrectly is worrying. Many people have suffered serious injuries or worse, but this needn’t be the case, as most accidents could have been avoided if a little common sense was applied.

image:en.wikipedia.org

Water and electricity don’t mix

We’re all taught it in school, so why is it that so many accidents occur every year due to an often fatal combination of water and electricity?

·         Never touch an electrical appliance of any kind with wet hands

·         Make sure there’s no water nearby if you’re performing electrical repairs

Also, make sure all electrical appliances at home are kept away from water. Appliances like hair dryers used in the bathroom are particularly pertinent examples.

Old appliances – Watch out!

Old appliances are one of the leading causes of electrical related accidents around the world, second only to accidents which occur when installing or repairing them.

·         If an appliance has a broken or frayed cord, don’t use it until it’s repaired

·         Don’t attempt any repairs yourself, either have it fixed or replace it

Whenever possible, buy appliances that have cords that can be taken off and are therefore easily replaced. Many kitchen appliances, like rice cookers and blenders, have cords like these, making them a great investment in many ways.

Call an electrician

Whether you’re trying to identify an electrical fault or you need to replace a plug on an appliance, be sure to call an electrician. It will cost you more, but it could save your life. That’s worth much more than a few quid in your pocket.

The number of accidents which take place in homes and workplaces that could have been avoided had an electrician been called is a source of concern, so call an expert and stay safe.

Store appliances correctly

Have you ever wondered why the cords on your electrical appliances are prone to fraying? It could be because you’re storing your appliances incorrectly.

·         Appliances need breathing space, so don’t jam them in cupboards

·         Don’t wind the cord tightly around the appliance

·         Watch stove tops and make sure the cord doesn’t get burned

It’s also a good idea to wait until appliances, like irons, cool down before putting them away, especially if you store them in a closed cupboard. The number of fires that have broken out as a result of hot appliances being put away too quickly is testament to the need to wait until they’ve cooled down before putting them away.

Recycle old appliances

If an appliance has passed its use by date, be sure to recycle it properly at an official recycling centre. If you’re leaving it out for collection – local councils often have a rubbish collection day to help residents get rid of the junk lying about their homes – make sure the cord is cut off so that no one else can use it.

Take note of these tips to stay safe at home and work.

Types of Carpet Cleaning Services

THE STEAM EXTRACTION CARPET CLEANING

image:en.wikipedia.org

The steam cleaning method is highly recommended for the more heavily soiled situations. This method utilizes the very hot water and the cleaning agents that are applied under variable pressure. This method is normally used to give better results if you are having pet problems or spills. It is completely safe for your children and for the pets in the households. It usually dries in the 12 to 18 hours depending on the conditions. It is also the method that is used by most carpet manufacturers to recommend for the annual cleaning to maintain warranty.

THE DRY CLEANING OR THE LOW MOISTURE CARPET CLEANING

The encapsulation is where the carpet is treated with foam fry cleaning compounds that are agitated with the G.L.S machine so as to spread uniformly throughout the carpet fibers. If there is any soil in the carpet it is encapsulated and even brought up to the surface where it crystallizes and can thereof be easily vacuumed away after drying. The carpet duration of drying is normally 30 minutes to 2 hours. The protector may also be added an applied in the same simple process without any additional moisture application. It is very safe for children and pets and may not cause them any health problems.

THE TRU DRY CLEANING

In this type of carpet cleaning the carpet is totally dry at the time of cleaning. It is exclusive of the natural plant-scrubbing compound in conjunction with the specially developed agitation system, which helps in removing soil and grooming the carpet fibers in one major process. The extraction of all the soiled particles is accomplished by the vacuuming action, which is built in the same unit. It is safe for the households that have children or pets.

BONNET CLEANING

In this method it may seem as dry cleaning method but it really is not. The bonnet cleaning method uses a cleaning product occasionally mixed with the carbonated water. It spreads as a mist over the surface of the carpet. A rotating circular buffer referred to as a bonnet is then used with an absorbent covering running it over the soiled area. When the covering on the bonnet is soiled it is then replaced with a clean one and the process continues. It is important to note that even if the top one third of the carpet is clean the soil that has settled at the bottom of the pile remains behind, as the bonnet cannot reach this area. This cleaning should therefore be viewed as a temporary measure between more intensive cleanings.

A dirty carpet can house several source of indoor pollutants including the pet dander, cockroach allergen and every dirt and dust. There may be other toxic airborne gases that may be trapped within the carpet which can be released through the various every day activities such as walking across the carpet which raises them into the air and causing them to contaminate the air I your home for you and your family members.

If you seek professional carpet cleaners they are able to eliminate and kill the deeply trapped pollutants with the high-powered vacuums. In areas that experience high humidity the dirty carpets are at a high risk of developing mold growth when they are exposed to moisture. Having your carpet cleaned on a regular basis will reduce the chances of the carpet developing mold and mildew growth, as the high-powered drying tools will annihilate the moisture. If you decide that you will clean the carpet yourself then you could use fans and turn on the air or choose to open the windows to help dry the carpet out faster.

You should take into consideration various factors before you choose the right carpet cleaning method to use. Therefore you should also determine the dirt area or saturation in need of cleaning, if there are any molds to remove or not. There are a lot of misconceptions and myths regarding how long you should wait before you take your carpet for cleaning. It depends with many factors such as how much traffic your carpet receives. Good luck with choosing the carpet cleaning method best for your carpet.

Written by Eric Sappington, owner of Sappington’s Carpet Care, the leading company for carpet cleaning in Columbia, MO.

What are the 5 Phases of Office Design?

The process of creating a brand new office design can often seem quite daunting, particularly for those who’ve never done this before or have very little hands on experience. To make it more manageable, the process can be broken down into 5 separate phases – vision, definement, search and find, design and implementation. We have outlined each of these phases in more detail below to show you that the process doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think.

1.   Vision Phase
In this first phase, you will develop and gain clarity for the vision of your future office space, expansion or other change that you wish to make. In most cases, this will actually occur about 18 months before the new space is opened and can take around 6 months to complete. This is also when you should set a target date to open, as well as determine the milestones that you need to achieve in order to meet this opening date.

2.   Definement Phase
In this second phase, you will define the parameters and goals for the office design. Your business plan is established or revised, your financial planning is taken care of, you’ll come up with ideas for your marketing campaign, and the company name and logo is developed (if required). Other areas that require your consideration include how much space you require and concepts for the aesthetic image of your brand.

3.   Search & Find Phase
In this third phase, you’ll begin looking for a new office space (if required) and determining how you’re going to fund the project. You might want to think about employing the services of a real estate agent if you don’t have the time to search yourself. Once you’ve found a space, you need to determine how it’s going to be used, whether it needs any modifications and how much these will cost to complete.

4.   Design Phase
In this fourth phase, you will begin preparing for the opening of your new office design. This is where all design and permit work will be completed – including layout, finishes, colour, furniture and lighting. If you need to hire new staff, this is the best time to do it. It’s also the best time to start implementing your marketing campaign. In most cases, this will take between 6 and 4 months to complete.

5.   Implementation Phase
In this fifth and final phase, construction itself will occur, as will all of the tasks required for your opening to go ahead as planned. This could include training your staff, arranging for the delivery of furniture and equipment, receiving your Certificate of Occupancy, and making sure that all of the systems are working. Generally, it will take between 2 and 16 weeks to complete this phase.

We hope that the information provided above has given you a better understanding of how an office design is created. Whether this is your first time undertaking such a process or whether you’ve done it dozens of times before, it can always help to have a little extra information. The final piece of advice that we wanted to leave you with is to hire a professional – they will have a number of years of experience that they can draw on, so use it!

How to Banish Mold from Your Bathroom

Every house in modern world suffers from this pestilence. Very hard problem to tackle, mold is easy to spot in most of the cases. Microscopic fungi colonies are usually black, dark green or yellowish pigmented. They can survive in most harsh conditions, such as Siberian forests, so it is no wonder that they simply thrive in our bathrooms.

Deny conditions

Mold needs certain conditions, in order to thrive. First one is water, so this is why bathrooms are such convenient ground. Next one is heavy, damp air, which can be caused by shower steam. To avoid these terms, it is of utmost importance to keep your bathroom dry. If you have window(s) installed, keeping them open overnight is a good thing to do, for all of the extra steam will be winded out.

Closer look

It is also important to react as soon as you notice black spots. This makes your job easier, for naturally there will be smaller area to clean. Also, good rule of thumb is to do prevention cleaning, so even the spores (from which mold grows) are eliminated as well.

Knowing where to look

Mold is not growing just on surface. It can be held within the walls, as well as under built-in bath tub, if you have one. Tough and hard-to reach spots are rarely used, so that is where you should look first. Also, if your floor does not have quality groundwork, it is possible for you to find unwanted visitors underneath the tiles.

Check your installations

Overall, pipes and similar installations are in tight connections with these pests. If it happens that you spot wet stain on the same spot all the times, it means that you have leaking pipe. Calling the expert is of utmost importance, especially because the longer pipe leaks, the bigger structural damage it can cause.

Paint

Special kind of paint can be used for non-tiled walls in bathroom, in order to prevent mold from even forming. These are easy to apply, and whole wall can be painted with them, or just affected areas. It is completely up to you.

Chemistry

Chemical solutions that can be applied to stop mildew are available at almost every store and market. On the other hand, if you are less keen on spending money on such things, mixing 10% of bleach and 90% of water might be as well effective. Chlorine from bleach will prevent forming new mold.

Places where you cannot look

No matter how hard you look, sometimes it is impossible to check. Most importantly,tend to blocked drains as they are a good place for mold to grow. Since these places are often unreachable, it would be wiser to hire a professional, so they will do all the work for you.

When all things from above are taken into consideration, it is not impossible to get rid of mold in a bathroom, although it can be quite persistent. Good prevention and thorough cleaning will do the trick. 

 

Related source:Facts about mold and dampness 

 

Ways to Make the Most of a Small Space

You do not need to be a design expert in order to make a small room look organized, pleasant, and cozy. Urbanized environments are getting bigger, and more and more overcrowded, so if it happens that you have no other but to cram your life into small space. Organizing a small space can be a challenge, but is not impossible. There are various ways to make the most of your small living space, to “open it up”, make it seem bigger and unique. Multiple function furniture, easy-movable objects, and storage that can be assembled and disassembled quickly will help you improve your space’s convenience and design. Right here and now, we are sharing some great tricks that might work more than fine for you.

Know The Fundamentals
Let us shatter the stereotypes and see what the fundamentals of small space are. First of all, no need to avoid large furniture. People tend to avoid it because of the belief that it will dominate the room, but a large sectional can may look better that small chairs and sofa. Find out what needs to be stored, and buy organizing supplies after that. Think vertically to draw the eye up, make sure that the light sources are not cut off, and go creative with the mirrors that are to bounce the light around.

Color Schemes
It can be achieved by using monochromatic color schemes, so your eyes can move around the room easily without interruption by other colors. By using light colors (white with accents, citrus tones, sea shades, and pretty pastels), you can make any room look bigger. Brightly colored walls are more reflective, while dark colors absorb light. Adjust the color of the furniture by using a monochromatic color scheme with different shades and textures of a single color. Paint your walls so they are the same color as your flooring. The edge where they meet will be less noticeable.
Read this also : How to choose the best colors for bedroom.

Less Clutter
You will certainly feel cramped in a room overcrowded with all kinds of stuff. Place one large painting or a framed photograph, instead of multiple smaller ones. Create an area in your room that will draw attention. That will be your focal point. The number of other accessories should be kept to a minimum. Unify the room with a plain and simple rug that will match its atmosphere. When you get all things tidily arranged, the space will feel more open and orderly.

Lighting & Mirrors
If there is a chance of maximizing the input of natural light into the room, than you should certainly focus on doing that. It is crucial for opening up a space. Large windows with sheer window coverings can connect your interior with the outdoors in a way you cannot imagine. Glass removes visual barriers, so remove the classic wooden doors, and mount internal bi fold doors instead, and allow the light to stream freely through the house. Get creative and add skylights, solar tubes, or other types of interesting lighting, if you do not have access to much natural light. Mirrors reflect light, making the room seem bigger. Both small individual and floor-to-ceiling mirrors are great choices, but before putting a mirror think what parts of the room you want to have reflected.

Multi-Functional Furniture
Create the illusion of spaciousness by pulling larger furniture pieces away from the wall. Draw the eye upward by putting your bookshelves near the ceiling. This is a magnificent way to add storage, but also to save some precious floor space. Get yourself some multi-functional furniture – beds that can be pulled up into a wall, coffee tables used as chests, and transforming sofas – are very practical and you can hide them, or tuck them away when they are not needed. Go compact and convertible, save yourself some space and add more cool designs.