I received a customer call who was interested in an estimate on an outdoor BBQ area that hadn’t been cleaned in several months or more.  The bar had one large commercial gill and two large camp cookers that take the five gallon propane tanks.  The area was “U” shaped so that the chef could stand in the center and have access to all burners, and grill in this area.  There was a large build up of spilled grease, drippings, and spilled refreshments.  Above the cooking area was a large pergola covering with 12 x 8 beams and covered with 4 x 4 lattice and corrugated plastic on top to keep the chef and some patrons dry in the wet weather; this also worked well at keeping the BBQ and grill smoke  in with poor ventilation changing the white pergola wood in to an off white smoke.  The seating arguments were in the surrounding area with picnic tables with umbrellas and a large wet bar that ran twenty feet into the center, all flat surfaces have seen lots of use by the signs of gum and stains left on the stamped trazo floor. Well, i had my doubts if it was going to come clean.  I had just heard about a cleaner call Ripper 3, it was being used for restaurant kitchen hood cleaning, with the waste being organic and not petroleum I was ready to put it to the test.  Oh My!  I sprayed the soap, with the power washer using protective  clothing, because it being caustic enough to melt flesh I was not willing to take any chances.  After waiting a few minutes to let start working I turned on the heat on the power washer and started washing. the smoke and grease came right off to my amazement that place looked brand new. It looked like the stuff was melting. Well I have a regular customer now thanks to Ripper 3.  Wish I had taken some before and after pictures to show, but maybe next time.  If your in the area vist Rooster Juice in Manteca, California and view my handy work.

Mark

Birds can be pests when they decide to nest and perch on your property. Yes they a beautiful and beneficial creatures, but what they leave behind can be a serious problem. When I lived in Florida I would frequent the back bay ares where the nesting ground for bird of all different spices would be, and like me many would come to watch the color and splendor, UP Wind! There droppings are so high in nitrogen it would completely destroy a whole mangrove island and the only thing left was the smell and sickness. In California we have pigeons, crows, sparrows, barn swallows, and a few others that love to make there nests and roosting on our home and business leaving behind a bio-hazards  waste that can cause unsightly mess and serious health challenges for our families and customers.

A Crystal Clear Vision has some help for you with humane deterrents a installation expertise to help, we are available for questions if you would like to give use a call.

It may be raining in the Central Valley of California, but there’s no reason your windows have to stay dirty.  Let us apply a window protectant to keep the water and dirt from sticking.  Watch it bead up and run off carrying the dirt with it. This also protects shower doors and window glass from hard water stains  Happy Holidays.

Even while its raining we can do a quick clean with our water-fed pole and let the DI Water do the work.  Give us a call for your party or social gathering today. Happy Holidays

Removing Mold from Your Windows

Winter brings many joys … the holidays, time with family and friends, fresh baked cookies, snow and roaring fireplaces.  Unfortunately, winter also brings some things that are not so wonderful including a brand new crop of indoor mold growth which can be found in any corner of your house.  Keeping mold at bay takes vigilance but one place where it is fairly easy to eradicate is on the surfaces of your windows.

Mold growth on the surface of your windows is an aesthetically unpleasant reality of winter.  Ugly black spots form on your windows because the warm indoor air and the cold outdoor air meet there and form condensation which, when it is unable to evaporate quickly, invites mold to take root and grow there.  It is important to note that mold does not actually grow on the inorganic surface of your window; mold grows on the organic material that settles on your window – dust, animal dander, dead skin cells and other flotsam of our human life creates a hospitable bed for mold to grow in.  Just add condensation and still air and voila!  You’ve got mold.

What to Do About Removing Mold from Your Windows?

Window Mold

Mold that grows on your windows is rarely of the most toxic “black mold” variety – constant temperature changes and poor quality of the food source make sure of that.  But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful when removing mold from your windows.  Non-porous gloves and a simple face mask to protect you from proliferating mold spores are still recommended.

. Wash windows with detergent, hot water and a brush or scratchy sponge.  Don’t bother with the chlorine bleach.  It’s bad for you and the environment and is like bringing a bazooka to do a popgun’s job.

. Rinse, then sterilize with water and white vinegar or rubbing alcohol.  This step will only prevent regrowth until there is a build-up of new food sources (again, dust, animal dander, dead skin cells, pollen, etc.) so make sure to clean your windows and window sills often with a damp rag rather than a feather duster (which simply redistributes the nasty stuff).

. Take steps to manage the inevitable regrowth of mold in the exact same spot.

Moldy Window

Simple Ways to Keep Mold Away

Unfortunately, unless you live someplace where the humidity is always around 50% both indoors and outdoors, mold will happen in your house.  Another unfortunate reality is that mold on and around your windows can happen in a brand new, energy efficient house (sealed too tightly) or an old, drafty, energy inefficient house (too leaky).  So, since there is no perfect house, what can you do?

. Any mold is a sign of too much moisture.  Invest in a dehumidifier and use it to keep the humidity between 40% and 60%.

. Allow some airflow.  Open some doors or windows, or run a ceiling fan or a tabletop fan.

. If it’s practical, add some insulation around your windows.

. Dry condensation off your windows with a clean rag.  This will remove both the water that mold needs and the food source that it loves … plus, your windows will be clean!

. Invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter which will remove the microscopic “future food source” particles instead of launching them into the air to settle somewhere else.

. Clean all window sills and windows in the spring.  If mold is allowed to sit on your window surfaces through summer, they will dry and be harder to clean.

. Check the caulking around your windows and window sills to make sure moisture from your window surface is not getting into the walls where it will take much longer to dry.

. Finally, always check to see if your window mold is a sign of something bigger and more sinister happening in your walls or elsewhere.  Mold on your windows may simply be an ugly side effect of a larger – but hidden – moisture problem.

Mold On The Window

While it’s a normal part of winter to find mold growing on your windows, it’s ugly and should be removed as soon as practicable.  It’s easy to do so … and even easier to invest in a few preventative techniques like maintenance, proper care and appropriate cleaning to avoid a major mold problem that won’t be so easy to handle.