Whether you’re a new homeowner or one that’s been around the block a couple of times between different properties, water damage is always that one emergency that pops up when you least expect it, causing havoc at the most inopportune times. Nothing feels worse than the moment when you wake up in the middle of the night and step into mushy, soaked carpet, or coming back to your home to find a burst pipe ruined a room in your absence. Naturally, your first instinct will be to find an appropriate water damage company: licensed, bonded, insured, IICRC certified, and all the standard qualifications. But there may be another factor worth considering: is your water damage firm eco-friendly?
At first glance, green cleaning may seem inconsequential when it comes to water damage. What if the water isn’t contaminated and a simple dryout is all that’s needed? What if you don’t have any pets or plants to worry about? Do the benefits of green cleaning really make a difference in those situations? The answer is an unequivocal “yes”. Green cleaning products are not only applicable to water damage emergencies in which exposure to chemical cleaners may be an issue for certain situations. In fact, more and more green cleaning is becoming the preferred method for many homeowners looking to not only improve the quality of living in their household but do their part in reducing harmful waste products being released into the environment.
The most immediately obvious benefit of using green solutions for a water damage job is keeping the site safe. The drawbacks and hazards of chemical cleaners and deodorizers are well-documented by this point. In addition to causing damage to the surrounding exterior environment, they can potentially leave dangerous substances in the household when used, which in turn can be toxic to any plants in your home, as well as children or pets. Since the chemicals are not biodegradable, they can linger in your home for a very long time without even being noticed.
There are a number of solutions that have cropped up in recent years to provide an alternative to traditional carpet cleaning and odor control methods, and some of these can be applied in the wake of a water damage restoration job as part of the final cleanup to the damage site. Odorox is one of the technologies that Vioclean uses to provide 100% non-toxic odor elimination and decontamination for residences. Without going too deeply into the science behind it, Odorox mimics naturally-occurring air purification methods to ensure a clean and safe home.
Additionally, there are a growing number of green and environmentally-safe cleaners available on the market. These products are made with natural ingredients that are completely biodegradable and are much safer on pretty much everything inside your home, including furniture, carpet, and various other items that can be stained or corroded with chemicals.
Some of the common perceptions with green cleaning is that they may not be as effective as chemical cleaners, or that they may cost more. While this may have been true when green products first debuted, technologies have advanced sufficiently that modern-day green cleaning is not only as powerful as their traditional counterparts but competitively-priced as well. When combined with green practices for regular maintenance, the overall cost of keeping your home clean ends up lower than with chemical cleaning due to less overhead spent on various products and potential air quality treatment or medical costs that arise from a toxic home environment.
So how does all of this tie in to water damage? Well, let’s look at it this way: when your home gets damaged by water and needs restoration, there are a whole slew of other services that go along with it, such as carpet cleaning, dehumidifying, odor removal, and so on. Also, depending on the scale of the emergency, these procedures may need to be performed on not just a corner of a kitchen or a small half-bathroom, but an entire room or floor. When that much space needs to be cleaned up, the potential effects of using harsh chemical cleaners can be extremely dangerous and should be a major consideration before deciding which company to move forward with.
The next time you have water damage, take a step back and think about what would be the best solution for your situation before calling a restoration company. If you’re not sure what the potential benefits or costs of going green for your restoration job may be, call around a bit and speak with certified technicians first so that you can make the most informed decision you can.
This article was provided by Superior Restoration, a Temecula water damage company. Superior Restoration has been serving the Inland Empire for over ten years, and prides itself on providing excellent quality of work and customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.