November: Steps to Winterizing Your Home Includes Carpet Cleaning and Frozen Pipe Prevention

Steps to Winterizing Your Home Includes Carpet Cleaning and Frozen Pipe Prevention

The leaves are now falling from the trees and the temperatures are close to freezing at night. Before you know it, there will be snow on the ground and we will be gathering around the fireplace for a few months!

We typically start to think about winterizing our homes about now. Mainly, we get out the storm windows, make sure the chimney is clear of debris, clear the gutters, and check to make sure that all entryways and windows are air tight. There are a few additional steps that should be taken to winterize your home and protect your carpets/upholstery during the harsh winter season.

First, your carpets, area rugs, and upholstery have taken a beating this summer. Constant traffic and hard use take their toll in excessive wear and tear. Unexpected spills and spots appear as if by magic! Plus, all summer long those nasty creeping critters, like dust mites, have had time to live and breed in your carpet. With all the in-and-out traffic, the outdoor pollutants (pollens, bacteria, cigarette smoke, grease, tar and industrial waste) have been carried into your home and deposited in your carpet and upholstery.

Now is the time to get your carpets and upholstery cleaned and protected! Please give Laurie a call at the office to book your appointment. Remember, the Holidays are just around the corner and our schedule fills up quickly, so don’t wait to call. Please take a look at our Current Cleaning Specials to see if any of the special promotions might work with your carpet and upholstery cleaning needs! 

Second, we all too often receive frantic calls in the middle of the night from clients whose pipes have frozen and ruptured. Water is bursting out all over, the floors and walls of their homes are now soggy. We hope this never happens to you, but it does happen to nearly a quarter-million families each year. Here are a few simple steps to take in preparing for winter and in protecting your home from sudden disaster:

1. Locate and insulate pipes most susceptible to freezing - typically near outer walls and in the attic. Insulation for this purpose is available.
2. Wrap pipes with heat tape - Be sure to follow instructions precisely since improper usage may cause a fire!
3. Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located.
4. Disconnect all garden hoses.
5. When it is really cold, let water trickle overnight from all faucets, open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate, and make sure your heat is on and set no lower than 55 degrees.



We hope these suggestions will help you. Happy Holidays!