Here is how you can do it:

1. Keep your windows open. You can install a circular fan or a portable box fan to reduce the strong, offensive smell of the smoke
2. You can moisten cheesecloth pieces and keep them over the vents, intake and outtake areas in the home. The cheesecloth can absorb any remaining soot in the air, and prevent it from spreading around the room.
3. Replace attic insulation that has been at the receiving end of smoke damage.
4. There is a good chance of residual soot that may be stuck in carpets and upholstery. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt and smoke traces from such kinds of tough, absorbent material. Hold the vacuum nozzle, a little ahead, above the material, so that you are actually removing soot, instead of pushing it further deep inside the fabric.
5. After cleaning upholstery and carpets, you can cover them with plastic sheets. This will prevent any soot or dust floating in the air to be trapped inside them again.
6. Copper and brass items like bathroom fixtures can be cleaned with copper or brass cleaner. It is important to take prompt action and clean them quickly because the smoke film can easily and permanently damage brass and copper items within just 24 hours.
7. For cleaning smoke damaged clothing, curtains and other fabric, you can submerge these clothes overnight in a gallon of warm water, mixed with a cup of dishwashing agent. Drain and wash the items the next day. In case of items that can be bleached, you can mix 1 cup of chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water and 4 to 6 tablespoons of trisodium phosphate. Soak these items overnight, then rinse with clean water and keep them to dry. You can buy trisodium phosphate at most hardware stores.
8. You can wipe hard surfaces like table-tops, walls, counters, ceilings with a sponge. Compared to wet ones, dry cleaning sponges work better. If it was a grease fire that caused the damage, you can use sponge dipped in luke-warm water to wipe soot surfaces.
9. If you find that bleaching and soaking do not remove the smoke damage entirely, you can take the items to a dry cleaner, which have tools and material to wipe away traces of smoke damage.
10. Some people use deodorizing sprays to bring down the smoke odor. This is not recommended because the scented sprays can cause chemical reaction; it can interact with the smoke odor to release new, harmful odors.
11. One should remember not to keep food packages open. Smoke can contaminate food and this can pose a greater health risk.
12. Finally, never enter a smoke damaged home without getting the official approval from the fire safety marshal. There may be structural damage in the home which may cause injury while you are undertaking the job of cleaning and repairing.

The early morning tornado damage has not yet been estimated in dollars because the focus is now on search and rescue. The damage however is being described as “extensive”. Two of the people who were killed were in Cedar Point which was a town that was especially hard hit by the 3:30am storm that caught most off surprise – especially in the month of January as tornado activity is untypical during this month.

Forecasters are calling for heavy thunderstorms today (Jan 23) with winds in excess of 50 miles per hour for the area. The bad weather will slow search and rescue efforts. Officials in Jefferson County say that they will “do whatever it takes” to look for victims in damaged homes and other buildings irregardless of how bad the weather becomes.

Thousands of people in Arkansas are without power as that state also had tornadoes on the ground Monday morning. Forecasters are warning that heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes can do further damage throughout Monday. A twister ripped through an area near Fordyce – a small community an hour and a half south of Little Rock Sunday night, doing damage to homes and knocking down trees and power lines as it moved through.

Alabama’s governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency so that funding is made available to aid communities which have damaged. It may take several days to put a dollar amount on exactly how much damage was caused. It also may be days until many of the tens of thousands of people now without power have their power restored. There are many reports of power lines down in Jefferson County and several surrounding counties.

In the northeastern portion of the country, a quick moving storm system stretching from mid-Pennsylvania eastward dumped twelve inches of snow over the weekend, causing power outages and hazardous driving conditions. In the upper Midwest, freezing rain over the weekend has made roads and sidewalks slippery from south Minnesota into Michigan. This storm activity has resulted in many students having Monday off from school as it was deemed too dangerous to put school buses on the roads.

The main issue with hoarding cleanup is that there are often items of sentimental or actual value that are hidden somewhere in the mess. If you decide to hire a company to help clean up this mess then you will want to consider the items that may get lost in the process. If you make note of the items that you wish to keep then the company will put these aside for you. The company you hire should be reliable enough to sort through everything and put aside valuables such as fine jewelry, electronics, and money. You should provide the company with a list of valuables (such as photo albums, jewelry, etc.) that must be kept so nothing of major importance is lost in the cleanup.

The best thing you can do is speak with the company that you are thinking about hiring. They should be more than willing to discuss which items should be set aside. The company should also be willing to work alongside with you if you wish to oversee the cleanup process and possibly aid in the sorting of certain items. It is a good idea to be there for the whole process as there may be certain items that you did not think about which would have gotten thrown out otherwise. When someone becomes a serious hoarder they may have valuable items that were buried in a pile in their room many years ago so it could be difficult to remember everything.

The final thing that you should consider when hiring a company to help with hoarding cleanup is the cost of the service. You should make the effort to contact multiple cleaning companies and find the best price possible. If you can find any reviews on the companies you are considering then check them to determine which offers the best service for a reasonable price. Lastly, keep in mind that the cost of hoarding cleanup varies tremendously by situation so getting an on-site estimation on how much it will cost would be very helpful.

Home maintenance is needed because over time, a lot of things will affect the physical appearance of your house. The material that it was built with will naturally depreciate and go through wear and tear, but other elements like weather will contribute to possibly damaging your house. If you maintain your home regularly, this will lessen the effects that the weather can do to it. This is especially true when winter comes, because it’s extra challenging to deal with the damaging effects of snow.

Damage Caused By Snow

Snow is something that people look forward to, because it signals that winter has finally arrived. Even if it’s freezing cold, snow brings warm memories of snow fights and skiing and roasting marshmallows in a warm fire. However, snow can also be a nuisance, especially if it becomes uncontrollable. Snow is also quite challenging to deal with when it comes to home maintenance, because it causes a lot of things that can be potentially damaging to your home. This is the reason why as a homeowner you should be extra cautious when winter comes, and you should also make sure that you are equipped with the right tools and techniques to deal with all that snow.

Home Maintenance Tips

What you have to remember about snow is that it can mess with your ventilation and humidifiers. It can cause ice dams on your rooftop, which can lead to messy leaks and roof damage. Excessive condensation on windows and glass panes can also cause damage. Here are a few home maintenance tips that you can take note of every time winter arrives:

• Make sure your roof is well ventilated to prevent ice dams and icicles from forming.
• Regularly use a shovel to clear your driveway and walkway of ice. You can use rock salt to prevent slippery paths.
• Make sure your vents and gas meters are clear of ice.
• Regularly check drains and make sure you clean them.
• Clean your humidifier and ventilation system filters.

Preparedness is Key

It’s clear that when it comes to correcting the potentially damaging effects of snow in your home, preparedness is critical. You shouldn’t wait for the snow to cause irreversible damage, because there are several ways to prevent it. In case you’re really caught unprepared and some damage is done, it’s best to get in touch with the professionals and seek their advice as to how to correct the damage. You can prevent the damage from happening, but when it happens it’s best to leave it to those who know how to correct it properly.

Two were killed in Colorado when a vehicle left an icy highway. At least one storm-related death is being reported in Texas. From New Mexico to the panhandle of Texas and northern regions of Kansas, blizzard-like weather has road workers on high alert and travelers exiting early to find cover from the storm. Snow fell at one and one half inches per hour in northern Oklahoma where many residents have already decided (or have been forced) to miss work Tuesday due to extreme low visibility and hazardous drifting snow.

A portion of I-24 was closed in New Mexico north of Santa Fe.State Police there report that they have received a very high number of distress calls from motorists stuck on back roads. People in Clayton, NM say that they do not recall such a massive snow storm there since the mid 1970s when cows had to be air-lifted via helicopters and the National Guard was summoned to help.

Authorities in Texas have reported that nearly 100 people have been rescued from their vehicles by the National Guard as shelters were being opened to provided those stranded with a place to ride out the nasty weather. Many people living in the Great Plains states who were planning on doing long-distance traveling by car have been forced to delay their holiday plans. The pre-winter storm has put a halt to any long distance traveling – at least for early this week as highways and rural roads in the region are a mess.

The deadly snowstorm that struck the nation’s heartland is moving eastward. The mid-Mississippi Valley is expected to be hit with areas of rain, freezing rain and snow as well as with possible thunderstorms. Blizzard warnings are forecasting snow accumulations of up to eighteen inches in the Plains and in regions further east as the massive storm barrels its way across the country.

In Texas, flights were canceled Monday afternoon at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport Monday although things are expected to get back to normal by Tuesday morning. To the north in Oklahoma, the roads and highways were completely packed with snow or covered in ice, making them extremely hazardous. Officials there were warning people to stay at home and to only venture out in the case of “extreme emergency” due to the declining roadway conditions.

Do not take roof repairs lightly, if you ignore it, there can be damage not only to the ceiling but also to the floorings, the carpets, the furniture, the electronics and other appliances. You can check the roof for any problems or potential problems during the summer or spring months. Checking does not only mean looking out for leaks or cracks but also to find out the overall condition of the roof. You can find out if there is any mold, mildew or lichen growth in the lining or water accumulation. If your roof is in good condition your home will also be in shape for a long period of time.

Remember that there have been quite a few accidents due to not taking proper precautions while repairing the roof. Safety is definitely a priority and if you are not wearing the right gear or not having the correct tool-box, there can be problems. For instance, if you are not careful while climbing up the roof or if you do not have proper things like ladder and other safety equipment, you may end up hurting yourself badly. Also it is important to carry the right kind of tools and sealant. If you are climbing up along a steep line, it can be difficult to carry the toolbox. So, it is better if you climb up the roof first and if you have a helper who can give you these things by climbing a few steps up the ladder.

Next, you should use your flashlight to inspect for any cracks or holes in the shingles or in other parts of roofs like the vents, chimneys etc. Through the set of tools like hammer, nails and cement, you can get rid of the old shingles and fix the new ones. It is important to apply cement copiously and evenly. Chimneys are known for being prone to leaks. Look out for the metals around the chimney, it may have become loose. You may have to apply fresh coat of cement to tighten the area. Reseal any vents in the roofs that may be faulty. For instance, if you see anything that is coming out the roof, it may mean that even though the roof is in good condition, the openings can cause a problem. So, make sure that you reseal them properly in order to avoid any problem.

A potent tornado-inciting storm system flattened homes and killed three people as it moved through the southern parts of Rock Hill, South Carolina on Wednesday.

A number of tornado sightings were reported from Louisiana. Reports of suspected tornadoes were also received from Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina. Several homes, buildings and other structures were damaged by the storm. The storm downed power lines at different places leaving thousands of people without electricity. Many trees were also downed by the storm.

A possible tornado killed three people and injured five in South Carolina when it passed through a rural community located close to Rock Hill, about 20 miles in the south of Charlotte, N.C. A man lost his life in north Georgia when a tree fell over his vehicle. According to the authorities, a child and an adult were also killed in central North Carolina.

A likely twister shattered many trees and destroyed several mobile homes at a couple of housing parks situated close to Auburn University, in eastern Alabama.

As per Don McKinnon, Emergency Director Jones County, some persons were trapped for a short time as trees fell on the houses in southeastern Mississippi. Mobile homes in the area were lifted off their foundations. Altogether, 15 people got injured across the region.

Ten people were hurt when a suspected tornado swept through a region in the south of Lexington, N.C. The tornado destroyed a building and damaged several other structures and left thousands without power.

Weather forecasters stated that a cold front extending from the Gulf through the Northeast was responsible for the drop in temperatures. In certain regions, temperatures dropped into the 50s from the low 70s. Wind gusts of up to 30 mph were also recorded.

In Alabama, several areas reported the damage caused by the storm. An old woman was taken to the hospital after she got injured when a tree fell on her house in Sumter County, which is located in the west-central region of the state.

A likely tornado passed through a neighborhood in Houma, Sothern Louisiana. A home in the locality was splintered in the event. Crews were seen cleaning up debris nearby a school after the storm. Workers of the Red Cross were also dispatched to assess the damage caused by the storm.

The South Florida Water Management District handles the region’s flood control system. It has lowered many canals in the area and has been ensuring that pumps and flood gates are operating as they should. However, the water has been very slow in draining off many areas such as in Miami Beach and Oakland Park. Many streets are still awash despite the fact that the rains have eased up since the weekend.

This is supposed to be South Florida’s dry season. However, this was the 3rd weekend in a row in October which consisted of heavy rainfall leaving many residents wondering why their yards look like lakes. In Oakland Park, water inside several homes and businesses was knee-deep, leaving bewildered residents and business owners left to face cleaning up extensive water damage. Even though Oakland Park began preparing for the weekend rainfall early by clearing storm drains, the more than six inches of rain that fell during high tide caused severe flooding on the already-saturated ground.

The American Red Cross opened an assistance center in Fort Lauderdale to help those people who had to leave their flooded homes. The center is to stay open until further notice. Fort Lauderdale Beach took the brunt of the rains as over twelve inches feel. Coconut Grove did not fare much better as it got nearly 11 inches followed by Palmetto Bay with nearly 9 inches.