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Your everyday washing method may be keeping your clothes clean and disinfected at all times, but are you sure it is the appropriate way to clean them without causing damage to the fabric? If you’re not sure, you may want to take a look at some of the most common laundering mistakes that most of us are guilty of doing.
1. Incorrect Use of the Machines
If you choose to go to a self-service 24 hour laundry in Singapore, make sure you read the instructions on how to use the machines properly. Commercial washing machines in laundry service shops are bigger and more sophisticated than the washers used at home, but they also come with a lot of problems.
You need to know how much water is needed and which type of detergent should be used. Using the dryer is also different from using the washer, as well as knowing how to set the right temperature when ironing or pressing clothes. As for steam-cleaning, remember the recommended temperatures for specific materials to avoid burning the items.
2. No Stain Treatment
Most commercial laundry services in Singapore provide express wash and dry cleaner for clothes and will pre-treat stains before washing them to make the cleaning process easier. If your clothes have stains in it, be sure to let your laundry service know and have it washed right away. Avoid the stain from drying into the garment as it will set permanently onto the fabric. Your commercial laundry services should be able to remove any stain by doing a pre-treatment procedure.
3. Wrong Drying Method
One technique of drying your clothes fast in the dryer if you’re in a 24 hour laundry self-service shop is to run back-to-back dryer loads. This will allow you to take advantage of the heat that has been maintained for several loads. Make sure to follow instructions when drying clothes because you cannot load the same number of items in the dryer as in the washer.
4. Using Too Much Bleach
Although there are colorsafe bleaches available for colored or dyed clothes, you should avoid using bleach as much as possible. Commercial laundry services will also advise you that bleaching can only be done if the stain is too difficult to remove using detergent alone. Even stains made from protein such as blood and sweat will not need bleaching in most cases, unless the stain has been dried for several days. Laundry pick up services will not bleach your items unless you specifically instruct them to, because it can deteriorate the fabric when done too often.
5. Wrong Ironing Method
Heat will cause some fabrics to shrink or stretch, that is why you should use only the recommended ironing settings for specific fabrics, especially with uniform laundry that are prone to wear and tear.
6. Washing Dry-Clean Clothes
Clothes that are labeled dry-clean only should never be soaked in water or cleaned with water-based detergent, but some labels can be misleading. For example, if the label says dry clean, it means that the clothing can still be hand-washed and air-dried, although www.laundryfirst.sg in Singapore will always opt for the dry cleaning method if you ask them. It also helps if you know the laundry process of your laundromat to ensure that your clothes are always washed with care.
7. Washing Spot-Clean Fabrics
Spot-clean fabrics are common in some linen and upholstery, because they cannot be cleaned using both water-based detergent and dry cleaning solvent. The best cleaning method is to use an upholstery cleaner or the foam of a mild detergent on a stubborn stain.
8. Washing in Hot Water
Use hot water only if you need to sanitize clothing, because even laundry for spa and towel washing should not be done frequently using hot water. Most fabrics will eventually deteriorate when exposed to high temperatures.
The best tip we can probably share is to read your clothing’s care label. The care label states all the cleaning methods you can use on your clothing without damaging the quality of the piece.
Keeping your office in Singapore clean and pest-free can be difficult because of the number of entry points for pests and the volume of people coming and going from the area. That is why even if the office looks clean, it does not necessarily mean that it is also pest-free.
Here are fifteen ways that you can keep your office free from rodents, cockroaches, termites, flies, and other pests.
1. Keep workspaces clean. Proper pest control management begins with keeping the office area clean at all time. Your office can achieve this by imposing rules on proper waste management, food handling, and regular cleaning by employees or hired professional cleaners. Besides daily maintenance, there should also be scheduled general cleaning one or twice annually to terminate pest.
2. Keep office exterior clean. Don’t forget to include the building exterior when during facility maintenance, especially if you have a large outdoor space for gardens, parking spaces, and other facilities. These areas can be home to various pests if not properly maintained. You can hire professional cleaners annually if the area has not been inspected for a while.
3. Check the indoor plants. If your office in Singapore has indoor plants, make sure that these are taken of daily or weekly. Plants should be aired, trimmed, and treated occasionally to keep them free from diseases and pests. These can become home to insects if not properly maintained.
4. Find sources of water. Pest control management often includes finding possible sources of food and habitation of the pests. Most of these pests such as rodents and cockroaches thrive in warm, moist, and dark areas of the office that often don’t get noticed such as plumbing areas, fountains or ponds, bathrooms, kitchens, and others. Pest control services might recommend regular cleaning of the area and scheduled plumbing maintenance if there is a pest infestation in the office.
5. Inspect food or eating areas. If you don’t have areas in your office designated as areas for snacks and meals, then you should consider one. This will discourage employees from bringing food to their desks and leaving food crumbs that can be sources of food for the pests. Having a pantry area is one of the ways to handle removal of household insects in Singapore and exterminate rodents that could just be waiting for leftover food.
6. Reduce clutter in storage. A lot of offices have warehouses, stockrooms, and storage areas for miscellaneous items that are not used on a regular basis. These rooms can be home to a variety of pests such as rodents, cockroaches, mites, bugs, and many more. To get rid of cockroaches, the pest control management team will need to inspect such rarely-used areas in the office to determine if there are hiding places or breeding grounds you have not yet seen. Schedule monthly cleaning of these areas if you want to get rid of cockroaches or other insects for example.
7. Regular plumbing maintenance. One way to get rid of cockroaches in the office is to find areas where they are most likely to hide or breed. These include the plumbing hidden in walls and ceilings because people cannot easily access them. Pest control services in Singapore will include inspection of the plumbing to make sure that the number of cockroaches and rodents are permanently reduced. They could also recommend plumbing repair and structure renovation if the inspection found problems that could be contributing to pest infestation.
8. Keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean. Mice and rat can fit into any opening, and cockroaches are very adaptive even if you have a system to control pests in the office. This is when you need to call professional pest control management especially if you don’t have regular plumbing maintenance. You will earn a bad reputation among clients and customers if you have dirty, pest-infested kitchens or bathrooms, so make sure to have a good pest control system in place.
9. Keep ventilation and cooling systems clean. Not only is your plumbing and kitchen prone to pest infestation, but so is the complex ventilation systems. You can eliminate the need for pest control management if you follow the scheduled air conditioning and ventilation maintenance. Hidden leaks, clogs, and debris buildup can be attractive to insects and rodents.
10. Assign areas for eating. You should have a kitchen and dining area in the office even if most of your employees go out to eat. It will be easier to clean food leftover if you can focus on one area and this will also impose discipline on employees to discourage them from having meals on their individual work areas.
11. Create proper waste management. Besides regular cleaning and maintenance, you should have a proper waste management in place. This will encourage your employees to practice proper hygiene and sanitation and will also make pest control management easier because you are eliminating possible feeding and breeding grounds of common pests.
12. Practice proper hygiene and sanitation. If you want to exterminate rodents, you should keep work spaces clean and free from possible food sources. Encourage employees to clean up after themselves, declutter their desks and storage areas, and to schedule a regular cleaning occasionally.
13. Regular facility maintenance. Some pest infestation is not as obvious as termite or rodent infestation because there are a lot of places in a commercial or industrial building where they can thrive. This includes area behind walls, ceilings and even inside machines and furniture. Regular facility and equipment maintenance, however, will terminate pest. For example, schedule an annual inspection of the building as a first step to remove termites, because some pests can be difficult to remove if the infestation is significant.
14. Look for pest infestation. The best way to control pests is to look for signs of infestation, such as droppings, urine, damaged furniture or machines, and damage in the walls or ceilings. If you see signs, you should contact a professional pest control management company in Singapore as soon as possible.
15. Regular pest control management. Even if there are no signs of pest infestation, commercial and industrial facilities will still need regular pest control services to keep the area clean and pest-free.
Majority of people in Singapore wait until their AC unit begins to make strange noises or encounter technical problems before they call for aircon servicing. However, even if your air conditioner seems to be on its prime condition, it is established that every unit can lose around 5% of its operational efficiency annually.
A properly working air conditioner is essential for the comfort of your loved ones, or in offices for your team members to work in a comfortable working environment. This makes it imperative to have your AC unit regularly checked for smooth functioning.
Through regular aircon maintenance, you can expect that your AC system will retain up to its 95% original efficiency. Worried about the service fees? The cost is actually recovered quickly on your reduced electricity bill and lesser repair costs. Accordingly, having a regularly serviced air conditioning unit will do a fantastic job at dehumidifying and cooling your home.
Should your unit have an annual tune up?
Generally, the answer is yes. It is advised to have your AC unit checked for aircon repair and maintenance at least once a year, regardless of whether it presents urgent issues and red flags that needs to be checked on immediately.
You would want for your air conditioner to be functioning at its maximum capacity. This prevents you from suffering from an uncomfortable home setting and an unproductive work environment. You are also likely to be given a proper aircon servicing in Singapore if you arrange it beforehand, avoiding tight schedules when all technicians have all hands on-deck.
There’s an exception to this, of course, if your unit begins to create strange noises or doesn’t seem to be functioning properly – have it looked at right away.
Benefits of regular service
1. Recover lost efficiency
It is inevitable for your unit to lose its efficiency over time. However, through regular aircon servicing, you can expect to recover some of its lost efficiency from the first time you brought it. Air conditioners offer any room the comfort in those humid conditions, so when you observe their servicing from a reputable aircon servicing company in Singapore on a timely basis – you can expect for optimum results every time you turn the unit on.
2. Reduce the chances of a costly, major breakdown
The longer you put off aircon servicing for your unit, the more likely it is to arrive on a point of a major, costly breakdown. Keep in mind that breakdowns may happen even at the most inopportune times. The likelihood of a major breakdown may just cost you a great sum from your budget, so typically, you’d want to avoid getting in such a situation.
If you manage a business, you wouldn’t want your customers to be inconvenienced because of a poorly working AC unit. Clients who visit your office would also be likely put-off by this. Unfortunate instances like such can be avoided by having well-serviced machines.
3. Increase the machine’s lifespan
No AC unit can last forever, the same thing goes for every electrical equipment sold in the market, but you can lengthen its operation and lifespan through regular aircon servicing. Your unit will be assessed and checked from time to time. This means, you can get some parts changed (i.e. filters) to achieve a prolonged lifespan of the unit. Think of the Singapore dollars you will save, as you don’t have to buy another unit immediately when your AC acts up!
4. Reduces running costs
On-time servicing of your AC unit allows you to reduce the running costs that are involved in having an air conditioner at home or in the office. ACs are known to cost substantial electricity bills because of the power needed for their proper functioning. Energy consumption can be higher in units which aren’t serviced on-time. Keep operating costs as low as possible through regular servicing especially if you’re keen on saving big amounts.
5. Increased comfort
Having a regularly serviced AC unit means you can rely on its maximum capacity most of the time. You are likely to enjoy a flawless cooling of your room, regardless of whether you’re staying within the comforts of home or presenting a report at the office. Air conditioners are bought to provide comfort – and having a well-serviced unit will definitely give you the comfort you are seeking for.
What does the process entail?
Your air conditioning technician will first inspect your AC unit and assess if there are any parts that needs to be changed, or at least tinkered with. Inspecting your air conditioner closely is vital to pinpoint any underlying issues that may need to be addressed. Basically, he will do things that includes:
• Giving the condensing unit coils and evaporator coils a thorough cleaning
• Checking the compressor’s amp draw (and all components)
• Oiling the fan motors (if necessary)
• Checking the tightness of the belts and adjusting them if he/she deems fit
• Checking the operating pressures and temperatures of the system (against the specifications of the manufacturer)
• Inspecting the refrigerant level
• Checking all the sensors and thermostats
• Tightening all the electrical terminals
• Checking the ductwork for any damages or air leaks
• Checking the smooth operation of all zone motors
• Testing condensate tray, P trap, and drains
• Inspecting all the safety devices
There are a number of benefits to having your AC unit regularly serviced and checked. If you’re worried about the costs, you can expect to recover all the accumulated fees through lesser repair costs and a reduced electricity bill. This will help you save more money in your account and maintain the comfort you’ve grown accustomed to.
*This list is compiled in no particular order.*
The plumbing system is one of the most important things to take care of when it comes to estate maintenance. Clogged drains, leaked pipes, and other plumbing problems can potentially developed into more serious problems the moment the water starts to leak on the walls or pool on the floor and ceiling. Minor leaks and clogs that are not addressed right away can create substantial damages whose repair can possibly cost you thousands of dollars. To avoid major expenses and renovations, ask your managing agent to regularly check every pipeline of the building and immediately fix minor hitches that can potentially turn into greater damage.
To guarantee optimum condition of plumbing systems in your entire property, look for an efficient and reliable plumbing contractor in Singapore.
Independent Contractor and Emergency Plumbing Services
If you’re looking to working with a plumber on a regular basis, perhaps for your property’s regular estate maintenance, you would do great with hiring an independent plumbing contractor. Independent plumbers hired by a property management Singapore are best for property owners who are maintaining larger buildings with greater plumbing works. For recommendations of certified plumbing contractors in your locality, ask your friends, colleagues or your managing agent, or try searching the Internet for websites of legitimate organizations associated with plumbing contractors and services.
On the other hand, if you think your property doesn’t need much attention, you’ll do well with emergency plumbing services. Many emergency contractors here in Singapore are usually available 24/7 and can give instant solution to emergency plumbing problems, as opposed to most independent contractors who are only available on certain hours of the day.
Nearby Services
Whether your condo manager hired an independent or emergency plumbing contractor, make sure to hire a company situated near your property’s location. Also, nearby contractors possess more knowledge about the general plumbing of the area where you are located, thus, making it easier to fix any issue.
Security Matters
Whether you or your condo manager is the one looking for a contractor, be sure the plumber can show a valid license. Legitimate licenses will not only guarantee professional services, it will also provide affirmation that the person coming into your building and into the home of your tenants to fix plumbing issues is not a threat to the security of you and your tenant’s property. The licensure also serves as an insurance that will cover the expenses in case of any damage that the plumber has caused during their service.
Quality Materials
When some parts of your plumbing system has to be replaced, it is important to make sure that your contractor uses quality materials in replacement of those defective parts. Though high-quality parts can get a bit costly, this will help you save from frequent upkeep in the long run.
Having your plumbing lines regularly checked is the most suitable for real estate properties. To ensure all pipes, faucets, and water lines in the entire property in excellent working condition, property management companies often recommend hiring independent plumbing contractor, or you can ask your managing agent for annual property management maintenance package for greater savings.
Your home is one of the biggest investments you will have in your life. Therefore, buying one shouldn’t be rushed nor taken for granted. You want to find a safe and stable property for yourself and for your family; and to be able to do that, a house inspection should be done before closing the deal.
Before proceeding to buy a property, you must thoroughly inspect its interiors first, including the house’s plumbing system. During this visit, it’s ideal to have a professional plumber with you as they will know how to properly check for plumbing issues that you would have missed have you gone alone. If you want a closer hand in inspecting your home, here are some tips on how you and your plumbing contractor should inspect your plumbing system.
1. Ask the Seller’s Help
Reputable real estate agents will help you verify the condition of all aspects of the property you wish to purchase. If they refuse to provide access to the house’s plumbing system, that’s a major red flag that there could be a serious problem.
2. Dress Appropriately
Before beginning the inspection, make sure to bring the right gears—strong-grip gloves, comfortable footwear and a flashlight—and wear something that you won’t mind getting dirty. Checking the plumbing system can get messy, so be prepared.
3. Look for Lead
Older homes in Singapore tend to use lead pipes. While lead is helpful, it’s toxic and therefore should be avoided especially of you have kids. Lead pipes may not be a major deal breaker, but before closing the deal, ask your plumber in Singapore how much it would cost to replace the lead pipes.
4. Test Every Shut Off Valve
As a homeowner, you need to know where the main shut off valve of your home’s water supply is, and make sure that it is in excellent condition. Check that you can easily turn on/off your shut off valve, which is usually located near your home’s water meter. Now, turn the valve off, go around your house, and turn on every faucet. If any faucet has a flow, or even just drips, the entire plumbing system may have to be checked and repaired.
5. Check the Pipes
For most homeowners in Singapore, having good and constant water pressure is important, and the size of the water pipes helps determine this. Larger pipes at the main source should be anywhere between .75 to one inch in size, while the rest of the pipes in the house should be .5 or larger. Anything that’s smaller than .5 will restrict the water flow, and this is something that’s quite costly to replace.
6. Inspect the Water Heater
Have your plumbing services staff inspect the water heater. If it’s old, in poor working condition, or has other operating issues, it could be an expensive repair or replacement that you should take into consideration when bidding on a property. When checking the water heater, look for corroded parts, mineral deposits and other warning signs that the equipment needs to be replaced.
7. Smell the Sewage
Sewage problems are disgusting, stinky and expensive plumbing works. Before signing on the dotted line, find out what kind of sewage system the house has. If there’s a septic tank, find out where it is located, where its line runs, how big it is, and the time when it was last emptied or serviced. Check the area of the tank, as well as its line, paying attention for bad odours, stagnant water and other signs of seepage. Since problems with septic tanks are usually costly, this is something you must insist on getting a deeper discount or having fixed before finalizing the deal.
8. Inspect for Any Leaks
Make sure that the bathroom and kitchen faucets, as well as the shower and the toilet, are in good working condition and do not leak. A leaking toilet tank may not be noticeable, but it can cost you a lot in the long run. If your refrigerator has ice maker, find its water supply line and check for bulges and leaks. If the supply line is plastic, consider replacing it with copper.
9. Test the Washing Machine Pipes
Make sure the water valves for your laundry machine is working. Check the machine’s intake hose and drain hose. They should not be brittle, nor should be dripping from where they are hooked. Check the faucet where you hooked your hose to see that it’s not rusted shut.
10. Determine Whether It Has Hard Water
Hard water causes stain and scale build-up on fixtures ad can make washing dishes and cleaning windows difficult. What’s worse, if this water goes untreated, scale can build-up inside the plumbing system. The best way to determine whether or not a property has hard water is to check the exteriors of the plumbing lines for signs of build-up. If you find any, try to negotiate a water softening supply into the deal. Ask your 24 hours plumber about this to help wiggle this add-on to your package.
These are just a few of the things that will help inspect a house’s plumbing works. Monitoring the water ways and pressure is an important part of inspecting a property. In order to get the most comprehensive home inspection and ensure smart investment, let a reliable plumber do the inspection for you. Ask your contractor if property inspection is included in their plumbing services. If so, tag them along during site visitations for professional advices.
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