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DON'T USE EPA-registered surface disinfectants, Coronavirus, and residual efficacy claims

EPA-registered surface disinfectants kill viruses like SARS-CoV-2, commonly called “Coronavirus,” at the time they are used. But if new viral particles are deposited on the surface, ...

Mastering your Dri-Eaz Command Center app

Welcome to the Command Ecosystem! Once you have a Dri-Eaz i-Series dehumidifier equipped with a Command Hub, you're ready to download and use the basic Dri-Eaz Command Center app, ...

Using Unleashed to Remove Urine Odors from Concrete

We are often asked about how to remove urine odors from concrete slabs using ODORxUn-Duz-It Unleashed. Here is the best approach to tackling this unique odor removal challenge ...

What qualifies a restoration contractor to perform crime or trauma scene cleanup? (Part 2 of 2)

To successfully complete a crime and trauma scene cleanup, a contractor needs to know and comply with local, state or provincial, and federal guidelines regarding the generation, ...

What are the most difficult trauma or crime scenes to clean effectively? (Part 1 of 2)

Although trauma and crime scenes can be challenging for many reasons, putrefaction sites are some of the most difficult for contractors to remediate. Two of the greatest challenges ...

How to choose the best dehumidifier: LGR vs conventional dehumidifers (Part 2 of 2)

Conventional refrigerant dehumidifiers are the most basic type of dehumidifier. They remove water from the air by condensing moisture out of the air. They work most efficiently ...

How to choose the best dehumidifier (Part 1 of 2)

With all the different types of dehumidifiers available, how do you know which one to choose? Consider the following questions to ensure you select the right dehumidifier for your ...

How do you determine how many and what size dehumidifiers to use on a water damage job?

To determine the number and size of dehumidifiers to place on a drying project you must first calculate the cubic volume (length × width × height) of the affected space. Next, ...

How many air exchanges per hour are required for proper air filtration?

If an IAQ professional is retained for the project, they will calculate the number of air exchanges per hour based on the type of project (mold remediation, dust control, fire ...

How long can I keep an RTU solution on hand and still use it?

The length of time an RTU solution can be stored depends on several factors such as the product itself, what type of container is used, the temperature of storage, etc. In ...

Which scents are most effective for combating odors from different sources of fires?

There are three different types of fires, based on the main fuel consumed by the fire: protein, natural and synthetic. Protein fires typically originate in a kitchen and normally ...

Proper Disinfectant Application

What are the right ways to apply BotaniClean Disinfectant or Mediclean Germicidal Cleaner Concentrate (MGCC)? The answer is easy - what's listed on the label! BotaniClean ...

Labels vs SDS: Why Is There Sometimes a Discrepancy?

You may have observed that the notices and warnings on the label for an EPA registered chemical product don't always match what is included in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). For ...

Effective Thermal Fogging for Odor Control

To combat the pervasive odors left by smoke damage, what’s the best way to apply odor counteractants? Thermal fogging most closely approximates the very small size of smoke ...

After the Fire: Preliminary Deodorization and Detoxification

By Gary Loiben and Bill Weigand Preliminary deodorization and detoxification should be part of the emergency services mitigation during fire restoration cleanup. This process ...

What Is an Odor?

Odors are gases which emanate from a source into the air, where they are perceived by the nose. Whether they smell pleasant or unpleasant, odors are gases that people notice.Humans ...

All About Smoke

Smoke and soot particles are the visual by-products of incomplete combustion. Combustion is the self-sustaining process of rapid oxidation. Three elements required for combustion ...

The Challenges and Opportunities of Smoke Odor Removal

Smoke and odors from tobacco and cannabis disperse in the air and adhere to all surfaces. We have to remember that we are not just removing odors but we will be removing chemicals ...

Using Air Scrubbers for Odor Control

First, ventilate. Send stale, smelly air out of the building space and bring in fresh air—the more the better. This is easily accomplished using our Vortex axial fan with Sto ...

Why are smoke odors from fire so tough to get rid of?

Incomplete combustion is the cause of smoke odors. Combustion converts a solid into a gas with heat and oxygen. When there’s enough heat, oxygen and fuel, combustion is complete ...

Maximizing Your Extraction Efficiency

Regardless of the type of flood extraction equipment you use, some common-sense techniques can significantly increase your overall extraction performance: When excessive ...

Dehumidifier Output: How Hot Is Too Hot?

Legend Brands Service sometimes receives calls from customers expressing concern about the temperature of the output air of their Dri-Eaz dehumidifier. In some circumstances, ...

Top Ten Reasons to Take a Class with Legend Brands Education

10. Improve your understanding and practical applications of drying science. 9. Learn how to equip any job with exactly the right amount of drying equipment. 8. Utilize ...

Tips for AirPath Users

Many of you have already learned how effective airmover the AirPath Floor Dryer is. With airflow measuring up to 40 mph and a 360 degree drying pattern, the AirPath can dry carpets ...

Best Practices: Managing Chemicals in Cold Weather

Most chemicals survive cold weather reasonably well but for some it can be a serious problem. In general, a product that freezes experiences some type of separation or crystal ...

Is It Time for a Restoration Tune-Up?

How long has it been since you took your last water restoration class? Two years? Five years? Longer? With all the changes in technologies and standards in water restoration, ...

Before you send your team in...

Thinking of taking a restoration team to assist with remediation efforts after a major hurricane or flood? Special circumstances require special preparations! Here's just a few ...

Why use a desiccant dehumidifier?

When you’re faced with drying in cool temperatures or drying dense materials like hardwoods, brick, or plaster-and-lath construction, nothing beats the efficiency and power of ...

How Long Does a Carbon Filter Last?

Activated charcoal filters are used in countless devices and processes to remove impurities from gases or liquids. An optional activated charcoal filter allows the Dri-Eaz DefendAir® ...

Trauma cleanup in crime scenes, suicides, or unaccompanied death is a difficult but important specialty service in the restoration industry. In addition to trauma remediation ...

For better drying, eliminate boundary layers with high velocity airflow

Accelerating the rate of airflow across a surface is the key to eradicating boundary layers – the region of high humidity near a wet material or surface. When a wet area releases ...

Drying Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is uniquely vulnerable to water damage. Understanding the different types and how each is constructed is critical to drying success. As a general rule, the more ...

Osmics and the Theory of Odors

Did you know that osmics is the field that studies the olfactory sense and odors? Given the role that odors play in customer satisfaction with restoration and cleaning jobs, it's ...

Boost the Performance of Your Desiccant Dehumidifier

Did you know you can increase a desiccant's efficiency by maximizing airflow and providing appropriate temperature and humidity? Here are some specific ways to enhance a desiccant’s ...

Reducing Workers’ Compensation Claims

Restoration work is not easy—the hours are unpredictable, the work is physically demanding and working conditions are often less than ideal. Today’s restoration contractors are ...

Bragging Rights

Restorers have been known to boast about the "thousands and thousands of gallons" they've extracted from a structure. Impressive amounts for sure, but the most important factor ...

Pay Attention to the Details

Anyone focused on providing a high level of service to water damage customers will agree that how you treat people's contents greatly impacts their satisfaction with the job. The ...

Two Drying Methods

Restorers use the information obtained during evaluation of materials to help select the best drying method for the job. Generally, there are two primary approaches to promote ...

Protect against future mold damage with Surface Shield

ProRestore® SurfaceShield® and SurfaceShield Plus Protectant work in unique ways to protect porous surfaces against damage and staining from mold and mildew. Used as the final ...

Are you keeping good records showing that your equipment is set up and working properly? Are you showing that your equipment rental has been earned? Here are some areas to focus ...

Are Your Meter Readings Accurate?

You count on your thermo-hygrometer to provide you with accurate information. But errors do crop up, and here’s why they might be happening: Insufficient acclimation time ...

Keep your Rover HVE Rovin’

A little proactive maintenance can go a long way to keep your Dri-Eaz Rover High Volume Extractor in top operating condition. There are components you should inspect regularly, ...

Indoor Air Quality Part 1: Why Should You Care?

Ask yourself: how often does at least one of the following conditions or tasks exist on a restoration job? Contamination (sewer, mold, or flooding) Drying carpet or ...

Indoor Air Quality Part 2: Something is in the air. And it’s not good.

As discussed in Part 1, controlling air quality is critical to the successful restoration of the indoor environment. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at specific types ...

Make a Better First Impression

One of the least expensive ways to improve your business success and build customer loyalty is through courtesy and professionalism. Factors that influence a property owner’s first ...

Keeping Your Moisture Meters Calibrated

Does your moisture meter keep getting out of whack? Relative humidity probes like thermo-hygrometers are prone to loss of calibration and should be checked frequently, but there ...

Make Dwell Times Work for You

Dwell times are among the most important statements on all disinfectant labels. The amount of time you should wait after application,, And some labels may not refer to "dwell time" ...

Exercising Caution During Flood Water Clean Up (Part 4)

Part 4 of our 4-part “Exercising Caution During Flood Water Cleanup” series Following Industry Standards First response contractors (FRCs) should carefully review the IICRC ...

Exercising Caution During Flood Water Clean Up (Part 3)

Part 3 of our 4-part “Exercising Caution During Flood Water Cleanup” series The Importance of Industry Standards Industry standards set the criteria or best practices for standard ...

Exercising Caution During Flood Water Clean Up (Part 2)

Part 2 of our 4-part “Exercising Caution During Flood Water Cleanup” series Risks in Floodwaters Flood and standing water make disease more likely occur. Floodwaters will likely ...

Exercising Caution During Flood Water Clean Up (Part 1)

Part 1 of our 4-part “Exercising Caution During Flood Water Cleanup” series The hurricane has past, the weather is clearing and the water is receding. That’s when the hazards ...

When Documenting Drying Progress, Compare Apples to Apples

Those of you who have taken an ASD course have most likely encountered the four "knows" of drying: What's wet? How wet is it? Is it drying? Is it dry? When left unanswered, these ...

To Mix or Not to Mix - That Is the Question!

In the cleaning and restoration industry, it seems many people have a deep-seated desire to be a bit of a chemist or cook, mixing different chemicals to see what happens and how ...

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Your initial phone conversation with a customer is crucial. You want to ask the right questions to get the clearest picture of the situation possible. Make a checklist and ask ...

When Walls Won't Dry

If you have a wall drying system in place, but aren't making progress after 24 hours, you may need to reevaluate your approach. Any of the following techniques may help you address ...

Winterizing Dri-Eaz Dehumidifiers

Our Dri-Eaz service expert Kyle Anderson offers time-tested tips for protecting your valuable dehumidifiers from freeze damage. Kyle, what’s the most important tip to care for ...

What to do when chemical products freeze

What happens to chemical products that get chilled or frozen? Most of them survive it rather nicely and others - not so well. In general, a product frozen by extreme temperatures ...

When Temps Rise, So Can the Odors

When warmer weather approaches, it's a good time to review how higher temperatures affect odor generation. First, volatile compounds - the source of most odors - are more easily ...

Tips for Using 4-PRO Dehumidifier Filters

FILTER CHANGES The 4-PRO Filter ensures proper dehumidifier operation and protects occupants and workers in four ways: 1) cellulose mesh captures larger particles; 2) electrostatic ...

Fire and Smoke Remediation: Structural Cleaning

Choosing the right restoration cleaning products depends on the material composition, surface texture, the nature of residue and the severity of soot contamination. Traditionally, ...

Improving Adjuster Communications

Successful relationships whether at home, work or with clients start with good communication. Keeping the lines of communication clear between you and insurance adjusters can be ...

The Importance (and Profitability) of Regular Dehumidifier Maintenance

It’s all too easy to overlook proper and regular dehumidifier maintenance, but this can lead to downtime and in some cases costly repairs. Planned maintenance begins with—a ...

Crawlspaces: Are You in Compliance?

Unless you have taken a 40-hour HAZWOPER course, you may not realize that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers crawlspaces to be a "confined space" and ...

A Little Tip That Can Save You from Big Embarrassment

This is one of those no-brainers that can really catch you off guard. When you arrive at a plumbing-related water loss job, your first task is to locate the building's main water ...

What Causes Urine to Glow Under UV Light?

Most of you have probably used a UV light to detect urine spills in carpets, upholstery and flooring. But why does urine glow like that? And more importantly, why do urine spots ...

Disinfectant Spray Plus vs. Bleach

We get a lot of calls about using bleach to disinfect surfaces after a flood or other water intrusion. Just say no to bleach! Mediclean Disinfectant Spray Plus (MDSP) is the much ...

Are You Making Your Disinfectant Ineffective?

Cleaning and restoration professionals know that EPA-registered disinfectants must be used exactly according to label directions. This is repeated so often that people become immune ...

What Makes Flood Waters So Dangerous

With devastating floods, some dangers are not obvious. The news media show people, including children, walking or driving through flood waters. But flood water is dangerous. Refresh ...

Your Mission: First Destroy, then Protect

Professionals who use disinfectants know that a disinfectant's primary function is to destroy pathogenic microbes (tiny life forms that cause disease). These microbes cause disease ...

Ready for the Freeze? Winterizing your Dehu

Cold winter weather presents special challenges to dehumidifiers – particularly when the temperatures in your vehicles or unheated storage areas begin to dip below freezing. If ...

Optimizing Dehumidifier Placement

Having enough dehumidification is one thing, but proper placement of dehumidifiers on the job is equally important. Start with plenty of airmovers to promote sufficient evaporation ...

Versatility: The Key to Efficient Drying Systems

Top restoration professionals manipulate and control as many factors as possible in their drying systems to complete a drying job as soon as practical. It helps save money for ...

We Can Dry It, But Should We?

Drying science has advanced to the point where almost any material in a structure can be dried. Since everything can be dried, the critical question in restorative drying is should ...

All Airmovers Are Not Created Equal

While all airmovers move air, the way they direct the air determines their best application. This is especially true in cleaning and restoration environments, where efficient drying ...

What Does a Ratio Mean?

A common method for expressing dilution rates is through ratios, but sometimes knowing the ratio isn't enough information. For example, does a ratio of 1:8 mean use one part concentrate ...