cluttered attic

Attic Cleanout Safety Tips

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Do you feel the need to clean your attic but are dreading the process? It can be a long and dirty job; however, a clean and organized attic can help you feel better about your home. Some challenges come with cleaning out the attic – sometimes, things can even get dangerous. If you are ready to tackle the challenge, the following tips may be of help to you. 

Get Everything Cleared Out

It is hard to clean if you are surrounded by junk. Instead of cleaning around items, take everything out. This removes tripping hazards and makes the process more manageable in the long run – even if it seems like a big job right off the bat. 

Dust Every Surface

When everything is out of your attic, you have the freedom to move about and dust every surface. Shelves, window sills, and other flat surfaces collecting dust can be easily wiped down when there is nothing in the way. You may even find dust in places you didn’t think to look, so be sure to dust everything, less the dust be blown onto other surfaces when you move the removed items back in. Additionally, if the dust has truly accumulated, wearing a mask can prevent any allergens from irritating you. 

Floors Come Next

After dusting, it’s time to vacuum and sweep the floors. Vacuuming before sweeping means that there will be less dirt flying around when you do sweep. You could benefit from using a full-size vacuum the first time, sweeping, and then using a handheld vacuum to get the small pieces the dustpan leaves behind. 

Check Insulation Quality and Cleanliness

The quality of your insulation is crucial to the heating or cooling of your home. Its cleanliness also plays a part in the health of those living in the house. Mold can grow on insulation and cause concerns. Ensuring that you have adequate insulation for heating and cooling and clean insulation for the benefit of your health is ideal. If you do find mold in your insulation or other areas of your attic, it is crucial to hire a professional for the cleaning to avoid dangers. 

Seal Cracks and Holes

Cracks and holes allow air and critters to enter your attic. A professional can help you do this, or some homeowners prefer to DIY this kind of problem. Spray foam is a popular option for sealing cracks that you can purchase at any hardware store. If you notice a rodent or pest problem, you can buy supplies to remove the problem or hire an exterminator to help. 

Organize and Donate

Before moving every item back into the attic, consider what you want to donate. Organize the items into piles. Consider these factors:

  • Do you want to keep it?
  • Do you want to donate it?
  • Is it garbage?

By sorting items into piles for keep, donate, and trash, you can easily decide what things to return to the attic. You will likely find that you have to return fewer items to the attic than you removed. When you do return the items to keep, logically organize them. They will be easier to find and use in the future when you know how you’ve organized your items. 

Develop a Routine

Rather than cleaning out the attic once every few years, make it part of your routine. By cleaning a few times a year, you will not have to undertake a vast project in cleaning out the attic. Instead, it will be a quick part of your spring cleaning. 

Hire Help

If it has been a while since you’ve cleaned out your attic, you may find it easiest to hire help. Elite Services is an expert in junk removal and can easily take care of the cleanout for you. Give Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition a call to determine the best course of action for your attic situation. 

6 Tips for Cleaning & Organizing Your Kitchen

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clean kitchenThe kitchen tends to be the most used area of a home, sees a lot of foot traffic, and tends to be a dumping ground for various items that don’t belong in the kitchen. In combination with cooking and eating in the space, surfaces get dirty and junk piles up very quickly. In order to keep junk to a minimum, deep cleaning your kitchen will help keep it clean even on the busiest of days. Ever 3-4 months, go through and organize your space with these tips:

Sort Through Everything

Start your kitchen cleaning process by organizing and cleaning out all of the items in your cabinets, in drawers, and on top of your counters. As you go thruogh each area, put each item into two piles: “to keep” and “toss”. Ask youself when the last time you used it and if it’s not a seasonal item, get rid of it if you haven’t used it within the last year. This will give you more space to store the items you do use on a regular basis. For the items you use regularly, keep them in easy-to-reach areas such as top drawers and cabinets close by to your main cooking area.

Wipe Down Surfaces

Starting with the wood molding, wipe down and dust the surfaces in your kitchen from top to bottom including cabinet fronts, knobs and pulls, appliances, and even your backsplash. You’ll be amazed at the amount of grime that has built up on these surfaces over time and once theyr’e wiped down, they’ll look brand new. For the hard to reach areas, use a long-handled duster to make sure they aren’t neglected.

Clean the Microwave

Over time, food splatters and and over flows, causing grime to build up in your microwave over time. Combined with the heat, the splatters become caked on and hard to clean. To eliminate harsh scrubbing, place a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of water and several several tablespoons of vinegar in the microwave for 5 minutes (or until the window is steamy). Let the microwave sit for few minutes to cool down before wiping the grime away.

Empty the Refridgerator

Since you’re already deep cleaning your kitchen, you mine as well clean out the refriderator! Take everything out of the fridge, wipe down all of the surfaces, and throw away any of the items you no longer use or are expired. Take all of the remaining items that you do use and organize them as you place them back in the fridge. Before you know it, you’ll havea clean and organized refridgerator and plenty of space to store the items you pick up on your next trip to the grocery store.

Empty & Clean the Trash

Once you’re done throwing away any item you no longer use, bring the trash bag to the garabage bin and clean out the inside of the trash can. Using an antibacterial soap, clean the bin out with soap and water in your kitchen sink, or outside with the hose, to prevent mold and bacteria fom growing inside the can. Once dry, replace the trash bag for a clean, fresh start.

Sweep & Mop the Floor

Now that you’ve wiped down all of the surfaces in your kitchen, it’s time to clean the floor! Once you’ve swept the floor clean, pull out all of your appliances to sweep and mop behind them before mopping the rest of the floor. This will ensure that any of the debris from the rest of your kitchen don’t make their way back there once pushing the appliances back in.

Once you’ve cleaned your kitchen, give Elite Services Junk Removal a call at (978) 317-5388 to schedule your junk removal appointment.

hoarding living room

The Dangers of Hoarding

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Hoarding not only causes people to live a lower quality of life and has a negative impact on mental health, but it can also actually affect your physical safety. Hoarding is an issue that requires time, concentration, and a professional junk removal service to solve. Once a person puts the time & effort into eliminating the clutter, they can go on to live their best life in a healthy home.

Mold & Infestations

One of the main issues with hoarding is the sanitary element. If floors and surfaces are piled with various junk, it is not possible that they are being sterilized properly, and you never know what you might have accidentally left lying around that is not aging well. The possibility for mold & insect or rodent infestations is very high in hoarding situations. Along with arranging a junk removal service for your cleanout, you may want to have an exterminator in mind as well.

Getting Crushed or Trapped

Hoarding often means that items are piled as high as the ceiling in some places of the home. Even something that seems minor, like a stack of papers, can be hazardous if it falls on a person. These piles can even end up blocking air vents and effecting ventilation, and also raise at which a fire can spread.

Fires

If a house trapped by hoarding catches on fire, the danger level is even higher than average. As previously mentioned, you can easily be trapped among the clutter with no way of escaping. Along with putting the residents at risk, this puts emergency responders at an even higher risk.

Ventilation Issues

If clutter inadvertently blocks an air vent, this can be lethal without you even knowing. Air vents are in place to ensure proper ventilation of the gases we should and should not be breathing in. If they are not able to work properly, you could end up breathing in toxic fumes such as carbon dioxide.

Will You Need a Junk Removal Service?

In almost all cases of hoarding, the help of a junk removal service is necessary to dispose of the junk accumulated. You might consider renting a dumpster or just hiring a removal service to come and remove the items. Elite Services & Demolition is happy to help you or your family members out of the hoarding trap and into a healthier home. Call today and we can talk about your needs! 978-317-5388

cleaning out garage

Why You Should Clean Out for 2020

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The start of a new year is a great time to revamp all areas of your life. You’ve probably begun working on new years resolutions related to your health or daily routine, but what about resolutions related to your home? Cleaning out your home in 2020 gives you a fresh start not just for the new year, but for the new decade too! 

More Room in Your Garage

Your garage should be a multi-functional space that holds your vehicle, outdoor tools, and much more. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for your garage to become a catch-all for the things you aren’t quite sure what to do with. By clearing out some of the junk in your garage, you’ll have more space for things that you actually need, such as parking your car or working on DIY projects! Look through your garage for items that are broken, damaged, unused, and unneeded. 

Less Clutter

The interior of your home likely needs to be cleaned out even more than the exterior garage space! Our homes fill with clutter that gets put into closets, cupboards, and drawers to be dealt with another time. Now is that time! Begin one room at a time and sort through the items in your home. A good rule of thumb to follow includes two tips: 

  1. If the item no longer brings you joy, you shouldn’t keep it. 
  2. If the item hasn’t been used in over a year, you no longer need it. 

Things that you’ve been holding onto for a time “just in case” when you might need it, are things that bring clutter to your home. Be realistic with yourself about what you need and use and clear out the rest! A clutter-free home promotes better mental health and will make keeping the house clean much easier. 

It’s Easier Than You Think!

Some people avoid cleaning out their homes because they think it’s an impossibly big project, but cleaning out your home is easier than you think! You should go into the cleaning project with an open mind and plenty of time on your hands in case you need to take breaks in between rooms or spaces. Another great way to make the project go smoothly is to hire a professional junk removal service. Elite Services Junk Removal is happy to provide extra helping hands and an on-site dumpster to make removing the junk you don’t need easier than you ever thought possible! 

Give us a call at 978-317-5388 to learn more about junk removal services around Swampscott, MA and let’s schedule your cleanout today! 

Eliminating Clutter Before the Holidays

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It’s that time of the year again – The most wonderful time, that is! Winter hit and just like that, we find ourselves right in the middle of the holiday season. New Year’s is just around the corner. And yet, your home is still cluttered with a bunch of junk from years past! Check out these tips for cleaning out from the professionals at Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition, and get your home ready for the holiday season. 

Looking Back on Clutter

Soon, you’ll be packing away all the holiday décor in a garage filled with your kids’ old clothes and toys that no one in your family will ever use again. There are likely old appliances, computers, monitors, keyboards, & old TVs just sitting around taking up space. What about that old, worn furniture and all those boxes left behind by family members? And what about all that clutter past the garage, inside your home? Wouldn’t it be nice to clean up the clutter and start the New Year with an organized house and garage?

Making Room for the New Year

With all this going on, you don’t even have room for the gifts you’ll receive this holiday. Not to mention there’s a lot of stuff on the kids’ Christmas list to Santa Claus! If their rooms and your spare closets are already cluttered, where will you put all the new stuff? It is often best to hire a professional junk removal service to get rid of all the useless junk. Many junk removal services will also donate reusable items so they don’t go to waste! 

Decluttering Outside Your Home

Have a bunch of waste all over your yard? Droves of leaves leftover from the fall, fallen, dead trees from the last storm, old tires, file cabinets, broken lawnmowers… let’s face it, there’s a big mess going on back there, and it’s not helping your holiday spirit. Your local junk removal service can help with this too! That way, your holiday decor will look even better, and when spring kicks in next year, your yard is ready for you and yours to enjoy.

No Time to Separate the Clutter?

A trustworthy junk removal company would never just toss your stuff on a truck and haul it all off to your local landfill. Instead, these professionals go through it removing things that can be reused or recycled. These items are then donated to charity and nothing goes to waste.

Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition in Salem, MA

Choose not to start your new year with your home and yard cluttered with last years’ junk. Get rid of the old and make room for the new! If you are in the Salem, MA area, call Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition for all of your junk removal needs.

Tips for Your Fall Yard Clean Up

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With leaves falling to the ground left & right, autumn is the most important & necessary time of year to clean up the exterior of your New England home. Check out these tips to make your fall clean up easy & efficient. Once you follow these simple steps, your landscape will look pristine and ready for the fall!

Tools & Supplies You Will Need:

  • Rake, shovels, garden hoe & seed spreader
  • Protective gardening gloves
  • Heavy duty trash bags or buckets
  • Grass seed, fertilizer, & fresh soil
  • Seasonal plant bulbs & decor

Clean Out Your Gutters

Don’t forget that your home’s gutters can collect debris and easily clog. Failing to clear them out can result in them separating from your roof & causing serious damage to your foundation. Remember that cleaning your gutters by yourself can be unsafe if you are not used to climbing ladders, and that hiring someone who is not professional can lead to a job that is not well done & makes you liable for potential accidents. A professional gutter company that is fully licensed & insured is often the best option for homeowners looking for quick & high quality gutter work.

Clean Up the Yard & Landscape

Next it is time to gather & bag the debris covering your yard. Gloves will help for this as you will encounter leaves, sticks, and possibly even some garbage scattered around your property. To make debris collection easier, you might want to rake into rows or onto a tarp. Don’t forget to clean out any garden & shrub areas. This might be the time to power wash your deck, patio, or any outdoor furniture as well.

Add Soil, Re-Seed, and Plant Seasonal Bulbs

After a hot summer, your grass is in need of soil & nutrients. Once you have cleared the yard of debris, it’s time to plant & restore nourishment. Fresh seed, fertilizer, & watering will give it the refresh it needs just in time for fall. This is also the time to add some mulch and decor for for the season! This is when your gardening tools & gloves will again come in handy.

Remove the Debris

Yard clean ups are guaranteed to result in the accumulation of countless bags full of leaves and debris. First make sure that you are using properly sized, quality trash bags that won’t rip open and ruin your progress. Next, you will have to think about where to dispose of these bags. Although you can choose to haul them to a dump yourself, hiring a junk removal service can save you time & save your car from a potential mess. If you are too busy & don’t want to deal with the hassle of a do-it-yourself fall cleanup, some junk removal companies will even collect, bag, and remove debris for you.

If you are in need of debris removal or a full service yard or property cleanup in the Salem, MA area, Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition’s team of professionals is ready to help. Give us a call at 978-317-5388 or email 4removal@gmail.com.