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Have
you ever had your house burn down? Been flooded
out? Survived a twister... without saving anything
else? Had the walls quake and the floors shake
while your belongings crash down?
If not, count yourself fortunate -- so
far. The devastation left in the wake
of Hurricane Charley has reminded us afresh
how fragile our seemingly-stout homes are.It
has also helped us put everyday irritations
into better perspective.
Are you ready, if disaster
comes your way? Is there anything you can do
to minimize the loss? Read on, and then get
to work. Ben Franklin was a philosopher long
before Murphy penned his Law, and he knew that
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
See you soon!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company |
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If
anything can go wrong, it will.
-- Murphy
Murphy
was an optimist.
-- graffiti |
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Coupon
Getting
ready for the fall, nearly upon us, This coupon
represents
%15 saving on any bed covering including
down comforters. Why not let us clean and restore
your bed covering. This
offer is good through the month of October 04
and not useful in concunction with other offers.
You
can give this coupon to a friend but they must
sign here and provide an email address to use
it.
Name
-----------------------------------Email Address--------------------------------------- |
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Disaster-Proofing
101
We all experience loss
at one time or another in our lives, due to
things totally beyond our control. Even
if you live in an area where you feel you're
out of the flood plain, have built a home that
seems impervious to nature, or live in a high-rise
where you feel you're safe from everything...
things happen.
For
instance:
- You
go on vacation and a water pipe breaks,
flooding your entire home with water.
- An
unexpected storm comes through town and backs
up the sewers with run-off
-- right into your home.
- A
plane crashes in your community.
- A
brush fire reaches your home
before it can be put out.
- You
come home one day to find it... empty!
Thieves have backed up a truck and cleaned
you out.
The scenarios are myriad,
but they all have two things in common:
- You could lose
everything you own;
- You can take
steps to minimize the losses.
Be
Prepared
Disasters are the great
levelers. They put life in perspective as never
before. Part of that perspective is realizing
that some things are more important than others
-- and some don't really matter, at all. That
perspective forms the basis of good disaster
recovery planning. The goal
is to make sure that the most important things
are protected first.
- People
are number one. It might sound
silly to have fire drills at home or to go
over details of where all family members will
meet up if something happens, but that little
bit of rehearsal can mean the difference between
tragedy and survival. Sit
down with the family and map out escape routes
from the house, and be sure everyone knows
who to call to check in with if you are separated
at the time of a crisis --
someone out of the area, so that a regional
problem won't prevent you from making contact.
- Essential
documents need protection.
If you don't have
a safe deposit box, rent one.
Place into it items that are difficult (or
impossible) to replace. What goes in? Deeds,
ownership titles, birth certificates or naturalization
papers, passports, certificates of stocks
or other investments, trust agreements, copies
of insurance policies, important legal documents
pertaining to marriage, divorce or child custody.
Also a home inventory (see below).
- Data
backup means back up and running.
These days, our lives are on our home computers,
laptops and other computer devices. Many people
make back-ups (sporadically, usually) and
then store the back-ups in the same room or
home as the computer. If fire were to sweep
through, back-ups would be destroyed along
with the originals. Yes, it's a hassle to
take back-ups to your safe deposit box or
other location where you've decided to store
them. But how
much hassle will it be if you have to reconstruct
everything in the event of a disaster?
- Do
a thorough Home Inventory.
If you have a video camera or other camera,
shoot EVERYTHING. That means computers to
towels, stereo to jeans. "Little things" can
add up when they must all be replaced. Use
an inexpensive software program to make a
complete home inventory listing the cost of
items, approximate dates of purchase, and
serial numbers or other identifying marks.
Update the inventory annually, and keep a
copy in your safe deposit box. A good inventory
will help you to determine if you have enough
insurance coverage now, and get you a fair
and faster settlement if there's a loss.
- Home
Sweet Office? If you work
from home, or even telecommute only occasionally,
you've got valuable assets to protect. Your
home-owners insurance may not cover all you
have in your office, and you may be vulnerable
to loss through lazy data practices.
Read
more about things to consider in disaster
recovery for a home office here.
Internet
Sources for Details
The
American Red Cross has an exhaustive
list of some of the things you should do to
protect your home and belongings from a natural
(or unnatural) disaster. Check
out their checklist here.
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency
also has great tips for handling the aftermath
of a disaster in your home -- from avoiding
health hazards to getting things back to good
condition. Check
out their site here. |
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Clothing
Disasters
No, we're not talking
about "malfunctions", but real disasters. What
do you do when your clothes are drenched (through
the fire department'sefforts to keep your home
from burning) and saturated with smoke, as well?
What about when the roof blows off and your
closet takes a direct hit from what seems like
a flying mudslide?
Tips
to keep in mind:
- Always
be sure it's safe to go back into your home
before trying to rescue possessions. Wear
appropriate protective gear -- gloves, goggles,
respirator if necessary. Mold and mildew can
get a foothold with breathtaking speed, and
inhaling them can be dangerous.
- Document
the condition of your possessions.
This will help with insurance claims filing.
Take photos, write details down, document
your efforts to clean up.
- Remember
that wet fabric is heavy fabric.
If your garments have been soaked, be very
gentle in handling them. If a garment is expensive,
use a makeshift sling or stretcher to remove
it, so that the weight of the water won't
distort the shape of the garment or even tear
it.
- If
fabrics are delicate, don't try to unfold
them if they're stuck together.
This could result in ruining them.
- We have extensive
experience in returning garments to good condition,
since we do it every day. We
know that clean-up of this kind is much more
involved than regular drycleaning, and are
able to treat your garments or refer them
out to disaster-specific experts on your behalf.
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the right if your would
like to send this and future newsletters to
a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
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The Iris
City Cleaners Connection
is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, restoration,
and conservation. It is published
in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and
is an extension of our services described in
www.iriscitycleaners.com
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Our
Disaster Recovery Services are
described
on our website by clicking
here. We work with
local and national insurance companies as well
as reconstruction companies in securing, cleaning,
and restoring usable household textiles as well
as items in finer wardrobes. Take a
peek at our services,
and know, that in the time of need we are able
to provide you prompt, safe, secure, and professional
services for your textiles caught in the through
of disaster. Water, fire or smoke. We have the
training, equipmnet, and chemicals necessary to
do the job. Call us no matter how large or small
the job. Ed
Longanecker, Certified Professional Drycleaner.
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