Technology has become a huge part of our lives and that can have both good and bad effects on our health as well as our wallet. As we make advances in technology we have energy-efficient alternatives to lots of things. Taking advantage of these advances in technology can help you save energy and money.

Changing just a few of your habits or products you use daily in your home can drastically reduce your energy usage which in turn can lower your electric costs. In this article, we will highlight just a few of the simple things you can do to make a huge difference.

Check Your Thermostat

Consider adjusting your thermostat a few degrees in the Winter and Summer, especially when you are not home. By doing this, you can save 5-15 percent every year according to Energy.gov. You might even consider a smart thermostat that can be set to a schedule to change while you are away.

Reduce Water Usage

You could save as much as $170 a year by reducing the amount of water used according to the EPA. Simple steps that can help are turning off the water when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. 

Avoid running only a 1/2 load of laundry in your washing machine. Running a full load of laundry means more clothes are washed at once and less water is used. You may also consider using cold water cycles to cut down on energy usage needed to warm the water.

Taking a shower can save water as well. A bath typically uses 30+ gallons and a 10-minute shower on average uses 25 gallons of water. Additionally, you can lower the amount of water used by installing low-flow showerheads. This simple install can cut your water usage for showers by as much as 50% in some cases.

Reduce Heat & AC Loss

You have the potential to reduce your costs in needlessly running your Furnace or Air Conditioner. Drafty windows and doors can be a big part of this. Installing a simple door sweep or adding weather-stripping around the frames to windows can make a big impact.

You can also reduce your electric bill by limiting the usage of Space Heaters. These small yet powerful heaters may help keep you a bit warmer, but they are not normally very energy efficient. Most space heaters use 1,500 watts of energy or more and will quickly cause your electric usage to go up. If you do need to use a space heater check if yours is energy-efficient and consider replacing it if not.

Increasing furnace efficiency by having your Air Ducts cleaned can increase airflow. Additionally, Pet Hair, Dust, and Debris create Allergy Issues for many people. For more information on Air Duct Cleaning go to http://old.longscleaning.com/air-duct-dryer-vents.

Replace Old Light Bulbs

If you have not done so already, consider swapping your old incandescent light bulbs. There are much more efficient and longer-lasting bulbs such as Halogen, Fluorescent, or LED. While the initial cost may be higher, swapping out the lightbulbs in the lights you use most will make a big impact to save energy.

Unplug Chargers to Save Energy

Unplugging a cell phone charger when it is not being used may not make a huge impact, but if you have multiple chargers plugged in that small amount can add up to a significant amount of wasted energy. According to the following snippet from Energy.gov

For instance, mobile phone chargers that are left plugged in after your phone is disconnected consume .26 watts of energy — and 2.24 watts when your phone is fully charged and still connected. If you start factoring in all the other appliances and electronics that are plugged in and not in use, it’s easy to see why these energy vampires could add an extra 10 percent to your monthly utility bill.

A while back we wrote about avoiding a sting, but if you haven’t already been stung, chances are you
will be some time in your future. Try not to panic.

I just got Stung, what now?

Popular Science suggest start by moving away from the area where it happened in case more insects are
nearby. If it was a bee, remove the stinger by scraping your fingernail over the sting to dislodge it.
Studies show that leaving the stinger in for as little as eight seconds can increase swelling by 30 percent,
so act quickly.

If you experience abnormal swelling or shortness of breath after being stung, you may be having an acute allergic
reaction. In that case, your first and most important priority is to seek medical attention immediately
and as fast as you can.

However, if everything looks normal, focus on recovery. First, wash with soap and water. If it itches,
use a topical steroid or oral antihistamine. The article continues to advise applying a cold compress on
the area to reduce swelling and pain.

According to Justin Schmidt, biologist at Southwestern Biological Institute, make a paste with a small
amount of table salt and water (or another liquid), and put it directly on the sting site to relieve pain. He
says he doesn’t know why, but it “seems to work.”

Finally, if you have a history of severe allergic reactions, remember to always carry auto-injectable
epinephrine with you, no matter if you’re in an urban area or in the middle to the backcountry. If a bee
or wasp stings you and you have to inject yourself, make sure to visit a nearby emergency room right
away.

In 1987, Justin Schmidt, a biologist at the Southwestern Biological Institute, found himself up a tree in Costa Rica. Hanging on a branch that extended over a cliff, he was trying to get closer to a black wasp nest hanging in the limbs of the tree to collect a few specimens for research. 

He was being careful, and had come geared up with a bee vail to prevent the flying insects from stinging his face. These wasps were much more determined than he was prepared for. They hovered as close as they could, and then, instead of stinging, squirted venom directly into his eyes.

The burning sensation and the pain were immediate. Unable to see, Justin screamed for help as he slid down the tree with two legs wrapped around the trunk, and a bag of wasps hanging from one of his hands.

“That was an adventure,” he laughs now. 

Getting stung by insects is an occupational hazard for the author of The Sting of the Wild. He’s experienced everything, from the pain of the paper wasp, to the blinding electric shock of the tarantula hawk wasp. 

All of this has taught him how much a sting can hurt, but most importantly, how to avoid them. Should you run into these insects in the wild, Schmidt’s lessons can come in handy, starting with never disturbing a wasp nest. 

Bees, wasps, and hornets, oh my!

Ninety to 100 people die yearly from allergic reactions resulting from bee, hornet, and wasp stings. This is also the most common potentially fatal animal encounter in the outdoors.

Not all stinging insects are created equal. Hornets are a type of wasp that tends to be more aggressive than bees and produce more painful stings. To make matters worse, wasps don’t lose their stingers after they jab you, so they can do so repeatedly. Bees however, are one and done. 

But no matter if it’s once or multiple times, what happens in your body when one of these insects attacks you is pretty similar. Through the sting, bees or wasps envenomate you by injecting specific toxins and enzymes. 

Your body registers the intrusion almost right away. White blood cells race to the rescue and send histamines to the injection site, causing swelling. Your immune system begins creating antibodies to combat the foreign substance, which continues to spread and breaking down cell walls in its path.

This is when those who experience highly allergic responses to bee or wasp stings should resort to an epinephrine auto-injector (like an EpiPen) and immediate medical attention to prevent anaphylaxis. The rest will only feel throbbing pain, irritation, swelling, and itching. 

It’s certainly not pleasant, but most adults can handle up to 10 stings per pound of bodyweight without major consequences. Any more than that and the venom can cause your kidneys to struggle and clog.

The amount of venom an insect injects determines how painful a sting is, and it varies depending on the species. But whether you run into a bee or a wasp, you’re probably better off with no sting at all.

How to avoid a sting

The easiest and most effective way of avoiding stings is keeping your distance from nests, colonies, and swarms. If you happen to stumble upon one, walk swiftly and calmly in the opposite direction. This will prevent you from further riling up the insects. You should also make your exit in a straight line, as running in zig-zag will just keep you in the danger zone for longer, Schmidt says.

If a swarm attacks you, run as fast as you can away from it, and preferably toward people who may be able to help. By removing yourself from the area, you may be able to prove to the insects that you’re not a threat and they’re likely to leave you alone.

However, if you are dealing with one or two stinging insects buzzing around your head, don’t freak out. Chances are, the bee, wasp, or hornet is just investigating to assess the threat. If you swat at it or violently jerk from side to side, you may seem threatening, and cause the insect to sting. 

Hiding in plain sight is also a good idea. For this, Schmidt recommends you keep still and hold your breath. 

“Breath is what tells them you’re there,” he says. 

Because most insects get cues from smells in the air, when you hold your breath for 10, 30, or even 50 seconds, they will no longer detect your presence. This will very likely result in bees and wasps leaving you in peace.

When it comes to your clothes, choose light colors, and avoid purples, violets, and blues, as bees are attracted to them. Floral prints are also ok, since fabrics don’t have those ultraviolet colors in real flowers bees love so much.

Another myth is that perfumes or scented sunscreens can entice bees, wasps, and hornets. This is not true. Lemon may be an exception, though. The citrus smell resembles a bee pheromone, which might make you attractive to these insects if you wear it hiking.  

What to do if you get stung

If they haven’t already, chances are a bee or wasp will sting you at some point in your life. When they do, don’t panic. 

Move away from the area where it happened in case there are more insects nearby. If the culprit is a bee, remove the stinger by scraping your fingernail over the sting to dislodge it. Studies show that leaving the stinger in for just eight seconds can increase swelling by 30 percent, so act quickly. 

If you experience abnormal swelling or shortness of breath, you may be having an acute allergic reaction. In that case, the most important priority is to seek medical attention immediately and as fast as you can.

On the other hand, if everything looks normal, then your next step will be to focus on recovery. First, wash the sting with soap and water to avoid infection. If it itches, use a topical steroid or oral antihistamine. Follow up by applying a cold compress on the affected area to reduce swelling and pain.

If you don’t have access to any medication, Schmidt recommends making a paste with a small amount of table salt and water (or another liquid), to put directly on the sting site to relieve pain.

“We don’t know why, but it does seem to work,” Schmidt suggests. You should also avoid applying heat, ammonia, and vinegar to the site, he adds, as they are useless at best, and can make pain more acute at worst.

Finally, if you have a history of severe allergic reactions, remember to always carry auto-injectable epinephrine with you, whether you’re in an urban area or the middle of the backcountry. If a bee or wasp stings you and you have to inject yourself, make sure to visit a nearby emergency room right away.

Your carpet may not look dirty, but below the surface there could be years of dirt, grime, pet dander, and so much more hiding out of sight.  With our Long’s specialized cleaning techniques we can get down deep where the soil and debris is hiding and remove much more!

At Long’s, you can be confident that we have the right solution for your needs.  Our IICRC Certified Technicians go to school, have hands-on training, and earn a degree in Carpet Cleaning. 

Depending on the type of carpet and degree of soiling, we use specialized preconditioners to treat the toughest spots and stains and then follow up with a thorough cleaning to remove the soil and excess moisture.  As a result, you Get the Most Thorough Cleaning possible!  

At Long’s, we’re not happy until you are, and that is why we were voted #1 in the Ohio Valley!  You can’t go wrong with Long’s!

What nasty stuff is hiding in your ductwork? And what is your family breathing every day?

Furnace Air Ducts can be littered with years of dirt, debris, and allergens like pollen, dust, pet dander, and even dead rodents. New construction can cause your vents to be filled with chunks of wood, sheet rock, sawdust, and even uneaten food or garbage swept into the open vents by the construction crew.

Check out this Before and After picture of actual work completed by our technicians! Give us a Call Today to Start Breathing Cleaner Air Tomorrow!

 

As the US Death Toll Exceeds 100,000 from COVID-19:

 Protecting Yourself, Your Family, and Your Business —5 Things We Have Learned!

And Some Comfort for You & Your Family

In the last 2 weeks, we have benefitted from 40 hours of intensive instruction from Professors, PHD’s and Certified Forensic Specialist Instructors from BYU, Miami University, Western Sydney University School of Medicine, University of Tulsa, Yale University as well as some of the most respected Bio-Risk experts in the Industry.  We’ve been using the Internet to Connect us with Experts from all over the country.  There is much to learn!  We’re going to make this as simple as possible with the 5 take-aways below.

1.  Nothing is Better for Your Home Environment Against Virus Attack Than Cleaning!

Using detergent and water deactivates viruses.  Like some other virus’ Covid-19 is an enveloped virus.  COVID-19 is encased in a lipid envelope.  Thankfully, when it meets detergent and water, it breaks this protective barrier, leaving the virus vulnerable and subject to certain death.  

Cleaning the areas your family and pets touch is extremely important in your defense against virus.  As a reminder, after touching any surface that could have come in contact with the virus, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.  Thorough washing includes the area between fingers, fingertips, your palms and backs of hands for at least 20 seconds.  Its recommended that you dry your hands with a disposable towel.  Remember to place the used towel in a receptacle so that no one comes into contact with it.  DO NOT TOUCH YOUR MOUTH, NOSE OR EYES with unwashed hands!  As spring has arrived, many are thinking about cleaning their homes, especially since we’ve been stuck indoors so much.  Rest assured, we’re here to help with your cleaning needs.  And we’ll do it safely to protect you and our staff.  (See our assurance to you in Point #3.)

2.  Use an EPA Approved Disinfectant & Sterilizers

If the surface or area is soiled, cleaning is very important.  If the surface is clean, most household EPA registered disinfects will do a great job IF YOU FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS!  The EPA mandates instructions that include the proper dwell time that the disinfectant must remain wet to kill viruses and bacteria.  Disinfectant dwell time is very important.  Depending on the product, it could be seconds or several minutes.  Whatever the label says, DO!  In fact, if you use a disinfectant differently than directed it is a violation of federal law.  It’s not hard to do it right.  Just READ THE LABEL!

Long’s is here to help with your disinfecting efforts.  We use an EPA approved disinfectant that is not only approved for Disinfection, but beyond disinfection, including STERILIZATION, which is considered the most effective in a medical environment.  We cannot make specific claims or guarantees regarding COVID-19.  No company can.  Since the virus is still so new, no one lawfully can guarantee that a product will completely kill it.  Disinfectants have not yet been tested on this exact strain of virus.  Since no products have been studied long enough to confirm, the EPA has provided a list of products they recommend for this situation.

Long’s uses only the best products and systems available.  The products we use are recommended by the CDC & EPA based upon their results with similar viruses, yet they are safe enough to use on food.  We use an Electrostatic Sprayer Applicator that goes far beyond simply spraying a disinfectant on your surfaces.  Our specialized sprayers apply a positive charge to each droplet of disinfectant to allow it to cling to the surface and wrap around it.  This system allows for far more effective application of the disinfectant.

We also have UV Lights that can be installed in Furnace Ductwork to Deactivate Airborne Pathogens.

3.  Our Assurance to You

In line with what we have learned thus far in these uncharted waters, we are taking every known step to help you in this effort to protect yourself, your family, your home, and workplaces.  

Every Day We Do the Following to Protect You:

A.  We interview our technicians as to how they feel and if they have any symptoms of infection.

B.  We take our technicians’ temperature at the start of their shift.

C.  Our technicians will wear surgical-like shoe covers.

D.  Our technicians will wear disposable surgical-like gloves.

E.  Our technicians wear masks when in a home or business with others present.

F.  Our tools will be treated with EPA registered disinfectant before coming to your home or business and after leaving.

4.  What We Ask of YOU

A.  Be open with us regarding your cleaning needs.  Let us know if you are dealing with any issues.

B.  We ask that you allow us to maintain the CDC Recommended 6 Foot Social Distance while working in your home or business.

C.  We are happy to clean if you need to improve the appearance of your home or business.

D.  We are delighted if you are cleaning for health and safety reasons.

E.  We will carefully assess the situation if you have had flu or virus symptoms recently.

F.  We will not come into a home or business if there is an active COVID-19 situation in progress.  Once enough time has passed, we can properly assess cleaning prospects for your home or business environment.

5.  As Information Unfolds, We Will Keep You Informed

As we said at the beginning, we are continuing to take advantage of cutting-edge findings to ensure a safe outcome for everyone during this difficult time.  It is our hope here at Long’s that you can stay healthy and happy during this pandemic.  If you have questions, concerns, or worries, our staff is here to support you.  If you just need advice, we’ll be happy to help you get through this.  And if we can brighten your day and outlook by freshening your surroundings, please let us know.  We will be happy to see you!  We’ll just be wearing gloves and masks to keep us all safe and healthy!

Give us a call at 740-676-2178 or 304-232-7775 or 740-282-2000 or 724-222-1212 or 740-695-2266

* This information is not to diagnose, treat or prevent disease.  It is merely a restatement of some of the numerous pieces of data on this subject.  You should check with your own health care resources and make your own educated health decisions.  No system, cleaning, or treatment is guaranteed to protect against illness.

Long’s is working hard to keep the community safe. Check out Long’s interview on WTRF TV7. Call 740-676-2178 for Tips and Advice on How to Keep Your Family Safe!

In the past week, the Ohio Valley has seen a huge increase in COVID cases. While none of this is easy for anyone, it’s critically important to keep each other safe. Please continue to practice social distancing & use great caution when enjoying your time off, including the 4th of July or vacation.

Here’s a few tips to Remember:

1.) State Law Requires a 6 Foot Social Distance or a Face Mask.
2.) Frequently Clean All High Touch Areas in your Home and Work Environment.
3.) Wash Your Hands Frequently for at Least 20 Seconds.

What if I’ve been around Someone Who Tests Positive for COVID?

State Law Requires the Following:

1.) If you test positive for COVID, even if you are showing no symptoms, you must quarantine. The Quarantine period is a minimum of 14 Days and until you test negative 2 different times, 24 Hours Apart.
2.) If you’ve been in close contact with someone for more than 10 minutes who tested positive, you must Quarantine for 14 days. However, you can avoid the Quarantine if you were wearing a mask or maintaining a 6 foot social distance.
3.) Even if the person wasn’t showing symptoms when you spent time with them, you must still quarantine if it was less than 48 hours before their symptoms began. However, you can avoid the Quarantine if you were wearing a mask or maintain a 6 foot social distance.

None of us want to get sick or be quarantined. However, you can avoid the Quarantine and Decrease the Risk of Contracting the Illness by wearing a mask or keeping at least 6 feet from others at all times.

Don’t Risk COVID! While many people have limited symptoms, you or your family members could be the one who gets very sick. Keep yourself & your family healthy by Wearing Masks when you cannot keep a 6 Foot Social Distance from Another Person.

Remember…Keep Your Hands & High Touch Areas Clean, Follow Social Distancing, and Wear a Mask when its Not Possible to Maintain 6 Foot Social Distancing.

Stay Healthy and Avoid the Dreaded Quarantine….We Hope Everyone Enjoys a Great Summer!