Attic Cleaning 101

Know when it’s DIY, and when it’s time to hire a professional.

Attic cleaning may not be your idea of a good time. But dust, mold, and allergens can start to nest in this often-neglected room if periodic cleaning is not established. Which is why hiring a seasoned professional is the best route to both clean an attic and to take the dirty work off your hands.

Contaminated Insulation and Rodent Removal:

The first order of business is to establish what kind of cleaning your attic needs.

Rodent droppings contaminate attic insulation and in some cases, soak into the surrounding wood.

Rodent and insulation contamination are the most common issues in attic maintenance. Rodent excrement and the resultant air contamination can create health concerns for your entire household. Even if you have managed to get rid of the rats by yourself, hiring a professional service to ensure that your attic is completely disinfected is of utmost importance.

If your attic is not cleaned out by a professional, bacteria can fester leading to not only unsanitary conditions but also potentially increasing the temperature in your attic; making it uncomfortable to be in, and possibly compromising other energy systems in your home. When you hire Atticare, the entire attic is sanitized with hospital-grade disinfectant, ensuring elimination of 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.

Once all animals and rodents have been removed and their entrances and exits have been sealed, the next step is to remove contaminated insulation. In addition to being a health concern, damaged insulation also has a lower R-value, making it less efficient at retaining heat. After removing the insulation and the cleaning has been completed, new padding and insulation is installed.

Organization

After completing a thorough cleaning, it comes time to sort and organize all of your personal items. Once you’ve identified what you want to keep and what you want to discard, be sure to follow these organization guidelines:

• Store items near the eaves, so that there’s a clear path through the middle
• Stack boxes and other containers neatly
• Label all your items and store related items together
• Avoid covering up vents
• Avoid storing temperature-sensitive items

Waste Removal

Waste Removal is the final piece in attic maintenance. Items that are unwanted but still good can be given to Goodwill or placed in a garage sale. For the other stuff, considering calling your residential trash company and ask about their junk removal services. Some offer bulk services or dumpster rentals. This is an efficient, and easy way to get rid of bigger items you no longer want.

Although attic cleaning can be daunting, when you can determine what is your job, and what you can leave to the professionals, home maintenance can get a whole lot easier.