Can Ash and Dust from a Wildfire Clog your Gutters and Downspouts?

by Roof, Gutter, and Downspout Cleaning

Yes, ash can clog your gutters! Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause numerous issues with your home. Hoping that rain will wash the ash and dust away can cause the ash that pollutes the water systems or clog water system pipes.

Unclogging ash from your gutters after a wildfire can be difficult. 

Cleaning your gutters is more challenging than you think. With most homes having more than one story to climb, you run the risk of hurting yourself if you fall off a ladder. You also need to be extremely careful with ash to not pollute the local water systems while cleaning. Calling the ASF Clean Team is in your best interest. We have the proper equipment, insurance, and training necessary to make clean-up a breeze. We can typically complete a home in just two to three hours, and we will save you a lot of time and headaches by cleaning ash from your gutters and downspouts. 

The rainy season is coming.

November through March is considered the rainy season in San Francisco. If something has caused a clog in your gutters, now is the time to clean those out. If you wait too long, the water will start to pile up and cause significant damage to your home. Don’t leave anything to clog your gutters this season.

Using chemicals to unclog your gutters can be dangerous.

There is always the risk of runoff when cleaning things outside your home. Suppose you begin using chemicals in your gutters to loosen clogs. In that case, they could run off into city drainage systems polluting the water for yourself and everyone around you! At ASF Clean Team, we aim to use only the most eco-friendly chemicals while still getting the job done. 

What happens if I don’t remove ash and debris from my gutters and downspout?

Freeflowing gutters and downspouts for your home are essential. Leaving debris to clog your gutters after a wildfire or not installing them at all could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. Clogged gutters and downspouts overflow with water, leading it to leak and drain along your home’s foundation. If water collects around the foundation, rather than being properly channeled away, it can cause damage like cracks, mold, and deterioration. This results in expensive repairs down the road. It is better to invest in professional gutter cleaning services, especially before the rainy season. Even if it sounds like a high price to pay, getting your gutters cleaned doesn’t cost nearly as much as repairing your home’s foundation.

Please don’t wait until it is too late to fix a simple problem. It is highly recommended that you clean your gutters at least twice a year to ensure that nothing is obstructing them, including ash. At ASF Clean Team, we can take care of all your gutter cleaning needs.

Call ASF Clean Team today to get on our schedule. With online quotes available, it’s easy to reach out to us today. We can’t wait to help you take care of your home.

Busy Holiday Season for Your Business? We Can Help!

by with No Comment Cleaning Disinfecting and SanitizingCommercial Window WashingPressure and Power WashingWindow Cleaning

Ah, November. It is officially the time of year where if you haven’t started shopping for holiday gifts yet, you’re behind. With Black Friday just around the corner and winter holidays following closely behind, let us help you keep things clean during the busy holiday season.

The Most Wonderful Window Washing of the Year

It’s no secret that windows get dirty really easily at any time of year. For many businesses, it’s easy enough to have your closing employees wipe down the windows and glass doors at the end of the night—unless you have high rise windows.

And during the busy holiday season your employees have more on their plates. They probably don’t have as much time to wipe down the windows. So, day after day, your business is left with windows that have fingerprints all over them. These accumulate, and suddenly you can’t see out your windows anymore. 

Instead of giving your employees yet another task while they’re already busier than usual, hire a professional window cleaning company. ASF Clean Team can keep your store’s windows sparkling clean during the end-of-year craziness.

Pressure Wash, Power Wash, Soft Washing, Rock

To be honest—it was hard putting these cleaning methods into a song. If you didn’t get the reference, read it to the tune of “Jingle Bell Rock”.

Anyways, the cleanliness of your business’s exterior doesn’t stop with the windows. You also have the building itself, awnings, sidewalks, parking lot—you name it. Some of this may be covered by your lease, but that isn’t always the case.

The outside of your business is the first part people see. The holiday season is shining and sparkly, and your building should be, too. We can get your entire exterior clean with power washing, pressure washing, and soft washing. All three of these are pretty much the same technique, but with slight differences in water temperature and/or pressure. These adjustments are made to best suit the surface we’re cleaning to prevent damage. At the end of the day, what matters most is that your building is sparkling clean, and we’ll make that happen.

I’m Dreaming of Disinfecting

A busy holiday season means a lot of people coming in and out of your business. And as much as we wish it wasn’t true, COVID is still around, plus all of the other icky winter illnesses. Prepare for the influx of people by disinfecting and sanitizing your business.

We recommend professional disinfecting and sanitizing at the beginning of your busy holiday season. That way, your building will be as germ-free as possible before the holiday shoppers arrive. Then, have us disinfect and sanitize again once the busy season is over. Or, you could go crazy and add another visit after Black Friday. The frequency is up to you.

All I Want for Christmas is a Clean Business

Dirt and germs are enough of a pain to deal with during the year. But when you’re in the middle of your busy holiday season, it’s the last thing you want to pile on. Contact ASF Clean Team today so we can help take some of the stress off your shoulders.

3 Things We’re Thankful For at ASF Clean Team

by Cleaning Disinfecting and SanitizingPressure and Power WashingWindow Cleaning

Life can get hectic, and it’s been especially hectic this past year. While 2020 seemed to last forever, 2021 has just flown by. One of our favorite parts about this time of year is that in the midst of all the crazy, we get to take a step back and reflect on all of the great things that have happened. Looking back on 2021, here are 3 big things we’re thankful for at ASF Clean Team.

Businesses are Reopening

Do you all remember in March 2020, right at the beginning of everything shutting down, when we all thought things would be back to normal by Easter? It’s almost two years later, and things are still not back to normal. It’s easy to focus on the negative side, but let’s look at the positive.

Now, businesses that were curbside only can welcome guests back into their store or restaurant. Co-workers who haven’t been in the office for almost two years get to see each other face-to-face again. Extroverts can finally start getting re-energized. And though there are still some obstacles, for the most part, this can all be done safely. If your office is getting ready to welcome staff back in, call in ASF Clean Team for a full disinfecting and sanitizing to give everyone a fresh start. 

Families Get to be Reunited

When we look back on positives from 2021, it’s hard not to think of the shift back to regular life. Sure, things started to get back to normal towards the end of 2020, but it really picked up in 2021. Instead of seeing people through smudged windows, we got to start seeing each other in person again socially.

This means that for some people they finally get to see their family members again. After almost two years, they get to hug each other. They get to see new family members in person for the first time. While video chat has been an amazing blessing to have during the pandemic, there’s just nothing like the feeling of being reunited with your family.

We’ve Been Fortunate with Our Business and Family

We have more than 3 things we’re thankful for at ASF Clean Team, but the biggest one on our list is how fortunate we have been this past year. According to PolitiFact, one-third of small businesses have closed over the course of the pandemic. As a small, woman-owned, family business, this was a great concern for us.

But over the course of the pandemic, we’ve been fortunate. We’ve still been able to help our wonderful clients. We’ve provided disinfecting and sanitizing services, as well as our exterior detailing services. People have returned to work safely, knowing that their workplace was clean because of our business.

And through it all, we’ve been able to be together as a family. Not only are we family-owned, but our team and clients are our family as well. It is such a blessing to be able to connect with these people and do the job we love in a time where everyone seems so disconnected. It’s been a crazy year, but we couldn’t be more thankful for everything we’ve been given.

Happy Thanksgiving from ASF Clean Team.

Never Use Hose Water on Solar Panels

by with No Comment Solar Panel Cleaning

You bought solar panels to save yourself money. But, you’ve started to notice that they’re not working as well as they did when you first got them. Well, that’s to be expected, because dirt’s going to build up on them just like it does on everything else. You’ve heard that a lot of times rain will clean off solar panels, but we all know how rare rain is in California. So how do you clean your solar panels? Maybe you could just use your hose to wash them off? Not so fast! Before you break out the hose — stop. We’re here to tell you why you should never use hose water on solar panels.

How Do Solar Panels Get Dirty?

Before you even want to know how to clean your solar panels and why you should never use hose water, you’re probably wondering how your solar panels even get dirty. Have you ever leaned against the side of your house and noticed dirt on your body? There is just always dirt in the air that will dirty your solar panels, not to mention the bird poop and debris, such as leaves. All of this creates a layer of build up on your solar panels, which can greatly affect their energy efficiency.

Why Can’t I Clean Them with Hose Water?

As convenient as it would be, you should not clean your solar panels with hose water. Think about it. Where does your hose water come from — not the same place as your purified drinking water. Hose water is unfiltered, which means it will leave behind mineral deposits like calcium. So while you may be getting some of the dirt off, you’re just replacing it with something else that will block the sunlight.

So can’t you just use soap with the hose water? Again, no. Think about your soap. Do you ever actually get all of the soap off something? That answer is probably no, even if you think you do. If you use soap to clean your solar panels, you’re going to have the same issue. Soap will be left behind, and your energy will not be any more efficient. There is just no good way to use hose water and get spotless solar panels.

The Right Way to Clean Your Solar Panels

Now that you know why you should never use hose water on solar panels, it’s time to learn how you should clean your solar panels. If you live in the Sacramento area, ASF Clean Team can help. ASF Clean Team offers both residential solar panel cleaning and commercial solar panel cleaning. We will come to your location and do the cleaning for you — you don’t even have to be there!

But how is our cleaning different from hose water, you ask? Well, our tools are made specifically for solar panels. This includes a filter, so you don’t have to worry about any calcium build up. And, your solar panels will dry clear, with no sticky residue like soap, bringing back maximum energy efficiency. 

Are you ready to get your energy savings back? Contact ASF Clean Team today.