cleaning furniture that has been in storage

[Carpet Cavalier]

got a call from someone who has a couch and two chairs that have been stored in a mice infested shed for 5 years. Possible hanta virus. what do you guys think? clean? or no clean? I know not to offer guarantees on this one if he wants new furniture he can buy new furniture. The furniture is 50 miles from where I live, I had him send pics, I should have him pull a cushion so we can see the decking and I wonder what the bottom of these pieces looks like also.

View attachment 976View attachment 977

 

[Goomer]

I would roll the dice on a pre-inspection if it was closer, but 50 miles between rules that out before accepting unless you have nothing to do and gas to burn....and they are willing to pay top dollar, which probably is not the case.

 

[Desk Jockey]

With proper PPE I wouldn't be afraid to clean the surface BUT I would be afraid to say it was safe when they could have left pellets out of reach and thus unable for you to remove. If you proceed I'd at least remove the dust covers for inspection and clean out the crevice thoroughly.

What does the CDC say about trying to salvage affected soft goods?

 

[J Scott W]

I am with Doc, Chester, Julius and Richard on this. Clean with PPE. Expect to have deodorization issues as well as cleaning. Pull the dust covers to check for what needs to be cleaned besides the surface of the fabric. Charge plenty.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Hanta virus is scary stuff. REALLY scary. The articles in the picture do not appear to be high value items, so I'd decline to clean them based on what's been presented here.

I don't see much upside for you cleaning it, and surely none for him owning it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Hey Jim good to see you here.

Speaking of scary, do you have any knowledge of C.Diffele clean up? We have a nursing home that has a suite in need of cleaning. Doing some online research but we've never done any actual cleaning for it.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

None of the research chemists I talk to want to make any claims that their products are sufficient to counteract C. Diffele. Short of someone really being able to back their claim with some strong testing, stick with the CDC information you likely have already found. I nearly lost a close family member to "C.Diff"....ugly stuff

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks Jim.

It is nasty stuff, they will need full PPE, maybe a little over done but the tech's freakout other wise.

It's been a strange week so far, we have a crew doing Clean Room cleaning, the C diff job and a fire at a restaurant. Around here you just never know what you're going to do.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

When we were in restoration, I remember that it was stressful, frustrating, and hard work, but it was never boring. You never knew what you'd be doing next, or what new study in psychological dysfunction you'd be learning about from the next customer.

 

[Desk Jockey]

It's not changed much Jim.

Last month we had a hoarder that had a problem in their restroom, she had us estimate what it would take to clean up and decontaminate the area. She didn't like the price and chose to use someone else, they removed some of the debris but gave up when it got to the really gross stuff. She again called another company who refused to do the work and so called us for another estimate. She was irate and hung up on the estimator after he came back here worked the numbers and called her. It was still more than she thought it should be. ???

People that don't have it all together do strange things, there was 75-100 adult diapers piled 3-foot high in the restroom and the floor had gross contamination when she could no longer make it close to the toilet because there was no room that was going to require some serious attention.

Our price was valid for the work that was going to be required, she just didn't see it as a problem but was prompted into clean up by her neighbor.

 

[ruff]

You never knew what you'd be doing next, or what new study in psychological dysfunction you'd be learning about from the next customer.

So true.
Yet, that is the very reason we always come back to this very board, so that we can revel in our own psychological dysfunction.
I think here we call it membership.

 

[Desk Jockey]

........and yet you seem to fit in so well here Ofer.


ig:

 

[ruff]

........and yet you seem to fit in so well here Ofer.


ig:

Right on Rich. I said WE.

I am as dysfunctional as say the average Joe from the prairies of Kansas.

Well.......maybe not quite that bad

Them Joes from Kansas may be something else altogether. Ask the wife

 

[Desk Jockey]

Right on Rich. I said WE.

I am as dysfunctional as say the average Joe from the prairies of Kansas.

Well.......maybe not quite that bad

Them Joes from Kansas may be something else altogether. Ask the wife

and all this time I thought I was the normal one around this place.


So when the doctor said I functioned at a high level it wasn't a compliment?

 

[ruff]

When the Doc said that you "functioned" that, my friend was the best of compliments.

A crazy, wild assumption on his side, however

 

[SMRBAP]

I'd tell them by phone the best you can do is the best you can do, and that no guarantees of quality or decontam can be made, and that if they want to have your best efforts to minimize risks - you can offer service only with a hold harmless signed.

If they want it done - write out a contract, state the potential hazards, that there is no way to guarantee a fully decontaminated end result, no way to guarantee the quality of cleaning end result, that if they choose to contract your cleaning services they are doing so against your recommendations, which is proper disposal of what you consider non-salvageable items, end it with a hold harmless that waives all of their rights to sue as well as their insurers right to subrogate.

And ditto on the ppe - proper ppe - and make sure they are paying for the ppe, directly or indirectly