General Home Care Information:
Special Projects
Occasionally we may have to do extensive work to a particular property
such as roof repairs, painting, and basement repairs. We will work
with you and your provider to make you aware of our work schedule
to ensure that the work is completed at a time convenient to you.
Inspections
Creative Housing staff persons come to your home several times
a year even if you don't call with a maintenance request. There
are things that we have to check to make sure that your house if
operating OK and to find any repair work that may not have been
reported to us. Following is a list of our inspections.
. Furnace Inspection (yearly)
. Furnace Filter Changes (four times each year)
. Smoke Detector/Safety Inspection (yearly)
. General Maintenance Inspection (twice each year)
. Electrical Inspection (every three years)
. Fire Extinguisher Inspection and Recharging (yearly)
We will notify you in advance that we are coming to your home.
We appreciate your cooperation with our inspection program. It helps
to make sure that your house stays in good repair and operates safely.
Household Tool Kit
We recommend that you have a simple tool kit in you home (hammer,
screw driver, pliers, lubricant, toilet plunger, etc). Very often
there will be simple repairs to your house that you or your provider
can complete. For instance you may be able to tighten a loose screw
on a kitchen cabinet or oil a squeaky door hinge. This will save
a trip by Creative Housing Maintenance worker and help keep our
costs down.
Dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher, it is important to scrape food and rinse
off dirty plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Make sure
that you are stacking the dishes correctly and that none of the
plates or utensils are blocking the spray arms. It is a good idea
not to put plastic items in the dishwasher. Plastic items are too
light to stay in the racks during washing and end up on the heating
element where the melt. Often this causes damage and requires a
service call from the appliance repair person.
Use only a dishwasher detergent in your dishwasher. We recommend
that you use a premium product such as Cascade, Sun Light, or Electrosol.
Some less expensive dishwasher detergents leave spots on dishes
and glasses and are not always effective in cleaning properly.
Washer/Dryer
When using your washing machine. Be careful not to put too much
clothing in the machine. Overloading will cause the machine to shake
and sometimes to not operate. Be sure to clean the lint trap on
your dryer after each use. Check the pockets on all your clothes
and remove loose change or objects, which can damage your washer
or dryer, or clothes. If you are washing nylon stockings, make sure
they are in hosiery bags designed to hold nylons while they are
being washed. Otherwise, your stockings can get tangled in the washing
machine motor.
Floor Care Recommendations
Here are some tips for the care of your vinyl or ceramic floors
in either your bathrooms or kitchens.
1. Sweep your kitchen floor each day to pick up any food crumbs,
which may attract insects. Clean floors on a weekly basis using
warm water and a cleaning product such as Mr. Clean, Spic 'n' Span,
Lysol, etc.
2. DO NOT use products such as Mop 'n' Glo, shining products or
wax of any kind.
These products will seal in any dirt left on the floor. The only
way this can be removed is by stripping the floors, which in turn
could damage the vinyl.
3. If you have an ant or insect problem, you should clean your
floor twice a week using a solution of ¼ cup of Clorox in
2 gallons of water. Do not use bleach directly on the floor. This
could damage the finish. After cleaning the floor, place some ant
traps in the areas where you saw the ants.
4. Be sure to keep bathroom ceramic tile free from soap scum to
avoid falls. If the floor becomes slippery, use a product such as
Lysol Soap Scum Remover or X-14 Soap Scum Remover, which can be
purchased at any grocery store, to wash the floor and then rinse
thoroughly.
5. Make sure your kitchen chairs and table have coasters on their
legs. Unprotected chairs and tables will scratch or gouge kitchen
floors.
Wall Maintenance
The walls of your home are painted with a washable paint. Regular
cleaning with a sponge or cloth dipped in soap and warm water will
remove any dirt or fingerprints that are on your walls.
If you use a wheelchair and are regularly bumping part of a wall
and gouging it, please contact us.
We will put protective strips or corner molding on the wall as
needed.
Care of Laminate Flooring
1. Vacuum or use a dust mop frequently. If necessary, wipe with
a damp cloth using Armstrong Once 'n Done No-Rinse Cleaner. Use
the lowest dilution ratio and do not flood the floor. A light damp
mop is all you need.
2. For spills, spray and wipe with Armstrong Once 'n Done trigger
spray.
3. Do not use soap-based detergents or "mop and shine products."
As these may leave a dull film on your floor.
4. Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool, or scouring powder.
They can scratch your floor.
5. Do not wax or polish your floor.
6. Remove tough spots like shoe polish, tar, asphalt driveway sealer,
or nail polish with fingernail polish remover with acetone. Then
wipe with a damp cloth.
7. Use Armstrong Floor Protectors or Felt Pads on furniture and
chairs. Unprotected chairs and tables will gouge the floor.
8. Use a natural or colorfast mat at outside entrances.
The products mentioned above are available at Lowe's.
Toilets
Be careful not to flush any paper products down the toilet other
than toilet paper. Items such as paper towels or sanitary napkins
will often clog a toilet. If a toilet becomes clogged, you should
use a toilet plunger and attempt to solve the problem before calling
us.
If you have a toilet that continues to run after flushing, please
contract our office immediately. A running toilet will result in
very high water bills.
Heating/Air Conditioning Systems
Your home has both heating and air-conditioning systems. Make sure
that when you want warm air, the thermostat is switched to HEAT.
When you want air conditioning it should be switched to COOL. When
the air conditioning is on, NEVER set the thermostat below 70 degrees.
This is extremely important. If it is set lower than 70 degrees,
the unit can freeze up which can result in serious damage to the
unit. This in turn could be expensive for Creative Housing and also
for tenants and/or staff. If you have problems with your furnace
or air conditioner, please call the Creative Housing office.
Garbage Disposals
Always remember to run water when you are using your disposal and
for at least two minutes after you finish. This prevents blockages.
Never pour cooking grease into your disposal or sink. This will
clog the disposal and sink lines.
If you drop a solid object (such as a knife or fork) into your
disposal, turn if off immediately and seek help from your support
provider to get it out. Be careful to never reach into your garbage
disposal while it is running or when someone else might turn it
on.
Garbage
Please keep your garbage in garbage cans with lids on them. This
will keep bugs and animals away from your garbage. Remember to regularly
clean the inside of your garbage cans to keep away bugs.
If you recycle pop cans, we recommend washing them out and storing
them in plastic bags to keep ants and other insects away. Even after
doing these things, you should take the cans to a recycling center
regularly so they do not attract unwelcome visitors.
Light Bulbs
You should always have a supply of light bulbs on hand to use when
bulbs burn out. When replacing bulbs in enclosed areas like ceiling
fixtures or globe lights, always use a low wattage bulb (40 - 60
Watts). High wattage bulbs in enclosed spaces give off heat, can
be unsafe, and will usually burn out quicker. Also it is a good
idea to buy good quality bulbs. Inexpensive bulbs tend to burn out
in a very short time.
Bathroom Care
You should thoroughly clean your bathroom with a disinfectant cleaner
once each week. If this is not done, soap scum will begin to build
up in your tub and sink. Also be sure to clean your toilet with
toilet bowl cleaner and a toilet brush. Lack of cleaning will cause
fungus and mildew to grow in bathroom grout. You can find toilet
bowl cleaner, tub and grout cleaner and floor cleaner at your local
supermarket.
Carpet Care
It is your responsibility to keep the carpet clean in your house.
You should vacuum your carpet at least once a week to keep dirt
from being ground into the carpet. If you see dirt on the carpet
you may have to vacuum more often. Anytime you spill something on
your carpet, you should clean it immediately to prevent the carpet
from being stained. We recommend that you always keep some carpet
stain remover in your home to use when spills occur. Carpet stain
remover can be found at your grocery store.
If you use a wheelchair, work with your provider to wipe off your
wheels when you enter the house in bad weather. This will prevent
mud from being tracked into the house in warm weather and ice and
road salt in the winter.
We recommend that you have your carpet professionally cleaned twice
a year. You may have to do this more often if you have excessive
staining.
Bugs
When warm weather arrives so do some other unwelcome visitors such
as ants, roaches, or other creepy crawlers. We recommend that you
do the following:
-Vacuum your kitchen floor daily to remove all food crumbs. Wash
the floor weekly. (See Floor Care Recommendations) Immediately clean
up food or beverage spills.
-Do not leave unwashed dishes in your sink for any length of time.
-Keep lids on all your garbage cans. Make sure your garbage is
taken out regularly.
-If you collect pop cans for recycling, wash them out with water
and store them in plastic garbage bags. Take the cans to your recycling
location regularly.
If you do begin to see a few bugs, purchase and use over the counter
sprays and traps at your local grocery store. Be sure to follow
the directions on the label.
These steps should prevent or take care of any problem that you
have. If you do get a major infestation, contact our office. We
will work with you to correct the situation.
Lawn Care
Creative Housing will provide basic lawn care at your house. We
will mow your yard (usually every week), and put mulch down around
the house once a year. We will also have your lawn treated with
weed and feed when necessary. A little flag marker will be put in
your yard when this is done.
If you plant a vegetable garden or flower garden we suggest that
you mark it with stakes or a little fence so our lawn crews don't
accidentally mow over it.
We encourage you to plant flowers and bushes around your home and
to take care of them and every now and then pulling out any weeds
that are sticking up. It will help your house look better and gardening
is a great way to meet your neighbors.
Snow Removal
Remember, according to your lease snow removal is your responsibility.
If you need assistance with snow removal make sure you have made
arrangements with your support provider to get help.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
All Creative Housing homes have had a carbon monoxide detector
installed. The detector runs off house hold current. You do not
have to change batteries. The detector samples the air for carbon
monoxide every two and one half minutes. The blinking dot in the
window indicates the carbon monoxide detector is working. The number
in the window indicates the level of carbon monoxide in your home.
Usually the number will be a "0".
Instructions for monitoring your carbon monoxide detector should
be posted beside the detector. If they are not, please call the
office and we will see that you get an instruction card.
Instructions are as follows:
If alarm sounds: Note the reading and press the reset button to
silence the alarm. If alarm continues and reading is below 35, call
Creative Housing at 418-7725.
If the reading is 35 to 100: Open the doors and windows and call
Creative Housing. If anyone is experiencing symptoms, call 911 for
medical assistance.
If the reading is 100 or above: Evacuate the house, call Creative
Housing and wait for assistance. If anyone is experiencing symptoms,
call 911 for medical assistance.
Smoke Detector System
Each Creative Housing home has an interconnected ADT smoke detector
system. The system is powered by your house electrical system. When
the system detects smoke, an alarm will sound. You should then follow
your fire evacuation plan. The ADT operator will contact the fire
department that will dispatch fire trucks to the scene. In addition
the ADT operator will call the emergency number of your support
provider and inform them that smoke detectors have gone off at your
property.
In case of a false alarm:
1. Press 1234 - Off to silence the alarm.
2. Call ADT at 221-5333 immediately to cancel alarm.
3. Wait approximately 2 (two) minutes, then press 1234 - Off to
reset the alarm.
If the readout on the screen on the ADT keypad says, "Check,"
call Creative Housing at 418-7725 for service.
If there is a power outage your system will operate for 6 to 8
hours because it has a back up battery, which is constantly recharging
when power is present. If the phones are not operational, the alarm
will sound but no message will be sent to the fire department or
the provider emergency number. In this case, we recommend that you
follow your evacuation plan and call 911 from a neighbor's house
if they have working phones.
If you experience any problems with our smoke detector system call
Creative Housing. We will work with ADT to ensure any necessary
maintenance is completed.
