Each year, homeowners and businesses observe National Cleaning Week, held the last week of March. As always, this year’s campaign, from March 27 to April 4, is designed to encourage property owners to clean out winter’s cobwebs, odors and dampness and get ready to enjoy spring breezes and warmer weather.

But if your spring cleaning turns up signs of mold or water damage, it’s probably time to call in the professionals. According to SERVPRO franchise professionals in the Brentwood area, these problems left untreated can cause major structural and health problems that can mean big expense down the road.

“While SERVPRO franchises offer a full range of routine cleaning services for walls, ceilings and floor surfaces, furniture, fabric, fixtures and more, they also specialize in cleaning and restoration for fire, mold or water-damaged buildings and their contents,” said Rick Isaacson, executive vice president of Servpro Industries, Inc.

“As trained professionals, we know how to perform a thorough cleaning to help ensure that there are no lingering odor, structural or environment issues that could affect the health of the building’s occupants or the value of the building itself.”

Isaacson offers this list from the Environmental Protection Agency of some of the things to keep an eye out for – and how to correct the problem – during your spring cleaning this year. Any of these problems could create an environment in which indoor mold can flourish:

• Plumbing leaks, including holes in pipes, leaky faucets and leaky pipes under sinks. The fix: Repair the leak or call in a professional to fix it for you.

• Condensation and wet spots, around water heaters, air conditioners and toilets. The fix: Prevent moisture due to condensation by increasing surface temperature or reducing the moisture in the air (humidity).

• Standing water in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) drip pans. The fix: Keep these pans clean, draining properly and unobstructed.

• Excessive moisture from moisture-generating appliances such as dryers. The fix: Vent these appliances to the outside where possible.

“The National Cleaning Week campaign is a perfect time to remind residents and business owners about the services we offer,” said Isaacson. “Our clients include insurance companies seeking superior and timely restoration services, as well as commercial and residential property owners who require routine cleaning services. We bring 40 years of experience, and the SERVPRO system’s time-tested techniques and proprietary cleaning products to every job we do.”

Isaacson added that many SERVPRO franchises also offer cleaning and restoration of special items such as HVAC duct systems, building exteriors, electronic equipment, computers and documents that have sustained water damage.

For more information about SERVPRO fire and water cleanup and restoration services in the Brentwood area, call Michael Borders, SERVPRO of Antioch, at 925-706-0106 or e-mail m.borders@embys.net.