Cleaning up mom and dads house can save their lives and keep them healthy and happy for a long time.

How to keep seniors from slipping at home.

SLIP & FALL FACTS:

According to the CDC, approximately 36 million falls are reported each year among adults resulting in over 32,000 deaths. We don’t realize but falls account for 15% of accidental deaths in the United States each year and the risk is increasing. Every year, over 3 million elderly adults are treated for a fall injury. Over 300,000 older people per year are hospitalized for hip fractures.

More than half of elderly adults that sustained hip fractures over the age of 65 could not return home after the fracture.

For people 65 to 85 falls are the second cause of injury related death and for adults over 85 it is the number one cause of injury related death .

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) floors and flooring are responsible for more than 2 million fall injuries per year.

What conditions make elderly more likely to fall?

Most fall injuries at home happen at ground level and are caused by a number of issues that can be prevented. Most seniors have poor eyesight, loss of balance, medication drowsiness and generally less agile. Generally, clutter, unlevel floors, throw rugs and plain missteps make for an increased risk of falls at home. It is important to help our parents declutter their indoor living space first.

Equally as important, spring will be upon us, and they will inevitably be roaming outdoors planting gardens or potting flowers on that slippery looking deck. If it’s been a while since routine exterior maintenance has been

completed and surfaces are green or black it is time for a pressure wash cleaning.

What can we do to cut down on Outdoor risks?

Remove clutter from stoops, patios, decks, and walkways are an easy way to lower risk of a fall. Throw out old flower pots, pick up sticks or leaves gives them less work. Filling holes in the lawn and removing loose rocks is also a great way to prevent falls.

Maintaining walkways and patios with loose pavers, bricks, decking boards, and leveling out any surfaces they walk on is an essential step. If you’re not willing or able to make these fixes then hire a local handyman to make the repairs.

Decks with flower pots, loose hoses and slippery algae should be straightened up so paths are clear and algae eliminated. A soft wash treatment and power washing will get this deck back into the safe zone.

Also, check into local government programs. Often they have senior programs that can send a handyman out for free to help your parent or senior friend.

Can soft washing or pressure washing, clean slippery stone and algae from decks and pavers?

***Blue Stone Patios and natural stone are very slippery areas.***

Yes, power washing and soft washing are great ways to clean mossy pavers, green slippery decks and natural stone patios. If you don’t have the time, hiring a professional power washing service like MSM Surface Pro, llc will result in a thorough, long lasting deep clean of the surfaces, it can be cleaned with box store equipment and a lot of hard dirty work. If you are a diy’er make sure you research cleaning solutions recommended by manufacturers for each substrate. For instance, wood is cleaned with different pressure vs stone and different chemicals. When using chemicals it is important to protect yourself with PPE and wet down and rinse plants, grass and other surfaces that overspray hits. Larger areas can take a long time with a small pressure washer so it is best to use a professional cleaning service that has the proper surface cleaning machinery.

How do I clean pavers and decks using soft washing and power washing techniques?

Pressure washing makes a huge difference, however a soft wash post treatment is important to kill unseen algae. Paver sealing after cleaning is the longest lasting solution to keep dirt, water and algae at bay.

Power washing uses high pressure to clean hard surfaces such as decks, stone pavers and concrete with pressures upwards of 1000-4000psi. Improper use of nozzle tips can generate damaging streams of water that can injure users and ruin exterior surfaces. Be careful to choose the right nozzle pressure and fan angle for the substrate to be cleaned. If cleaning substrates that are expensive or delicate or you are unsure, it might be best to hire a professional house washing company near you.

Soft washing uses soft pressure (80-150psi) to apply a algae killing solution and rinse. Chemical choice and solution strength varies depending on the material to be cleaned and type of algae to be cleaned. To ensure the surfaces aren’t slippery, it is essential to kill algae with a chemical solution as power washing alone will not complete the job. At Surface Pro we mainly use environmentally friendly, biodegradable softwash chemical solutions. A combination of pressure washing and soft wash treatment is paramount to achieve professional like quality.

Do I need install polymeric sand within paver joints after cleaning?

***Failing polymeric sand will destabilize pavers which causes them to shift and become uneven.***

If you washed out the old joint sand it is important to install polymeric sand to stabilize the stones from moving. Pavers will shift and cause unevenness increasing the chances of a trip and fall. Sealing pavers after washing and sanding is the longest lasting solution to keep joint sand and paver stabilized and clean the longest. Sealing is best left to the professionals as cleaning techniques are more technical when done properly.

Preventative maintenance for elderly parents is a great uplifting and meaningful gift to give and receive. Bring the family to mom and dads and straighten up to keep them safe. If you don’t have the time to pressure wash the slippery surfaces, call a professional who can make quick work of it.

Learn more