130 Cecil Malone Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850
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Welcome to Our Monthly Newsletter
This month's topics are:
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
- Anti-Viral Drugs & COVID-19
TILE & GROUT
HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
CONSIGNMENT RUGS FOR SALE REMINDER
JANUARY RCAD CLEANING SPECIAL
If there is a topic you would like us to cover in one of our upcoming newsletters, please call or text us at:
607-272-1566
or contact us
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REMINDER:
Don't forget to keep checking our website for our beautiful
We have a variety of rugs available to view on our website or come into our office!
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ANTI-VIRAL DRUGS
and COVID-19
Anti-viral drugs may prove to be one of the answers (in conjunction with vaccines, booster shots, and antibody treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies) to how to live ‘normally’ alongside SARS-CoV-2, a virus which may be with us in one form or another for some time to come.
HOW VIRUSES WORK
In order to live, a virus must replicate itself by copying its genetic code or blueprint, a molecule of ribonucleic acid or ‘RNA.’ If a virus can enter a cell and hijack that cell’s reproductive machinery and replicate itself, the host cell will then be forced to release those replications and wreak havoc throughout the body.
HOW VACCINES WORK
We now have vaccines available that generate proteins called antibodies that can recognize a virus and inactivate it before it can enter the body’s cells and cause an infection.
But it is the nature of a virus to mutate and if it has mutated enough to get past the antibodies and has successfully entered cells, infections in the unvaccinated and ‘breakthrough’ infections of vaccinated individuals can occur and specialized treatments of the infection become necessary.
TREATMENTS FOR
COVID-19 INFECTIONS
Monoclonal Antibody Therapies
Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that are selected for their strong ability to resist a virus. When they enter the body, they look for and attach to the spike protein that sticks out of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. When they attach to the spike protein, they can block the virus’s ability to enter cells and slow down the infection. In 2020, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization of monoclonal antibodies as a treatment option for COVID-19.
Monoclonal antibody therapies, which are typically delivered via an IV infusion, have become a major treatment used for non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Anti-Viral Drugs
Replication of a virus can be prevented if the molecular structure of its RNA is disturbed so it cannot replicate and force a host cell to obey its commands. This is what researchers in molecular biology have been working tirelessly on to get us out from under the clutches of COVID-19. Anti-viral drugs are the result of this continuing research.
Remdesivir – the First Approved Anti-Viral Drug for COVID-19
Remdesivir was the first antiviral approved for Sars-CoV-2 infection and was initially developed for the treatment of Ebola. Without getting too technical, the drug mimics one of the building blocks of RNA and can get incorporated into a virus’ RNA. This altered RNA cannot send out the proper instructions it needs to start putting together its own RNA. The result is a dysfunctional RNA and the newly developing virus withers away.
Unfortunately, Remdesivir must be given intravenously once symptoms have occurred and this is usually in a hospital setting. An oral antiviral drug that does not require hospitalization is obviously preferable.
Oral Anti-Viral Drugs - Pills
Paxlovid
Paxlovid is an oral anti-viral drug developed by Pfizer. This drug is a protease inhibitor (which inactivates an enzyme known as a protease).
A virus synthesizes large proteins based on instructions from its RNA. These larger proteins are then broken down by protease enzymes into the smaller proteins that the virus needs to invade a cell and replicate. The anti-viral pill, Paxlovid, interferes with this breakdown process.
Paxlovid is combined with a drug called Ritonavir (that interferes with the activity of an enzyme that would normally degrade it). When given within three days of the appearance of the first symptoms, it has been shown to cut the risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent for adults with COVID-19 at high risk of developing severe disease.
As of December 21, 2021, Paxlovid has been authorized by the FDA for people 12 years of age and older who are at a high risk of getting seriously ill if they contract the virus.
Molnupiravir (Lagevrio)
Please continue reading here for information on the anti-viral oral drug Molnupiravir, information on oral anti-viral drugs vs. the Omicron and future variants, as well as concerns about the use of anti-viral drugs.
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In This Issue
Consignment Rugs for Sale Reminder-We have added more rugs!
Anti-Viral Drugs & COVID-19
Ceramic Tile
Tile & Grout Cleaning
Ocean Garbage Update 2
JANUARY RCAD Cleaning Special
Links to Our Services:
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CERAMIC TILE
Ceramic tile is an extremely popular choice for the floors in our homes today. Whether remodeling or for new construction, hard surface flooring is almost universally chosen for the first floor while wall-to-wall carpet, if used at all, is typically reserved for the upper floors such as the bedrooms.
In this article, we go over some important guidelines about the types and sizes of ceramic tile, installation concerns, durability, and, of course, cleaning and maintenance.
TYPES OF CERAMIC TILE
Glazed Ceramic Tile
The glass coating fired onto the surface of some ceramic tiles is referred to as the glaze. This protective layer makes the tile water and stain-proof.
Note: We are talking about floor, not wall tiles. Wall tiles are not as durable and are thinner than the floor tiles. They are not meant to be used under constant foot traffic.
Unglazed Ceramic Tile
This type of tile is for those people who prefer a more natural look. Unglazed tile floors will need to be periodically sealed to protect them from stains.
Terra Cotta
Terra Cotta is red clay bisque fired at a relatively low temperature. It exhibits a very natural appearance but the tile itself is fragile.
Porcelain
Porcelain is made of clay which is baked at very high temperatures resulting in an extremely strong and durable product. When compared to other tiles, it is harder to cut and shape.
One advantage of Porcelain tile is it has an absorption rate of less than .5% and thus can be installed in some exterior locations where frost and freezing would normally be a problem.
INSTALLATION
Installing tile flooring is not meant for the do-it-yourself homeowner! We would highly recommend hiring an experienced professional installer for this type of time-consuming and difficult job.
As might be expected, the first and most important step in the installation is the type and condition of the sub floor it is being installed on. It is extremely important that it be completely flat, smooth, and free of any defects to avoid the occurrence of any pockets of air forming under the tiles. These will make the tiles crack and chip over time. The sub floor must also be impervious to changes in size due to changes in temperature as well.
Concrete is one of the most common sub surfaces for installations. Be aware, there is a wait time of at least 28 days after fresh concrete is poured for moisture to completely dry out of the concrete mix before the tile floor can be properly installed.
SIZES
The most common cut tile sizes are squares of 6”x 6”, 12”x 12”, and 16”x 16”. That said, ceramic tile can actually be cut into nearly any size or shape. It is always recommended to use sizes that are evenly divisible in order to cut down on waste.
HARDNESS
The Portland Enamel Institute judges the hardness of tile on a 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest) scale. For use in flooring applications, a hardness rating of 3 or greater is required. Less than 3 on the scale can be used only in wall
applications.
DURABILITY
Ceramic tile has a lifespan of decades as long as it is properly installed and cared for.
After its useful life has ended, it may be necessary to remove it. Depending on the new flooring surface chosen, it may be possible to install the new flooring directly over the old tile floor.
CLEANING of CERAMIC TILE
Please continue reading here for information on the cleaning of ceramic tile, the grout, maintenance of ceramic tile, the best applications, and how ABC can help.
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TILE & GROUT CLEANING
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
Tile and grout cleaning is a service that can really be a lifesaver for customers. Because ceramic tile takes so much time and care to clean properly, it can quickly become the hard surface in a home that may get the least care.
CLEANING TILE vs VACUUMING and SWEEPING
You may think mopping your tile surfaces is doing as good a job as vacuuming a carpet or sweeping a floor. But, simply mopping to clean your tile surfaces may be doing more harm than good. Your mop's dirty water can push around contaminants that can stain the grout between your tiles. That's not to mention the stains that inevitably come with every day life that can also change your tile and grout surfaces for the worse, especially if you are just mopping them.
When it comes to tile and grout cleaning, the equipment requirements more than double than for any other hard surface. Now we must get out the mop and mop bucket, a sponge, scouring pad, fill the bucket, change the dirty mop water, dump the final dirty water, clean the mop, clean the sponge and scouring pad, clean the bucket and put it all away again.
It's no wonder that today's busy homeowners and apartment dwellers wait until the condition of the floor is no longer tolerable before tackling that messy job!
ADDRESSING THE GROUT
But wait...we haven't even addressed the grout yet! Not many of us are willing to get down on our hands and knees to use a small brush (and possibly toxic chemicals) to scrub each grout line in our tile floors.
If you are one of the lucky few who have had their grout sealed at the time of the tile installation, you are in luck with this particular part of the cleaning. But it is the case with about 90% of new tile installations, that because newly installed grout usually needs at least 72 hours to cure before it can be sealed, this very important step if often skipped by contractors.
The reasons for this are easy to understand. Busy contractors may find it difficult to return to a job site 3 days after an installation and the additional man hours and material costs may also be prohibitive.
WHAT HAPPENS IF GROUT IS NOT PROPERLY SEALED?
When grout is not properly sealed, dirt and debris build up in the pores of the grout. Even routine mopping cannot properly remove this dirt and ultimately mopping forces the dirt into the grout lines. It can accumulate and eventually promote the growth of bacteria. Tile surfaces can also develop mold (sometimes toxic mold) from the mildew that develops when moisture builds up on the tile.
The grout of a tile floor has an important safety function as well as its normal decorative purpose. Since tile is quite slippery by nature, the grout lines give water a place to accumulate rather than sitting on the tile surface. But along with the water, dirt and debris also have a place to go. When tile is properly sealed, water can still accumulate in the grout but the dirt and debris cannot get into the pores. This in turn greatly reduces the time and effort required for routine maintenance of the tile while keeping the grout looking brand new.
Please continue reading here for information on how ABC can help.
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OCEAN GARBAGE UPDATE 2
GREEN IS LOVE
Recently, an article in one of our newsletters (and on our website) attracted the attention of a Field Volunteer Coordinator of Green is Love, a community organization with the mission to ‘spread the message of conservation and eco-conscious living throughout and beyond our community.’
Members of the organization accomplish this goal, not just with online material, but through their actions. They take their roles as eco-advocates within the community very seriously because they understand that actions usually speak louder than words.
SCHOOL-AGED CHILDRENS' PROGRAMMNG
An important part of the mission of Green is Love is to teach conservation to the next generation through school-aged children’s programming. The members hope this will begin to instill in children a deep love and appreciation for nature and help to prepare them to live a green life as a new norm.
The member who contacted us had been working closely with her local community center to create a program, aimed towards children, about keeping our community clean, saving the environment, climate change, and how we all can help by going green. Her research led her to our article, Ocean Garbage Update, which she felt was a great jumping off point for going green that she could share with her group.
ASHLEY
One of the young girls who had just started high school in the fall and has been volunteering with the organization was inspired to help with research. Ashley, the young girl, found a very informative article filled with excellent information about ocean plastic pollution.
This in turn inspired the Field Volunteer Coordinator of Green is Love to contact us to ask if we could include the article on our website to show Ashley how appreciative she was for her willingness to research and share important information with others.
After going through the article, we are pleased to include it on our website on this page with a link from our ocean garbage article.
ASHLEY'S ARTICLE
Below are the results from Ashley’s research. Thank you, Ashley, for being such a good Digital Citizen and for your willingness to research and share that research with others!
GUIDE TO MARINE POLLUTION
Please continue reading here to access the very informative articles found by Ashley through her research.
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GREAT NEWS!
GOT QUESTIONS?
NOW YOU CAN TEXT US at
607-272-1566
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JANUARY RCAD CLEANING SPECIAL |
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Please click here for an explanation of our RCAD
(Regular Customer Appreciation Discount).
Our regular customers will receive the above postcard.
Please call early for an appointment.
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JANUARY 3 - MARCH 31, 2022
20% OFF Carpet Cleaning
FOR JANUARY ONLY
25% OFF Tile & Grout Cleaning
PLUS
PAY WITH CASH FOR AN EXTRA 5% OFF
the above discounted offers!
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130 Cecil Malone Drive
Ithaca, NY 14850
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