12 TIPS ON PRESERVING AND CLEANING UP THE ENVIRONMENT

When taking care of our body we eat well, get enough sleep and exercise. These actions are the process of caring for our internal environment which is our body. However, the environment that surrounds us such as the air, water, soil and the bio-network are very important for our health, our families and everyone living around us.

Caring for the environment is a duty placed on everyone and most especially the adults i.e. parents. The parents have the responsibility to teach kids how to care for the earth. Taking care of the earth is easier than most people think and can be practiced just by following these few tips; 

1. Conserve water at home- Wasting water is one of the biggest ways individuals impact the health of the planet. Taking measures to use less water is something you can start doing right away.

2. Dispose rubbish properly- When you are outside your home, do not drop your rubbish on the road/street and teach your kids that, just as they do not litter at home, they should act the same in our “global home”.

3. Create a Green Home- Have a garden and teach your kids to care for the garden. If you live in an apartment building, have pot plants and take care of them. You can plant new things in your garden every year.

4. Be extra careful with fire- Teach your kids to never play with fire and practice same by putting out any fire properly. Be careful with cigarettes, and do not leave lighters or matches around the house.

5. Reduce Paper Pollution- Do not print things you do not have to. Learn to adjust your computer applications to make text easy to read. You can also read from your mobile applications instead of printing on paper, only to discard after.

6. Pay Online- Pay your bills online (and choose to receive email statements) to save tons of paper waste.

7. Conserve Water- Turn off taps and make sure they do not leak. Make sure your pumping machine has an automatic switch so as not to flood the compound when PHCN gives power to your home. 

8. Conserve Energy- Practice energy conservation by using energy-efficient light bulbs. Turn off unnecessary lights even when leaving the room for a short time. Turn down or shut off your water heater when not needed. 

9. Use Healthy Transport- You help care for the environment by driving less and using public transit or walking or cycling. This reduces the number of cars polluting the environment and improve air quality as well as our own health and fitness. 

10. Plant trees and don't cut them- Trees protect land from getting eroded, and they're an integral part of the ecosystem. In saving trees, you'll be protecting not only land, but water and air, too.

11. Clear-out the Drainages- Make sure the drainage in front of your house and that in your street or neighbourhood are always clear for free flow of water. Do not contribute to blockage of drainages and help enlighten others of the dangers of a blocked drainage. 

12. Practice Recycling- We need to practice recycling habit in the disposal of our rubbish. Dispose recyclable rubbish in the right recycle bin and help reduce the clogging of the drainage. Learn more on recycling

The recent floods has proven that we need to be more conscious of our actions that are harming the environment. We all need to be more caring to the environment and to each other.

If we take good care of the environment, the environment will also take care of us. Practice all the above tips and share with others to enlighten them.

If you have any other suggestions or tips to conserve and preserve our environment, please write them in the comment box below.

Clean Up the earth, it's the only home we have. 

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STEPS TO TAKE AFTER FLOOD

In recent times, there has been an increase in the number places being ravaged by the disaster of flood. Places that were never prone to flood are now being affected by the damaging effects of excessive water. Like the recent flood experienced in Lagos state (lekki, ajah and surulere) where there was an unpredictable rise in the level of water. The effect of flood water not only damage structures, it may also damage valuable properties in the home. The water from the flood could contain mud and bacteria carried all over from muddy places have now contaminated your personal belongings. After the effects of the flood has subsided, which have to removed the contamination from our clothing, shoes, furniture, kitchen, floors and laundry equipment. 

Here are the basic tips to follow when cleaning up our home after a flood disaster;

1. Immediately contact your insurance company/agent:

• First things first: call your insurance agent or company where cover is hopefully in place.
• If your insurance covers the damage, your agent will tell you when an adjuster will contact you.
• List damage and take photos or videotape as you clean.
• You'll need complete records for insurance claims, applications for disaster assistance and income tax deductions.

    2. Evaluate the damages and Set up a step-by-step action plan to:

• remove all water, mud and other debris
• dispose of contaminated household goods
• rinse away contamination inside the home
• remove the rinse water
• clean and dry out your house and salvageable possessions.

   3.  Make tough decisions:

• Be prepared to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to throw out.\
• Household items that have been contaminated by mud water or sewage, or that have been wet for a long time, will have to be bagged, tagged and discarded according to local regulations.

   4. Assemble clean-up equipment and supplies:

• gloves, masks (respirators) and other protective gear
• pails(buckets), mops, squeegees, plastic garbage bags and unscented detergent
• large containers for wet bedding and clothing, and lines to hang them to dry
• you may also need to rent extension cords, submersible pumps, wet/dry shop vacuums, and dehumidifiers or heaters.

   5. Store valuable papers that have been damaged in a dry place until you have time to work on them.

   6.  Remove all soaked and dirty materials and debris, including residual mud and soil, furniture, appliances, clothing and bedding.

Here are more detailed cleaning steps for specific places in the home.

In the kitchen-

       a. Immerse glass, porcelain, china, plastic dinnerware and enamelware for 10 minutes in a disinfecting solution of 2 tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of hot water. Air-dry dishes. Do not use a towel.  

       b. Disinfect silverware, metal utensils, and pots and pans by boiling in water for 10 minutes. chlorine bleach should not be used in this case because it reacts with many metals and causes them to darken.

       c. Cupboards and counters need to be cleaned and rinsed with a chlorine bleach solution before storing dishes.

Furniture and household items-

       a. Take furniture, rugs, bedding and clothing outside to dry as soon as possible.

       b. Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to remove moisture or open as least two windows to ventilate with outdoor air.

       c. Use fans to circulate air in the house.

       d. Vacuum floors, ceilings and walls to remove mildew, then wash with disinfectant.

       e. Wear a two-strap protective mask to prevent breathing bad air.

       f. Upholstered furniture soaks up contaminants from floodwaters and should be cleaned only by a professional.

       g. Photographs, books and important papers should be dried carefully and slowly. Wash the mud off and store the articles in plastic bags to protect from further damage until you have time to clean them or take them to a professional.

Electrical system-

       a. The system must be shut off and repaired and inspected by an electrician before it can be turned back on.

       b. Wiring must be completely dried out - even behind walls.

       c. Switches, convenience outlets, light outlets, entrance panel, and junctionboxes that have been under water may be filled with mud and thus need to be cleaned by a professional.

FLOORS

I. Carpeting-

•   Clean and dry carpets and rugs as quickly as possible.
• If sewage-contaminated floodwater covered your carpeting, discard it for health safety reasons.
• Also discard if the carpet was under water for 24 hours or more.
• To clean, drape carpets and rugs outdoors and hose them down.
• Work a disinfecting carpet cleaner into soiled spots with a broom.
• Dry the carpet and floor thoroughly before replacing the carpet.
• Padding is nearly impossible to clean so should be replaced.
• If the carpet can't be removed, dry it as quickly as possible using a wet/dry vacuum and dehumidifier.
• Use a fan to circulate air above the carpet, and if possible, lift the carpet and ventilate with fans underneath.

II. Wood floors-

• Wooden floors should be dried gradually.
• Sudden drying could cause cracking or splitting
• Remove hardwood floor boards to prevent buckling.
• Clean and dry wood before attempting repairs.

III. Tiled floors-

• Mop and dry the surface gradually.
• Work a disinfecting tile cleaner on the surface and mop dry
• Quickly dry the surface using a dry vacuum.
• Use a fan to circulate air on the surface for complete dryness.

You can also suggest additional of cleaning up after flood. 
If you would like to know more about how to protect/insure your home against flood with our Householder Insurance Cover.

Click here: https://goo.gl/PLzotN  

For more information on other products and services, please contact us on
 our twitter handle - @con_hallmark &
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Visit our website for tailor-made insurance policy at www.consolidatedhallmark.com

HOW TO SAVE FROM YOUR SMALL SALARY?

Some days ago, Emeka and his friends had an argument. The bone of contention was, “Is it possible to save when your income cannot cover your basic needs?”. As expected, there were arguments for and against.  

Not minding which side of the divide you stand, it is certain that anything is possible if you want it hard enough. The questions are: “How bad do you desire to save?”. "What are you ready to give up to achieve your savings goal?"

Sure you will love to know 7 nuggets that can help you save money when you don’t make much. Take a seat and enjoy the ride. Let’s go!

1. HAVE A BUDGET

As the saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". This holds true till today. If your goal is to save from a meager salary, then there must be plan. the plan is laid out in a Budget. having a budget helps you decide where your money should go, before your feelings do.

Someone said, a budget tells you what you can’t afford but it doesn’t keep you from buying it. This leads to the second nugget.

 

2. BUILD SAVING INTO YOUR BUDGET

Let saving be part of the plan. It should be a non-negotiable item on the budget as food, power, rent and other basic survival needs. Incorporate savings contributions into your monthly budget and be just as committed to following through on those payments as you are to rent and food.

3. USE PERCENTAGES

When income is tight, even small savings contributions can feel like a large sacrifice.  To get into the habit of saving without feeling like you’re giving up too much, try implementing a percentage savings system.  While experts recommend setting aside between 20 and 30 of your income for savings goals, feel free to start smaller with as little as 3 to 5 percent of each paycheck and increase your contributions as you’re more able 

4. DOWNGRADE YOUR LIFESTYLE

You can’t eat your cake and have it. Simple reason you need to cut your coat according to the amount of material available. If downgrading your lifestyle will help meet your savings goal, why not?

5. PAY YOURSELF FIRST. 

Don’t wait to fund your savings until the end of the month.If you wait to set aside whatever money is left over, chances are, there won’t be any. Pay into your savings at the start of each month before it gets squandered on unnecessary expenses and impulsive purchases.

By making savings a priority, even when income is low, you’ll be better prepared for a healthy and stable financial future. There are ways you can subtly force yourself to save. One is by having a Direct debit mandate on our salary account and the other is by joining a Cooperative society. Remember, whatever you can keep aside in a month, is your own salary. 

6. OTHER COST-SAVING STRATEGIES

To a large extent, your savings is dependent on your ability to keep your expenses under control. So, having some cost-reducing plan will help your saving goals. Examples of such are planning your meals and shopping, staying out of restaurants and Insurance. Yes, Insurance.

For example, having a Car insurance will save you from unnecessary expenses via emergencies and this can derail your savings goal.

7. DILIGENCE IS KEY

Of course, there are plenty of ways to save money if you put your mind to it and get creative.But when it comes down to it, diligence is the key to save money on a low income.When you deploy any of these nuggets mentioned above, you have to be sure to stick with them for the long term.

Finally, when you determine how much you’re saving from each one, put that money in the bank as an emergency fund, or into investment accounts to provide for your future needs.

Experience shows that saving money on a low income can be a daunting task, but you CAN do it.Your goals are valid.

For more information about the other saving cost (Insurance), contact us on our twitter handle & facebook page - @con_hallmark & conhallmark respectively. 

Visit our website for tailor-made insurance policy at www.consolidatedhallmark.com
Disclaimer: names and event are fictional and do not reflect any real person.