Proper cleaning and maintenance of your carpet not only adds years of life to it, but also goes a long way in keeping you and your home healthy. We get a lot of questions from our customers and the most common is probably this: Now that my carpet is clean, what can I do to keep it that way?
Most carpet cleaning experts agree that one of the main components of keeping a carpet clean and enhancing its longevity is regular vacuuming. Vacuuming once or twice a week is ok, but more regular vacuuming may be more beneficial from 3 or more times a week in some spots to daily in the heavy traffic areas of your home. Regular vacuuming is important because it removes soil and many other contaminants (such as allergens) before they are ground in to the carpet. Soil is your carpet’s worst enemy, and even bare feet can grind soil and dust from the air in to the carpet. Be sure that your vacuum is clean, inspecting the brushes for lint and string that should be removed. You should also check the suction port and air pathway regularly. A healthy vacuum will go a very long way in keeping your carpet in good condition.
Of course, all the vacuuming in the world won’t get rid of spots on your carpet. Maybe you spilled your evening coffee, or your child rolled their sippy cup through the room. We have seen it all! Most small spot can be removed easily right at home, and without the “revolutionary stain lifters” you can buy in the grocery store. Since most modern carpets are manufactured with stain guard, a clean white cloth, and a small amount of water with a touch of club soda or vinegar will usually do the trick. Rather than saturating the spot, the carpet should be blotted with the damp cloth. More often than not, the spot will come right out.
Following these quick and easy tips is the surefire way to keep your carpet looking great in between cleanings.
Halloween is over, and left in its wake is candy. Lots of candy. If your house is anything like ours, your kids are hoarding candy in spots you would never even think to look. Some of the candy inevitably gets on the carpets, and it’s usually the gooey, sticky kind. Here are some tips for removing the candy from your carpet.
Start by trying to scrape as much of it up as possible. Something flat, like a butter knife, works best to eliminate as much of the sticky gunk from the floor. Then, use a clean damp cloth to gently brush outward from the mess to remove some more of the sticky particles. Some people at this point, might recommend using a little bit of dish soap, but we are leery of combining sticky soap with sticky candy. Unless you are able to really rinse it clean, it is not worth it. The sticky spot will remain, and attract a lot of dirt. Instead, get another clean towel, and blot it with some distilled white vinegar. Don’t saturate, just blot. This should effectively dissolve the rest of the candy. Use a damp paper towel to blot out the vinegar and remove the rest of the candy. Finally, take another clean damp cloth, and place it on top of the area. Put something heavy directly on top of the area, something flat, like a phone book. This should help to draw out any remaining pigment, and leave your carpet looking much bet
Of course, if all else fails, or it’s a really big mess, call a carpet cleaning professional, who can use commercial products and heavy duty equipment to get the job done.
Floors and carpets get dirty, sometimes quickly or sometimes over time. A carpet can be deceiving, in that it will look good, and feel ok to walk on, but in truth it could actually be quite dirty. Vacuuming alone can only remove so much dirt. The dirt that is left behind accumulates deep in the carpet fibers and builds up over time. In order to keep your carpet looking nice, and keep a healthy home, carpet cleaning is needed outside of regular vacuuming.
You may not realize it, but carpets act as filters in the home. They filter everything including dust, dead skin, hair, grit and soil and even allergens that are found in the home environment. Carpets trap these particles that would otherwise circulate around your home. This is actually a good thing. When soil builds up in the carpet it can no longer act as a filter and can allow a steady stream of allergens back into the home environment. Many people don’t associate Autumn as a time of year where seasonal allergies are a problem, but as the leaves fall and crumble, allergens can be tracked in to your home, and can lodge themselves in to a dirty carpet.
Autumn is the perfect time to schedule carpet cleaning. Proper cleaning and maintenance of your carpet not only adds years of life to it, but also goes a long way in keeping you and your home healthy over time.
Halloween is over, and left in its wake is candy. Lots of candy. If your house is anything like ours, your kids are hoarding candy in spots you would never even think to look. Some of the candy inevitably gets on the carpets, and it’s usually the gooey, sticky kind. Here are some tips for removing the candy from your carpet.
Start by trying to scrape as much of it up as possible. Something flat, like a butter knife, works best to eliminate as much of the sticky gunk from the floor. Then, use a clean damp cloth to gently brush outward from the mess to remove some more of the sticky particles. Some people at this point, might recommend using a little bit of dish soap, but we are leery of combining sticky soap with sticky candy. Unless you are able to really rinse it clean, it is not worth it. The sticky spot will remain, and attract a lot of dirt. Instead, get another clean towel, and blot it with some distilled white vinegar. Don’t saturate, just blot. This should effectively dissolve the rest of the candy. Use a damp paper towel to blot out the vinegar and remove the rest of the candy. Finally, take another clean damp cloth, and place it on top of the area. Put something heavy directly on top of the area, something flat, like a phone book. This should help to draw out any remaining pigment, and leave your carpet looking much better.
Of course, if all else fails, or it’s a really big mess, call a carpet cleaning professional, who can use commercial products and heavy duty equipment to get the job done.
Regardless of the amount of storm damage you have to your home, it is important to call your insurance company to start the claims process as soon as possible. Most companies have a direct number for claims, but in a pinch, you can contact your insurance agent for direction as well.
This is especially important if you are unable to stay in your home due to the damage. If you are staying in a hotel, advising your insurance company up front is a good idea. Some policies offer reimbursement for hotel stays when your home is not safe to stay in.
Finally, it’s important to make a note of anyone you have spoken to at your insurance company, to keep a record of your conversations. Names, dates and extensions or ID numbers are always good items to keep in your file.
We talked last week about documentation of your personal items in case you experience a loss in your home. This week, we want to talk a little bit about insurance.
It’s very important to be aware of what your homeowner’s policy covers. An average homeowners policy will not cover certain types of flood damage even if it is related to a storm or disaster event. Knowing where you stand with your insurance company up front is a very good place to start.
When you do have a claim, it’s important to document any damage (this is where those photos and inventory we talked about will come in handy) and make only temporary repairs. It’s obviously important to make your home livable again after a disaster strikes, however, it is important for an adjuster to see the full scale of the damage in order to make an informed decision.
This is the time of year when weather is up in the air. Snow can come and go in a matter of a few hours leaving basements flooded, and many other problems in their wake.
We are often called in for flood cleanup and ask for recommendations as to what else should be done when you’ve experienced damage and the loss of items in your home. We’ve done some research and have answered these questions time and time again, so over the next few weeks, we are going to give some of our best tips to help you in the event of disaster.
Something that you don’t always think of, and that should be done before disaster strikes, is to maintain something of an inventory of the items in your home. You don’t necessarily have to do this piece by piece, but knowing that you keep 200 CDs in your basement is helpful. Photograph valuable items or items that you would consider to be a keepsake. Photographs make an excellent record for insurance claims purposes, as well as provide you a little peace of mind in knowing that even if you lose something that was an heirloom, or a favorite piece of your child’s artwork, at least you have a photo as a memento.
You hear it all the time…”Oh, I don’t allow shoes on my carpet! Shoes will make my carpet filthy!”
Little do most people know that shoes, unless unusually soiled, generally only carry dust and loose dirt that can be easily vacuumed. What you may be surprised to know is that bare feet, or even feet clothed in the cleanest socks, pose a risk to your carpet.
The oils and skin particles on the bottoms of the feet are a big problem for carpeting. No, you don’t see them, and you may not even feel them, but think about it…feet sweat. That sweat, along with the natural skin oil as well as dry skin is easily wicked in to the carpet and attracts dirt and grime.
Really your best bet is to invest in some good slippers that are only worn indoors. That way you don’t have to worry about outside debris (again, easy to vacuum) or the build up of oil from the bottoms of feet.
And when your weird Uncle Larry visits for the holidays and brings his favorite pair of slippers? Well, you might think he’s not so weird after all. He’s doing you, and your carpet a favor.
When we talk to local businesses about their carpet cleaning needs, the feedback we get is always the same. It’s hard to keep up on and it’s hard to schedule an appropriate time to have it done when it does not inconvenience customers or staff. Below are some of the tips we give to our commercial customers to make a professional carpet cleaning seem less overwhelming.
1. Schedule consistently– It’s important to have a regular carpet cleaning schedule. The schedule may vary based on the type of business, but remaining consistent is very beneficial to the business. A carpet that is cleaned every 12-18 months is going to take longer and require more work to get clean than one that is serviced on a more regular basis.
2. Know your business– Restaurants are more likely to need cleanings that are closer together than office buildings. Restaurants are not only dealing with customers tracking in debris on their shoes from the outside, but grease and grime from the kitchen can also easily get embedded in to the carpet. Cleaning a restaurant carpet every 2-3 months is a good way to go. In office situations, you may be dealing with less heavy grime and more buildup of dust and general debris. An every 6 month schedule works well for most office settings. In larger offices, consider having half of the office cleaned at a time. Doing one half of the office every 3 months in rotation will keep carpets looking good for a longer period of time.
3. Don’t stress about it– A reputable carpet cleaning company will work around your schedule. Is it better to have the carpets cleaned after hours? In the early morning before staff arrived? Your needs should be accommodated. And with the proper truck mounted hot water extraction system, carpets should be ready to walk on within a matter of hours if not right away.
Remember, it’s not just the business you promote or the goods you sell that your customers will remember. A clean place of business goes a long way in retaining customers and employees.
Floors and carpets get dirty, sometimes quickly or sometimes over time. A carpet can be deceiving, in that it will look good, and feel ok to walk on, but in truth it could actually be quite dirty. Vacuuming alone can only remove so much dirt. The dirt that is left behind accumulates deep in the carpet fibers and builds up over time. In order to keep your carpet looking nice, and keep a healthy home, carpet cleaning is needed outside of regular vacuuming.
You may not realize it, but carpets act as filters in the home. They filter everything including dust, dead skin, hair, grit and soil and even allergens that are found in the home environment. Carpets trap these particles that would otherwise circulate around your home. This is actually a good thing. When soil builds up in the carpet it can no longer act as a filter and can allow a steady stream of allergens back into the home environment. Many people don’t associate Autumn as a time of year where seasonal allergies are a problem, but as the leaves fall and crumble, allergens can be tracked in to your home, and can lodge themselves in to a dirty carpet.
Autumn is the perfect time to schedule carpet cleaning. Proper cleaning and maintenance of your carpet not only adds years of life to it, but also goes a long way in keeping you and your home healthy over time.
