Think about the things that you use around your home every day. Not things like your computer or phone, but things like your floor or the furniture that you sit on. How often do you clean these things? How does that frequency compare with the number of times you would, say, replace an air filter or take a shower? With upholstery, you should be thinking in much the same way. Most people buy furniture and let the fabric on that…
Removing Paint from Carpet
Removing Paint from Carpet Paint can be one of the most difficult and frustrating stains to remove from carpet. It should also be noted up front that not all paint can even be removed. When the paint hits the carpet fibers, the fibers can easily become dyed, changing color regardless of whether the actual paint is cleaned up or not. The longer it sits, the more damage can be done in this way. Here are a few important things to…
Sand, Tidewater, and Your Carpet in Southeastern VA
Around 79% of all of the soil that builds up in carpets is a combination of sand and dry particulates. In the tidewater area of Southeastern Virginia (Hampton, Newport News, Yorktown, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the surrounding areas), this percentage leans even further toward a sandy consistency, due in no small part to the high concentration of sand in the soil and beaches nearby. What people don’t think about, however, is how much damage sand can do to a carpet.…
5 Important Differences in Carpet that Looks Clean vs. Actually Being Clean
One of the largest misconceptions in the general public about the cleanliness of their home is that a floor, of any type but carpet in particular, is clean if it looks like it’s clean. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. Any professional cleaner can tell you or, better yet, show you that your carpet is not clean just because it doesn’t look like it has anything on it. That has implications not only for the overall cleanliness of your environment,…
Will Steam Cleaning Cause Carpet Mold?
Carpet Mold Carpet, like almost everything else, is susceptible to mold under the right conditions. Mold, generally, is caused by a higher than normal level of moisture in a home. This can come in the form of above average humidity, leaking pipes, standing water, or any other situation in which moisture gets into an area and remains there. Mold is often thought of as occurring in walls where pipes are leaking or in kitchens and bathrooms where humidity and moisture…
Steam Cleaning Vs. Dry Cleaning for Carpets
Steam Cleaning and Hot Water Extraction Steam cleaning is the primary method that carpet cleaning companies use to clean carpets. It is important to note that there is a very real difference between “hot water extraction” and an actual steam cleaning. The actual process of steam cleaning can cause damage to some types of carpet fibers (such as wool). The heat that must be using during a traditional steam cleaning is typically much higher than the heat that would be…
Should I Use Bleach for Carpet Stains?
Carpet Stains Carpet stains can come from a wide variety of sources. They can come in the form of filtration lines along the walls, around furniture, or in doorways where air naturally filters through the carpet. They can come from sodas or other liquids being spilled on the carpet. They can come from things being tracked onto the carpet from outside such as rainwater, mud, or snow-melt. Never underestimate the sheer number of things that can leave lasting stains on…
Removing Red Wine Stains from Carpet
Red Wine Stains There are very few things that the eye will catch more than red wine stains on a carpet. In a time when many people opt for white, beige, or tan carpets, a red wine stain stands out like nothing else. Most wine stains are, obviously, accidental. They are usually limited to either a drop or two that spilled out of a glass or, at worst, an entire glass that spilled onto the floor. And the biggest problem…
How Often Should I Vacuum My Carpet?
Why Vacuuming is Important Vacuuming, unfortunately, is usually seen as a chore. It is something that we do because we either have to or because our carpet has become dirty with all that nasty stuff that is being tracked in from the front porch. So the question is: Why is it actually important? This question, also unfortunately, is often overlooked by many people. When asked, they flounder about trying to find an answer to the question. Usually the result is:…
High-Traffic Areas and Carpet Health
What Is a High Traffic Area? A high traffic area on a carpet is an area that sees much more use than the rest of the carpet. Think about areas that you utilize in your home. The pathways leading to those areas are very likely going to be the high traffic areas of your carpet. This could include entryways, stairs, hallways, and areas around furniture that is used often. Anywhere on the floor that sees a lot of foot traffic…