Carpet Cleaning Tips and Techniques

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Ways To Clean Shower Curtains

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Are you looking for a way to wash your plastic brown shower curtains? Then you have found a very helpful source. This article will provide some alternative methods that you can use with ease. Take a few minutes to read right to the end and see if none of the recommendations provided here will be useful to you.

Chaging the curtains in your bathroom can be quite expensive especially if you are after quality. What do you do if the curtain has some mildew and soap scum all over it?

You can soak it in the bath with bleach and water. You need to be careful when using this method as over bleaching can have a negative effect on your beautifully colored brown and blue shower curtain.

The simplest and effective method is to put it in the wash. Plastic or fabric a washing machine can do a really good job when it comes to cleaning the curtains. Just make sure that it is set at non-rinse cycle and use normal detergent. An idea would be to put some towels in there as well so their abrasiveness can help in the cleaning process.

Another option is to soak it in some soda crystals. You can go for this option if you are looking for something that is eco-friendly. In addition it is superior than bleaching because it does not emit ant nasty smell. Just add the soda crystals in a water bath and leave it overnight.

If you own a washing machine you can put your black and red shower curtains and accessories in the wash and substitute the normal detergent with the soda crystals. You can even use some vinegar instead of a condistioner. I don’t really know how the outcome will be if you use vinegar as I haven’t tried it yet but I am sure it does a good job.

Carpet Cleaning and Repair

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

How often you need to repair your carpet depends on you.  There are instances such as burns, crushing, fading, furniture, bleeding, sprouting, and carpet beetles where you’ll want to take action.  Most of the time, you can finish a repair job without needing a professional, although there will be times when
you will need professional assistance.

Burns
Burns occur when a cigarette butt or flame comes in contact with the carpet.  If the burn is small, the burnt fibers of the carpet can be cut out with scissors.  If the burn is large, you’ll need to replace the area with a new piece of carpet.  You can do this yourself if you know how, or have an installer do it.

Fuzzing
This occurs when loose fibers come out on the edges of the carpet.  To fix this, simply cut the fibers that are sticking out.

Furniture marks
Heavy furniture can result in indentations being left on the carpet.  To get rid of these nasty marks, you should sprinkle your carpet with some club soda, place a towel over the area, then iron it.  Do this a couple of times and you will see your carpet begin to re-fluff.

Shading, crushing, and matting
A lot of traffic on the surface of the carpet will cause it to flatten, which may give some types of carpet a shaded appearance.  If this happens, you should brush and vacuum the area.  If you can't fix the problem, you may need to hire a professional, as this can sometimes be very tricky.

Carpet beetles
The best way to deal with carpet beetles is with a strong vacuum suction.  You should always avoid spillage and keep the surface of the carpet clean of food.The carpet beetles are quite annoying, as they feed on wool, hair, hides, fur, grain, seeds, and flour.  If the carpet is infested bad, you professional  leaner is the way to go.

Bleeding or crocking
Bleeding of the carpet is the loss or transfer of the color from one section to another.  Good underlayments can help to prevent bleeding to a certain  egree.  Crocking on the other hand is the loss of the carpets color when it is rubbed. To avoid this, simply avoid getting your carpet wet.

A carpet installation job that is one right can help you reduce your repair worries to quite an amazing degree.  You can always call a pro as well, as their services will often end up being much cheaper than if you were to go ahead and replace the entire carpet.

Steam Carpet Cleaning

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

The process of steam cleaning your carpet involves hot water being fed to a spray extraction tool or wand, coupled to a pump vacuum power unit.  The cleaning solution is injected under pressure deep into the carpet through water jet nozzles. 

The water will then penetrate the fiber all the way down to the backing.  This action will loosen any embedded soil, remove oil and grease deposits, and get your carpet cleaner than it has ever been.

There are many types and makes of steam carpet cleaners available on the market, ranging from small portables to the large and very powerful truck mounted units.  The principle is the same no matter what model you pick.

The models that are truck mounted are designed so that only the hose and the wand are taken into the area being cleaned.  These units are very powerful, delivering hot water and generating a high vacuum recovery that can be powered by diesel fuel, gas, propane, or even by the motor of the truck.

Most carpet manufacturers, fiber producers, and professional cleaners endorse this process for  achieving soil removal efficiency.  With the present state of art equipment and technology, we are more than capable of high production and cleaning of  carpet.

The real disadvantage to steam carpet cleaning are the problems that are associated with over wetting and longer drying times.  These can be eliminated however, by a skilled operator who uses equipment that is well maintained and in good overall  operating condition.

Currently, there are two methods being used with steam carpet cleaning.
1.  This method involves a traffic lane cleaner being sprayed onto the traffic lanes and then agitated into the fibers.  The entire area is then cleaned by using a hot water extractor that has a cleaning solution being injected into the fibers through the wand.
2.  The second method involves a free rinse emulsifying pre-spray being sprayed onto the entire carpet, then agitated into the fibers. 

Steam cleaning procedures
1.  Prepare the equipment and supplies.  In a pump or power sprayer you should mix the free rinsing pre-spray.  In the solution tank of the extractor, mix the rinsing agent.
2.  If you have a lot of furniture to move, make yourself a floor plan.
3.  If the area being cleaned has furniture, you should remove as much as possible.
4.  Thoroughly vacuum the carpet.If the pile is crushed or matted, use a pile brush to loosen the soils which will make vacuuming more effective.
5.Pre-spray a good amount of the pre-spray.
6.  Using a grooming tool, agitate the pre spray deep into the fibers then let it sit for 10-15 minutes, making sure that it doesn’t dry out.
7.  Extract the area using a portable, truck mounted, or automatic carpet cleaner.
8.  Repeat steps 5 through 7 until the entire area has been cleaned.
9.  Groom the cleaned area, replace all
furniture that was removed, then clean all equipment that you used.

Proven Best Carpet Cleaning Methods

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

A fully carpeted home can be a major investment as carpet is generally sold by the square foot.  In addition, in order to ensure that the carpet is properly installed it is important that qualified individuals are used to install the carpet.  Also, depending, upon one’s budget, there are various levels of expense in regards to the purchase of carpet.

Some of those expense levels take into account the material use, the thickness or pile of the carpet, etc.  Therefore, it is important to take into account best carpet cleaning methods.

Some of those best carpet cleaning methods include the use of a home carpet shampooer, the use of a quality stain removal product, a bristle brush and a carpet stain resistant product.

Home Carpet Shampooer

One of the best carpet cleaning methods is through the purchasing of a carpet shampooer for the home.  Generally, depending upon the various features, a home shampooer can be purchased for less than $200. 

One of the reasons that this appliance can be classified as one of the best carpet cleaning methods is its convenience.The use of this sort of shampooer will effectively keep the carpet clean as it is used throughout the year.  In addition, if unexpected company is on the way it can be quickly put into service to spot clean the carpet as needed.  

Stain Removal Product

Another excellent best carpet cleaning method is to keep on hand a strong, but safe stain removal product.  If there is a spill on the carpet a quality stain removal product can be applied.Repeatedly the directions call for the product to remain on the stain for a period of time.  Once that time has elapsed the carpet should be as good as new.

Bristle Brush

One additional low tech method of cleaning a carpet is through the use of medium hard bristle brush.   If the carpet has been stained in a certain area or if the carpeted stairs in a home need to be cleaned a little elbow grease and bristle brush will help to remove the stain from the fibers of the carpet.

Carpet Stain Resistant Product

One additional best carpet cleaning method is the prevention route.Time and again new carpets are treated with a “guarding product” that provides a barrier on the carpet and helps to resist stains.

In addition, following the steam cleaning of a carpet, a “guarding product” can be applied which will help to provide stain resistant qualities to the carpet.

Removing Pet Stains

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are many different products available on the market that will help you to remove almost all types of stains. The ideal solution in minimizing or totally removing stains is by simply cleaning the spills and dirt the moment they crop up.  Cleaning them up won’t even require you to leave your home just to rush out and buy the expensive types of cleaning products.

There are several ways to clean up stains simply by using products already available in your home which you use on a regular basis, such as detergents, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, lemon juice, etc.  Its simply a matter of knowing how to use these common household products and the procedures involved to clean up stains.  Below, you’ll find some tips on how to clean carpet stains and pet stains.

Pet stain
For your first option you can use one teaspoon of clear, household type ammonia to a half cup of cold water.  You can use this solution in a spray bottle or apply it to the carpet directly.  It is very important not to wet the carpets backing when you apply the solution.After you have applied the solution, use paper towels to blot then allow it to dry completely.

For a second option, you can use detergent solution made of hand soap or dish soap.  The combination is one quarter of a teaspoon detergent to one quart of water.  You should always make sure the soap doesn’t contain bleach or lanolin.

The third and best option, is to use water, it can re-hydrate the stain to help with removal.  Most types of dog or pet stains can be cleaned up by using a  steam cleaner.Once you have finished, be sure to dry the area as thoroughly as possible.

Ink stains
1.  You can purchase isopropyl rubbing alcohol at your local department or grocery store.
2.You can apply it by pouring some onto a clean white towel or cloth.  You can use paper towels as well, as long as they are white.
3.Blot the stain as much as possible until it is removed.
4.  Make sure you be careful, because if the stain is small, you need to blot in one direction only so you don't spread the stain.

Beer and wine stains
1.  Mix a solution with one part white vinegar and one part water.
2.  Apply the mixture to the stain using a spray bottle to saturate.
3.You should allow the stain to sit around ten to fifteen minutes.
4.  Use a sponge and clean in a rubbing motion.
5.  Rinse the area with warm water.
6.  Brush the carpet pile back into the  natural direction it has.
7.  By using layers of white paper towels,

place paper towels on top of the area, then something with weight on the paper towels.  Allow everything time to sit like this until the area has dried.

Reducing the costs of Flood Damage

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

One of the worse things anyone can experience is dealing with a flood within their homes.Flooding due to a busted pipe, or an overflowing sink or bathtub, or even worse maybe a natural disaster.

It is one of the most horrible things to happen because now it involves a person’s home.  One of the essential elements of life which includes food and shelter.

So when this happen, often times a person needs to act quick to minimize more damage, more monetary costs, and more disruption of their lives.

Because when a flood happens, of course there is the damage to the flooring, the walls, and the furniture and whatever else gets flooded.But the danger of mold is there also.

So even after the flood damage is cleaned up, there are some steps you need to be quick about.

Here are a few of those steps.

First, what is the severity of the flood?  If it is a major flood then you need to make sure the home or building is safe to enter.Is it capable of collapsing?

If is not something major like that, but more like a flooded room due to a busted pipe, you need to cut off the water source to prevent more flooding.  If that means shutting off the water, do it immediately.

Second, remove any of the water that remains, standing water.  Use towels if minor, but if major you may need to call a water damage company to use equipment to drain immmediately.

If you do not, the likelihood of mold occuring is increased.The sooner you get rid of the water, the easier it will be to perform mold removal.

Finally, get out of the water whatever was exposed to it, like furniture and other fixtures.  By doing this you reduce the risk of more damage being done to the furniture.

Once you have performed these steps, a professional flood and water cleanup company will be good to. 

Your objective is to try to reduce the costs of the damages as well as limiting your exposure to mold as much as possible.A professional flood damage company has the best shot of doing this.  Or a company like my mold removal San Diego company.

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