Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning 

Another carpet cleaning practice from the “Dry” carpet cleaning methods. While powder was a dry method, there is a hint of moisture present in the foam cleaning method. In this method a machine is used to distribute a mix of water and shampoo that will form a foam onto your carpeting. As the foam is being dispensed, the brush of the machine will be working the suds into the carpeting. The bubbles work to lift the dust and dirt out of the carpeting. If the foam was mixed correctly, there should be little to no residue left over.

Pre-cleaning is always a big part of getting a professional carpet cleaning. So it is recommended to thoroughly vacuum your carpet before the foam cleaning process. After the carpeting has dried, once again vacuum up the carpet to get up the lifted dust and foam residue. So yes, it sounds a little silly to have to clean before you can clean. Much like a dish washer, you have to pre-wash before you wash your dishes.

Like dry powder cleaning, this is a quick fix and may only get the top layers of dirt. But something is better than nothing. And this is a good method if you do not have the time to wait for a wet carpet to dry out.

Dry Powder Carpet Cleaning

One of the worst aspects of getting your carpet steam cleaned is the drying time needed for you to be able to able to walk on a carpet that is not damp. This is one of the most thorough carpet cleaning methods, but sometimes you just want a quick once over job like vacuuming. Not all carpet cleaning methods require water and shampoo. Some have little to no drying time at all. These methods are aptly named the dry carpet cleaning methods. Today, we will focus on the dry powder method. There is a wide variety of powdered carpet cleaning products.

In this method a powdered substance mixed with detergent is spread evenly over the carpeted area to be cleaned. A round or cylinder shaped brush is used to work the powder into the carpeting. This action in turn causes the cleaning particles to attract to the dust and dirt. When the process is done, one simply vacuums up the powder. There you go a quick and easy method with no drying time.

The drawback of this method is that it does not achieve that deep down full cleaning, that the other water methods can. This is good for a good quick cleaning that will collect the majority of the dirt and grime from the top half of the carpeting.

Carpet Mold and Green Products

Mold is not a good thing to have in your house anywhere. Mold can be a tough item to get out of your carpeting. Unless you kill it off at the source, mold will continue to resurface in the affected area. The cause of mold is wetness and moisture in the carpet. This may have come from a leaky water pipe, wet clothing on the floor, unattended spills, etc. The best course of action is preventative. Clean up any spills as soon as you notice them. If you think you have leaking pipes, get a repair man out to inspect the area. You may be saving yourself from a bigger restoration project down the road.

One way to get rid of carpet mold is to just get rid of the whole carpet and get new carpeting after any other problems have been remedied. This of course, is more costly than treating the existing carpeting. Your decision to do this will probably be based on the severity of the mold infestation. There are various cleaning solutions to kill mold in your carpeting. Everyone is now on the green product bandwagon, so that is the solution you always seem to read about. You can avoid the ill effects of using toxic chemicals to treat the moldy areas of your carpeting.

You can attempt to remove the mold yourself, or you can hire a restoration service that specializes in mold remediation. They will come evaluate your situation and advise you on what to do next.

Cleaning The Carpeting On Your Stairs

Having carpeted stairs in your home may give you a more comfortable walking experience, but they also require more work to clean. Dragging a vacuum cleaner up and down each individual step is tiring and very tedious. To help ease your burden, here are some carpeted stairs cleaning suggestions.

1. To help remove the top layer of dust and dirt, use a broom to sweep the stairs. Keep moving the pile down each step, until it reaches the bottom of the staircase. There you can vacuum it up. This methods does not clean down deep into the carpeting, it just gets some of the stuff floating on top.
2. If your vacuum has a hose attachment, be ready to use it. If your vacuum did not come with a hose attachment, see if you can purchase one for your vacuum model. Reaching the stairs and other hard to reach places is made easier by a vacuum hose attachment.
3. To make better use of the hose attachment, use a brush attachment. The bristles of the brush will aid in digging into the carpeting and loosening the embedded dirt and dander.

If you plan to steam clean your carpeted stairs, be sure to rent a carpet cleaner with a hose attachment. The same applies if you are looking to buy a carpet cleaner. Naturally, if you decide to shampoo your carpet with a cleaner that does not have a hose, you will have to clean it by hand.

Tips For Cleaning A Rug

Aside from carpeting to clean, many people also have rugs in their homes. Rugs also need cleaning from time to time. Luckily rugs are portable and can be cleaned in more thorough ways that a carpet. If you notice that your rug is dusty or full of grit and debris, you can simply take it outside and shake it out. If you want to go more old school, get a stick and beat the carpet. If that does not suit you, you can always vacuum both sides of the carpet to get out the majority of the dust and debris.

If you decide that your rug needs a more thorough cleaning after vacuuming it, you can wash it with rug shampoo and water. Just treat the rug with water and shampoo or a mild soap. Work in the suds with a laundry brush, but be careful not to over work the brushing. You might end up doing more harm than good. When cleaning the fringe of the rug, brush away from the pile. When you feel you have successfully cleaned the rug, rinse it out with cold water. After rinsing, try to squeeze and work out the water. Some articles have suggested using a rubber squeegee. From there you just need to find a nice sunny spot to lay the rug out to dry. When the first side is dry, flip over the rug and dry the other side.

If you need to clean out any specific kinds of stains from your rug, refer back to the previous blog postings.

Mold is not a good thing to have on your food or on your carpets. If your house gets flooded, or you just have a damp section of carpets, mold can develop from the mildew. As with other carpet stains, your best chance is to remove it as soon as it happens. Or as soon as you notice the mold forming. Breathing in mold is also a health hazard, so you want to remove it quickly.

Some steps to help you get rid of mold are:

1. First of all, try to vacuum up the mold and moisture from your carpet. If it is a rug, you can take it outside to beat it and let it dry in the sun.
2. Treat the stain with a solution of warm water and dish soap. Use a sponge to apply the soapy solution to the stain. Let it set in for at least ten minutes.
3. Rinse the solution out of the stain with clean water and blot up the remaining water with a clean white towel or rag.
4. Next you need to prepare a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia and a cup of water. Use a clean white towel or rag to gently blot the stain with the ammonia solution.
5. To remove the ammonia solution, again use a clean white towel or rag to absorb the solution from the stained area.
6. Allow your carpet or rug to dry. If you have a rug, you can move it to an area of sunlight to help it dry faster. If it is in a room with carpeting, open the doors and windows to let in, as much sunlight is as possible. If you cannot do this, use fans or space heaters to help the area dry faster.

Cleaning Coffee Stains From Your Carpet

Of all the things you can spill on your carpeting, coffee is no exception. The clean up process is pretty similar to my last couple cleaning post. But honestly how much variety could there be in carpet cleaning methods? What works, works. As with most stains, it is best to clean it up as soon as it happens.

To start out:

• Blot up the stain with a clean white dry towel or rag.
• Next I have seen a few suggestions. The first one suggests using club soda on the stain, letting that set in and blotting it up. The other suggests using a detergent solution on the stain instead of club soda. And another uses vinegar as a part of the solution.
• You can repeat the last process as many times as you want, or until the stain is gone. If the stain is really tough, some other cleaning methods have suggested applying hydrogen peroxide, letting it set in ,and then rinse and blot it up. The same has been mentioned for dry cleaning solvent.
• When you are done treating the stain, rinse it clean with some cold water and then blot up the water.

This video goes over their recommended cleaning process. Enjoy.

Tips for Cleaning Mud Out of Your Carpet

Nobody likes to clean up mud, whether it is on your shoes, on your clothes, or in your carpet. When it is rainy and damp, chances are you will get some mud in your house. It could be from you, your kids, or your pets. The best cleaning method is always prevention, but that doesn’t always occur.

Some preventative measures:

• Have floor mats at all entrances to your home. Wipe your feet before going inside.
• If you know your shoes are muddy, take them off before going inside the house.

If a stain has occurred:

• If there is a mud stain on your carpet, let it dry. Working with mud while it is wet will just make things worse. Once it has dried, you can start to gather up the loose dirt. Try to brush as much of it loose as you can.
• Vacuum up all of the loose dirt, only leaving the main stain behind.

To clean up the stain you can try a steam cleaner or spot cleaner, but you will probably get the best results doing it by hand. If you are going to use a machine to clean the stain, treat the spot and follow your cleaner’s instructions. If you are going to do it the old fashioned way, get some detergent, vinegar, water, and rags or towels. Place a small portion of detergent on the stain and let it set in. Then you can start to blot the stain with the towel. If the stain remains, treat it with a little vinegar and again blot the stain. Hopefully that was enough to the take care of the stain. If so, you just need to rinse out the spot with some water and blot it up.

Tips for caring for your leather upholstery

Leather upholstered furniture always looks elegant and classy. But it does wear out over time and needs some revitalization. Here is a collection of cleaning care tips for your leather furniture.

• To help your leather last, do not place your furniture in direct sunlight. And keep a safe distance from fire places and heating vents.
• Check the tags on your furniture for any cleaning instructions or recommendations.
• To clean your leather regularly. Create a mixture of distilled water and mild soap. Soap like a facial wash. Lightly wash your leather with the solution and a rag. After washing do rinses. After you have removed any soapy residue, use a clean white cloth to buff out your leather and give it a shine.
• If you don’t want to use home made solutions, you can get leather protectant from furniture stores. Or you might want to do this after you have given your leather a light cleaning.
• Clean up any spill on your furniture as fast as you can. Leather’s nature is to absorb, especially liquids.
• Avoid using saddle soap, bleach, varnish, and cleaners containing ammonia. They can discolor and damage your leather. Do not clean with oils.
• Vacuum regularly to keep the dust and crumb levels down.

The simplest ways to clean carpet stain are usually the old traditional ways. They require more work, but are the most effective. Home made solutions can be cheaper and less toxic than store bought commercial cleaners. The majority of your stains can be handled combinations of what are usually common house hold items.

Water—Your purest and oldest friend. Many stains can be removed with simply water and some agitation with a rag.

Ammonia—The classic and caustic cleaning chemical. Mix some with water for some tougher stains. Be sure to open your doors and windows. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by Ammonia fumes.

Dish Soap—A little dish soap and warm water can make a good cleaning solution too. It works on your dishes, right?

Baking Soda—Our other classic friend. It is used to absorb odors and used to brush teeth. And had been mention in my other post for its ability to release dust and hair in carpeting.

Add it to water and you’ve got a good base cleaning solution.

Club Soda and Salt—This one was new to me. I’ve heard of club soda on stains, but this method involves working in some salt, pouring on club soda, and then vacuuming and rinsing the stain after an hour or so.

Vinegar—Not just for food. Mix some of this water and it is a cleaning solution for all kinds of stains. It is also used to remove odors. Especially cat urine, which is a horrible smell.