Carpet Tech's Floor Care & Restoration Blog

Cleaning Corner: A Twist on Lemon!

You probably already know that the lemon has many uses in food dishes and can even be used to lighten hair, but did you know this brilliant multi-tasker does much, much more?

• Air freshener. Simmer six lemon slices and a handful of cloves in a pan of water. This is especially good for removing food odors lingering in your kitchen.
• Copper polisher. Dip half a lemon in a small dish of coarse salt and rub it over tarnished copper.
• Linen whitener. Fill a large pot with water, add a few lemon slices, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add linens, and soak for up to an hour. Remove and launder as usual.
• Stain remover. To remove berry, coffee, and tea juice stains from clothing, soak the soiled areas in lemon juice for about an hour.
• Hiccup cure. Biting into a lemon may cure hiccups; the tartness is said to interrupt the nerve impulses that cause the diaphragm spasms.

The Importance of Upholstery Cleaning

It's funny how fastidious some of us are about cleanliness in our homes. We work hard to scrub the bathroom, we keep the kitchen clean, we vacuum the floors every week and call our carpet care professional to schedule a cleaning every year. But for some reason, we always forget about cleaning the upholstery in our homes.

Think about it - when is the last time you had your couch professionally cleaned? Last year? Five years ago? Never? Most families spend a great deal of time on the couch, eating, watching TV, playing, sleeping, reading... just how much dirt and grime have you left behind? Is your yellow couch supposed to be white?

Though it's not nice to think about, it's a fact that our favorite couches and chairs accumulate a great deal of dirt, body oils, sweat, food spills, dust mites, pet dander and who knows what else. What's worse, the sweat and body oil that is left behind on your couch cushions acts like a glue that binds dirt to the fabric, making it difficult to remove.

Upholstery requires special methods to clean both because it attracts different types of dirt than your carpet, and because it is made from different materials. Some fabrics can be easily damaged (resulting in color loss or frayed fibers) if not cared for properly.

Don't worry! Your carpet cleaning professional has the products and tools necessary to clean your favorite pieces of furniture. We've got what it takes to break down the worst dirt and grime and make your furniture look like new. Give us a call today!

Water Damage Restoration in Lubbock - News Story

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Grout & Tile Cleaning

Just about everybody has some tile and grout in their home, usually in the bathroom or kitchen, that could use a little tile cleaning. If you have some grout that looks a bit discolored and needs to be lightened, try this at-home remedy.

Step 1: Add enough household bleach to a scouring powder to make a cleaning paste. Make sure to use a powder that does not contain ammonia, which produces a dangerous reaction with bleach.

Step 2: Scrub the paste over the dirty grout with a soft bristled brush. (An old toothbrush works great.) Then rinse with cool water.

Step 3: To clean particularly stubborn stains, leave a small amount of the cleaning paste on the stain and cover with plastic. This essentially creates a poultice that keeps in moisture and helps draw out the stain and reduce scrubbing time. Remove it the next day and continue the cleaning procedure.

Note: Be sure to wear rubber gloves and keep the area well ventilated. Once you've finished scrubbing, rinse thoroughly with water.

Of course, if serious cleaning needs to be done, call your carpet cleaning professional. We've got specially designed tools and products that can power through the worse dirt and grime. Your tile will look brand new again and your grout will be it's original color!

Carpet Cleaning Basics

The beauty and life of a carpet depends largely on the care that it is given. Proper maintenance can add years of attractive life. For carpeting, proper maintenance includes regular vacuuming and periodic cleaning by a professional.

Regular vacuuming should be done every 1-2 weeks, and even more often in high traffic areas.  It is important to use a well-maintained, good quality vacuum.

Professional cleanings are essential to maintain the life and beauty of your carpet and should be done every year. But before having a carpet cleaned, you may find it helpful to understand a few of the carpet cleaning methods.

• Hot Water Extraction or "Steam" Cleaning. In this method, hot water mixed with cleaning solution is sprayed on the carpet and immediately extracted (along with the dissolved soil) by an extraction machine. Hot water extraction is often referred to as "steam" cleaning. Most carpet manufacturers reccomend this method to sustain the life of your carpets. Carpet Tech utilizes this method as well.
• Shampooing. In this process, a cleaning detergent is whipped into a foam against the carpet by a floor machine. This suspends the soil, and the wet/dry vacuum removes it.
• Bonnet Cleaning. A special detergent is applied to the carpet, then agitated and absorbed, along with the soil, into the padding of the machine.
• Encapsulation Cleaning. An encapsulant is sprayed onto the carpet and then agitated by a machine. The encapsulant suspends dirt and soil, and then dries to a brittle crystal that is vacuumed off later - taking the dirt with it!

Carpet Cleaning: Removing Pet Urine

 Part of being a pet owner is dealing with occasional accidents. Sometimes Fido can't wait till you get home from work, or Fluffy gets upset after a trip to the vet. Pet urine can be tricky to remove, especially if it's been left untreated for a long time. However, with a few simple tricks and some fast response, you can successfully preserve your carpet.

Step 1: If the area is still damp, start by blotting with a plain white towel.

Step 2: Next, mix a cleaning solution of a half-teaspoon of liquid detergent (no bleach) and one cup of warm water. Apply the solution to the area, blot with a white towel, then rinse with warm water.

Step 3: Keep repeating step 2 until the discoloration is removed.

Step 4. Mix one cup white vinegar with two cups water. Apply and blot up with a towel. Rinse with water.

Step 5: Get the carpet as dry as possible. Blot as much moisture up with towels as you can and turn a fan on over the spot to get it dry.

These steps work well on fresh urine stains. However, if the stain has been there for a long time (or if it is a spot that has been repeatedly marked), the urine may have saturated down through the carpet and padding. If this is the case, it's time to call in the experts. Your carpet cleaning professional has an arsenal of specialized products to tackle your worst pet odor problems. So don't hesitate to call!

Holiday Stain Removal

The holiday season is time for food, family, fun and all sorts of stains on clothing. Here are a few tips on removing some of the most common stains you'll find this season.

Alcohol and Wine - Soak in a mixture of 1 quart cool water and 1 tablespoon vinegar. If stain remains, sponge with rubbing alcohol or detergent. Launder in hottest water safe for the fabric. If the fabric is dry-cleanable, be sure to tell the professional dry cleaner the stain contains alcohol so the proper cleaning methods are used.

Chocolate/Hot Chocolate- Rinse the fresh stain with cool water. Treat the stain with a laundry pre-treating product (such as Shout^®). Wait at least 30 minutes then wash as usual. Rinse with the hottest water safe for the fabric.

Coffee and Tea - Soak in cool water, work in 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Do not use soap; it could make the stain permanent.

Cranberries - Soak in cool water for 30 minutes or overnight. Work in a detergent. Then force extremely hot water through the stain by putting the stain over a bowl in the sink and pouring water through it. Launder in hottest water safe for the fabric.

Eggs and Eggnog - Rinse the fresh stain in cold water. Apply oxygen bleach and soak for 30 minutes in warm water. Launder in warm water. Do not use hot water; it can set the stain.

Turkey Fat - Rinse fresh stains in cool water. Saturate the area with an aerosol pretreatment laundry stain remover. Wait for a minute and launder with detergent. Wash in the hottest water safe for fabric.

Cleaning Up Oil Stains

Oil stains can ruin your driveway or garage floor, and even detract from the value of your home. If you act quickly on fresh spills, you can clean up the mess before it becomes problematic. However, if you wait too long, you may need to call in a professional to give the surface an intense power wash. 

• Oil Stain Solution #1: Kitty Litter

Kitty litter works wonders on oil stains. (It's also a good idea to keep a small jug of kitty litter in your trunk in the winter. You can use it to give your tires traction if you get stuck in an icy parking lot.) Simply spread the litter on the oil, wait until it discolors, then sweep it away. Continue to add litter and sweep it away until the oil disappears.

• Oil Stain Solution #2: Portland Cement

As Portland Cement is brushed over the stain, the powdery cement will ball up as it gathers oil. When this happens, simply sweep the debris away and repeat the process with fresh powder. You can find Portland Cement at your local hardware store.

Keep Your Shower Clean

Shower enclosures are a chore to keep clean -- but they can be less of a problem if you follow these guidelines:

• Keep mildew from taking hold by wiping shower walls with a towel after each shower.
• If the shower area is subject to mildew, periodically spray it with a mildew inhibitor and disinfectant.
• Remove hard-water deposits on shower enclosures with a solution of white vinegar and water.
• Glass shower doors will sparkle when you clean them with a sponge dipped in white vinegar.
• Add 1 cup liquid fabric softener to 1 quart warm water, and use to loosen and clean soap scum from shower doors. Do not use on the tub; it will become slippery.
• Remove water spots on the metal frames around shower doors and enclosures with lemon oil.
• Note: Never use harsh abrasive powders or steel-wool pads.

Remember when it is time to have a professional in depth cleaning on your shower call our professionals at Carpet Tech. We can have your shower tile and grout cleaner than ever before!

Keep Your Carpets in Great Shape: Stop Carpet Abuse!

Your carpets take a lot more abuse than you realize, and we're not just talking about the occasional spots and spills. Daily wear and tear can really take its toll on your carpet and shorten its life. Carpeting is an expensive investment and we want to help you protect that investment. Here are a few signs your carpet is in trouble and how to rectify the problems. As always, make sure to have regular professional cleanings at least once a year.

• 1) Sprouting: Shoe nails, pet claws or defective cleaning equipment can pull tufts above the level of the carpet. To prevent additional problems, use a sharp pair of scissors to trim the excess tufts as soon as you notice them.
• 2) Shedding: These short, broken fibers can be trapped during the yarn-making process. After your carpet is installed, they may show up as fuzz. While some is normal in high quality spun yarn, it's best to get these fibers up and out by vacuuming to eliminate the problem.
• 3) Shading: Heavy traffic causes carpet pile to lie in a variety of directions, so tufts remaining upright appear darker than compressed fibers. A thorough vacuuming or combing will rectify the situation so pile wears uniformly.
• 4) Pilling: The small, fuzzy balls that stick to carpet surfaces are caused when strong, unbroken fibers cling to weak ones. Most often, the cause is using old cleaning equipment, so ask your carpet care professional to inspect your vacuum and other cleaning tools. Pets may also be the culprits, too.
• 5) Furniture dents: Finally decided to rearrange the living after 20 years? You can try getting rid of those unsightly dents by holding a steam iron over (never against) the indented pile, then gently brushing the area.