Posted by Stephanie Webb on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 04:04 PM
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!
Posted by Stephanie Webb on Thu, Jul 08, 2010 @ 02:06 PM
http://everythinglubbock.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=57285
Posted by Stephanie Webb on Tue, Jun 29, 2010 @ 08:41 AM
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!
Posted by Stephanie Webb on Mon, Jan 04, 2010 @ 09:59 AM
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.
Posted by Stephanie Webb on Tue, Aug 18, 2009 @ 09:27 AM
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.
Posted by Stephanie Webb on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 @ 09:02 AM
Here at Carpet Tech we are professionals in ALL areas of cleanliness from the floors and vents in your home to everything you own. We know how important it is to keep your home a clean and healthy environment, especially when our kiddos are involved!
If your children have stuffed animals, it can be alarming just how easily they can become laden with allergy-causing dust mites. However, it is just as easy to kill all the dust mites in stuffed toys without having to constantly be washing and drying them.
To kill dust mites in stuffed animals, simply wrap them in plastic - such as placing them in a Ziploc bag - then just pop them in the freezer for a few hours. Freezing will kill the dust mites living within the fluff and stuffing.
This tip also works on pillows, too! Just make sure you wrap them well in plastic, and place them in the freezer a bit longer since they are so much larger than stuffed animals.
Do this every week or so to keep the toys dust mite free. It is easy to just pop them in right before going out and running errands, that way you don't need to worry about your child wanting the stuffed toy while it is being de-mited!