Carpet Tech's Floor Care & Restoration Blog

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!