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Keep Seasonal Allergies at Bay with Carpet Cleaning

If you experience seasonal allergies in the form of hay fever or even hives, your allergist has probably already told you that it’s important that you rid your home of substances that will set off an attack. This may include anything that retains allergens such as dust, mold, pollen and pet dander. Unfortunately, rugs and carpets are some of the biggest repositories of allergy-causing materials (along with books and papers, knickknacks and clutter).

Since few of us want to live in a home with completely bare floors, the next-best thing to do is ensure that rugs and carpets are cleaned regularly to remove allergens.

How Do I Keep the Allergens at Bay?

The Mayo Clinic has some recommendations for allergy sufferers who have rugs and carpets in their homes. They include:

  • Use low-pile instead of high-pile carpeting. Deep carpeting pile collects more allergens.
  • Vacuum weekly with a vacuum cleaner that has a small-particle or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
  • Shampoo the rugs and carpets regularly.
  • Wash area rugs and mats weekly in the washing machine.
  • Keep animals out of the bedroom to avoid animal hair and pet dander on carpets.
  • Use HEPA-rated air filtration systems throughout your home, and change the filters regularly.
  • Remove your shoes at the door and leave them on a mat. This way, you’ll track fewer outdoor allergens into the house.

Choose Hypoallergenic Rugs and Pads

Some people’s allergies are set off by chemicals called “volatile organic compounds,” or VOCs. If you’re one of those people, look for carpeting and padding that contains low levels of VOCs such as formaldehyde and benzene, which can get into the air and make you ill.

If you have mold allergies, choose carpet and rug pads that have been treated to fight microbial growth. Also pay attention to what the rugs are made out of when you purchase them. Nylon is one of the most effective allergy-controlling carpet fibers since it repels some allergens. Wool should be avoided because allergens and mold can thrive in it.

Call a Professional

It’s worth calling a professional carpet cleaning service to regularly come in and deep-clean rugs to remove allergy-causing substances. Professional rug and carpet cleaners like Always Clean have proprietary materials and processes that can remove allergy-causing pollen, mold, pet dander and other triggers from rugs and carpets.

Contact us today for a free in-home consultation.

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How to Remove Easter Egg Coloring from Carpets and Rugs

It’s Easter egg season and – let’s face it – children aren’t often famous for their neatness when it comes to handling messy holiday projects. The vegetable dyes used in egg coloring can be surprisingly permanent: even kitchen counters aren’t immune to stains. Carpets and rugs, often the recipients of drips and spills, can become permanently stained. Improper or delayed cleaning can spread the stains and make them worse.

Act Immediately

If the egg coloring does find its way into your carpet, resist the temptation to wipe or scrub. Treat the stain immediately (the longer it sits, the more it will set) using the following steps:

  • Using a clean, dry cloth, blot the stain gently to absorb any excess liquid.
  • Mix one quarter teaspoon of some mild soap that does not contain dye — dishwashing liquid is a good choice — with a quarter teaspoon of white vinegar and one cup of warm water.
  • Using a light-colored cloth or paper towels, gently apply the liquid detergent mix to the stain. Allow the mixture to saturate the stain for a few minutes, then blot gently until the egg dye no longer transfers to the cloth.
  • Use a cloth and warm water to rinse the detergent from the carpet completely. You may need to repeat this step more than once to completely remove the stain.

If the Stain is Stubborn

If some remnant of the dye remains after the carpet has dried, moisten the spot with a little three percent hydrogen peroxide. Allow the peroxide to stand for about an hour. Blot and repeat as necessary. (Important tip: try this on a hidden part of the carpet before you apply it to the spot to ensure the peroxide won’t remove the color from the carpet).

Call a Professional

If the stain remains, or you’ve significantly cleaned one spot and the rest of the carpet now appears dirty by comparison (a common result of intensive spot cleaning), consider calling a professional carpet cleaner. At Always Clean, we have proprietary materials and processes that can remove even the toughest stains from rugs and carpets.

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Winter in Connecticut Means Rock Salt on Your Rugs and Carpets

Winter is hard on everyone, but it can be particularly caustic to surfaces in your home. Snow and ice often means de-icing solutions on roads, driveways and pathways, and this material – which is mostly salt — is then tracked into your house where it comes into contact with your floor surfaces.

What’s That White Residue?

Everyone who lives in a northern climate is familiar with the crusty white road surface treatment that contains rock salt. (It’s like table salt, but unpurified for human consumption. Here’s a more detailed discussion of what it contains.) It often builds up and stains around entryways, floors and rugs. The problem is that regular cleaning processes won’t remove the rock salt or undo the damage it can cause. Rugs and carpets can be permanently stained by winter salt treatments if they’re not cleaned regularly.

How Can I Clean Salt Off Carpets?

To begin, wait until the site is dry and vacuum the rug or carpet thoroughly to lift any loose rock salt. Use a soft brush to loosen as much salt as possible, and vacuum again. Next, prepare a solution of one cup of vinegar to three gallons of warm water. Lightly apply the solution to a test area of the rug to ensure it won’t cause harm. If it passes the spot test, apply the solution with a spray bottle to the salt stained areas and let it permeate for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, blot the solution from the carpet using a clean dry sponge or towel. Do not scrub.

Use Heavy-Duty Floor Mats to Protect Rugs

Maintaining a household rule that boots and shoes remain near the front door during the winter can prevent stains, as can heavy-duty floor mats designed to knock debris off footwear before it gets tracked into the house. Frequently clean the mats using a wet/dry vacuum. Once the mats are dry, follow with a traditional vacuum.

Call the Professionals

Professional carpet cleaners have proprietary materials and processes that can neutralize salt and clean your stained rugs and carpets. It’s a good idea to have your rugs cleaned every year to extend their useful lives and protect home occupants (including pets) from the caustic substances in road deicer.

Get a free home inspection.

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Carpet Cleaning Tips: What to do About Pet Odors and Stains

DOG ON CARPET

Pets and carpets can coexist together peacefully, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to maintaining your carpet.  Of course, removing carpet is an easy fix, but that’s not always an option, especially if you’re living on a tight budget or renting a home. How can you keep your carpets fresh while Fido or Fluffy live in your home?

Clean Up Messes As They Happen

Accidents will happen; it’s part of sharing our homes with pets. Cleaning up accidents right when they happen is the best way to keep your carpets clean, so wipe up debris before spraying any type of cleaner on your carpet. If your pet urinates or vomits on your carpet, wipe and dab up as much liquid as possible before spraying a cleaner.

A quick tip: grab an old towel or paper towels, place on top of the accident, and stand on the towel for a few seconds. Rotate the towel to absorb additional moisture until the towel is dry.

Blotting Is Best!

Believe it or not, scrubbing can actually spread the stain and untwist the carpet’s pile, making it look matted. Instead, blot using an absorbent cloth working from the outside of the stain inwards.  If you do need to do a little rubbing to loosen things, just gently agitate the surface of the carpet using your fingers, but make sure you use gloves to protect your skin.

Don’t Overuse Product

The dirtier the stain, the more we want to pour on the cleaning products, but you actually want to use the least amount of cleaning products as possible to get rid of your stain. It is actually better to use too little cleaner and have to repeat the process rather than overload on cleaning product the first time and be left with too much residue.  Too much chemical residue can actually attract more dirt in the future, so you just want to use what is actually needed to remove the stain.

Don’t Discount the Power of Water

Once the stain is gone, your work is not done!  Always finish with a good rinse with water to remove as much of the remaining cleaning product as possible.

For Tougher Stains, Call the Experts

A regular cleaning schedule by a professional is not only good for your carpet, it’s strongly recommended. Between professional cleanings, you can maintain the health and beauty of your carpet at home, but proper care and maintenance of your carpet will extend its useful life and preserve its appearance for years. Failure to take care of it will result in premature wear, and having pets only increases the wear and tear on your carpet.

For the toughest stains and messes, Always Clean can help remove pet stains and sanitize your carpets for a healthier, fresher appearance. Contact us for a free consultation.

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Why You Need Professional Carpet Cleaning

Carpeting in the home is still a tried and true comfort. Not only does it provide a variety of style options, carpeting provides thermal resistance that saves energy and keeps air warmer longer, which is especially helpful during the frigid winter months. Of course, with a carpeted home comes the necessity of keeping it clean for your and your family’s health. While consumer carpet cleaners exist on the market, the best way to protect your investment is to rely on a professional carpet cleaner. Here’s what a professional service can offer.

A Clean Carpet Leaves a Lasting Impression

A first impression is a lasting impression, and appearance is everything when it comes to your home. A clean carpet can help your family feel better about their living space and otherwise improve morale.

Stains Are a Thing of the Past

Our homes are for living, and with the hustle and bustle of family life, carpets can and will get dirty. While a quick spot removal will help mitigate unsightly stains, a professional carpet cleaning company will have high-performance cleaning machines, which are optimal for getting out difficult stains, protecting your investment and keeping your floors beautiful

Professional Cleaning Means a Healthier Environment

Professional cleaning removes all the dirt, germs, bacteria and dander from the floor, leaving your home healthier for everyone in it. What’s more, mold and mildew are common carpet invaders, and cleaning carpets yourself can lead to over saturation. A professional cleaning will get the job done while ensuring all moisture is properly extracted while maintaining the integrity of your carpet.

It Restores Carpet To Its Original Beauty and Extends the Life of Your Carpet

Professional carpet cleaners can restore your carpet to its original quality. Maintaining your carpets with regular professional deep cleanings will help you extend the life of your carpet and will leave your carpets feeling and looking fresh and clean.

It is recommended that all carpets be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months.

As professional carpet cleaners, Always Clean can help you protect your carpets from future stains and accidents.

Contact us today and let us help you preserve the beauty of your carpets.

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How to Deal with a Flooded Carpet: 5 Essential Tips

A stack of carpet patches dripping water.

Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder (source)

Maybe you’ve had a pipe burst. Maybe ice dams have caused a slow leak into your basement. Maybe an aquarium got knocked over. Maybe heavy rains have caused flash flooding. No matter what the cause, if you’ve got a waterlogged carpet, it’s time to act fast!

Water soaked carpets become water-damaged carpets in the blink of an eye—and water-damaged carpets need to be replaced ASAP. The alternative is bad odors, mold, and even damage to the house itself.

So how can you deal with wet, flooded carpets or other water damage? Keep reading to find out. Read more

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Professional Carpet Cleaning vs. DIY: Why You Need to Hire Pros

A closeup of gray carpeting

How long has it been since you last cleaned your home’s carpets? If it’s approaching a year or longer, it’s time to do something about it—sooner, rather than later. (And if it’s been that long, odds are you don’t need us to tell you that!)

When it comes to deep carpet cleaning, there are two ways to go: hiring a professional carpet cleaning service or opting for a more DIY approach.

While DIY carpet cleaning might seem tempting to some homeowners, it’s nearly always wiser to simply hire a professional. Keep reading to find out why. Read more

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How Often Should You Have Your Carpets Cleaned?

A carpet being cleaned.

Like most homeowners, you probably like to think that you keep your carpets pretty clean. You vacuum regularly, manage to keep spills to a minimum, and do a thorough spot clean when the occasion calls for it.

But how often do you have your carpets professionally cleaned?

The fact of the matter is that professional carpet cleaning is a necessary part of maintaining your home. Vacuuming and spot cleaning are good for getting at the surface, but without regular deep cleaning by a professional carpet cleaning company, you’re doing yourself, your family, and your home a disservice. Read more

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Recognition and Prevention of Carpet Mold from Water Damage

Wet Vac vacuuming up water on carpetingWater damage to carpeting is always troublesome. Even the smallest amount of moisture should be cause for concern when it comes to your flooring and your home’s environment. It doesn’t take much for mold to form and grow into an enormous problem.  Mold can wreak havoc not only with property damage, but also with your family’s health. Read more

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Tips to Extend the Lifespan of Your Home’s Carpeting

There are lots of good reasons to have carpeting in your home: the variety of beautiful styles and colors; its soft, cozy feeling underfoot; the way it traps dust and pollen to improve indoor air quality; the warmth and comfort it provides in winter; and many others.

For all these reasons the decision to get carpeting in your home may be an easy one – but that doesn’t mean actually having it installed is something to be taken lightly.

Your home’s carpeting is a serious investment. With new carpet averaging at about $5 per square foot (plus installation), the cost of carpeting 1,500 square feet or more of your home will add up fast.

The best way to get the most out of this investment is to take proper care of your home’s carpets to extend their lifespan. The average home’s carpeting needs to be replaced about every 12 years, but by following these tips to extend your carpet’s lifespan, you could get a lot more. Read more

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