Tag: carpet

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Carpet

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date February 20, 2021

The worst thing imaginable just happened; you spilled nail polish on your carpet while painting your nails. You start to panic and think, “how do I get nail polish out of the carpet?”.

Nail polish, no matter what color, is one of those things that make your heart palpitate when you think of the possibility of getting it on your carpet. Or one of your favorite rugs.

First, don’t panic. We are here to help you abolish that nail polish stain from your carpet or beloved rug.

If you have a dried nail polish stain that won’t budge, contact TLC Cleaning to get the job done. We will get your carpets clean and stain-free while you finish your polish job.

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Carpet: Blot Don’t Smudge

If the spill just took place, grab some paper towels and gently blot up any excess nail polish. Take care not to smudge, scrub, or smear the remaining nail polish. Doing so will only spread the existing stain and drive it further into the carpet fibers.

If the polish is already dry, use a dull knife to scrape off excess before bringing out the cleaning solutions.

Always Do a Patch Test

Testing your solution and assessing what it does to your carpet or rug is essential when choosing a cleaning solution.

No matter what solution you use, you should do a patch test on your rug or carpet first. It is best to do a small, barely visible area for the test. If you see any color transfer on your clean cloth or discoloration, change your solution.

Try Pantry Staples Vinegar and Baking Soda

You read that right; in some cases baking soda and vinegar can be a solution for how to get nail polish out of carpet, depending on the type of carpet you have.

Vinegar: Use plain white vinegar and soak the stain entirely. Once saturated, place a vinegar-soaked paper towel over the stain and let the solution sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes of soaking in the solution, gently blot the area until the stain is removed.

Baking soda: Generously sprinkle baking soda onto the polish stained area. Once covered, soak the area with club soda and allow the mixture to sit for ten minutes. Then gently scrub and blot the stain until lifted. Once removed, rinse the area with warm water and rag or a carpet cleaner.

Common Household Cleaners

Depending on your carpet, baking soda or vinegar might not do the trick. If this is the case, two common household cleaners have shown results: Windex and Goo Gone.

Good Ol’ Nail Polish Remover

Before you grab your 100% acetone nail polish remover and slosh it all over the stain, there are a few caveats. Acetone is a powerful solvent that can potentially chew through the fibers of your carpet or leave it discolored.

You want to use a small amount of the non-acetone, dye-free nail polish remover. This solution can be very effective on light or white colored carpets.

Apply the solution to a corner of a cleaning cloth, cotton ball, or paper towel and gently dab the stain. Be mindful not to scrub the stain into unaffected areas.

(Pro Tip: Nail polish remover is most effective on a fresh stain, so be quick. Don’t forget your patch test!)

Products You Can Find in Your Bathroom

Time to check under your bathroom sink. Your solution for how to get nail polish out of carpet could be there – hairspray and rubbing alcohol.

It’s important to note these solutions work best on dried stains. Dampen the stain with cold water, generously spray with hairspray, and follow up with about three splashes of alcohol.

Once you apply the solution to the carpet, gently scrub with a toothbrush for about sixty seconds. Slowly add more water as you scrub. Once you notice the stain is lifting, blot dry.

Does the Color of the Carpet matter?

As a general rule, different solutions work best depending on the color of your carpet. But this is why it is crucial to do a patch test to see for yourself.

Dark: For dark carpet, it is better to use hairspray and rubbing alcohol. Using nail polish remover, you may risk bleaching your carpet.

Light: As mentioned earlier, non-acetone nail polish remover works best on light or white colored carpets. Just make sure you’re using one that is dye-free, or you’ll risk dying your white carpet!

However, no matter your carpet’s color, it is important to keep them stain-free and clean to keep your home warm and healthy!

Kitchen Dish Soap

You can mix up a small amount of dish soap with water, but this method is best when combined with one of the other solutions. The smell of the dish soap will help combat the strong odors from the other solutions.

If you are going to use dish soap, make sure there is not an excessive amount of bubbles in the mixture. The bubbles and surfactants in the soaps will make it hard to see if the stain is being lifted.

Stubborn Stains Got You Down?

The truth is that there are just some stains that are better off left to the professionals. Depending on the fibers of your carpet and the size of the stain, you may struggle to lift the stain yourself.

If you’re in the Fargo, Grand Forks, North Dakota, or Detroit Lakes, Minnesota area, TLC Cleaning can help with stubborn stains. Let us do what we love and worry about those impossible stains for you!

Tags carpet, carpet care, carpet cleaning, common household messes, messes, nail polish, stains

Why Robot Vacuums Can’t Beat Traditional Vacuuming

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date February 18, 2020
No Comments on Why Robot Vacuums Can’t Beat Traditional Vacuuming

woman vacuuming with a dog in the background

We all love those little gadgets in our lives that make life easier. As years have gone by, tools for cleaning have seen some major upgrades. One device that stands out, in particular, is robotic vacuums. While convenient and incredibly cool, they just aren’t the same as traditional upright vacuums with bags or canisters.

Vacuuming is a critical part of keeping your carpets and home clean. Some may even consider it a “necessary evil.” But the fact remains, it is necessary.

If you love your robotic floor cleaner and simply don’t want to pick up a vacuum, call TLC Cleaning.

As a premier cleaning company in Fargo, North Dakota, our employees would love to pick up your Roomba’s(™) slack so you can put your feet up (above your spotless carpets) and relax.

Don’t worry, you can keep your Roomba(™)

Some people get really attached to their robot vacuums. So much so, that sometimes they are often affectionately given names by their families.

That’s okay. In fact, we love that a cleaning tool could be so near and dear to your heart that you want to name it Rosie after The Jetsons’ robot housekeeper.

You can love your robot floor cleaner, but that doesn’t mean they can completely replace a good old-fashioned upright vacuum.

When robotic vacuums work

woman watching TV with her feet up while a robotic vacuum runs

The main perk of having an artificially intelligent floor cleaner is the sheer convenience.

Some can even connect to Wi-fi so you can start and schedule them through an app when you’re away on vacation or while you’re at work.

But, robotic vacuums are still useful for when you are home. You can do other cleaning tasks, like folding laundry or dusting, while your Roomba(™)gets the whole lower half of the room.

Delegating some household responsibilities to a robot is a simple solution to cutting back on the time you spend cleaning.

Even if you just use your robotic vacuum to get all the Cheerios every day after breakfast, you don’t have to spend precious morning minutes picking up the mess. Or, even worse, come home to clean up the cereal after a long day at work.

Robot floor cleaners are also great for pet owners. If you own a pet with fur, you know you’ll find hair everywhere. Pet owners the world over know frequent cleaning comes with the territory of sharing your home with a little (or big) fluff ball.

No matter how much you love your pets, there probably hasn’t been a single person to say they love the pet hair situation.

Roombas(™) or Ecovacs(™), or Deebots(™) don’t work as well on large quantities of longer pet hair. But, if you have a short or medium-haired family member, a robotic vacuum may be a good investment.

With a robotic floor cleaner, you can effortlessly minimize unwanted pet hair in your home.

While there are some things robovacs are great for, there are some things that set them back from a traditional upright vacuum.

When robotic vacuums don’t work

Autonomous vacuums work best in rooms without tons of furniture and clutter. So that means your little Rosie isn’t the greatest for any of the kids’ rooms.

Also, your little cleaning buddy isn’t suited for cleaning rooms with thicker rugs, like shag. Thicker carpets can tire out your robovac. When floor coverings are thicker, they tend to use more battery life than on shorter lengths of carpet.

If your robot runs low on battery, it will return to the docking station, sometimes before it finishes the whole room.

Dark floors may also be an obstacle your sweet Rosie has a hard time overcoming.

And, due to their small internal dustbin, they aren’t capable of doing a whole house, weekly type vacuum.

Additionally, because they are robots, there are some things they just might miss.

And while Roomba’s(™)or other robotic vacuums are great for pet hair, they aren’t necessarily great for all pets.

If you have a new puppy, you may want to think twice before allowing your robot floor cleaner to work unsupervised.

These little robots can’t avoid obstacles that come with a new pet that isn’t potty trained. There may be a certain viral video on the internet of a very smelly encounter a robovac had in a home with a little puppy accident.

While kind of funny to see happen to others, this incident is never something you want to happen to you. Please don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Let’s sum it up

Robotic vacuums are super good for:

-Homes that are typically picked up and tidy

-Households with lots of extra fur from pets

-Homes with messy eaters

-Pets that are potty trained

-People who want to spend less time cleaning, and more time living

-Living in a home where you don’t remove shoes upon entry

Avoid robotic floor cleaners if:

-Your floor or home has a lot of clutter

-You have a lot of furniture or crowded space

-You consider it a substitute for vacuuming entirely

-Your home is really big

-You have a lot of area rugs or thick carpet

-You have floors that are dark in color

-Others tell you that you like to micromanage tasks

-You have a fear of artificial intelligence

Call TLC Cleaning

a man playing air guitar on a traditional vacuum

If you love the feeling of freshly vacuumed floors regularly, call TLC Cleaning in Fargo, North Dakota.

Even our basic cleaning service includes floor cleaning and vacuuming. If you schedule a recurring cleaning with us, you’ll spend less time tidying your floors and home, and more time doing all of the things that you love.

While your Roomba(™) or robotic vacuum is great for touch-ups, nothing beats regular cleaning with a traditional upright vacuum. And the only thing that is better than that is when a member of TLC’s well-trained staff is doing the vacuuming.

Your robotic vacuum might even be out of work entirely, after a basic or deep cleaning from TLC.

Tags carpet, carpet care, floor care, flooring, robot vacuum, Roomba, vacuuming

Carpet Care Floor Care

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date December 10, 2019
No Comments on How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

No part of your home is more exposed to dirt and grime than your floor. Thanks to that pesky system known as gravity, anything which can fall off a body, a coffee table, out of a dirty cup, or off a pair of shoes will land on the floor. Unless you want to spend most of your time at home wiping up spillages, those falling objects will cause stains on your carpets and rugs. So how often should you clean your carpet, and what is the best way to do it?

The short answer is that your carpets should be professionally deep cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Keep reading for the long answer to how often your carpets should be cleaned and why it is important.

Cleanliness is next to expectedness

A clean home benefits the people that live there. It’s not just for aesthetic purposes but also for considering the health and wellbeing of its occupants. Not cleaning your home thoroughly and often is an invitation to dust mites, germs, and bacteria, and like unwelcome party guests, they don’t leave willingly.

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors advises that carpet is a high-risk area for growing mold and all the dangers this represents. Regular cleanings can help keep your carpet looking great and keep it hygienic.

How clean is “clean?”

You might be one of those people who are happy with a simple vacuum, dust, mop, and wipe down once a week. If there are no children, pets, smokers, or anyone suffering from respiratory illnesses living in your home, that is fine for short-term purposes.

But even in these households, the basic once-a-week routine will remove surface dirt and grime from your floors and carpets, but it can’t beat a deep, thorough, professional carpet clean.

And how dirty is “dirty?”

man and woman covered in dirt holding cleaning supplies. how often should you clean your carpets?

We humans and our pet companions harbor bacteria, germs, and dirt and shed hair and skin on a disturbingly regular basis, so it’s fair to say that our home environment doesn’t stay pristine without help.

But there’s no need to go entirely overboard. Having a fair idea about how often you should clean your carpet and rugs will go a long way to maintaining a clean and inviting home.

But I am not dirty!

Actually, you’re not as clean as you might think you are. Intentionally or otherwise, we shed hair and skin, we track dirt into the home, and even the most careful of us will occasionally drop food crumbs and spill drinks. Philip Tierno, the author of The Secret Life of Germs, estimates that carpet can absorb so much dirt that it can be 4000 times dirtier than the toilet seat.

So what can I do about this?

Not a lot, as far as creating a mess goes – that is, to some degree, unavoidable. But you can do something about cleaning up the clutter once it occurs. Unfortunately, it takes more than a quick regular vacuuming or mop on a once-weekly basis to change your living space from a haven for bugs, dust, and allergens into a haven for humans.

Some handy tips to keep your place clean and limit how often you should clean your carpet

little girl feeling bad about leaving muddy footprints in rug. how often should you clean your carpets?

Keep food mess to a minimum.

Having a set area for eating is one way to avoid food messes from migrating into the carpets all over. If possible, have that eating area in a room with lino floors, which are far easier to clean. Wiping up spilled milk or juice from a linoleum floor rather than a shag carpet is much easier.

The hazards caused by the small generation

Fact – children are messy. Even the cutest kid will drool, diaper leakage happens even in the most carefully cultivated homes, and no child is shy about wandering from room to room with a handful of food.

Hansel and Gretel may have had birds cleaning up their food scraps, but your kids won’t so mop up after them before the stains caused by these food scraps become permanent.

Shoes: on or off?

muddy toddler with dirty pants and shoes

On cold, wet days, all you can think of when you get home is to get inside where it’s warm and dry, but unfortunately, it’s not just you who enters. Walking on stone, gravel, soil, and grass inevitably means dragging some of the outdoors to the indoors, and no amount of wiping the shoes on the doormat can avoid that. So kicking your shoes off at the door is a simple trick to prevent bringing nature indoors.

Pets and their problems

beagle dog laying on clean carpet. how often should you clean your carpets when you have pets?

Your pet can be as much a member of your family as your child, but Fido, Felix, or Polly are not known for their hygiene or clean habits. Cats and dogs shed fur, cats spit up furballs, birds drop feathers, furry animals harbor fleas, toilet training takes time and usually involves a few “accidents,” and you know full well that your pet won’t use a napkin when it’s eating.

So if you live with animals, your home needs a little bit of extra care and attention.

Enough of the messy part; what about the cleaning?

If you have been nodding your head in agreement here, you will realize by now that keeping your home and carpets clean is a lot harder than just a quick flick of the vacuum once in a while. Your home needs proper care and cleaning by professionals.

Why a professional clean?

Those stains can be stubborn. Even if you attack the spilled coffee, red wine, or cheese spillage as soon as it occurs, you’re never going to get that mess out properly.
Professionals will ensure the carpet is cleaned down to the base and properly dried afterward. The last thing you want is a clean but damp carpet that will start to smell in a few days and grow mold and mildew.
Many carpet manufacturers and sellers stipulate that you get your carpet professionally cleaned regularly – at least once a year – to retain its warranty.

Call the professionals and never wonder how often should you clean your carpets again

Get a serious, deep clean done by the experts at TLC Cleaning. Choose from a range of services, from cleaning one room only right up to full and thorough cleaning and deodorizing of every carpet fiber and mat in your home. Let TLC Cleaning implement your ultimate cleaning schedule to tend to your floors and every part of your home.

Get an instant quote for professional carpet steam cleaning or any other services today.

Tags carpet, carpet care, carpet cleaning, floor care, vacuuming

Carpet Care Floor Care

How to Care for Your Area Rugs

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date November 18, 2019
No Comments on How to Care for Your Area Rugs

Picture this: you just got a stunning new area rug, and it was not particularly cheap. It is the rug of your dreams. You got your new area rug, rolled it out onto the floor, and now your thinking, How am I going to keep this clean? You didn’t consider area rug cleaning when you made the purchase.

With kids, pets, and different guests coming into your home, you know your new rug is destined to have pet hair, snack crumbs, and accidental spills take place. Each type of area rug in the home is made of different material and requires different techniques for keeping them clean.

Properly caring for your area rugs will give them a longer life and keep the home fresh and clean from unwanted dirt, dust, and allergens that can hide in the fibers of your rugs.

In fact, Men’s Health Magazine says carpet and area rugs are a favorite place for unwanted house guests, germs to live.

Try our care methods for your area rugs, and if there are stubborn stains that just won’t come out, call TLC Cleaning. TLC Cleaning will remove all pesky stains in your rug. Contact TLC Cleaning and get an online estimate for an area rug cleaning today.

Vacuuming

someone doing area rug cleaning with a vacuum

Regularly vacuuming your rugs is crucial to their care. However, most of the vacuums in today’s market are made to care for wall-to-wall carpeting or hardwood floors. Which means they have a high amount of suction power. It’s best to use a vacuum that does not have a beater brush. A vacuum cleaner with a beater brush and a high amount of suction can pull the rug into the beater brush and cause damage to the area rug.

-If you have a canister vacuum that includes a beater brush, it is best to either use the hose attachment and brush to vacuum the rug with or run the vacuum cleaner in the lowest setting possible.

-If you cannot use your brush attachment to clean the rug, it is best to either remove or set the beater brush on the highest setting. Take care when using the vacuum with the beater brush because it can still cause the removal of carpet fibers.

-Check the canister. While some shedding is normal, a large number of leftover fiber in the canister. Large amounts of shedding mean the settings on the vacuum are too aggressive.

-Empty your can and readjust your settings.

-Take care to avoid vacuuming any tassels, fridge, or bound edges to prevent destruction to the sides of the rug.

Spot Cleaning

a person yellow rubber gloves cleaning a red wine stain from carpet with a sponge

Are you having a wine night with the girls? You already know where this is going. The worst thing imaginable happens, you’ve had just a little too much red wine, and it sloshes on to your new area rug. Party. Foul.

Spring to the kitchen and grab the nearest dishcloth (you know, the one that’s acceptable to use for spills). Now start blotting like a mad-woman. Blot. Blot. Blot.

Do not rub or scrub that spill. Rubbing the spill can cause the spill to set and stain. You also don’t want to let it sit while you finish your wine, or you’re looking at having a deep red stain in your brand new area rug.

How to Care for Different Types of Rugs

an oriental rug store filled with folded and hanging rugs

Tufted/hooked (oriental rugs)

-Carefully vacuum the rug regularly to avoid the fibers being packed down from high traffic

-Blot the stains with a white towel

-You can use a cold damp cloth to refresh an oriental rug by wiping it down. (Think microfiber).

-Experts recommend that an oriental rug is washed by a professional every 3 to 5 years to prevent dirt and soil build-up and restore the rug fibers and extend the life of the rug.

-Set-in stains in an oriental rug should be taken to a professional to avoid damage to the area rug or the flooring underneath.

-If exposed to liquid or moisture, an oriental rug can be aired out outside to avoid the formation of mildew or mold.

Indoor/Outdoor Rugs

an outdoor seating area with a black and white geometric rug design

-Indoor/outdoor rugs, made from synthetic fibers, are durable enough to be used outdoors in the elements.

-Read the label on the back of your rug to ensure it’s safe for outdoor use.

-To clean the rug, take it outside after it has been vacuumed thoroughly and mix a small amount of clear detergent.
-Be sure to clean the entire rug with the water and dye-free detergent mixture.

-Hose down the rug with a garden hose thoroughly.

-Lastly, place in direct sunlight to thoroughly dry. (this is best done during the summer and can take more than a day)

Natural Fiber Rugs (“Jute” Rugs)

-It is a regular occurrence for natural fiber rugs to lose some of their fibers.

-To care for natural fiber rugs, you vacuum them regularly.

-Make sure to clean underneath the carpet for any of the loose fibers that can pool underneath.

-For stain removal, you can use a mixture of vinegar, detergent, and lukewarm water. Take the mixture and apply it on a white cloth and blot out any stains or spills.

Shag rugs

smiling woman laying on a dark gray shag rug

-Due to a shag rug’s high pile, it is common to experience more shedding.

-To care for a shag rug, you want to flip them over and shake loose and dislodge any dirt trapped in the fibers.

-If it is a smaller rug, take it outside and beat it with a rug beater or a broom handle to ensure all the dirt is knocked loose.

-Then using the hose attachment on a vacuum, you can part the rows and clean between the individual rows of the shag rug.

-Hand washing is another option but can be daunting if the rug is quite large.

-Set the rug in the tub with mild detergent. Then use a brush or your hands to work the soap through the fibers to remove any stains.

-Squeeze out as much excess water as possible and then allow the rug to dry.

Leather/cowhide rugs

multiple cowhide rugs hanging outside off of a balcony

-With any leather cowhide rugs, you want to avoid using any cleaning agents because they can break down and stain the cowhide even further.

-The best method for cleaning a leather or cowhide rug is to shake any loose debris and spot clean any spills.

-If you spot clean a cowhide, make sure you use a mild shampoo as it is similar to cleaning hair.

-In the case of a pet stain, in most instances, you can use a small amount of vinegar to neutralize any odors.
Here’s your list of the many different kinds of area rugs that you can own in your home and how to properly care for them to improve the lifespan of the area rug.

If this seems too daunting of a task or you have a stain that is impossible to tackle, contact us at TLC Cleaning to get an online estimate so we can handle any of your rug care needs!

Tags area rugs, carpet, carpet cleaning, floor care

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Carpet: Blot Don’t Smudge

Always Do a Patch Test

Try Pantry Staples Vinegar and Baking Soda

Common Household Cleaners

Good Ol’ Nail Polish Remover

Products You Can Find in Your Bathroom

Does the Color of the Carpet matter?

Kitchen Dish Soap

Stubborn Stains Got You Down?

When robotic vacuums work

When robotic vacuums don’t work

Let’s sum it up

Call TLC Cleaning

Cleanliness is next to expectedness

How clean is “clean?”

And how dirty is “dirty?”

But I am not dirty!

So what can I do about this?

Some handy tips to keep your place clean and limit how often you should clean your carpet

Keep food mess to a minimum.

The hazards caused by the small generation

Shoes: on or off?

Pets and their problems

Enough of the messy part; what about the cleaning?

Why a professional clean?

Call the professionals and never wonder how often should you clean your carpets again

Vacuuming

Spot Cleaning

How to Care for Different Types of Rugs

Tufted/hooked (oriental rugs)

Indoor/Outdoor Rugs

Natural Fiber Rugs (“Jute” Rugs)

Shag rugs

Leather/cowhide rugs

Cleaning Homes, Caring For People

Cleaning Homes,
Caring For People