Tag: floor care

Tips From the Pros: How to Clean Hardwood Floors

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

A man hand applying wood care products and cleaners on hardwood floor surface.

Shining hardwood floors are a real show-stopper in the interior of a home. However, without proper care, hardwood can become worn, dull, and, even worse, scratched. A busy lifestyle and the call of everyday obligations can make it hard to find the time to invest in maintaining the brilliance of your hardwood floors. Hardwood floors can be quite an investment, and when they’re not properly cared for, they will wear. That’s why TLC Cleaning has a few tips on how to clean hardwood floors and to keep them looking their best for years to come. If you find you lack time to invest in maintaining your hardwood, contact TLC Cleaning to keep your floors shining while you’re away. We service Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

How to Clean Hardwood Floors: The Basics

Beautiful, clean hardwood floors in a nicely decorated living room/kitchen.

When it comes to cleaning and caring for them, it’s done the same way whether you have pine, bamboo, oak, or cherry floors. However, if you know your flooring type and the manufacturer, it could be helpful to see if there are any additional care instructions available. When caring for your floors, you can follow a formula: sweep, mop, restore. Once the floors are restored to their original sleek beauty, regular maintenance becomes a manageable task.

Sweep the Debris

Someone wearing blue slipeprs and socks sweeping the floor. Sweeping is the first step of how to clean hardwood floors.

The build-up of dirt, debris, and pet hair are the primary culprits of scratching the floor. It’s crucial to remove the debris, especially in high-traffic areas. A few tips to keep your floors dirt-free:

A dry microfiber mop is great for picking up and trapping loose dirt. Or use a regular, soft-bristled dust broom to sweep up. (hard bristles can scratch the floor’s finish)
If using a vacuum, make sure to either turn off the beater brush or use a floor attachment. When using the beater bar, you risk scratching and damaging the floors.
It would be best if you swept the floors at least once a week. While a deep cleaning could be necessary for high-traffic areas and common places pets reside.

Mop the Floors

Someone wet mopping with a lime green bucket and mop. Mopping is the second step for how to clean hardwood floors.

Once you have cleared the floors from all the loose debris, dirt, and hair, it’s time to start wet mopping. Sweeping won’t clean the dirt or grime that has built up. It may be essential to mop high-traffic areas more frequently than once a week. A few tips to keep the grime at bay:

When you mop the floors make sure you wring out all excess water; you want a damp mop, not a sopping wet, plop mop.
Standing water can cause damage to the wood and can strip the finish.
You should clean your floors with a recommended hardwood floor cleaner. These wood floor cleaners are formulated and tested to clean and help protect.
If using a steam mop, make sure it has a hardwood setting. If there is too much heat and steam, it can cause damage to the finish.
Avoid mopping with harsh cleaners. Harsh chemicals will dull the finish of the floor.
Use caution when using any DIY or homemade cleaning solutions containing vinegar and water. Concoctions with a high vinegar content can erode the finish. It’s always best to do a spot test.

Restore the Floor Finish

Hardwood floors with polish on the left side, and unpolished on the right.

Sweeping and mopping won’t rectify dulling or scratched floors. Restoring your hardwood to its former glory will rid the floor of scratches, scuffs, and lackluster appearance. Part of restoring hardwood floors is knowing how to care for them properly. A few tips on restoring:

A liquid scratch concealer works well to conceal scratches. Once cured, the concealer hardens and protects your floors from future scratches and won’t come off while cleaning. But make sure you get a color that matches your finish as close as possible.
Use a hardwood floor polish to bring back shine and remove micro-scratches.
Read the instructions for the floor polish and go over some Do’s and Don’ts before you get started.
Try a hardwood floor wax, but do your research. Hardwood floor wax will interfere with the finish of a Polyurethane finish. Check the care instructions of the flooring manufacturer.
Other restoring methods could include scratch repair kits and touch-up repair kits.

Maintain the Hardwood Floors

Gorgeous and shiny, well-maintained hardwood floors.

Once you have swept, mopped, and restored your floors, the best part is that maintenance is minimal. Once you incorporate taking care of your hardwood floors into your cleaning routine, it should be a breeze. A few tips on maintaining your hardwood floors:

Dry mop or sweep with a soft-bristled broom at least once a week.
Use a recommended hardwood floor cleaner to remove any built-up dirt residue.
Mop the floors with a hardwood-safe cleaner at least once a month, but more often for high-traffic areas.
Apply a fresh coat of finish to the hardwood floors every couple of years.

Protect the Floors

A small area rug place in a high-traffic area of the kitchen to protect from wear and tear on hardwood floors.

Protecting your floors from the damaging effects of dirt and other small debris is the best way to ensure you get the most out of your investment. A few tips on protecting your hardwood:

Place rugs near the entrances of your home; this will provide guests and furry friends a place to remove dirt and small rocks from their shoes and paws that could scratch the floors.
Remove shoes and leave them near the entrance to prevent tracking in particles that could cause abrasions.
If you have pets in the home, cut their nails frequently to keep them from scratching the surface.
The floors in high-traffic areas see the most wear and tear. Protecting these areas with rugs will protect the flooring from potential scratches, spills, and everyday traffic.
Rugs also create a barrier between your hardwood floors and heavy furniture. When shifted, heavy furniture can cause gouges or deep scratches in the wood. Alternatively, you can use furniture pads on the bottom of the legs and feet of furniture to protect the wood.
Always clean spills promptly, and make sure they are completely dry.

Learn How to Clean Hardwood Floors from TLC Cleaning

A professional cleaner wearing bright green cleaning gloves mopping a hardwood floor.

If you know how to care for hardwood floors, they can last for years and bring warmth and style to your home, but sometimes life is busy, and we fall behind on things like restoring the floor. If this is the case for you, contact TLC Cleaning. We do the cleaning, so you get back to doing what’s important!

Tags floor care, floor cleaning, hardwood floors, mopping, wood floors

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

Carpet Care Floor Care

How to Remove Set-In Stains in Your Carpet

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date July 19, 2019
No Comments on How to Remove Set-In Stains in Your Carpet

Muddy footprints. Kids’ spilled Mac n’ Cheese. Dog vomit. Red wine from a mom’s night-in. What do all of these sloppy substances have in common? If you have carpet in your home, just reading this list might prompt you to think about how to remove set-in stains.

Keeping the carpet in your home fresh and clean can be a challenge. If you have kids or pets, your carpet is even more at risk.

The truth is, regardless of your household size or lifestyle, chances are, you’re going to need to attend to a carpet stain or two at some point. Accidents happen, and when they occur on your carpet, you’ll want to know how to remove set-in stains.

woman cleaning rug in slippers and pink cleaning gloves

If cleaning your home and your carpet is something you frequently don’t have time for, maybe hiring a professional cleaning service is the right choice.

TLC Cleaning, your cleaning experts, are ready to help you keep up on the housework.

Whether you’re looking for weekly services, or deep cleaning once a month, we are here to get your house looking its best. Our experienced staff will make your home shine. You’ll love having extra free time to spend doing things you enjoy, instead of working on chores.

While you wait to set up your cleaning services with TLC Cleaning, you might be facing a mess on your carpet. If you need to remove stains right away on your own, take a look at these helpful hints.

You might find just the remedy to get your carpet looking new again. When tough stains hit, you don’t have to worry.

Pet Stains

yellow lab puppy smelling a spill on carpet

Let’s start with some of the worst of the worst when it comes to how to remove set-in stains. Pet stains.

Pet stains not only look terrible, but they can smell horrible as well. Even when you think the stain is gone, the smell can linger.

Your pet might be one of the loves-of-your-life, but their messes on your carpet are anything but lovable. If your four-legged best friend has left you a surprise on your carpet, don’t stress. You can take action to take care of the stain.

If the stain is fresh, use a towel to soak up the mess. Blot the stained carpet until it is virtually dry. If in the unfortunate event, you find the stain too late and it’s already dried, you can re-wet the stain to clean more effectively.

a calico cat watching human clean carpet stain

If you like to clean using natural household products, give white vinegar a try. Mix with warm water and spray on the stain.

The vinegar will also help neutralize the yucky smell. Let the vinegar solution sit on the stain for a few minutes. Blot the stain with a towel until it is gone.

Do you want an alternative to vinegar? Try using laundry detergent mixed with water instead. Use the same technique as the vinegar mixture, but rinse the stain with warm water after and then blot dry.

Coffee Stains

blonde woman in robe pouring coffee on to counter and missing her glass

A morning isn’t morning without your cup of Joe. But what do you do if you have a spill?

It happens all too often. In your still half-asleep stupor, you clumsily knock over your mug, creating a hard-to-remove stain right on your beautiful carpet.

Like with any stain, the first thing to do is to blot the stain to dry it up. Don’t rub or smear, just dab with a dry cloth.

To clean, try either a vinegar and water mixture or a laundry detergent and water mixture. Both solutions are gentle on your carpet but effective on those spills.

You can also try and use a store-bought carpet spray cleaner to try and remove the stain. Always do a spot-test first. Test the product on a hidden spot, such as in a closet, to make sure the carpet won’t discolor.

Blood Stains

young girl pointing to a band aid on her elbow

Did the kids’ roughhousing go too far, and now you have blood on your carpet? Or perhaps a wounded pet is responsible. Whatever the case, blood in your carpet can be a difficult stain to battle.

Just like treating laundry with bloodstains, use cold water instead of warm. Bloodstains might be one of the more stubborn stains to tackle, but there is hope.

Add about two teaspoons of dish soap to a spray bottle of cold water. Saturate the bloodstain and use a white towel to blot up the blood. Use cold water to rinse the spot and continue to repeat until the stain is no more.

Mystery Stains

Set-in stains can make your carpet look old and nasty. If your carpet has mystery stains throughout, several home remedies may be effective in removing them.

If you have these ugly spots on your carpet, invest in a stiff brush, and get to work getting rid of these unsightly stains.

Hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive possibility for removing set-in stains. Soak the stain with hydrogen peroxide, but only after testing on an out-of-sight area.

Once you soak the stain with peroxide, let it sit for fifteen minutes. Take your stiff brush and scrub gently to loosen the stain.

If you have a steam cleaner, feel free to use that to suck up the peroxide. If not, go back to the trusted blot method using towels.

Club soda is also a tried and true method for stain removal. If you like home remedies, you can use club soda to try and remove set-in stains. Club soda is a fantastic choice for laundry stains as well.

Let the Professionals Take Care of Your Carpet Woes

If you’re reading over this list thinking you’d prefer professionally cleaned carpets instead of working through your set-in stains, TLC Cleaning is ready to help.

Let us take the stress and time out of cleaning your carpets. You’ll enjoy a thoroughly clean home as well as extra time to relax, regroup, and live your life.

Don’t let household chores and stained carpet keep you from the things in your life that matter most.

Tags carpet care, carpet cleaning, floor care, floor cleaning, stains

Carpet Care Cleaning Tips Deep Cleaning Floor Care

How to Deep Clean Carpet and Upholstery the Right Way

Post author By Trisha Lake, Owner of TLC Cleaning
Post date September 13, 2018
No Comments on How to Deep Clean Carpet and Upholstery the Right Way

Deep cleaning your carpet and upholstery is a wise move. It helps keep your home clean, lengthens the life of your furniture and carpets, and prevents illnesses. Knowing how to deep clean carpet and upholstery the right way can avoid problems and help you get the job done right the first time.

Why Should You Deep Clean Your Carpet and Upholstery?

More often than not, it’s less expensive to regularly deep clean your carpet and upholstery, especially when compared to the cost of purchasing new carpet. When it comes to stains, germs, and allergens, a deep clean is usually the cost-effective way to go.

Most people search for deep cleaning solutions and ask about how to deep clean carpet and upholstery the right way after they have an existing problem caused by a spill. Pet, wine, and coffee stains are the most common culprits, but any substance can create a problem, even if you remove the stain on the surface.

Aside from getting rid of those visible, unsightly stains, there’s also the matter of what’s living in your carpets and on your upholstered furniture. Mold, dust mites, and bacteria inhabit your carpet, even if you and all your guests regularly remove their shoes.

All of these creepy crawlies are alive: and they can make you and your family sick. Mold is shown to cause and worsen autoimmune conditions. Salmonella is another culprit, which can result in inconvenient short-term illnesses (diarrhea and vomiting) as well as long-term complications, especially for kids and the elderly.

How Often Should You Deep Clean Your Upholstery and Carpets?

It varies depending upon your needs. If you have COPD, asthma, allergies, or autoimmune conditions, you’re likely to be more sensitive to unwanted materials on your carpets and furniture. If you have pets, kids, or many individuals in your business or home, you’ll need a more frequent clean just because there’s going to be more wear and tear.

For most structures, we recommend deep cleaning annually or twice per year. A good way to remember it: schedule your deep clean after an annual landmark, such as a birthday, anniversary, or holiday. If you do big holiday parties, a post-holiday deep clean makes a lot of sense because the spill, germ, and grime levels will be high, especially during flu season.

Highly trafficked offices require closer attention, as more people occupy the space. A clean environment can result in fewer employee illnesses and absences and can keep employee morale high. After all, everyone enjoys a clean workspace—and your customers will appreciate it, too.

How to Deep Clean a Carpet and How to Deep Clean a Couch

Before you begin, make sure you pick up any objects in the way. This includes moving furniture around as you go—you’ll want to make sure you cover the entire carpet because germs and other creepy crawlies can live anywhere. Take care moving furniture—especially those heavy office desks. You may benefit from using furniture sliders or aluminum foil under furniture feet.

Before you do your deep clean, vacuum your carpet and furniture as you usually do. This helps pull some of that dirt and dust up and provides a good preliminary base for the deep clean. As you go, look for stains you might not have spotted before, so you know to concentrate on them when it’s time for the deep clean.

Pre-treat the stains. We recommend eco-friendly cleaning products, especially if you’re in an office setting and are unaware of everyone’s allergies. Note that each type of upholstery and carpet has different cleaning instructions, so be sure to find out what works best for that material.

For your sofa, in particular, consider an additional pre-treatment of baking soda. Those upholstery fabrics are a bit more sensitive than carpets, and this will provide some extra freshness before you begin. Again, upholstery cleaning varies heavily based upon the fabric. Some are no-suds projects. If it has an “X” on the tag, that means vacuum only. If you can use gentle soap on it, dish soap may work:

Suction (with vacuum)
Spot removal (with dish soap)
Sudsing (if possible)

Purchase or rent a carpet cleaner. It must have a steam cleaning ability. Transport the cleaner to your desired location before filling it with water, as adding the water makes it very heavy. If you’re treating both carpet and upholstery, make sure you get a machine that does both (or acquire two separate machines).

Add the recommended amount of water to the machine. If you rent a cleaner, you’ll have to buy the cleaning solution. Hopefully, the store you rent it from (Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other home improvement stores rent them) will recommend something, but if not, you can find it next to other cleaners in Walmart.

Fill the machine before you plug the machine in. Once it’s filled, plug it in.

Beginning away from the door, find a stubborn stain and clean it as a test. Make sure the machine is effective before you proceed. Once complete, you’ll want to be at the door or the exit of the room, so you can leave with the vacuum without walking over your clean carpet.

Let your office or home dry by opening the windows and using fans. Keep employees, customers, kids, and pets away from the carpet and upholstery while it dries. Make sure you ask the rental place or the local water treatment facility about disposing of the chemical-infused water; different areas have different laws.

Don’t Want To Tackle That Deep Clean Yourself?

It’s a big chore, and we don’t blame you. If you’d rather not rent and haul cleaning equipment or spend the time learning how to do this, we’re here to help. Save time and improve the cleanliness of your business or home with the help of TLC cleaning. Got a busy store, office, or other business? Based on the type of business and amount of foot traffic you get, we’ll help you determine how often you need a deep cleaning–and we’ll put together a schedule with you. Call us today to get started.

Tags carpet care, carpet cleaning, floor care, upholstery cleaning

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