The Cleaning Blog
The Cleaning Blog is the most helpful carpet cleaning blog out there! We publish multiple entries per month to keep you up to date on the carpet cleaning industry and our expert advice!
At-Home Techniques to Help Keep Your Tile and Grout Shining Between Professional Cleaning
Your tiles might look great right after professional tile cleaning services, but eventually, they can start to lose that shine. Of course, any homeowner wants to keep both their tiles and the grout clean in between professional cleanings, so try these at-home techniques to prolong that shine.
Techniques to Keep Your Tile and Grout Shining
Classic Soap and Water
This is undoubtedly the most obvious option: a mixture of soap and water. Add some detergent into a bucket with warm water and mix it up. Once you’re ready, you’ll only need to dunk a mop in to start cleaning.
Just make sure that you wring out your mop before you begin and that you replace the water when it starts to look dirty so that you don’t wipe the dirt around. When you’re all finished, rinse off the floor with clean water.
Tile Cleaning Solutions
If you’re looking for something to help mop up stains, you might want to go beyond soap and water. Try baking soda then—just as long as you cut it with warm water. You’ll form a paste that goes over your tiles before you rinse with clean water. Make sure that you dry the tiles to remove any water.
What to Avoid
There are multiple types of tiles, which may benefit from various cleaners. That said, there’s one thing you should avoid with all tiles: acidic cleaners.
Many types of tiles can’t handle cleaning solutions with lemon and vinegar because the pH is too high. From marble to granite, you should be careful about using harsh cleaners that might discolor your tiles. Also, take a moment to check the brush you’re using if you’re scrubbing. A brush with bristles that are too harsh might scratch your tiles instead.
Grout Cleaning Solutions
You can also mop your grout while you’re mopping your tile, but you can do a more detailed clean with a homemade solution. Mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and some dishwashing soap before applying it to your grout.
As you might expect, there’s some scrubbing involved. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes for that cleaning solution to sink in before you scrub. Finally, do a rinse with water to finish up, and your grout should come out looking great.
Using a steam cleaner on your grout can help too. Scrub with a brush in a circular motion, and remember to dry your grout with a rag.
What to Avoid
When it comes to keeping your grout clean, you should avoid one thing in particular: bleach. Bleach can weaken your grout, making it more porous and ultimately making it look much dirtier than before. The chemicals in bleach may be too harsh for your tiles as well.
The Importance of Regular Cleaning
You don’t need to mop or scrub every week or even every other week. But there are simple things that you can do to keep your tile and grout clean.
Start by sweeping your floor to get rid of debris you’ve missed or to clear out dust. You’ll want to make sure that you wipe up spills right away, so they don’t have a chance to absorb into your grout—especially things that are acidic, like tomato sauce.
Conclusion
Don’t wait until you notice your tile and grout is dirty—instead, practice regular cleaning. Regular cleaning will go a long way in keeping your tiles and grout looking great. Now and again, do some deep cleaning in between your professional cleanings.
Do Carpet Cleaners Clean the Pad?
Everyone knows about the importance of cleaning carpets. However, not many people know about the carpet pad underneath. The pad is the material beneath the carpet that serves multiple functions such as providing cushion between feet and the floor, preventing the carpet from sliding across the floor, and ultimately prolonging the carpet’s lifespan.
During your professional carpet cleaning, you might wonder: do carpet cleaners clean the pad? Keep reading to find out.
Do Carpet Cleaners Clean the Pad?
The straightforward answer is: no, carpet cleaners do not clean the pad. In fact, they aim to avoid soaking the pad.
It’s essential first to understand that carpet fibers are unable to absorb too much liquid or moisture. You might not realize this, but most of the moisture goes right through into the padding underneath.
One major characteristic of carpet padding is that they are usually spongey in nature. This feature allows the padding to feel soft under the feet. However, this feature also makes paddings highly absorbent, which can be problematic. The padding acts like a sponge and quickly becomes saturated with the water.
It can be rather challenging to remove liquids that get into the padding. You can’t just assume that the liquid will evaporate from the padding because air circulation is lacking in the pad as it is sandwiched between the carpet and the floor.
Once the carpet padding is saturated, you can expect it to stay wet for a few days. In addition, the moisture that is retained in the carpet pad can potentially be a breeding point for mold.
Now that you understand more about the properties of carpet pads and how they work, you’d be able to see that it’s best to avoid saturating the carpet pad.
Our Carpet Cleaning Equipment
Our advanced vehicle-mounted carpet cleaning equipment can clean your carpets efficiently and powerfully. Rest assured that our cleaning process can penetrate the layers and deep rinse your carpet fibers, all without soaking your carpet backing. In addition, our equipment can control the amount of water and moisture, so your carpet pad doesn’t get affected.
After a professional clean, you’ll find that your carpet is deeply rinsed, but just feels damp when you touch it. With good water recovery, our equipment doesn’t leave a lot of moisture behind which means you can expect your carpet to dry in just a few short hours.
What Happens If My Carpet Pad is Stained or Has an Odor?
Pet owners often have issues with pet odor or urine staining their carpet and soaking through into the carpet padding. In extreme cases, it’s not unexpected for the urine to penetrate the padding onto the subfloor underneath. This creates a complex odor issue that spans several layers and cannot be easily removed.
The pet urine has to be neutralized layer by layer, and sometimes, a urine neutralizer might be applied onto the carpet. Unfortunately, in extreme cases, the carpet padding might have to be replaced. The subfloor may even have to be treated.
Conclusion
Carpets are expensive investments that have to be protected, and soaking the carpet pad is something you’d want to avoid. Call us today and trust us to clean your carpet the proper way. Our process powerfully removes dirt and gives a deep rinse, all while leaving your subfloor and carpet pad dry.
Cleaning Grease Off Your Tile Backsplash
Your tile backsplash is supposed to add a bit of charm and beauty to your kitchen. Unfortunately, it seems so easy for your backsplash to get dirty with all that cooking. Tile and grout cleaning is a chore that you’ll have to do at some point and while it’s easy to clean spilled water or food, grease is another story altogether.
Tips For Cleaning Grease Off Your Tile Backsplash
Grease can be challenging to clean as it’s resistant to many different cleaners. Fortunately, grease can be removed with a bit of work and the correct cleaning agent. To get you started, here are the top tips for cleaning grease off of your tile backsplash.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is a mild detergent that can be used to scrub away grease from a backsplash. To make a cleaning detergent, mix some baking soda with water to create a thick paste. It should be sticky enough to stay on your wall tiles for several minutes.
Once you’ve got your baking soda paste, rub it onto the grease and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When 10 minutes have passed, get a damp cloth to scrub the area with. Scrubbing the grease after letting it sit will further encourage it to come off. By the time you’ve gently scrubbed all the paste off, the grease should be gone too.
- Goo Gone
If you’ve tried a mild detergent and the grease is still on your backsplash, try a strong degreaser such as Goo Gone. It’s essential to test the degreaser on a small, unseen area of your tile before applying it to the greasy spot. There’s always the possibility that it will damage your backsplash, so you don’t want to test it in a visible area.
Once you’ve tested the degreaser and determined that it won’t harm your tile backsplash, follow the included instructions. When you’ve finished, be sure to rinse the remaining residue off entirely.
- Toothpaste
You probably won’t want to use your toothpaste (or toothbrush), but this is a great way to remove grease from the grout between your tiles.
Before using the toothpaste, clean the tiles with water. Once they’ve been rinsed off, get out your spare toothbrush and toothpaste. Be generous when squeezing toothpaste on the grout and tiles. Scrub with the toothbrush then rinse off with a clean rag.
- White Vinegar
You can use white vinegar as a spray detergent if you don’t want to use a chemical solution. Just spray it on the greasy area and let sit for around 5 minutes. After it has sat, you should be able to wipe away the grease with a warm cloth.
- Dishwashing Detergent
Sometimes, all you need is your trusty dishwashing liquid. By nature, your dishwashing detergent should be potent against grease. Place your sponge in warm water and squeeze out the excess. When it’s damp, put just a blob of dishwashing soap on it and put your sponge to work.
If the grease doesn’t come off easily, try letting the soap remain on the grease for a short time before scrubbing again. You can also use a brush to scrub out the grease.
Conclusion
Grease can be tricky to remove from your tile backsplash. Fortunately, many regular household items can be used to remove it. In addition, you don’t always need to buy the most potent degreaser that you can find.
Using one of the solutions above, you can lower the amount of chemicals used in your kitchen while still removing the grease stains. Just remember to test on a small, unseen portion of your tiles first, just to be safe and ensure that the cleaning method of your choice won’t damage your beautiful tile backsplash.
Tips on Preventing Mold and Mildew Buildup on Your Shower Tile and Grout
Every homeowner dreads mold and mildew. They aren’t a pleasant sight, especially as you may struggle with allergies or respiratory issues. The shower is where mold and mildew often grow so take note of these Port Orange tile and grout cleaning tips here to prevent these unsightly fungi from making an appearance in your home.
Tips on Preventing Mold and Mildew Buildup on Your Shower Tile and Grout
Mold likes warm, moist areas which is why your shower is the perfect breeding ground. You might see it on walls and ceilings, but you’ll especially see it in your shower tiles and on your grout. To prevent that, there are a couple of things you can do.
Ventilate
If your bathroom doesn’t have a vent, you should ventilate it in some other way. Keep a window open if possible, or open the door as soon as your shower is over to keep the cool air running into your bathroom.
Dry
It may seem like a hassle, but it’s good to use a cloth to quickly dry off your tiles after your shower. You’re not doing a time-consuming deep clean, but it will go a long way to keep those surfaces dry so that mold doesn’t have a chance to grow.
Shower Door
Whether you have an actual shower door or a shower curtain, it’s a good idea to keep it clean. Wipe down that shower curtain or that shower door to help them dry faster, and never leave them closed. Your goal is to ventilate the shower, so any door should always be open.
Hang Towels
This is a simple thing, but take a minute to hang your towels. Mold will stick to those towels quickly, so to prevent mold from even getting a foothold, just hang them up.
Spray Tiles
Take a minute to make or buy an anti-mold solution for the sake of your shower. Spray it along your tiles once a week to help keep mold away. If you would like to make your own solution, just mix equal parts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle.
Tips to Prevent Mildew on Your Shower Tile and Grout
Mildew might not be as scary as mold, but it’s not a walk in the park either. This fungus might appear on walls, tile, or grout, and can cause allergies and other problems.
Some of the mildew prevention tips are similar to mold prevention tips. For example, by leaving a window open or venting your bathroom when you shower or mopping up excess water. There are a few mildew-specific things you can do too.
Let In Light
Mildew loves dark places. One of the easiest things you can do is to let the shades up to let in light. You don’t need natural light either; just put your lights on a timer to keep fungus away.
Clean Shower Items
Take a minute to clean up the items around your shower too—don’t just focus on the shower and the tiles. Clean underneath shampoo bottles, make sure you clean your hand towels and replace your loofah. Mildew tends to hide in these types of places.
Seal Grout
You can seal your grout to prevent mold and mildew. Reseal your grout to prevent mildew by keeping the water out. An annual sealing will be enough to keep your home mildew-free.
Related Content >> Dan Dan the Carpet Man is one of the best tile and grout companies in Kissimmee
Conclusion
Mold and mildew are dangerous for any home. You don’t want to worry about potential issues caused by these fungi, so spend a little time preventing their growth with some simple measures. Something as simple as opening a window can do a lot for your home, so before you take your next shower, keep these tips in mind.
Do You Vacuum After Carpet Cleaning?
After hiring carpet cleaning professionals, many people wonder if they should vacuum their carpet after the session. In addition, most people are hesitant to touch their carpets since it’s now fresh and pristine. So, is vacuuming after carpet cleaning a good idea? We certainly do recommend it, and here’s why:
Only Vacuum a Dry Carpet
Before you start vacuuming, check that the carpet is 100% dry. This is a crucial step, and not waiting for a complete dry can cause an even bigger problem. This is because dirt from your vacuum cleaner can get stuck on the damp carpet, and a standard vacuum is just not designed to handle wet carpets.
If you vacuum a wet carpet, dirty water could enter the motor and cause damage to it. In severe cases where the carpet is too wet, you could even risk electrocution. Even in a mild scenario, you’d still end up with a soggy mess to deal with when you eventually empty the dust bag.
In general, vacuuming helps restore the carpet’s pile and removes any bits of dirt. The additional vacuuming can also help remove any cleaning residue that tends to dry and settle on the carpet surface.
Benefits Of Vacuuming Your Carpets After Cleaning
For starters, you can expect your carpet to look more uniform in appearance with the help of your vacuum cleaner. A professional clean may have left some minor patterns from the cleaning machine, and vacuuming can help remove these marks. In addition, vacuuming will restore your carpet pile to its fuller, fluffier original state.
Even for professional cleanings, there may be a slight chance of leaving behind cleaning residue. But, however minute the amount is, it is still not good to leave it lying around.
When dry, cleaning residue often presents itself as a flaky substance that needs to be removed. Running your vacuum over will help remove them to keep your carpets clean. The same applies to stubborn stains that can take a while to be removed. By going through the cycle of cleaning and vacuuming, there is a better chance of removing the stain in the long run.
It is also good to note that as a carpet dries after cleaning, dirt that has been embedded deep in the carpet may slowly surface. Vacuuming after the carpet is completely dry will guarantee that the last bit of dirt no longer plagues your carpet and maintains its level of cleanliness until the next deep clean session.
Conclusion
Ultimately, running your vacuum over your carpets after a professional deep clean is great but remember to do it only after your carpet is completely dry.
Vacuuming your carpet when it’s still damp could cause dirt to be transferred from your vacuum cleaner, so patience does pay off. Help your carpet look its best with this simple additional step, and you’ll get to enjoy a fresh, clean and fluffy carpet once again.
How Often Does Ductwork Need to be Cleaned?
You have to keep an eye on a lot when you own a home—and that includes your ductwork. This might not be something you think much about, but Orlando duct cleaning is an essential part of managing your air conditioning and will, therefore, keep your home cool and your energy bills lower. The real question is how often you need to clean your ducts and when you should start cleaning it.
How Often Does Ductwork Need to be Cleaned?
Realistically, you don’t need to clean your air ducts all that often—every 3 to 5 years will be enough. You might notice sooner than that if your air conditioning isn’t working well, though.
Other Factors
You’ll only need to clean your ductwork every three years at a minimum, but other factors can influence the condition of your ductwork. For example, if you live in an area with a lot of pollution or have a lot of people living in your home. More people will mean more dust in the air.
Those who live in a household with someone who smokes will also notice that you might need to clean your ductwork more quickly. Especially if you or someone in your home has allergies, preemptive cleaning is a great idea.
When You Should Clean Immediately
There are situations where you should clean your vents immediately, even if it’s been less than three years. This includes when you notice any dark stains or fuzzy particles around your vents. Those dark stains could be mold and can quickly form in places that have high humidity.
If there is mold, you may notice your allergies flaring up, or that many members in the household are coming down with a cold at the same time. In this case, it might be a good idea to clean your ducts earlier than three years.
Signs to Look Out For
If you’ve hit the three-year mark, you might be wondering if you can wait for five years instead. In that case, look for these signs to give you a good indication of when you should clean.
Visible Mold or Other Problems
As mentioned, if you see mold anywhere around your air ducts, that’s a sign that you need to clean your ductwork immediately. This can be dangerous to your family and manifest itself in allergies, colds, and other health issues.
The same goes for if you notice things like rodent droppings or hear movement through your vents. Any indication that you have vermin living in your vents means that you need to get that handled immediately since this can lead to illness.
A Warm House
You might notice that you need to set your air conditioning unit at a lower temperature to feel cooler. This is something you might not think about often, but it can indicate that you need to clean your ductwork. All you’re doing is losing energy with inefficient ducts at this point.
Rising Energy Bills
Take a look at your most recent energy bill. Is it higher than you expect? In that case, you might want to consider cleaning your ductwork, which will improve the air circulation in your home and therefore lower your energy bills at the same time.
Dust in the Air
It’s normal for there to be dust in the air, but you shouldn’t be living in a home with excessive amounts of dust in the air. If you notice many particles in the sunlight, this is an obvious and simple sign that you need some ductwork cleaning.
Conclusion
It’s not always obvious that your ductwork needs to be cleaned. There’s not always mold or rodents that you can see or hear, but there are signs that you need to be aware of if you want to improve your energy bills, health, and overall home. If you don’t notice many of these signs, try a routine cleaning every three to five years to keep everything reasonably clean.
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