Carpet Burns: The Aftermath
Carpet burns, whether from a cigarette, fireplace embers, or a knocked-over clothes iron, are something that a homeowner is best-served remedying via the experienced carpet repair services of A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Even small burns that appear easy enough to fix on your own can pose problems if you lack the right tools and knowledge. Fixing Small Burns, Option One Small burns, depending on the heat of the burn and the object/substance that caused the burn, can be tricky even for a local carpet repair company. Assuming a straightforward small burn, i.e. from a curling iron, our carpet experts establish the burn’s dimensions and then use a special tool to carefully remove the burnt part of the carpet. When this is done, we visit the nearest wall or out-of-the-way spot in the affected room (i.e. a closet), and snip away as many carpet fibers as we need to fill in the space left by the burned area. Then, using a professional-grade glue, these fibers are adhered to the carpet in a quantity and density sufficient to make the burn appear like it never happened. Fixing Small Burns, Option Two Another effective way with which we address small burns, especially those caused by a cigarette or cigar ash, is to first utilize a premium sandpaper to sand away all visible burn marks. The mention of “sanding” conjures up in some people a notion of harshness, but rest assured our team has plenty of experience in this area, and we use a quality of sandpaper renowned for its ability to remove burn marks without damaging the carpet. In fact, this is one example of many for why you should hire a professional instead of going the DIY route: too much is left to chance, even if you consider yourself particularly handy. After sanding away the burn marks, we vacuum up any left-behind residue. Once this is done, we’ll take the same steps as in option one and cut away any remaining black fibers. In the even that there are scorch marks still visible, we’ll employ a premium-grade solution to the carpet – one that is very effective at removing signs of scorching, without damaging your carpet. This solution is blotted onto the affected area, then rinsed and allowed to dry completely. The final step here is the same as in option one: gather matching carpet fibers from other parts of the room and fill the vacated space with clean, healthy fibers. Fixing Large Burns Large burns are addressed on a case-by-case basis, but our approach is generally the same as for smaller burns. However, large-burn remedies involve the careful cutting and removal of the burnt piece of carpet, followed by the delicate act of installing and adhering a fresh piece of carpet to take its place. The new piece of carpet must resemble as close as possible the burnt piece, and great care is taken by our professionals to ensure a seamless fit in terms of color, fiber direction, and pile density. Burnt Carpet? Contact Our Carpet Experts For more than 30 years, our local carpet cleaning company has assisted Englewood and Denver homeowners with all manner of carpet cleaning and repair needs. No job is too big or too small, so contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning today for a free quote and impeccable service. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
What Stains Are Going To Stick Around?
Some stains are candidates for DIY removal, while others will require the expertise of our professional carpet cleaning company to ensure they don’t stick around forever. Which stains fall into this second category? A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning discusses the worst offenders. Ink Most of us, at some point in our lives, have gotten ink on our clothes. Not fun. Equally annoying is when ink gets on the carpet. Not only is it one of the hardest-to-remove stains, it can also destroy your carpet if it isn’t dealt with promptly – and more importantly, thoroughly, because with ink, even a 95 percent success rate isn’t good enough. Bodily Fluids Another entry in the “Remember when…” file, bodily fluids – often in the form of human vomit or a pet’s accident – present a double-whammy of stain + odor. Many of our customers are familiar with the “baking soda stopgap” that helps remove moisture and abate the smell, but fully removing a vomit or excrement stain requires a professional’s steady hand. Blood Stains While we’re on the subject of stains that sometimes churn the stomach, blood stains certainly fall into this category. And not only are they unseemly, they’re virtually impossible to remove without an expert’s help. Similar to juice, blood quickly soaks into the carpet/carpet fibers and leaves a dark stain, no matter how many off-the-shelf products your throw at it. The best you can do is to try and remove as much blood as possible from the carpet’s surface before calling our local carpet cleaners. Grape Juice & Wine Combining these two because grapes are of course the key ingredient in wine, and both are equally diabolical when spilled on carpet. This is the substance that gets most of the publicity in terms of which stains are the hardest to remove, and for good reason: like blood, but faster-moving because it isn’t as thick, wine/grape juice spills often lead to permanent damage if a professional isn’t called in immediately. The liquid’s red/purple colors quickly overtake carpet fibers, and hydrogen peroxide (which most people don’t have under their sink) is really the only substance that can at least slow the stain’s progress. But by no means is it a cure, which is something only a professional team like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning can provide. Coffee It’s too bad that coffee has to be on this list, since for many people it’s a daily staple that’s tasty and a great pick-me-up. Alas, coffee’s high acidity facilitates the yellowish-brown stains that result when java is spilled on a carpet – and this acidity is a big reason why coffee is prone to staining quickly and permanently. A mixture of dishwasher detergent and vinegar can function as a temporary deterrent, but one that will require the support of our professional cleaning tools. Contact The Carpet Lifesaver If you’ve searched online for a “carpet cleaning service near me”, no doubt you’ve seen A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning atop the list. Contact us today, whether you have a stain that needs tending to, or for helpful tips on controlling a spill until we arrive. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Your Pre-Carpet Cleaning Checklist
When you hire A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning to handle all of your carpet cleaning services, you benefit from the many years of experience possessed by our Englewood carpet cleaners. Before we visit your home, here’s a helpful “pre-carpet cleaning” checklist of things to do. Scheduling Make sure to schedule your carpet cleaning for a day that you won’t need access to the room(s) we’re working on. Once we’ve finished, the carpets will require at least 3 – 4 hours of drying time, so it’s best to assume that the “affected” rooms won’t be usable for most of the day. Any Special Furniture Requirements? Let us know ahead of time if we should be aware of any special requirements regarding your furniture, i.e. an end table with a loose top, or an entertainment console with wobbly legs. Vacuum It’s always a big help when a customer vacuums the carpet’s high-traffic areas before we arrive, as well as underneath any furniture to be moved. If vacuuming under the furniture requires you to move it, please either return it to its original position or remove it from the area entirely. This ensures that we don’t miss any spots around the furniture. If you decide to leave the furniture in its place, we’ll move it, clean the carpet underneath, and then replace it. Drapes/Skirting All drapes should be raised/pinned at least six inches above the carpet. The same goes for any upholstered furniture that may have skirting which touches the carpet. Furniture Should Be Item-Free In order for our carpet cleaning experts to work as efficiently as possible, we appreciate our clients removing all loose items from the furniture: floral displays, books, flatware, and any decorations. This pertains especially to any breakable items, since our team won’t move any furniture that contains fragile belongings. Remove Small, Lightweight Furniture If you want to speed up the cleaning process, an easy to do this is by moving any small, lightweight furniture off of the carpet. Potted plants, magazine racks, lamps, etc. that we don’t have to move and then replace only makes our job easier, and lowers the total cost. An FYI Regarding Things We Won’t Move For liability and safety reasons, we typically do not move any furniture that’s large and heavy. This includes TVs, curios, China cabinets, and electronics of any kind. If you simply leave these things in place, we’ll clean around them. Spots and Stains When we conduct a walkthrough with you prior to getting started with cleaning, please point out to us any spots or stains that require particular attention, i.e. a place where you’d like us to fix pet damage. It’s also a big help if you can confirm what caused the stain, so that we can address it appropriately and try to remove it for you. Pets We love pets, but there’s no doubt they’ll have a much more pleasant day if you keep them away from where we’re working. It gets noisy and there’s a lot of activity, and we certainly don’t want to frighten them. Get Clean Carpets Today Our carpet repair company has completed thousands of successful jobs in Littleton and Englewood. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to provide references, along with a free quote. You’re just a phone call away from getting clean carpets. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
How Do You Clean a Fabric Sofa?
Fabric sofas are comfortable and stylish, but they can be difficult to clean. And since plastic covers likely aren’t an option for you, here are some fabric sofa cleaning tips straight from the professional carpet cleaners at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Tip #1: Check The Cleaning Tag For many people, a piece of furniture’s cleaning tag barely registers on our radar until something bad happens. In this case, check your fabric sofa’s tag and you’ll see a series of useful letters. Here’s what they mean: W – The sofa’s material can be cleaned using water S – Water is prohibited. Instead, a special solvent-based cleaner must be used. WS – Water or a solvent-based cleaner are both ok for cleaning the sofa X – Vacuum only It’s important to follow the cleaning tag’s instructions to the letter. As innocent as water seems, using it on a fabric that expressly recommends a solvent-based cleaner could actually lead to a stain on the sofa. Yes, strange as it may seem, even water can stain certain fabrics/materials. Cleaning a Fabric Sofa Marked “W” or “WS” Here’s a good framework to follow when cleaning a sofa with tags confirming it’s W or WS-approved. Note that you’ll need three light-colored microfiber cloths to complete all of the following steps. Vacuum your couch and rid it of any dirt/debris that your cleaning might accidentally rub into the fabric Mix two cups of distilled water with 1tbsp of dishwashing liquid and 1tbsp of vinegar Dampen a microfiber cloth in this cleaning solution. Make sure that this cloth is light-colored so there’s no risk of it bleeding into your sofa fabric Using your cloth, gently blot (no rubbing or scrubbing) the stained area(s). Rubbing/scrubbing can cause fiber damage. Wet a second microfiber cloth with distilled water only, and blot the stain once more in order to remove any excess soap Use your third, 100% dry microfiber cloth to blot the area one last time Point a fan at the cleaned area and wait until the fabric dries completely Another Option: Steam Cleaning If your fabric sofa is W or WS-approved, steam-cleaning could be an alternative to the “dab and blot” scenario. Consult the manufacturer’s instruction booklet (if you don’t have the hard copy, you can probably find an online version) to confirm that steam cleaning is ok. Some fabric sofas are amenable to water and solvents, but aren’t designed to withstand heat. For extra peace of mind, steam-clean a small, out-of-the-way segment of sofa and see whether the cleaner causes any damage. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding what setting your steam cleaner should be set at. You should also: Steam-clean your couch on a nice day so that you can open the windows and expedite the drying process Vacuum the sofa first and remove all dirt/debris If your steam cleaner uses microfiber cloths to assist with debris pickup, make sure to change these out as you clean. This will optimize the amount of dirt the cleaner grabs. When you’re finished, position a fan on the affected area until 100% dry The Preferred Professional Carpet Cleaners In Englewood Whether you have furniture, carpet, or drapes that require professional care, A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning answers the call. Along with our expertise in upholstery cleaning, we offer decades of experience with pet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, and much more. Contact us today for a free quote. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Nine Carpet Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid
When you search online in Littleton for “carpet cleaners near me“, you’ll find A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning at the top of the list. That’s because thousands of local homeowners trust us to keep their carpets clean and healthy. We also know all about the mistakes that can happen when people try to DIY their own carpet cleaning. Here are nine of the most common. Using The Wrong Spray Cleaner Some organic spray cleaners are effective in combating stains, but the majority of store-bought household cleaning products are bad news. These items contain bleach and caustic chemicals that will ruin and permanently discolor your carpeting. Trusting a Rented Carpet Cleaner Every homeowner wants to save money wherever they can, including on their cleaning needs. However, it’s a bad idea to rent a carpet cleaning machine from a local store and expect it to work wonders. These cleaners aren’t always serviced regularly, which means that the last two renters’ dirt might soon be in your home. Clogs and internal damage are also common, compromising the machine’s efficiency. Many people who go this route end up dissatisfied, and want their carpets professionally cleaned. Not Removing Stains Promptly All stains require prompt attention, especially from acidic liquids like coffee, pop, and red wine. But the longer you wait to act, the more likely it is for the stain to become permanent, or at best be a real bear to remove. Also, some substances will stain the carpet and erode the carpets fibers. Misusing Carpet Deodorizer A common misconception is that carpet deodorizer powder can help remove a stain and clean up dirt. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do either. Even worse, a standard vacuum struggles to collect this powder, meaning it will accrue in the carpet until it’s professionally removed. Over-Shampooing It makes sense that a novice carpet cleaner would err on the side of caution when shampooing his carpet. However, too much shampoo leaves a build-up of soapy residue that’s extremely difficult to wash away and whose sticky texture attracts dirt like a magnet. Over-Wetting Often going hand-in-hand with over-shampooing, using too much water when cleaning a carpet will result in water soaking through the fibers and the pad, and into the backing. This raises the possibility of mold/mildew problems in the carpet, and in some cases will cause the carpet to shrink and pull its backing free from the floor. Replacing Furniture Before The Carpet Dries Even if you’ve done everything else right, a DIY carpet cleaning job can still come undone when furniture is put back in place before the carpet dries. Many wood furniture items contain dyes that will stain a wet surface. Also, furniture with metal/partially metal feet can leave a rust stain in the carpet. Ignoring Routine Vacuuming Carpet should be vacuumed at least once a week, and more frequently depending on pets/kids. Not sticking to a weekly vacuuming routine gives dirt, dander, and other material to get comfortable in your carpet, where it will begin eroding the fibers. Avoiding Professional Carpet Cleaning Carpet should be professionally cleaned at least once a year, or more frequently depending on how many pets and/or kids live in the house. Not hiring a professional cleaner might save money in the short-term, but the long-term risks outweigh any savings. Make The Right Call and Hire a Pro New carpet can cost thousands of dollars and cause big inconveniences. Don’t roll the dice and risk DIY mistakes – instead, contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning and utilize the carpet cleaning services of an experienced professional. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
How Often Should You Have Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned?
It’s one of the most common questions we get from our customers: “How often should I have my carpets professionally cleaned?” So it makes sense for A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning to cover this topic in a blog. Read on to learn how frequently you should engage the services of our professional carpet cleaners for a general cleaning. Check Your Carpet Warranty If your carpet came with a warranty and you want to keep it valid, take it out and review the fine print. Most carpet manufacturers’ warranties stipulate that the carpet should be cleaned once a year. Note: the language in the warranty might refer to a carpet cleaning/professional steam cleaning as a “hot water extraction”. If your carpet did not come with a warranty, then it’s up to you to decide how often you’d like your carpets professionally cleaned. That said, we encourage you to contact our local carpet cleaners for an onsite consultation. Here are two key areas of consideration when evaluating how frequently you should engage our services. Foot Traffic The more people who live in your house, the greater the foot traffic your carpet endures. So when thinking about getting your carpets professionally cleaned, it goes without saying that a family of two or a person living alone won’t require carpet cleaning as often as a family of six. A home with low foot traffic typically requires professionally-cleaned carpets once every two years or more, depending on the type of carpet. On the flipside, a large family should consider hiring A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning every nine months, or more frequently if there are children in the house. Running, playing, and tracking in dirt, grass, and other stuff is grounds to pay closer attention to your carpet. Pets The presence of common indoor pets such as cats and dogs in most cases necessitates that a home’s carpets be professionally cleaned every 6 – 12 months. The more pets you have and the more your pets shed, the more frequently you should have us out for cleaning. Homes that are “potty training” pets should consider having the carpets cleaned at an even faster rate, at least until the pet is housebroken. Animals shed dander and fur that nestles into the carpet and destabilizes the fibers. It’s a good idea to vacuum regularly in order to keep the dander/fur from building up. You may need to vacuum three times a week just to keep up with your pet’s shedding, which is another reason why frequent professional carpet cleanings are essential. What Happens If I Don’t Have My Carpets Professionally Cleaned? If you don’t have your carpets professionally cleaned, the soil that accrues on your carpet will settle into the fibers. The more soil that integrates with the fibers, the higher the probability that your carpet will break down well before it should. This is because the soil takes on a quality not unlike sandpaper. It grinds way at the carpet fiber until the carpet is too weak to withstand foot traffic, leading to tears and holes. Littleton Trusts A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning For decades, Littleton and Denver homeowners have enlisted our professional carpet cleaning services to keep their homes clean and healthy. Call or email us today for a quote, and be sure to ask about our service specials. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
The Most Common Causes Of Carpet Damage
Everyone wants their carpet to last forever, but even the most durable products wear out eventually. Sometimes, damage can hasten the need for new carpet or carpet repair, and in this blog we look at the most common causes of carpet damage. Dirt Dirt, along with mud, grime, and general debris, is a big contributor to carpet damage. Dirt is a year-round problem, tracked in on shoes spring, summer, fall, and winter. Over time, dirt build-up will stain and discolor carpet, working its way into the fibers thanks to constant foot traffic. Ultimately, dirt is a prime reason why some carpet doesn’t last as long as it should. Spills A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning has helped a lot of customers in need of carpet and area rug repair because of a spill. Beverage spills, especially drinks with a high acid content like red wine, coffee, and soda, can permanently stain a carpet if they aren’t addressed immediately. Meanwhile, chemical spills (bleach, oil, etc.) can quickly discolor and/or damage carpet, creating a problem that can’t be fixed no matter what cleaning mixture is used. Homeowners have no choice other than to tolerate these kind of lasting stains and damage until they’re ready to install new carpet. Furniture The heavier the furniture, the more likely it is to cause long-term damage to your carpet’s back-weave and fibers. At best, a weighty dining room table will leave permanent dents in the carpet. At worst, heavy furniture will eventually bore holes in the carpet which sometimes can be remedied via patchwork or sewing. As long as the furniture remains in place, the hole is covered – but when you decide to rearrange the room or sell the house, the damage will require addressing. Foot Traffic Foot traffic is the bane of homeowners everywhere. And not matter how many times we tell people to take their shoes off, it’s certain that a carpet will endure wear and tear. How much wear and tear depends on the size of your family, the frequency with which you have guests over, etc. All shoes, even slippers, cause carpet to wear down over time: the worst culprits are dress shoes and high heels. Additionally, all of these feet/shoes track dirt, dust, and debris into your home, causing your carpet to wear out even faster. Odors The longer your carpet is exposed to a pungent odor, the greater the opportunity for the scent to work its way into your carpet. If you’ve ever been inside the home of a smoker or cat owner who doesn’t prioritize odor removal/air fresheners, you know what we’re talking about. If ignored long enough, these odors will become a permanent part of your flooring and remain as such until you replace the carpet. Pets Here we’re referring to common household pets like cats and dogs, who have a propensity for periodically scratching furiously at the carpet because of something they saw, heard, or smelled. Eventually this habit can lead to serious wear and tear, possibly resulting in rips and holes. Trust The Experts For all of your carpet repair and rug repair needs, trust A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Our many years of experience, coupled with our state-of-the-art cleaning tools, are a boon to homeowners throughout the Denver metro area. Call us today at (720) 344-2870 for your free quote and consultation. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Five Eco-Friendly Upholstery Cleaning Tips
Eco-friendly upholstery cleaning is something all homeowners are interested in, and it’s a service that A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning provides to its customers. If you’re looking for reasons why a “green” approach to your furniture is the way to go, here are five tips to consider. Weekly Vacuuming Dust is ubiquitous in every home, and dirt and debris aren’t far behind, especially if you have kids. These materials enter your house every time someone comes in from outside and each time a door or window is open, even for a brief moment. Left unattended, dust and the like can become ingrained in your upholstery and prove difficult to remove. Get the upper hand in this perpetual fight by vacuuming your upholstery once a week at minimum, and 2 – 3 times for furniture that sees a high amount of usage, or is located close to a window/door. Defeat Spills Promptly Spills don’t require toxic chemicals for removal, as long as you deal with them right after they happen. First, dab the spill and remove any excess moisture from the couch cushion or chair arm where the spill happened. Then tackle the spill with water and hand soap – or, if the spill is from something with a high acid content (i.e. red wine, juice, coffee), use a combination of cornstarch and salt. For spills that leave a bad smell, sprinkle some baking soda over the area, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then vacuum it up. If after all of your hard work there is still a stain left behind, try a combination consisting of one-part distilled white vinegar and three-parts water. This solution works well on most stains, and it’s a much greener, eco-friendly option than store-bought chemicals. Steam-Clean Without Detergent Assuming you’re vigilant with your weekly vacuuming, when it comes time to steam-cleaning your upholstery, you won’t need anything more than water. A steam cleaner heats water to a very high temperature, making it easy to loosen ground-in dirt and dust. Moreover, the hot steam kills bacteria thanks to temperature alone, so a chemical-based detergent isn’t necessary. If you’re cleaning especially dusty/dirty upholstery, feel free to add some white vinegar to your steam cleaner’s water tank. The smell will disappear in less than 24 hours. Only Use Plant-Based Cleaning Products Even the most cleaning-focused homeowner should have some cleaning products on-hand in case of emergency – but instead of buying toxic products, opt for plant-based detergents instead. There are lots of effective green carpet-cleaning products on the market, so just read the label and confirm that yours are 100% organic. Work With The Pros As evidenced by the above, there’s plenty that homeowners can do on their own to ensure a clean house. However, it’s still a great idea to contract an upholstery cleaner serving Littleton once or twice a year for a professional cleaning. With our green products and decades of expertise, you’ll enjoy fresh, clean upholstery for a long time. Get Clean Today A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning is a local upholstery cleaner that also specializes in carpet repair, spot removal, and pet damage. Call us today at 720.344.2870 or use our online contact form to request your free estimate. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Are Your Carpets Making Your Allergies Worse?
Whereas wood floors and area rugs were the norm in the first half of the 20th century, a marked shift in tastes and costs has greatly increased the popularity of wall-to-wall carpeting in apartments and homes. Carpet is a great insulator and it cuts down on slips and falls, but it can also make allergies worse. Our Littleton, CO carpet cleaning company looks at how. Mold and Mildew Wherever there is unattended water or moisture in a home, mold or mildew is sure to follow. These allergens are equally amenable to growing upon wood and paper as they are in promulgating within a damp carpet or carpet pad. Mold and mildew allergies are two of the most common possessed by human beings, so if you’re wondering why your allergies are acting up while you’re sitting on your living room couch, the presence of mold and mildew could be the answer. If you’ve experienced flooding, a burst pipe, or the like, the affected area needs to be dried immediately before mold and mildew can set in. This is where the carpet cleaning services provided by A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning will really come in handy. Carpet Is an Allergen Trap The very nature of carpet makes it a natural trap for all sorts of allergens. Mold and mildew as mentioned above, but also pollen, pet dander, insect debris, and cigarette smoke. The level at which these things can become trapped in your carpet depend on the type of carpet you have and the thickness of the pile, but even the thinnest carpet contains fibers that accrue allergens. Over time, these substances can cause big problems for people with allergies, even if you vacuum frequently. If you suspect that your carpet is exacerbating the symptoms felt by your home’s allergy sufferers, we recommend contacting our local carpet cleaners and making an appointment for a professional steam clean. In fact, this is something we recommend our customers do at least once a year, regardless of whether allergies are involved. Dust Mites Dust is right up there with mold and mildew on the list of “most common allergies”. Dust is everywhere, and it’s especially prevalent in carpet. Of course, this creates the perfect breeding conditions for dust mites, which multiply quickly and can cause big problems for allergy sufferers. The longer you go without cleaning your carpet, the more likely it is that dust mites will become a major source of coughing and sneezing in your household. Tips For Keeping Allergens In Check Vacuum Regularly For households with pets or kids (and by extension, discernable high-traffic areas), we recommend vacuuming daily. Carpeted areas that see medium traffic should be vacuumed a couple of times a week, and even low-traffic zones require vacuuming at least once per week. Minimize Dirt Dirt is a carrier of allergens, and so the less dirt on your carpet, the better. Make sure you have doormats at each of your home’s entrances so people can wipe their shoes. Or even better, ask people to take their shoes off before walking on the carpet. Clean Non-Carpet Allergen Sources Along with maintaining a clean carpet, make sure to clean other allergen sources in your home: upholstery, drapes, blinds, and the like. Schedule a Professional Carpet Cleaning Carpet can be tough on allergy sufferers, but proper maintenance and cleaning go a long way towards alleviating many symptoms. Contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning and learn more about protecting your family’s health and well-being. Call us today at 720.344.2870 or use our online contact form to request your free estimate. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Tips for Sanitizing Used Furniture
Lots of people enjoy shopping for used furniture at estate sales and flea markets. After all, there are some great deals to be had. However, before you enjoy your latest find, you’ll want to sanitize it so that it’s free of any odors, bacteria, or allergens which could harm you or your family. Clean First – Then Bring Inside One of the most overlooked upholstery cleaning tips pertaining to used furniture is, “clean first – then bring inside”. We understand the excitement that comes from finding the perfect used couch or easy chair that finally ties your den together. However, temper your excitement long enough to keep the new furniture outside of your house until it’s cleaned. If you move it in too soon, you risk exposing your home environment to whatever might be lurking in the cushions, armrests, etc. If it’s nice outside, the experienced team at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Littleton recommends cleaning used furniture outdoors. After all, sunlight is good for killing certain germs. If the weather isn’t great, do your clean-up in the garage or a shed. You definitely want to avoid having the used furniture get wet before you clean it, since moisture exacerbates many bacteria and potential allergen issues. Disinfect Before addressing stains and odors, the first step when sanitizing used furniture is to disinfect the item. Addressing other issues before disinfecting leaves you open to the possibility that something harmful may be lingering while you’re preoccupied with a spot or a smell. The level at which you should disinfect your used furniture depends on the age of the item and whether anyone in your home has a lowered immune system, i.e. a baby or an elderly person. In this latter instance, you should consider contacting our upholstery cleaners serving Denver to ensure that your used furniture is 100% germ-free. If everyone in your household is healthy, there are specific used furniture cleaning products that we can recommend. Or, if the item is small and easy to clean, you could create your own blend of warm water and vinegar, and use it as a disinfectant. Deodorize Once your used furniture is thoroughly disinfected, you can move on odor removal. Not surprisingly, a musty or moldy scent is the most common odor associated with used furniture. These smells originate from moisture in wood or fabric. Sometimes the moisture is trapped in cracks and pockets, and other times it’s leftover from a time when the furniture accidentally got wet. Either way, for these types of smells we recommend covering the affected area with baking soda, letting it sit for an hour or two, and then cleaning it up. Where odor removal gets pricklier, and where you’ll want to enlist the services of A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, are when the odor is due to pet urine, spilled paint, and other more noxious substances. Stain Removal Minor stains can be removed with a combination of soap and water, or vinegar and water. Difficult stains may require stain removal products used by A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. In all cases, be sure to test the mixture/product in an out-of-the-way spot to ensure it doesn’t damage the furniture. Should you find yourself struggling to remove especially entrenched stains, don’t hesitate to contact our cleaning experts. Trust a Professional Cleaner In addition to providing furniture sanitization, our local cleaning company offers solutions for carpet repair, bed bug eradication, and tile/grout cleaning. Visit our cleaning services page to learn more about our expertise. Call us today at 720.344.2870 or use our online contact form to request your free estimate. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”