Repairing Pet Scratches on Upholstery
If you have a pet, chances are your favorite furball has shown a proclivity for scratching the upholstery in your home. A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Littleton offers some insight into how we repair these scratches to keep your furniture looking good. Assess the Extent of Damage Over time, small snags, nicks, and shredding can easily turn into full-blown tears and holes. And of course, the more your cat uses your furniture as its de facto scratching post, the faster the small problems will become big ones. Our local furniture repair team will assess the extent of damage to your furniture, noting the quantity of damaged areas and the severity of each. Option 1: Covering If the damage is not significant in terms of large holes and tears, but instead consists only of scratches, covering is the best option. Even if there are scratches on many parts of your couch or easy chair, covering is still more budget-friendly than reupholstering the damaged piece. The easiest solution, depending on the amount of area covered by scratching, is to conceal the damage with a pillow or throw. If the furniture is something slipcovered, i.e. a futon or sofa, we can apply an elasticized slipcover – or, we can cover the entire item with a fabric “cover” that gets tucked into the furniture’s crevices and is held in place with PVC piping or something similar. Another solution to consider, especially if the damage is restricted to a specific part of the furniture piece (armrest, leg, etc.), is reupholstering just that part of the item. If we were to go this route, we would use a contrasting color for the freshly upholstered section, since trying to match patterns/color is difficult with furniture. Option 2: Patching a Hole When patching a hole in upholstery, the approach taken by A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning is similar to our approach to patching carpet. Specifically, we’ll take a piece of fabric from an area on the item that is out of the way (invisible to the eye), and use this piece to patch the hole. The process requires a steady hand: first we’ll need to hold the torn area aside and put the patch underneath it, and right afterwards we’ll use pins to hold the patch in place. The next step is especially tricky, because it involves spreading fabric glue gently along the tear’s edges and atop the patch, and then affixing the patch to the torn area without dribbling glue on the fabric or causing air bubbles to form. When the glue is dry, which typically takes a few hours, we remove the pins and voila – the hole is “gone”. Option 3: Remedying a Rip Though less egregious than holes, rips are still unsightly and annoying. Our furniture repair experts in Littleton will remedy your upholstery rips with needle, thread, and a protective sealant. This last item is applied first, to the edges of the rip, to eliminate the chance of further ripping. When this is done, we pinch the two ripped edges together and stitch them up, being careful to first replace any filling that may have fallen out due to the rip. For more tips on upholstery cleaning and everything carpet-related – stretching, repair, cleaning, and more – contact our professional carpet cleaning company serving Denver. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Five Simple Upholstery Cleaning Tips
Tip #1: Know Your Upholstery Cleaning Codes Before you set out to clean your upholstery, it’s important to know the applicable upholstery cleaning codes. These codes are attached to every piece of furniture, and they offer direction regarding how each piece should be cleaned. There are three codes to be aware of: “W” means that the upholstery can be cleaned with a water-based cleaning product. “S” states that the cleaning product should be water-free: for example, a dry cleaning solvent. “X” confirms that the piece must be cleaned by a professional, lest you risk damaging the upholstery. Tip #2: Vacuuming Though it might seem strange at first glance, vacuuming your upholstery is a terrific idea for ensuring your upholstery always looks good. Vacuuming isn’t labor-intensive and it shouldn’t take too much time, and the reward is the removal of dust, dirt, allergens, bacteria, and microbes that naturally accumulate in places where people (and sometimes animals) are present. To ensure access to the folds, tight spots, and crevices inherent to most furniture, put an upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. And if you have a pet, consider purchasing pet hair-removal attachments that are specifically designed to deal with pet hair and dander. Tip #3: Blot Fresh Spills Immediately It’s a common belief that coffee, juice, and wine spills are unsalvageable. However, if you act quickly you can remove even these tough stains. The key is to blot the stain right after it happens. Wet some paper towels or a clean rag/cloth and begin blotting until the stain is saturated with water. Be careful not to scrub or rub the stain, since this will only enlarge it. Tip #4: Create Your Own Cleaning Mixture Sometimes the best solutions for easy, inexpensive upholstery cleaning are already in your home. Such is the case when you create your own cleaning mixture by using four-parts lukewarm water and one-part laundry detergent. After you’ve mixed these ingredients together in a bowl, test out the mixture on a hidden couch cushion or dining room chair stain. Just dip a sponge into the mixture and rub it into the stain. Wipe the spot and let it dry for a bit, and when you return to it check for any discoloration or damage. If everything looks good, your mixture is safe to use. In fact, you might find that this solution is just as effective as over-the-counter cleaning products. Tip #5: Salt, Baking Soda, and White Vinegar Baking soda is a very effective upholstery cleaner. Just mix it with cold water and you can conquer virtually any stain, especially one that’s new/relatively new. Meanwhile, a mixture of salt and cold water is great for combating red wine stains. As for white vinegar, consider it for stain elimination on your white upholstery. Call the Professionals Our professional carpet cleaners serving Denver are always ready to lend our customers a hand. Whether you’re seeking cleaning tips and advice, or require our expert services in carpet care, spot removal, tile/grout cleaning, and more, feel free to contact us today for insights and a free quote. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
How Often Should You Clean Your Furniture?
Keeping your furniture clean is important for maintaining its looks and longevity, as well as ensuring your couches and chairs don’t become havens for dust mites and allergens. So how often should you seek out professional upholstery cleaning near Littleton? Let’s discuss. How often should you clean your furniture? Although carpet, purely through its ubiquitousness in the home or office, gets more attention from a cleaning point of view, your furniture requires periodic cleaning too. Spots and stains caused by pets and children are a fact of life, as are the attraction of allergens and dust, and general soil buildup. The quantity of these issues, and other problems like fading, will vary depending on a piece of furniture’s placement and frequency of use. But rather than creating a “cleaning calendar” for each individual furniture item, you should have all of your furniture cleaned simultaneously. Our carpet cleaning experts suggest having your furniture professionally cleaned at least once a year, which is the same frequency at which you would have a pro clean your carpets. An annual deep-clean will keep your furniture clean and healthy, devoid of visible setbacks like stains, spots, and marks, and clear of invisible problems like allergens and microorganisms that can exacerbate the allergies and breathing problems suffered by family, friends, and co-workers. It’s also helpful to vacuum your furniture on a weekly or biweekly basis, but an annual deep clean should be conducted by professionals. What’s entailed in a furniture cleaning? Before we begin cleaning, we inspect each piece of furniture in your home or office and create a customized cleaning plan. Don’t worry about any unusual or exotic upholstery: our experienced cleaning pros are familiar with almost every upholstery type you can think of, including velvet, Jacquard, and Haitian cotton. In most cases, furniture upholstery is more delicate than carpet. Thus, furniture upholstery is more susceptible to damage and/or faded colors if the right approach isn’t used. Depending on the material, our professional furniture cleaners near Denver will either steam-clean your upholstery or use a special dry-cleaning solvent. In both cases, our #1 priority is to ensure the solution we use maintains your furniture’s look and feel while helping it to last longer. We don’t use any harsh chemicals, soaps, or solvents that leave behind a “sticky” feeling, and everything we utilize is healthy, so you needn’t worry about your kids or pets being around the furniture after it’s cleaned. Our cleaning methods are safe for the entire family, they dry fast, and they naturally resist re-soiling. And of course, we don’t use anything that could damage or discolor your furniture’s upholstery. Similar to having your carpet cleaned, an annual furniture clean will improve your home’s air quality. Allergens, mildew, and mold can affect furniture in the same manner that they do carpet, and these things are especially prevalent in furniture that sees a lot of use. Through deep-cleaning your furniture, these irritants are completely removed from cushions, lining, and fabric, thus maintaining fresh, healthy air throughout your home or office. For any questions regarding furniture cleaning and upholstery treatment, contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Littleton. We’re happy to visit your home or office, review your furniture cleaning needs, and provide you with a competitive quote. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Frequent Cleaning, Vacuuming, and Spot Cleaning Will Extend the Life of Your Carpets and Upholstery
If you have kids, pets, or a household full of people then you know how hard it is to keep on up cleaning! Maintaining and keeping a clean carpet is more than just cleaning and prolonging the life of the carpet; it’s about being healthy too! Did you know that allergens can get trapped and live in your carpet fibers? If you have just laid carpet then you are already aware of the expenses involved with doing so. A clean carpet will add value to the home if it is well maintained, and it will also help to protect your new carpet investment. Regular vacuuming and spot cleaning will also help keep odors to a minimum, and it will help to make a comfortable and allergen-free home for your friends and your family. How often should I deep clean my carpets? Make sure that you get a deep cleaning of the carpet at least every 6-12 months. To achieve a deep cleaning for your carpet, you’ll need to have it cleaned by a professional, such as A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Clean up spills as they happen Keep your eye out for spills and take care of them quickly to keep your carpet clean. For most stains, blotting it with water should do the trick. For tougher stains or stains that have been sitting, you can try a mixture of water and vinegar on the stain. Apply the mixture, let it sit for 1-2 minutes then blot it out. By taking immediate action you can prevent spills from becoming stains that leave you with a permanent stains, messes or odors. Vacuum regularly in between deep cleanings You should vacuum your carpets weekly. The best method for vacuuming is to go over the carpet in several different directions to allow the vacuum time to pick up all it can. High quality vacuums are the best for picking up the most dirt, dust, and pollen and you can find some more vacuuming tips here. Stop the dirt at the door Keep from tracking dirt, soil, and mud into your house by using a single entrance and remove your shoes at the door to keep most of the tracked soils off the surface of the carpet. Put entrance mats outside of your doors and make sure that anyone who enters your home use the mats to help get debris and dirt off of their shoes before they enter. You can also take off your shoes and request that guests do the same, prior to entering your home. Around 80% of the dirt that enters your home are dry. The remaining 20% are greases, oils, and starches. The dry soil types are easily removed by vacuuming. As long as they are removed on a regular basis, it will help to minimize the damage to the carpet. Protect your carpet and upholstery investment with a call to A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services today. We can’t wait to help you say goodbye to dirt, dust, soil and allergens! Call us today at 720-344-2870. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.” Refer a friend and receive a $25.00 gift certificate for your next cleaning.
Top Reasons to Clean Your Carpets Before the Holidays
The holidays are coming and will be here faster than you think! This brings parties, family, guests and more parties. You’ll want to have your carpets and upholstery cleaned to help remove dirt, stains, odors and germs from all your carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture. Fall Snow, Dirt and Mud Indoors Snow and slush means dirt and grime on your carpets and rugs! Help protect your investment by leaving your shoes at the door and asking your guests to do the same. This will help cut down on water, snow, slush or ice-melt being tracked indoors and onto your carpets. A Clean House and Healthy House Germs and bacteria, dust and pollen can accumulate in and under your carpets without regular maintenance. Consider removing your shoes at the door or leaving them outside on a mat just outside your door to help prevent these nasty bugs from being brought into your house. Regular maintenance is a must to keep your carpets, rugs and upholstery germ free! Consider vacuuming carpets and rugs on a regular basis to pick up dirt and debris and have a professional clean your carpets and rugs at least once every year. Protecting Your Investment Regular deep cleaning can increase the longevity of your carpets and rugs and help protect your investment for years to come. Cleaning up spills and stains as soon as they happen will make them easier to remove and more likely not to stain. Holiday Guests and Family You’ll want your carpets and upholstery to look amazing for your guests, plus a deep cleaning by a professional in the fall or winter will make your spring cleaning a breeze in 6 months! We are your Carpet Care Experts. 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.”
Protect Your Furniture Investment with Regular Cleaning
Aside from your home or your car, buying furniture may be one of the biggest investments you’ll make. You’ve found the perfect furniture for your home and invested the money to buy quality furniture, but that’s only one part of the equation. The other? Cleaning the upholstery on your furniture to help safeguard your investment and keep your furniture looking beautiful for years to come. Fabric / Upholstery Types Whether you’ve bought a new piece of furniture or you’re having an existing piece of furniture reupholstered, it’s important to consider fabric type and the amount of usage it will receive. For example, if you have small children or pets, it’s probably not a great idea to select a brocade or other richly decorated fabric as they are likely to wear with heavy use. It’s a much better bet to select a tightly woven fabric that will withstand the dust, grime, and friction of daily use. For well-used furniture such as loveseats and couches, it’s also a good idea to add a stain-resistant treatment to the fabric. While this treatment won’t make the pieces waterproof, it can help increase the longevity and beauty of the furniture. Furniture Care It’s important to clean or wipe up any spills or stains as soon as they occur. It’s much easier to remove a stain if you can get it as it occurs. Vacuuming your furniture and upholstery once per week will help prevent dirt and grime from building up between the fibers of the fabric, and can help extend the life of your upholstery. Turning the cushions on your couch once a week will help them retain their shape and wear evenly. You should also keep your upholstered furniture out of direct sunlight as the the ultraviolet rays from the sun can fade the colors of your furniture and cause the fabric to deteriorate prematurely. Professional Furniture Maintenance The final piece to safeguarding the investment you make in your upholstered furniture is to make sure to have it professionally cleaned once each year. Although it may be tempting to try upholstery cleaning yourself, resist the urge. Fabrics are generally labeled with “cleanability codes,” namely W, S, WS, and X. These codes relay information about the type of cleaning products that can be used on the fabric. However, if your sofa is covered in a microfiber fabric or leather then you should leave maintenance and cleaning to a microfiber sofa cleaning or leather furniture cleaning expert. We Are Your Expert Furniture Cleaners A Personal Touch prides itself on our upholstery cleaning services and network of furniture cleaning experts who will provide you with quality, affordable upholstery furniture cleaning. When you schedule an appointment for upholstery cleaning, you can expect one of our friendly Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) trained technicians will come to your home and inspect your furniture for potentially permanent stains or damage. We will typically vacuum the upholstery first then will perform the upholstery cleaning according to the fabric care specifications, and perhaps even speed drying time with a blow dryer. At the end of the process, our technician will talk to you about the cleaning and allow you to inspect their work. Remember, upholstery furniture cleaning helps preserve your investment. Relying on an expert will ensure that the upholstery in your home receives the care and maintenance it deserves. 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.”