Include Carpet Cleaning in Your Flood Cleanup Process
Although we’re in the midst of winter here in Colorado, spring will be here before you know it, and with it come spring rains and flooding. Flooding can be a devastating event for homeowners, causing extensive damage to floors, walls, and personal belongings. Flood Water Can Be Dangerous to Your Health It’s not just the water that’s a problem – flood water typically contains contaminants such as mold, bacteria, and sewage. These contaminants can spread quickly throughout your home and put people at risk of illness. According to the CDC, contact with flood water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, rashes, and a number of other health problems. If you experience flooding in your home that results in waterlogged, dirty carpeting, you may be tempted to just throw it out and purchase new carpeting to replace it. That can be an expensive option, however, not to mention time-consuming. Having your carpet professionally cleaned instead can actually be an effective way to restore your carpeting after a flood. Professional carpet cleaning can remove the contaminants found in flood water and restore your carpets to a safe, clean, and healthy condition. Our technicians are trained and certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification), a non-profit organization that sets standards for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration industries. They are able to identify contaminants resulting from flooding and then remove them using our truck-mounted, steam-powered cleaning machines. In addition to removing contaminants, professional carpet cleaning can also restore the look and feel of your carpet. Flood water can leave carpets looking dull, but a thorough cleaning can help restore the color and vibrancy. Your carpets will look as good as new! Carpet Cleaning Is Just One Step in the Flood Cleanup Process While carpet cleaning can help restore your carpets following a flood, it’s only one part of the flood cleanup and restoration process. It’s essential to take steps to remove any standing water and dry out all affected areas as soon as possible after a flood; this will help reduce property damage and prevent mold from growing and spreading throughout the home. A sump pump will help get any standing water out of your home, as will a wet/dry vacuum. You’ll also need to disinfect any surface that has come into contact with flood water, as well as dehumidify your basement or crawl space. It may be a good idea to contact a restoration services company to help you get your home back in order after a flooding event. Once the area is properly drained and dried, then you’ll be ready to have your carpets professionally cleaned. At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services, we have experience in cleaning and restoring carpeting that has been affected by flooding. Save time and money, and let us make your carpets fresh and clean once again! By investing in professional carpet cleaning from A Personal Touch during the flood cleanup process, you can help protect your family’s health and keep your carpets looking beautiful for years to come. Contact us today! Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!
Are Your Carpets Making You Sick?
Carpets can make a home look beautiful and feel welcoming – after all, who doesn’t love to take their shoes off and let their feet sink into a warm, cozy carpet? If they’re not being kept clean, however, your carpets can make you sick by trapping a variety of contaminants that can lead to allergies and other illnesses. Contaminants You Can See… Carpet fibers can trap dirt, mud, pollen and other contaminants from outdoors that can cause allergies. Heavy foot traffic can grind the soil deep into the carpeting, making it extremely difficult to remove no matter how often you vacuum. Pollen can be especially troublesome during certain seasons of the year, and it can trigger asthma symptoms, as well. This is why professional carpet cleaning is a must if you suffer from allergies or asthma! Moisture is another issue that can cause problems with maintaining a healthy indoor environment. If your carpets get wet and don’t dry quickly enough (or at all), the remaining moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow. Mold and mildew release spores which can be inhaled, often triggering allergic reactions. Symptoms may include excessive coughing and sneezing, or even eye irritation and difficulty in breathing. This is why it’s so important to blot and dry any spills on your carpets – you definitely don’t want mold and mildew to get a foothold! …And Those You Can’t Dust mites are also an issue when it comes to keeping your carpeting clean and healthy. What are dust mites, you ask? They are very small (too small to see with the naked eye), insect-like pests that feed on dead human skin cells and prefer warm, humid environments. The protein-based allergens they produce can trigger mild to severe allergic symptoms and can be responsible for asthma attacks. Dust mite allergens don’t typically stay in the air – instead, they settle within dust or fabrics. Common places for dust mite allergens to hang out include mattresses, bedding, curtains, upholstered furniture – and carpeting. If you’re at all concerned about dust mites, regular carpet cleaning (beyond vacuuming) is a must! Dust mites aren’t the only contaminants that you can’t see that may be hiding in your carpets – germs, bacteria, and viruses can all become trapped in carpet fibers. Breathe them in, and you could become sick from any number of diseases before you know it! Eliminate All Kinds of Contaminants from Your Carpets with Professional Cleaning There’s no doubt about it – if you want to stay healthy, you need to have your carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year, or even more often if you have asthma or other respiratory problems, or are prone to allergies. At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services, we use a powerful truck-mounted steam cleaning system that can rid your carpets of all kinds of dirt, dust, and contaminants. The steam used is heated to 230 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to kill 98% of the germs, bacteria, and viruses hiding in your carpets. Professional carpet cleaning can make all the difference when it comes to improving indoor air quality. You can literally breathe easier knowing that your carpets are deep-down clean, fresh and free of contaminants. If you’re in the Littleton or Denver area and it’s been more than a year since your carpets were professionally cleaned, call us today – your health depends on it! Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!
Banish mold and mildew with regular tile and grout cleaning
Is your bathroom or kitchen a science experiment? When you take a bath or shower can you see blooms of orange around your shower pan or constellations of dark, fuzzy spots on the ceiling? Has your kitchen or another room in your home started to smell musty? Visible signs and tangible smells are good indicators that you have a mold or mildew issue in your home. What’s the difference between mold and mildew? The terms “mold” and “mildew” are often linked together much like “love” and “marriage” (and “horse” and “carriage”). But, which one is which? According to the Environmental Protection Association (EPA), “Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit. Molds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments, called hyphae. Molds can thrive on any organic matter, including clothing, leather, paper, and the ceilings, walls and floors of homes with moisture management problems. Mildew often lives on shower walls, windowsills, and other places where moisture levels are high. There are many species of molds. In unaired places, such as basements, they can produce a strong musty odor.” No matter what kind of mold or mildew you have, the results can be unsightly. Mold and mildew can also cause health problems in at-risk individuals such as people with asthma. Disappointed with at-home grout cleaning? So, yes, the dirty little secret is out. Many of us have showers that don’t get properly ventilated and kitchen backsplashes that need lots of help. What to do? It’s hard to invite someone into your home to witness that mess, right? You may have tried to fix it yourself. Who hasn’t scoured the internet for ways to eliminate mold from drywall, tile or grout? You may have tried bleach to eliminate mold. Perhaps you’ve mixed vinegar and soda or employed borax with great hope? The problem is, scrubbing your shower with an old toothbrush can be gross. It also doesn’t work all that well or the results don’t last. It can be difficult to ask for help. Rest-assured that we’ve seen it all at A Personal Touch. We can clean your tile and grout in Denver with our proven process for a great price. We’ll apply commercial-grade grout and tile cleaner to your bathroom or kitchen tile areas. Our trained technicians will carefully scrub your tile and grout free of soap scum, water stains, mold and mildew. We’ll apply a top-notch sealant that will keep your grout from accumulating grime in the future. Professionally sealing your tile will make your tile easier to maintain. Want to beautify and safeguard your home? The best way to keep your bathrooms and kitchen areas looking and smelling their best is with regular tile maintenance. A Personal Touch can help remove set-in stains, persistent odors, grime, scum and mildew. We also restore marble and granite countertops. We recommend professional tile and grout cleaning once or twice per year depending on where your tile is located. Book a consultation with A Personal Touch today at 720-344-2870. We are happy to discuss your questions about tile or grout cleaning. Rather reach out online? Fill out our contact form for a free quote today. Source Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness | CDC
Why You Should Hire a Professional to Clean Your Tile Grout
On the surface, tile grout cleaning seems like a feasible DIY project. However, when you consider the time and expense involved, as well as the risk in causing permanent damage to bathroom walls and backsplashes, the smart play is to hire a professional like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Tile Grout Cleaning – Overview The difficulty associated with tile grout cleaning is two-fold. For one, the places in your home where tile grout is found, i.e. the kitchen and bathroom, are high-use areas. Here, tile grout is constantly exposed to water, soap, dirt, and foot traffic (the bathroom), as well as water combined with food splatter (the kitchen). Secondly, it is notoriously difficult to achieve full clean tile grout with traditional cleaning supplies, given the nature of the grout itself and the fact that long-term discolorations and stains become entrenched and virtually impossible to remove. Tile Grout Cleaning – The Solution When you hire a Denver-area professional cleaning company like A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, you benefit from decades of collective experience. This is important from a process standpoint, in that we have developed a tried and tested process to make our clients’ tile grout look brand-new again. Our experience is also vital in terms of the choice of cleaning supplies, some of which can be harmful if applied by an untrained person. Bring us on board and we’ll get started straight away by applying a top-quality commercial-grade grout and tile cleaner proven to remove even the most ground-in dirt, soap scum, and grime. Depending on how long it’s been since your tile grout was last cleaned, you may have also detected an unpleasant odor associated with the tiling. This is the product of the grout absorbing moisture over time, which ultimately results in the accumulation of mold and mildew – the things responsible for the bad smell. This fungi is not something you want in your home, for aesthetic as well as health reasons – but with our first-class cleaning services, you can expect the complete removal of mold and mildew, along with any associated stains. Our technicians don’t quit until your tile grouting has been thoroughly scrubbed and freed from any and all dirt, mold, and soap scum. Once we’re satisfied with the scrubbing portion of the cleaning process, we move on to phase two – the application of a top-rated sealant to the grout lines in your tile. This goes a long way to preventing stains, spills, and detritus from causing any problems in the future, and it’s an essential step towards maintaining the tile and the tile grout’s original color. Rest assured that whatever the level of cleaning required to make your tile grout shine again, we take great care to not damage the grout or surrounding tile in any way. Also, we’ll give you some tips for regular tile maintenance that goes a long way in the quest to keep your tile grout looking great. Contact Our Cleaning Experts Today Don’t let dirt, mold, and soap scum get the best of your kitchen and bathroom – contact the experts at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning and sign on for professional tile cleaning today. Whether you decide to get in touch online or over the phone, expect a free quote from our professional cleaning company in Englewood. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
Don’t Let The Cold Weather Ruin Your Carpets
There’s plenty to love about wintertime: skiing, sledding, and of course, the holidays. However, increased foot traffic and wintery ground conditions can put your carpet to the test. Stick to these carpet cleaning tips from A Personal Touch Cleaning in Littleton and expect a great-looking carpet all season long. Dirty Snow Stains Long ago, before the advent of cars, trucks, and general industry, snow remained more or less white. Nowadays, it’s only a matter of time before the snow that collects on your street and in your driveway acquires a “dirty” texture, which when tracked into a home can leave unsightly stains on the carpet. You can eliminate these by applying soapy water to the affected area, gently blotting over the stain until it disappears. Once it’s gone, you have two choices for removing any excess water: a dry white towel and a vacuum. Go with the latter option if there’s still some loose dirt around the area. Christmas Tree Care For many people, a Christmas tree is the item that ties an entire room together during the holidays. But before you can gather the family for decorating and sing-alongs, you need to get the tree into the house. Simply dragging the tree in is a no-go, since the tree is liable to pick up dirt and snow along the way, which is then deposited on your carpet. A sound solution is to wrap the tree in a plastic sheet from the time you purchase it until the minute you reach your front door. Remove the sheet (and the dirt, snow, and detritus that no doubt cling to it) and introduce your clean, fresh tree to the family. Another big tree-related to-do: waterproofing the area where the tree stand is placed. Make sure the stand doesn’t contact the carpet directly, or you could be left with an unsightly post-holiday dirt ring on the carpet. Another necessary precaution is to avoid overwatering the tree: too much dirty tree water is liable to spill over the edges of the waterproofed area. Humidity We know what you’re thinking: “In the dead of winter, why would I give a hoot about humidity?” A fair question, until you consider that all of the snow that gets tracked into your house doesn’t stay frozen. It melts, and the build-up of water will increase your home’s humidity level and create an environment that encourages mildew growth in your carpet. The solution is two-fold: keep the heat inside your home at the recommended level, and vacuum frequently so that moisture and dirt don’t have a chance to seep into your carpet. Shoes/Boots We know this is carpet care 101, but here’s a friendly reminder to put a snow rug just inside your door(s). Shoes and boots are by far the most common way that dirty snow is introduced into a home, but a combination of a snow rug/shoe rack/insistence that shoes aren’t allowed inside will be a big help in maintaining a clean carpet. Here To Help, All Winter Long If at any point this winter you a professional’s help with carpet cleaning or carpet repair, contact A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Having served Littleton for decades, across all four seasons, you’ll find our expertise is invaluable when it comes to cleaning and preserving your carpets. 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.”
Five Tips for Preventing Mold on Your Carpet
Mold is bad news, no matter where it is in your home. For most homeowners, a damp basement is prime suspect #1 when it comes to predicting where mold is most likely to take root, but carpets are close behind: reason being that carpets are havens for dirt and dust, two substances that mold thrives on. So how best to prevent your carpets from getting moldy? Here are five tips from the experts at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning in Littleton. Go Antimicrobial Antimicrobial carpet padding (aka “rubber-slab carpet padding”) is resistant to mold, bacteria, and other sinister substances. It’s pricier than standard carpet padding but provides a significant upside, especially if you live in a high-humidity area. When you’re ready to install new carpeting, we recommend going this route. Vacuum and Clean Your Carpets Regularly A little vacuuming goes a long way – especially if you get in the habit of regularly vacuuming your home’s carpet. When too much dirt and dust are allowed to collect on carpet, they’re better able to trap moisture amongst the carpet fibers. And moisture, as well all know, is a prime ingredient for mold. Along with vacuuming on a regular basis, stick to a periodic carpet cleaning schedule. And when you do have your carpets cleaned, employ a “dry form” of cleaning that allows you to reduce the amount of moisture the carpet is exposed to. Monitor Your Home’s Humidity Level Water might be the primary ingredient needed for mold to thrive, but heat and humidity are close behind. We recommend maintaining a sub-60% indoor humidity level, since this will hamper mold spore reproduction. The more humid an environment, the easier it is for these spores to spawn. If your town is notoriously high in humidity, thus making it almost impossible to keep your home’s humidity level below 60%, there are two things you can do: 1) always keep your home’s temperature below 80 degrees, and 2) use dehumidifiers in as many rooms as possible. No Standing Water One of the main reasons why mold is such a problem is the fact that it requires only a short amount of time (1 -2 days) and a small amount of water in which to grow. Therefore, regardless of how much standing water you may have in your home – ranging from a simple spill to flood damage – you should get rid of the standing water and dry the carpet as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget to check your carpet padding. Depending on the amount of standing water you incur, you may need to replace the carpet and padding to ensure your home is mold-free. Don’t Carpet High-humidity Areas This last tip is straightforward: avoid carpeting areas prone to standing water, i.e. your basement, bathrooms, and laundry room. Instead, tile these areas so mold can’t get comfortable. Find out why Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning is the choice for carpet cleaning services near Littleton. Contact us today for additional mold prevention tips, and to make a service appointment.