Get Your Carpets Ready for the Holidays
It’s December, and the holidays are upon us! With the holiday season we welcome friends, family and guests of all shapes and sizes to our homes (along with a few furry friends, as well). Parties and get-togethers are a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays, but all that extra foot traffic can wreak havoc on your carpeting. So how can you protect your carpets this time of year? Here are a few suggestions. Remove Your Shoes Upon Entering Your Home Shoes can track in dust, dirt and debris from outdoors, all of which make your carpets look dirty and dingy. In our humble opinion, the number one way to keep your carpeting looking its best is to take off your shoes when you enter your home. Keeping shoes out of the house will prevent dirt and debris from accumulating in your carpets and getting into the carpet fibers. Shoes can also bring in pollen, bacteria, and germs from outdoors, which can aggravate asthma and other respiratory problems in some people. Taking off your shoes and wearing just socks (or going barefoot) may therefore help improve the quality of the air in your home and keep respiratory issues at bay. As a reminder to remove your shoes, keep a shoe rack near each door or entryway. Make sure your guests take off their shoes, as well. We suggest keeping several pairs of slippers available for your guests to wear when they visit if they don’t want to wear just socks. Vacuum Regularly Regular vacuuming will pick up larger dirt and debris, so be sure to do it at least once a week, or more often if your carpets get especially dirty from day to day. High traffic areas will probably need to be vacuumed more often. Oh, and while you have the vacuum cleaner out, don’t forget to vacuum the upholstery – you’ll want to make sure your furniture is clean and tidy for guests, as well. Cover High Traffic Areas Carpeting can become matted and less plush in high traffic areas, resulting in an old, tired look. You can place floor mats and rugs in these areas to prevent matting and help keep the carpeting from looking worn. Bonus: Using floor mats and rugs will also help dirt, debris and germs from getting ground into the carpet fibers in high traffic areas. Consider Using a Protective Spray A protective spray can help carpeting stay cleaner, brighter, and fresher by repelling soil and dirt. It’s best to apply the spray after a professional cleaning. The treatment will generally last about two or three years, after which it can be reapplied by a professional carpet cleaning company. Get Regular Professional Carpet Cleaning Speaking of carpet professionals, a professional cleaning will help your carpets look as good as new and ready to welcome guests into your home for the holidays! Here at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning Services, we pride ourselves on providing top-notch cleaning services – not only do we clean carpets, but we clean upholstery and area rugs, too. It’s not too late to get your carpets ready for the holidays – if you’re in the Denver/Littleton area, contact us today for a free written estimate!
Cleaning Carpets Yourself May Do More Damage
Carpeting is one of the most valuable assets in your home, adding beauty, warmth, and comfort to any room. However, it also takes a beating from spoils, pet accidents, dust, dirt tracked in from outdoors, and constant foot traffic. If your carpets are beginning to show their life with some wear and tear and dirt or grime, you’ve probably thought about cleaning them yourself. Maybe you’ve walked by the carpet cleaning machines in your local store, or seen commercials for them on TV, and thought to yourself, Why not just clean the carpeting myself with one of these machines? It’ll save me some money and get the carpeting just as clean as a professional cleaning will. Yes, it’s tempting to rent a carpet cleaning machine and do the job yourself in order to cut costs and not have to hassle with hiring a professional carpet cleaning company. But hold on – you may be doing more harm than good by taking the DIY option. Let’s take a closer look at carpet cleaning machines and what they can do to your carpets (and you!). The Downside of Carpet Cleaning Chemicals While you may think you are saving money by renting a carpet cleaning machine, keep in mind that you also have to buy the cleaning chemicals, which adds to the expense. If you have a large house with a lot of carpeting, that added cost can pile up fast! And have you ever thought about exactly what’s in those cleaning chemicals? The exact formula will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but carpet cleaning solutions generally contain solvents, surfactants, foaming or defoaming agents, optical brighteners, emulsifiers, dyes, fragrance, and a host of other ingredients that if not handled correctly may be hazardous to your health. If you or anyone else in your household has asthma, allergies, or other respiratory problems, these chemicals can irritate the lungs and cause breathing problems. DIY Carpet Cleaning Machines Can Damage Your Carpets, Too Let’s move on to how these carpet cleaning machines work and how that can affect your carpeting. Typically these machines saturate your carpet (and the padding beneath) with water and cleaning chemicals. If the carpet gets too wet, or the padding gets wet and cannot dry thoroughly, then you are at risk of mold and mildew. As with harsh chemicals, mold and mildew can cause breathing problems for those at risk. Not to mention the fact that walking on wet carpeting is not fun! Carpet cleaning machines also use brushes to agitate, brush and loosen dirt and stains, while their vacuum suction lifts it away. Depending on how the machine is used, the brushes could damage the carpet fibers. Professional Carpet Cleaning to the Rescue! Carpets can last as long as 20 to 25 years in good condition as long as they are maintained properly. Unfortunately, improperly cleaning them yourself can cause damage, and using unapproved cleaning methods can even void the warranty. That’s why it pays off in the long run to have your carpeting professionally cleaned. A pro will know how to properly clean and treat your carpets so that they will keep looking fresh and beautiful. At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, we use a powerful steam cleaning system that eliminates the need for extra chemicals, removes tough stains and odors, and leaves your carpets looking like new. We serve customers throughout the Denver, Colorado area and offer carpet repair, upholstery cleaning, and rug cleaning services, as well. If your carpet is showing its age, don’t be tempted to go the DIY route – contact us today for a professional carpet cleaning and let us bring your carpets back to life! Remember at A Personal Touch, we don’t cut corners, we clean them!
6 Tips on How to Protect Your Carpets During Fall
The end of summer is approaching fast – are you ready for fall? As we start spending more time indoors, it’s important to keep your home furnishings clean and ready to welcome visitors – and that includes your carpets. Here are 6 tips on how to protect your carpets during fall (and throughout the year). Keep Leaves and Debris Outdoors With autumn comes Halloween celebrations, beautiful displays of fall foliage… and leaves falling to the ground. They don’t stay on the ground, however; those leaves that don’t get raked up are often stirred up by the Chinook winds that blow through the Rockies. These winds can also whip up other debris, dirt, and germs that can get tracked into your home. You can reduce the amount of leaves and other debris that enters your home by sweeping outside around your entrances regularly. That way it won’t pile up and stick to the undersides of your shoes. You can also decrease the likelihood of tracking dirt, leaves and debris into your home by using a doormat. Put one at each entrance to your home, and be sure both you and your guests actually use them! Vacuum at Least Weekly Vacuuming at least once a week is key to making sure your carpets stay clean – if not done weekly, dirt and debris can end up being ground deep down into carpet fibers, shortening the life of your carpets. Try to vacuum your carpets daily, if at all possible, at least in high-traffic areas. Yes, it’s a pain to vacuum that often, but your carpets will thank you for it! Speaking of vacuuming, check your vacuum filter and bagless container regularly. Be sure to wipe them down, and if your vacuum uses bags, we recommend changing it every three months, or more often if your carpets and upholstery are especially dirty. Leave Your Shoes at the Door We can’t stress this enough – not wearing your outside shoes in the house is the number 1 way to keep your carpets clean! They track in leaves, mud, dirt and germs, so going barefoot or wearing socks or slippers indoors is the way to go. Make sure your guests remove their shoes at the door, as well. Afraid of shoe clutter? Use a shoe rack – it will also serve as a reminder for you, your family, and your guests to take off their shoes. Rotate Your Furniture High amounts of foot traffic can wear down carpets. Rearrange your furniture regularly to spare your carpets from the damaging effects of high-traffic areas. You’ll also ensure that your carpeting wears a bit more evenly. Clean Up Stains Quickly Colder weather brings hot coffee, pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate – stains from these and other food and beverages can be difficult to remove if left to sit too long. Be sure to clean up any spills as quickly as possible by blotting them and treating them. Baking soda can be used on many spills – you can also check out our spot removal tips for more information on how to treat common stains. Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned Annually Last, but certainly not least, you can protect your carpets during fall and beyond by getting them professionally cleaned at least once a year (more often if they get especially dirty). We provide professional carpet cleaning services throughout the Denver metro area, and our technicians will leave your carpets deep-down clean and fresh. The holidays will be here before you know it – schedule a professional carpet cleaning today, and your carpets will be ready to welcome family and friends to your home! 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!
Tips to keep your furniture and upholstery fresh
The sky is a brilliant blue. The fragrant lilacs and roses are in full bloom. You’ve cleaned the barbecue and restocked your ceramic briquettes or loaded up on conventional charcoal. You’ve worked hard on your yard or patio and want to host a barbecue or friend get-together and have the family over for dinner. It’s truly summer in Colorado! As you celebrate the bounty of our glorious state with gatherings, make sure the inside of your house looks and smells as good as the outside. Cushion patrol What do you usually do to usher in the freshness? Perhaps you air out the house, vacuum, dust, or give the windows a vinegar rinse? As you vacuum your floors, don’t forget to vacuum your upholstered furniture as well. Loads of odors and dirt can be trapped there. Remove cushions from couches and loveseats. As you do this, take note of which side of the cushion was facing up and what part of the couch or loveseat it occupied. We’ll circle back to this later. If it’s been awhile since you’ve cleaned the couch, have a small trash bag and box handy as you go. Place change, lost jewelry, socks (yes, sometimes that’s where they went!), and toys in the box. Throw away large food debris like popcorn and chips or wrappers in the bag. No shame! It happens to all of us. Vacuum underneath the cushions thoroughly. Next, vacuum the arms, back and sides of each piece of furniture. If you have a sofa bed, this might be a good time to vacuum the mattress and check to see if used sheets need to be replaced for the next guest. Vacuuming the throw pillows is a great idea too. Once everything is clean, vacuum and replace the cushions, making sure to flip them over and rotate their positions as you go. This will ensure more even furniture wear and tear and prevent the dreaded “sofa divot,” that deep, broken down spot on Uncle Larry’s couch where you can tell he sat for 23 years! If you have upholstered dining room chairs or easy chairs, don’t leave them out. Entertainment room leather chairs can also be a treasure trove of leftover snack crumbs and coins. Now that you’ve done your summer spruce up (it feels good, doesn’t it?), you’ve likely become more acquainted with your upholstered furniture. Did you notice a particular couch or chair was pretty dingy or dull? Did getting your face close to the recliner make you want to gag because of an unpleasant, uh, odor? If so, consider regular professional upholstery cleaning. Professional cleaning can remove layers of dirt and brighten used furniture. Regular upholstery cleaning can also protect your health and safeguard your family from molds, bacteria, fungi, pollen, pollutants and tobacco smoke residue. Professional upholstery cleaning can even extend the life of your furniture and keep it looking newer. Guest management Everything looks and smells great. Now you’re ready for the party, barbecue or book club. But what happens if Veronica decides to bring her beloved Schnauzer, Bowser, the night you are all supposed to discuss All the Light We Cannot See? Don’t let Bowser lounge on the sofa or the chairs you just cleaned. No. Down boy. Allowing pets on furniture, whether your own or Veronica’s, can further break down and soil your upholstery. The next time you host a barbecue and guests come in from the inevitable afternoon rain, make sure to clean up any spills that happen immediately. Blot the stain with a clean cloth, and if you’re not sure how to treat the particular stain, call A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. We can give you phone advice that might just save your favorite chair. Click here for more spot removal advice. Certain types of stains like red wine, blood and oil can require professional cleaning for removal. A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning services Parker, Castle Rock, Englewood, Littleton and more. We are happy to help with any kind of carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning and offer emergency stain advice. We have serviced the Denver metro area for more than 30 years. Several of our employees have worked with us for over a decade. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation.
Tips To Get Your Carpets and Wool Rugs Ready for Wedding and Summer Guests
The lovely month of June brings perfect weather to Colorado. It also ushers in wedding season and summer get-togethers with in-laws and outlaws. What can you do to make your wedding or special event memorable and minimize the effect of the big shindig on your house and floor coverings? March down the center aisle of this article with us and we will share a few tips for carpet and wool rug cleaning (cue Pachelbel’s Canon in D). Be firm and kind Many weddings include a reading from 1 Corinthians 13 that starts, “Love is patient, Love is kind.” Perhaps you have heard it? We all want to be kind to one another, but we don’t all share the same habits or concerns. That can lead to misunderstandings. Good communication can help all of us be more loving and patient because it makes expectations clear.Let your summer houseguests know how you would like your home and its environs treated. It’s easy for wedding and summer guests to unknowingly track mud, grass and dirt into your house from an outdoor party. So, be a good example. Remove your shoes in your house and ask your family members and guests to remove theirs too. Provide special mats, boot trays or a specific, obvious place to put shoes near your home’s entrances. If a bit of rain mars your event, be sure to have clean towels available for wiping off shoes or pet paws as well as a basket for towel disposal nearby. You’ll be glad you did. Consider pre- and post- event care Before your guests arrive, take a step back and examine your home. How will guests see your living room, dining room, kitchen and family room? Are the bedrooms inviting (if you plan to host overnight guests)? Do you detect any pet smells or cooking odors? Does your house need a good airing out? Could you make the windows sparkle with a good water and vinegar rinse? Do you see any spots on your rugs or carpeting? Vacuum all of your area rugs and your installed carpeting. Shake out kitchen and bathroom rugs. If you noticed stains on your carpeting or rugs, check manufacturer instructions and quick-clean spots with club soda, baking soda or other natural cleaners. Consider hiring professional carpet cleaners to deep clean your carpeting before and after your event. The pre-event cleaning will ensure your house is fresh and welcoming. Post-event carpet cleaning can help you recover from any mishaps and sanitize your home for your family’s comfort and safety once guests have departed. Think beyond the wall-to-wall Did you know, your local carpet cleaners, A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning included, offer many different cleaning services? We don’t just clean wall-to-wall or installed carpeting. We also clean wool rugs and area rugs! We use a RugBadger to vibrate dirt and solids trapped in your carpets’ fibers. This special tool helps us eliminate sand, dirt, allergens and dust from your precious rugs. According to This Old House, a respected home improvement franchise, wool rugs should be steam cleaned professionally at least once a year and deep stain removal is “best left up to the professionals.” Act quickly to prevent stains Spills and accidents should be treated immediately to preserve the beauty of your area rugs and carpeting. If a spill is large or one of your guests or pets gets sick (unfortunately, it happens), you can scrape away large bits with a spatula, then blot the stain with an absorbent cloth or paper towel. Specialized cleaners should be used with care and always tested on a tiny, unseen part of your carpeting or rug first. It may be best to clean spots with club soda and baking soda. Call APT for Help We can help you with all of your summer carpet cleaning needs from installed carpeting to the finest wool area rugs. Whether you live in Denver, Parker and Littleton, we can help you with your professional upholstery cleaning needs. We are glad to answer your carpet and area rug cleaning questions. We will give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation. Source http://www.thisoldhouse.com/cleaning/reviews/how-to-clean-a-wool-rug/
Bring Joy to Your Home with Professional Upholstery Cleaning
You may sit on your furniture every day and not really think about what it goes through. What if you were a couch or perhaps an easy chair? Put yourself in its, ah… armrests. Did you imagine, for just one moment, what a day-in-the-life of a couch might be like? Did you picture coffee spills, splattered yoghurt, popcorn showers, or puppy drool? Your upholstery is regularly subject to all of that and worse if you have a busy life and an energetic family. Summer pool parties, graduations, and birthday celebrations or that first backyard cookout to test grandpa’s secret Texas barbecue sauce: Each event brings friends, family members and a new onslaught of wear and tear to chairs, ottomans and couches. Pick up the Hoover As the first line of defense, we’ll remind you of an old adage: A vacuuming pass makes upholstery last! Don’t remember that saying? Well, honestly that’s because we just made it up. But, it is true. Vacuuming your chairs and couches keeps food and grit from being ground into the upholstery fibers. Consider vacuuming weekly or as often as your schedule allows. You can also remove dust and dirt from upholstered surfaces with a soft-bristled brush. When possible, consider turning and rotating your cushions to give the fabric a break as well. Treat that spill When they come from the factory, many upholstered furniture pieces have a protective coating. However, such protectants will only delay spills from being absorbed into your furniture, they don’t mean a spill will bounce off the couch like Elastigirl. If your overexcited teenager or enthusiastic friend flings soda, tea or chili all over your sectional sofa, it’s important to clean it up immediately. Blot the spill gently with a clean, folded towel. The blotting may help you remove the spill completely, if you do it quickly enough. Before spills happen, it’s good to check your furniture manufacturer’s care instructions. Do you need to use a water or a solvent based cleaner for stubborn stains? Many times, a mild cleaning product (test it first) can be applied in a circular motion with a soft brush to remove a spill. Vacuum the area when it is completely dry. If you need help, call your local carpet cleaning professional in Denver, Parker or Littleton. Schedule a steam cleaning Next, consider refreshing your furniture with a deep, professional upholstery cleaning. Truck-mounted steam cleaning can be like a face-lift for your furniture. Regular steam cleaning is just as important as consistent vacuuming. Upholstery cleaning with a truck-mounted steam cleaning system: Helps restore dulled colors to their original luster and resurrects flattened textures. Can eliminate odors from guests or pets who use couches or loveseats for sleeping. Aids in removing dust, dirt and germs trapped deep in your upholstery fibers. According to Statista.com, consumers spent $114.5 billion on bedding and furniture in 2019! Quite clearly, we invest so much in our homes because they are important to us. How important? In an April 2012 article “Why Our Homes Make Us Happy,” U.S. News and World Report said, “Humans, however, add layers of significance to home and place. Physical places endure while memories and people fade, so homes and neighborhoods become ‘memory machines’ that help us keep alive some of the strongest sources of what has given our lives meaning, well-being, and happiness.” It may seem dramatic to say your upholstery can affect how much you enjoy life, but it seems a clean, well-maintained home can make you, your guests and your loved ones feel better now and far into the future. Reach out to APT A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning’s technicians are thoroughly trained to care for many upholstery varieties. Whether you live in Denver, Parker and Littleton, we can help you with your professional upholstery cleaning needs. Reach out before birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, or if your house needs a good sprucing up. We are happy to answer any upholstery cleaning questions, or to give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation.
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
Winter weather: Don’t let snow and slush shorten the life of your carpet
Would you invite the Abominable Snowman or the carrot-nosed Olaf from the cartoon Frozen into your house for tea? Likely not. They’d make big messes on your floor. When you come into your house from the driveway in the winter, you may not be as chaotic as Olaf, but your shoes and boots will track water, slush and grit onto your floors or carpets. Protect your fibers The fibers in your carpet are sensitive. Salt, water and dirt from shoes get ground into carpet, especially during the winter months. As the water dries, chemicals from road treatment solutions can rise to the top and cause staining.2 In turn, sand and grit can fall down into your carpet and degrade your carpet fibers. If this goes on long enough, those fibers can be permanently stained. The backing that holds your carpet together can also be affected.1 What can you do? That ounce of prevention Well, first, it’s best to contain that mess before it starts. Ask your family and friends to take off their boots and shoes before they enter the house. Put a boot tray outside your most-used door to keep everything organized. That pet paw solution The weather recently got so cold in Colorado that many dog owners protected their pets’ paws with strap-on booties. While you may remove your dog’s booties before they come back indoors, you may not think to wipe off their feet every time they come in from the yard. Place towels by the door and make drying your pets’ paws a regular habit. That vacuuming routine In 2013, Electrolux (a major household appliance brand) conducted a global vacuuming survey. They asked 28,000 people from 23 countries how they felt about vacuuming.3 The company discovered several interesting tidbits: Koreans vacuum more often than anyone in the world; 29% vacuum at least once a day. Most people worldwide vacuum for less than an hour at a stretch. Thirty-eight percent of respondents vacuum in the morning; vacuuming in the evening is rare. Sixty-eight percent of respondents vacuum in casual outfits, 21% wear a track suit and 4% wear only their underwear. (If you must know, 2% reported vacuuming in their birthday suits.) Of the 18-30 year-old surveyed, 51% listen to music while vacuuming and 6% even dance, listen and vacuum at the same time. Whatever your habits while dragging your Dyson or Hoover across the floor, your carpet will stay younger longer if you vacuum regularly. You don’t need to vacuum several times a day (11% of Koreans surveyed do), but once a week will keep your house fresher and your carpet newer longer. That carpet cleaning schedule As careful as we try to be, our carpets still take a beating in the winter. The family cat might break away before you can clean her paws. Your toddler might squirm out of your arms and run across the carpet in his snow boots. You might knock your hot cocoa over with your elbow while solving the latest Wordle puzzle in front of the fire. A professional carpet cleaner can help you treat stains quickly with the right solution that won’t damage your carpets and area rugs. Regular professional cleaning (every 12 to 18 months) with high-temperature, truck-mounted steam cleaning equipment can lift grit from your carpets to prevent fiber staining. After the cleaning, your professional carpet cleaner can then apply a new coat of protectant to your carpet. Your partners in clean At A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning, we can help you keep your carpets fresh all year long. We are happy to answer any carpeting questions you might have and give you a free, written estimate without cost or obligation. Contact us at 720.344.2870 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation. Sources: https://jkcomplete.com/3-things-can-destroy-carpet-prevent-delamination/ https://www.angi.com/articles/road-salt-wrecks-carpet.htm Electrolux-Global-Vacuuming-Survey-2013-Did-you-know.pdf (electroluxgroup.com)
How can regular carpet and upholstery cleaning help you through the cold and flu season?
It snowed! We celebrate, not only for our ski areas, but because our recent temperature drop brings much-needed moisture to Colorado. Our hearts are with our neighbors in Boulder County who recently suffered catastrophic fire loss. Unfortunately, our colder temperatures also firmly place us in the heart of cold and flu season. The best ways to prevent illness Why are colds and flu so common in January and February? As you know, when it’s chilly outside, we retreat indoors, crank up our thermostats and close our windows. We hang out more with our family and friends. Our physical closeness passes around germs in enclosed spaces. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this is especially true if we: Don’t stay away from others when we are sick: Gone are the days of “powering through” a cold or sickness. Stay home when you feel rotten and don’t gift your crud to others. Also, rest and let yourself truly recover. Your immune system will thank you by staying strong. Touch our faces a lot: This one got hilarious meme treatment early in the pandemic, but frequently touching your face, nose and mouth for whatever reason (mask, itchiness, fidgeting) is a serious habit to break NOW. Forget to wash our hands often: Plain old soap and water (yup, for 20 seconds) are still the best defense against sickness. Use hand sanitizer when you cannot access a sink. Don’t cover our mouths and noses when we sneeze or cough: This is disrespectful to others and gross. Neglect other good habits: The CDC recommends getting enough sleep, exercising, eating right and ensuring our living spaces are properly cleaned and sanitized. Reduce infections at home Which brings us to our main subject. As Sir Isaac Newton discovered in 1665, what goes up must come down (AKA don’t sit under a fruit tree in the autumn). Gravity enables all those viruses and bacteria to drift down and eventually settle into our carpets and upholstery. Some viruses, like norovirus (think nasty stomach bug) can stay in carpeting and upholstery for up to a month if not removed, according to the National Institutes for Health (NIH). Thankfully, studies show the COVID-19 virus does not typically cause infection from soft surfaces after 72 hours. According to livehealthily, the flu virus sticks around for 24 hours and the jury is out about just how long strep bacteria can survive on a surface to make you sick. Fear not. Our houses help us out and there are things we can do to reduce infections! Carpets are actually our friends. According to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), carpeting “plays the role of an air filter: carpet traps dust, pollen and other particles, taking them out of the breathing zone until they can be removed easily…” Regularly vacuuming your home, 1-2 times per week, as well as routinely cleaning and disinfecting your upholstery and carpeting can help keep your family well during the cold and flu season. Fight the flu and other bugs with steam A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning recommends steam cleaning your carpets every 18 months with a reputable high-temperature, truck-mounted steam cleaning service. One of our own employees testifies that regular carpet cleaning keeps his family healthier, “I have 5 kids and 2 dogs and now 5 grandkids. We don’t get colds and flu like other families.” But, don’t take our word for it. Recent studies like this one at the NIH report steam cleaning works to minimize germs in carpets. The NIH reports, “…our results support a previous finding that steam vapor can reduce viruses beyond the EPA standard in short contact times…” A Personal Touch can sanitize your chairs, ottomans and couches as well. Our trained technicians are knowledgeable about many different kinds of upholstery from canvas and corduroy to silk, lace and leather. They will clean your upholstery’s fragile trim and piping with care. Upon request, they can apply a special fabric protector to help extend the life of your furniture. Stay healthier during cold and flu season. Call us at 720-344-2870 for a free estimate or simply schedule an appointment.