Prevent

Doormats and floor rugs are the biggest help in keeping both your carpets and your hard floor surfaces clean. I recommend using two mats per door – first, a durable rubber or straw-like mat outside the door to capture large debris, leaves and small stones and second, a cotton, nylon or wool rug indoor to absorb moisture and provide a place to remove shoes after entering the house.

Protect

If you entertain often, anticipate frequent spills or have pets or a lot of traffic in certain parts of your home, I recommend a carpet protector like Scotchgard™. Carpet proctor is automatically applied to carpets when they are manufactured but start to wear off with regular wear and tear. It’s recommended that you get a protector applied every year or so and at least every time you get your carpets cleaned on your high-traffic areas of your home.

Clean Up

When spills happen, the first thing to remember is do not rub but to blot at spills. Rubbing cannot only push the spill deeper into the carpet padding, but can also fray the carpet fibers if you rub too hard. Second, I recommend using white terry cloth towels. If you don’t have them, white paper towels are the next best option.

Here are some of the most common types of spills and the best way to treat them.

Blood – If you have light-colored carpet (tan or grey to white), take a Q-tip and dip it in a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Dab the Q-tip on the blood spot until the color changes or the spot is gone. Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry. If you have dark-colored carpet (blue, green, brown or dark grey), use a mixture of one teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide with four teaspoons warm water. Follow the same steps as above.

Coffee or Tea – Make a mixture of 1/4-teaspoon laundry soap and one cup warm water. Soak your towel in the solution and dab at the carpet. Continue dabbing for about five minutes and then switch to a mixture of vinegar and water (1/4 cup white vinegar and one cup warm water). Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry.

Soda, Wine and Sports Drinks – Blot up as much as the moisture with a dry terry cloth or paper towel. Next, if there is color in the beverage, use vinegar and water (1/4 cup white vinegar and one cup warm water) to blot area. Soak your towel in the solution and then place the towel on the spill. Do not pour directly on the carpet or sofa, as you may over saturate the area. Follow with a clean terry cloth or paper towel and blot dry.

Urine or Vomit – Blot up as much as the area with dry towels and as fast as you can.

• If the area is small (less than 6 inches), try the above vinegar and water solution steps.
• If the area is larger (more than 6 inches), dry as much of the area as you can and then sprinkle a small amount of baking powder over the spot to absorb the odor. This is one spot that you need to call the professionals in – Delight Cleaning. If treated improperly, these stains have the ability to spread and may cause irreversible damage to both the carpet and the carpet pad.

Let’s face it – when it comes to deep cleaning, Spring gets all of the glory.   But Fall is also an excellent time to get your home into tip-top shape.  Here are a few tips to get your Fall deep cleaning underway. 

Plan Ahead.  It’s hard to hide dirty carpets.  Put your best foot forward and schedule to have your carpets cleaned in advance while the weather is still nice – and BEFORE holiday madness hits.  The lack of humidity and low temperatures can increase drying time.  Rainy and cold?  Don’t let bad weather stand in the way of a clean carpets.  Just ask for our DC Turbo Drying Bonus.  This will speed your drying time to just a few hours.

Go with the Flow.  October is a great time to reverse the flow of your ceiling fan.  This enables the warm air to circulate around the room and not just stay at the top of the ceiling.  While making this change, it’s also a good time to dust off the blades and lights. 

Make it to the Top.  Most of us clean the inside and front of our refrigerators on a regular basis, but what about the top?  Because most refrigerators are almost six feet tall, most people can’t see the top.  This is a prime location for dust and grime to settle.  It’s also important to periodically vacuum both behind your refrigerator and the vents located at the bottom.  Not only does this help your refrigerator run more efficiently, but it also improves your indoor air quality.

Fall Back.  Sunday November 1st (at 2 a.m.) is the end of Daylight Saving Time.  Take advantage of this and change the batteries in your smoke/ carbon monoxide detectors.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.  Schedule to have your chimney cleaned prior to heavy fireplace use.  Make sure your fireplace screen and/or glass is free from debris and smoke build-up.  Excess build-up on either of these items can be a safety concern.  Take your screens out to the driveway and give them a good scrub with a nylon brush and some soapy water.  For the fireplace glass, most can be cleaned with glass cleaner.  If you need to do a little more scrubbing, I recommend Method’s non-toxic Le Scrub - this helps with removing the smoke, but will not scratch the glass.

Clean Your Filter.  Always make sure your dryer lint filter is cleaned after each use.  Towels or linens can especially create more lint build-up.  In addition, make sure you dryer exhaust tube is clean.  The filter catches as much as it can, but particles can also travel through the exhaust vent leading to the outside of your home.

Clean Your Filter. Again!  Replace or clean your air conditioner or furnace filter.  This is often located on your ceiling.