Can an old stain still be removed years later?
It’s always best to clean stains as soon as they happen. But what happens when you miss a stain? Or inherit a carpet with a stain that’s a few years old? If you flip your couch cushions and find a coffee stain a crafty guest hid months ago, is it too late to get it cleaned? The answer is no: Just because a stain has overstayed its welcome for a long time doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with it forever.
We’ve been cleaning stains old and new for years at Dr. Chem-Dry. We know that no matter how old or awful a stain looks, there’s still hope: With the right amount of elbow grease and the proper cleaning solutions you can kiss that ghastly old stain goodbye. Just follow these simple steps. And in case you got a stain that you can’t lick, give us a call and we’d be glad to help you get it out.
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- Published in carpet cleaning
How to Prevent Pet Odor at Home
Pets can bring a lot of life and love into your home, but they can also bring a whole host of odors. It takes work to keep your house pet-odor free, but it’s absolutely worth it.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, we’ve got years of experiencing helping homeowners keep their houses clean and smelling fresh. These are a few things you can do to prevent pet odors from taking over your home.
Know Your Smells
Being aware of what your house normally smells like is the best way to notice when something is amiss. If something in your home smells “off”, this could be a warning sign that pet odor is beginning to settle in. Be on the lookout for anything smells musty or sharply pungent.
Daily Duties
One of the best ways to keep pet odors out of your home is to not neglect picking up after your pet. Clean your cat’s litter box daily. If your dog uses your yard to go to the bathroom, scoop it up immediately afterward; that smell can drift inside and make itself at home.
Related: How to Properly Remove Pet Urine From Your Carpets
Deodorize
It’s especially important to deodorize after vacuuming your home: this one-two punch can go a long way towards keeping your house odor free. A simple way to combat pet odor is to deodorize it using commercial products like Febreze or pet odor removers.
But be aware of certain commercial pet odor removers that can leave a residue in your carpet, causing dirt to collect. The professional strength World Famous Pet Odor Remover from Chem-Dry can be purchased by calling us at 602-243-6379. You can also find the consumer strength version at a local Home Depot store. This product is safe for all carpet, has no dirt-attracting residue, and is great for those pet urine accidents that happen in between professional cleanings.
Bathing
Any good pet owner knows that regular baths help to keep your furry friend healthy, but they also keep your home smelling cleaner for longer. A smelly pet can lead to a smelly home, so you want to wash them regularly (most vets and groomers recommend doing this weekly). Also be sure to dry your pets thoroughly afterward — wet dog is not the first thing you want people to smell when they go to your house.
Filters
Most pet owners don’t realize that pet odors can get trapped in their air filter, which can cause their entire home to smell. You should change out your HVAC filters on a monthly basis to keep this from happening. You could also install an air filtration system to help remove foul pet odors. Our sister company Cook Bros. Cleaning & Restoration, Inc. can clean your air ducts, removing any dust or pet dander. Give them a call today at 602-246-7999 for pricing and information.
Nice smells
Sometimes the best way to deal with a problem is to counter it with its opposite. Fill your home with pleasant smells. Cook and bake delicious smelling foods like bread and pies. Burn incense to give your home a variety of pleasant smoky smells. Use little spritzes of cologne or perfume to sweeten the air and mask problem areas, and choose a kitty litter with baking soda, which is one of the best natural deodorizers.
Vacuuming
You should vacuum your home regularly. Your pets will shed, causing dander, oils and dirt to accumulate on your floors. All of these can add up over time to give your home a musty smell. Be sure to pay attention to the areas in your home where your pets like to spend the most time — these are the spots where you should give some extra focus when you’re vacuuming.
You should also have your carpets cleaned regularly to rid the fibers of pet hair, dander, and urine residue. Choose a specially-designed cleaning service like Dr. Chem-Dry’s pet odor and urine removal, which combines an antibacterial cleaner and deep-cleaning technology to leave your home healthier for both you and your pet.
Related: How Often Should I Get My Carpets Cleaned?
Need help dealing with pet odors in your home? Give Dr.Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning a call at 602-243-6379.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Pet Odor
7 Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Carpet New
New carpet is a beautiful thing. It’s clean, its pile is still fluffy, and its colors are still crisp and bold. But give that carpet a bit of traffic, and it may start to lose its shiny new luster.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to keep your carpet looking new, and it starts with prevention.
1. Use Doormats
The best way to maintain your carpet is to protect it from dirt, spills and stains. A good way to do this is to use mats at all doors to catch mud, water, dirt, and other substances that would soil your carpet. Use a stiff-bristled mat outside your door and a thinner, softer one inside to protect the carpet where it meets the doorframe.
2. Remove Your Shoes
Doormats are a good first defense, but to really preserve your carpet’s beauty, make a habit of removing your shoes at the door. This keeps the dirt, oil, mud, and other gunk that your shoes encounter on the streets from being tracked into the house and ground into the pile of your carpet.
3. Vacuum Regularly
Most people sweep their hard floors several times per week, and a carpet that gets the same amount of traffic should be treated no differently. High-traffic carpeted areas of your home or office should be vacuumed daily to remove dirt buildup. Low-traffic areas can usually be vacuumed only once per week.
4. Clean Spills Immediately
Unfortunately, spills are an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean set-in carpet stains have to be. Cut down on the number of unsightly spots on your carpet by tackling any spills as soon as they happen. Use clean, white cloths to soak up wet spills before applying a stain remover or cleaning solution to the area. For chunky spills, remove as much solid as possible before treating.
Related: Can Stain Removers Ruin My Carpet?
5. Blot, Don’t Rub
When cleaning a spill, most people’s reaction is to scrub at the spot. But scrubbing is actually the worst thing you can do to clean a spill — the back-and-forth motion grinds the stain deep into the fibers of your carpet and down to the padding below. Usually the spot disappears, but resurfaces later or the next time the carpet is dampened. Instead of scrubbing at a spill, blot it gently to absorb excess moisture before bringing out the stain remover.
6. Stay Out of the Sun
We all know that the sun’s UV rays can wreak havoc on our skin, but did you know that even your carpet is susceptible to sun damage? Your carpet can fade and break down over time if exposed to sun too often and for too long. This is especially true for synthetic fibers, which are a little less UV tolerant than natural materials. Keep your carpet looking brand new be closing the drapes before you leave each day.
7. Clean Periodically
Any carpet will need to be professionally cleaned periodically. High traffic areas usually need to be cleaned once every 6 months or so, while low traffic areas should be cleaned annually. Opt for a method that uses only a small amount of water to prevent the growth of mold or mildew, which drastically cut down on the life of your carpet.
Related: What Can I Use to Clean My Upholstery?
Dr. Chem-Dry’s carbonated cleaning method uses only one-tenth the amount of water used by other steam cleaners or traditional carpet shampooers. The carbonated cleaning solution lifts even the most stubborn dirt and grime to the surface, leaving no sticky, dirt-attracting residues behind.
To learn more about our specially formulated cleaning system, or to claim your free quote, give Dr. Chem-Dry a call at 602-243-6379.
- Published in carpet cleaning
How to Remove Paint From Your Carpet
There’s not much as devastating as a big, wet paint spill on clean carpet. You may think that a stain of this magnitude is completely irreparable, but fortunately, it’s not. With quick action and the right tools, you have a good chance of being able to completely remove even the worst paint spills.
- Published in carpet cleaning
The Pros & Cons of DIY Carpet Cleaning
When your carpet starts to look a little grungy, it can be very tempting to simply try to take care of it yourself. Unsightly spots and stains affect the look of your entire home, and a clean carpet can do wonders for both your home’s appearance and your mood.
But while going the DIY route has its perks, it also has some major drawbacks. We’ve made a pros and cons list for you below.
Related: How Dirty Carpets Can Affect Your Health
Pro: You save money upfront.
Con: You don’t get as deep a cleaning.
While many consumer-grade carpet cleaners are fairly affordable to rent or purchase, these machines tend to be lower quality than those used by the professionals. They are typically less powerful, which means that the dirt, water, and cleaning solution will not be completely removed.
Pro: You have control over the project.
Con: You have to put in the work yourself.
DIYers may want to only clean certain areas of the house, like the main traffic paths. When this is the case, it can be difficult for a professional to give an accurate estimate of the project. However, If you want to clean the entire surface of your carpet, you may want to hire a professional. Moving heavy furniture by yourself can be tricky or even dangerous, and a professional carpet cleaner will usually take care of that for you.
Pro: You can clean on your own schedule.
Con: It takes forever to dry.
Cleaning your own carpets also means that you can work on your own timeline. If you want to clean your carpets at 2 a.m., that’s up to you. A professional carpet cleaning needs to be scheduled ahead of time. But the amount of water that commercial cleaners use keeps your carpets wet for hours on end, and usually long after you wanted to put the furniture back and be done with it. Dr. Chem-Dry’s patented cleaning technique uses only a minimal amount of water so that carpets dry in hours, not days.
Pro: DIY traffic lane removal & spotter products are cheap.
Con: Self-treated traffic areas and stains tend to return.
Commercially available stain removers may appear to treat your problem areas, but once the carpeting dries, the spots often reappear. This is especially true for stains that have soaked through the carpet to the padding below — when re-wetted with commercial cleaners, the stain wicks back up to the surface. In addition, most cleaners and spotters purchased from a store leave soapy residues in the carpet. These can cause rapid re-soiling, and old stains and traffic lanes will begin to reappear. Dr. Chem-Dry’s method harnesses the power of carbonation to lift even deep, set-in stains and dirt to the surface of your carpet and suck them away with no sticky, dirt-attracting residues.
Related: Can Stain Removers Ruin My Carpet?
Dr. Chem-Dry has been cleaning carpets in the Phoenix area for more than 35 years. We’ve combined our own cleaning formulas with our patented cleaning head to leave carpets sparkling and new while using only a fraction of the water used in other carpet cleaning methods.
To learn more about our carpet cleaning process or to request an estimate, give Dr. Chem-Dry a call at 602-243-6379.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Uncategorized