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The Most Common Carpet Problems During Summer

November 5 by

big sun

It’s summertime. It hot, it’s humid, the kids spend a lot of time at home, and you have more time to invite friends of family over for dinner or lunch. However, did you know that all these things take their toll on your carpets? Summer may have its advantages, but it turns out it’s not the best season for carpets. But before you call up your local carpet cleaning Connecticut service, we suggest you keep reading. This article will detail the common problems your carpets might suffer from over the summer, as well as some tips on how to prevent or at least minimize those problems.

Carpet buckling

If you have wall-to-wall fitted carpets in your home, you may have noticed that during the summer they get “ripples” – areas where the carpet has become loose and rises from the floor; this phenomenon is known as buckling. While buckling may also be caused by improper installation of the carpet, the secondary backing of the carpet getting detached, dragging heavy furniture across the carpet or the carpet getting drenched in water – heat and humidity are also a major cause. A good way to prevent buckling is to turn on your AC in carpeted areas and/or use a dehumidifier.

Bad odor

red sofa with stains - before and after Are your carpets starting to smell? That could be due to the weather. Over time, carpets accumulate stains, dust, dirt, mold and what not, and even if you vacuum them, some tiny critters and particles may hold on to the fibers stubbornly. Heat and humidity only intensify this situation and might make it unbearable. The solution? Get your carpets professionally cleaning right before summer (and right after). Try to avoid using air fresheners as they contain hazardous chemicals and while they’ll make your house smell better, they’ll also pollute the air (especially if you keep windows closed during the summer because of the AC) – this is a great piece of advice we got from a rug cleaner Connecticut service.

Allergens

Remember all that nasty stuff that accumulates in your carpets over time? Not only can it smell bad, it could also be detrimental to your health. If you or one of your family members suffer from allergies, you’ve probably noticed that your allergies worsen when the weather gets warmer. Many people are sensitive to pollen, which might find its way into your carpets; and the dust, mold and bacteria hidden between the carpet fibers don’t make the situation any better, and may trigger allergies as well. Make sure you vacuum your carpets regularly – look up some carpet cleaning methods Connecticut – and also get your carpets professionally cleaned once in a while.

Stains

clean carpet

Carpets get stained all year round, that’s true; your pet or baby have an “accident”, you accidentally knock your wine glass off the table, you eat messily and some of your salad dressing finds its way into the carpet – those things happen all time. However, over the summer there are usually more people in the house – and when we say “people” we mean “children”, although grown-up guests also have their share in spilling and dropping stuff on the carpet. Children are at home for more hours during the summer and they’re more active – which means more drinks getting spilled, more crayons rolling around, not to mention dirty little hands and feet crawling all over the place. To minimize the damage, make sure to stock up on carpet cleaner and some clean cloths, as well as baby wipes, which are great as a quick fix. When stains or spills happen, blot them out immediately (don’t rub!), then use the detergent and dab the area gently with a clean cloth.
Hopefully, now that you know what can happen to your carpets in summer, you’ll make the necessary preparations and keep your carpets bright, clean and pleasant-smelling all summer long. But remember – if you couldn’t prevent or fix the problem on your own, you can always look up carpet cleaning services Connecticut and let the professionals handle it for you.

Filed Under: Carpet Care

Get your carpets clean for summer with these tips

October 3 by

carpet cleaning before summerIf you have carpets in your home, you may have noticed that they need better and more frequent care during the summer. While winter isn’t very kind to carpets – what with mud stains and the difficulty of airing carpets outside when it’s raining – summer can be even harsher. The kids are home all day, spilling stuff, running around and using their colors everywhere; pets are shedding their winter coats all over the place; friends and family keep visiting; and more outside activity means bringing in more sand, dust, twigs, insects and debris. In a matter of a few weeks, your carpets might look worn and dirty even if you’ve just bought them recently; and you’ll find yourself frantically looking for carpet cleaning services in Brooklyn.
To make sure your carpets stay nice and clean all summer without too much effort on your side, we’ve decided to present you with the following carpet cleaning tips. So before you look up carpet cleaning Brooklyn NY, give it a try with these methods!

Carpet Cleaning Tips Right Here:

1. Treat spills and stains immediately

With kids running around and playing everywhere, and a constant stream of guests, something is bound to get spilled on the carpet at least once. So the best strategy is to prepare for such an occurrence in advance: stock up on stain remover and clean white cloths. If your children are old enough, show them how to clean up spills for the times you’re not at home with them. For extra measure, have some packages of baby wipes ready as well – they do quite a good job in blotting out and absorbing stains!

2. Make sure shoes stay outside

(or at least the dirt on the shoes does)
Ask anyone who comes into your house to take their shoes off before they come in – and provide them with slippers if necessary. This way you’ll keep a lot of the dirt, dust, bacteria, etc. away from your carpets. For guests who for some reason can’t or won’t take their shoes off (for example, the guy who comes to fix your AC), place a mat outside the door, so they can wipe their shoes clean before they enter the house.

3. Vacuum regularlyvacuum carpet

A good way to keep carpets clean throughout summer is simply to vacuum them regularly, about once a week. This way, even if they do accumulate dirt, dust, tiny critters and bacteria, vacuuming will remove them as well as keep their fibers from getting worn. Besides the regular vacuuming, make sure you also vacuum after you’ve had a large family gathering or a dinner party. Vacuuming regularly is a tip all carpet care carpet cleaners NY will give you – and they know what they’re talking about!

4. Entertain outside

It’s summer, the sun is shining and the weather is great. Why sit with guests inside when you can all enjoy the sunny weather and summer breeze in your terrace or back yard? Being outside is also perfect for kids as there’s a smaller risk of getting stuff dirty or broken. Your guests would only have to enter the house to go to the bathroom, and you can hang up a sign which shows them the way so they don’t wander around and trample all over your carpets.

5. Wash your carpets from time to timeRug cleaning

Summertime offers the perfect opportunity to wash your carpets: the warm, dry weather makes it very easy to hang them outside to dry. Wash your carpets every few weeks (or more if necessary) and normally, they shouldn’t take more than 1-2 days to dry.
Hopefully, the next time summer comes around, you’ll be using all these tips and enjoying clean, bright carpets all summer long! However, if you do get some persistent stains that just won’t go away, don’t hesitate researching online for a good carpet cleaning service: terms like “rug cleaner NY” or “carpet cleaning Brooklyn” should do the trick.

Filed Under: Carpet Care, Carpet Cleaning Tips

Where Do Carpet Beetles Come From?

August 20 by

Your home or your office is covered in beautiful carpets you purchased some years ago, and up until recently you’ve had no problems with them whatsoever; they’ve created a pleasant atmosphere and added color and life to the surroundings. That’s why you were so devastated to discover one day that the carpets are teeming with nasty little bugs! How horrible. This kind of situation can really be upsetting, but don’t throw out the carpets just yet – carpet beetles can be removed by pest control professionals; and there are ways to keep them at bay so this doesn’t happen to you again. But before we dive into the solutions that can be used to treat a carpet beetle situation, let’s first learn all about those tiny creatures.

carpet beetle

What are carpet beetles?

Carpet beetles (Anthrenus verbasci) are a common species of beetles which can often be found as pests in domestic houses: the beetles’ larvae can cause damage not only to carpets, but also to clothing and furniture. Carpet beetles have round bodies, parts of which are covered in scales, and their color is an irregular pattern of yellow, brown and white patches.

How big are carpet beetles?

Carpet beetles are 1.7 to 3.5 millimeters long. Surprisingly, the larvae are bigger than adult beetles: the wooly, elongated larvae are 4 to 5 millimeters long.

Where do carpet beetles come from?

Carpet beetles are very common and they live in a variety of environments – not just carpets! However, they prefer areas with low humidity as their eggs develop best in dry areas. They can found in most of Europe, in North Africa, in the Mediterranean countries and the Middle East, in North Asia (Russia, China, etc.), and in North and Central America. So as you can see, they’re pretty much everywhere. They can easily enter your home through openings such as doors and windows, or on plants and flowers that are brought inside.

What causes carpet beetles?

To understand what causes carpet beetles, you must first understand what attracts carpet beetles. The secret lies in their food preferences. These beetles like to eat animal-based items, such as wool, fur, leather, animal hair and silk. Understandably, this attracts them to upholstered furniture, clothing, blankets and of course – carpets. But why are carpet beetles also found in synthetic carpets, which are not made of animal materials? Well, synthetic carpets (like other carpets) often absorb food, oil, perspiration and other organic materials from their surroundings.

If you’re wondering now, “But where do carpet beetles hide?” – they’re not necessarily hiding, they’re simply so small, and their carpet habitat is so good in hiding them, that sometimes it’s difficult to spot them until they’ve become numerous.

What kills carpet beetles?

You obviously don’t want your home to be infested with carpet beetles and their larvae, so what’s the best way to get rid of them? Well, it depends on the situation. If you haven’t seen carpet beetles at your home at all but you want to keep them away, there are some things you can do: regularly vacuum your furniture, carpets and areas where food is stored such as the pantry; store all your food either in plastic containers or in the fridge; dust your home thoroughly on a regular basis; and check for pests and insects on plants and flowers before bringing them inside your house.

However, if you already have carpet beetles in your home, your best option is to contact pest control professionals. After they’ve eliminated the beetles, be sure to follow the procedures in the previous paragraph so they don’t come back. Good luck!

 

 

Filed Under: Carpet Care, Carpet Cleaning Tips, Under The Carpet

Cleaning carpets without a vacuum – is that even possible?

May 2 by

Carpets are a lovely addition to any home. Whether you choose wall-to-wall carpets or area rugs, their texture and colors add a creative, warm touch to your house. Many of them are comfortable to sit on and play with your kids, and in the winter they protect your feet from the cold floor. The variety of carpets today is astounding – any color, type, size or price range is available.

cleaning carpets without a vacuum

The trouble with unclean carpets

The trouble with carpets is that with time they tend to accumulate dust, debris, bacteria, mold, stains and so on; they can get dirty very fast if not taken care of. Many people neglect to clean their carpets, which can lead to unpleasant results:

  • Respiratory issues – coughing, nasal congestion and asthma attacks
  • Allergic reactions – sneezing and skin itches
  • Adverse skin conditions – fungal infections, chronic itching and redness

In addition to that, unclean carpets lose their luster, become discolored and are less pleasant to walk and sit on; they make the air in the house dusty and give it a musty smell.

So now that we’ve established that carpets must be cleaned, the question is how to do that in the most effective way. Many people do not like going through the trouble of vacuuming carpets; it’s noisy, it’s tedious, and plus, not everyone owns a high-quality vacuum to clean carpets with. How to clean a carpet without a vacuum, then?

Learn how to clean your carpet without a vacuum

 

vacuum

 

There are actually numerous ways of cleaning carpets without using a vacuum. For your convenience, we’re going to list the most effective ways to do so here.

  • Picking up dirt, shaking, brushing and sweeping – regular cleaning of your carpet’s surface can actually prevent most of the dirt, dust, etc. which tends to build up in there. If your carpet is littered with visible debris or dirt, some of them can be easily picked up by hand. Survey your carpet daily and do that, it’s only a few minutes’ work. An alternative – or an addition – to that is to shake the carpet by your window or in your lawn. This gets rid of much of the dust (just take care to narrow your eyes and not breathe in while you do that).

A strong brush or sweeper is a mighty asset for carpet owners. Make sure its bristles are stiff and firm for maximum effect. Brush or sweep your carpet vigorously once or twice a week. Most of the surface dirt can be cleaned by doing this frequently.

  • Washing – If you were wondering how to wash carpet without vacuum, the following methods might help you. But first of all, before washing, check the labels of your carpets for specific instructions depending on their materials and coloration. Also, before washing the whole carpet, check if there are any stains on it which you clean individually with a stain remover. One way to wash the carpet is to mix carpet shampoo with water in a bucket, dip a brush or a sponge in the bucket and then scrub the carpet vigorously. Another way to do it is simply to put the carpet in the washing machine if its label indicates it’s possible.

 

  • Dry cleaning or steam cleaning – if the methods above don’t work for you or are too time-consuming, it’s advisable to use a professional carpet cleaning service. Carpet cleaning NYC usually employ either dry cleaning or steam cleaning methods to clean carpets thoroughly and effectively. By using carpet cleaning services like Flat Rate Carpet, which uses steam cleaning (also known as hot water extraction) to clean carpets, you can rest assured that your carpets will come out looking as good as new.We hope we’ve answered your questions on how to clean a carpet without vacuum. As you can see, it’s perfectly possible!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Carpet Care, Carpet Cleaning Tips Tagged With: ,

Keeping your carpet clean when you have a dog

April 18 by

Has anyone said to you: “You can’t buy a carpet for your house, you have a dog!” (or a cat, or a rabbit or a guinea pig or any other pet that roams the house)? You might have heard that once or twice in your life if you’re a pet owner who has considered adding carpets to your home décor. Many people think that pets and carpets simply don’t go together, and there are several reasons for that.

Keeping your carpet clean with a dog

This is a shallow DOF and copy space of shag rug.

Pets and carpets – not necessarily a bad combination

First, unless you own a Sphinx cat, it’s guaranteed your pet will shed fur all over the house, and this includes the carpets. Pet hair tends to stick to carpets due to their tightly knit fibers. In addition, pets might stain the carpets in any number of ways: muddy paws, rolling on their back on the carpet and rubbing into it whatever they had rubbed in outside (which may sometime be pretty vile stuff), urine, poop (or worse, diarrhea), vomit and saliva. Besides stains, pets who roam outside the house might bring in fleas, bacteria, dust, sand, leaves, little bugs, etc.

Don’t despair, though. It’s actually possible to own pets and have clean carpets at the same time. We’ve got some tips and tricks which will help you achieve perfect harmony between your pet and your carpets. Read on to discover how to clean dog poop off carpet, how to keep carpets free of cat hair, how to clean dog urine off carpet, how to avoid stains from muddy paws or dirty fur and how to avoid sand, fleas and debris brought inside by your pets.

Tips for keeping your carpets clean when you own pets

So here’s the list you should print and tape to your fridge so that everyone in your house knows how to protect the carpets from your dog or rabbit:

  • Keep them paws clean – If you have a pet that regularly goes outside, like a dog, prepare in advance for a case of muddy paws. Keep a towel outside the door, and before you let the dog in, kneel down and wipe its paws vigorously.

 

  • Minimize shedding – to keep fur on the carpets to a minimum, brush your pet regularly. The more hair you get on that brush, the less will end up on the carpet.

 

  • Keep a stain remover handy – even a well-trained dog can have accidents and poop, pee or vomit on the carpet by mistake. Purchase a carpet cleaner for dog urine (and other nasty stuff) and keep it on a shelf, together with rags, disposable wipes or paper towels. This way you’ll always be ready to clean up when an accident occurs.

 

  • The vacuum is your best friend – there’s no way around it, if you want to keep your carpets in good condition when you own a pet, a vacuum is a must. It can get all the teeny-tiny dust particles and bacteria out of the carpet fibers, as well as fleas and sand. Vacuum your carpets regularly, at least once a week.

 

  • Add a professional carpet cleaning NYC service to your speed-dial – While all the methods above are great for daily maintenance of your carpets, once in a while you’ll want to get a professional job done on them, to get the tough stains out and restore their freshness and luster. A professional service like Flat Rate Carpet will clean your carpets effectively, using methods like dry cleaning or steam cleaning.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful! Whether you need to clean dog pee off carpet, clean cat hair off carpet, clean dog vomit off carpet, or clean guinea pig urine off carpet, you’ve got many methods to do that; and when worse comes to worst, you can always call a professional.

Filed Under: Carpet Care, Carpet Cleaning Tips Tagged With: