There’s nothing better than lying on a plush couch in the middle of a lazy day. A good couch provides a place to nap, watch the big game, or cuddle with a loved one. But a good, well-used couch can also hold onto odor and harbor harmful allergens and germs that can make you and your family sick.

Keep Your Upholstery Looking Great

Having your upholstery cleaned by a professional will both extend the life of your fabrics and keep your home and household healthy. Professionals recommend that homeowners have their upholstery cleaned every one to two years. 

However, if your furry friend has made your loveseat her favorite napping place, you should have that area cleaned more often—at least every six months. In between professional cleanings, homeowners are encouraged to properly care for their fabrics. 

Keep an eye out for stains, and clean spills as soon as they happen. It’s important to refer to the furniture’s care instructions to make sure you’re giving your upholstery the proper care. 

For example, some fabrics can be damaged easily by water, while others require special detergents for cleaning. If you notice heavily soiled areas, have them professionally cleaned immediately to avoid permanent stains. It can be hard to restore damaged areas to their original appearance if deep stains are left untreated for too long.

Below are some common and specialty fabrics along with pieces of furniture that can greatly benefit from professional upholstery cleanings:

• Common fabrics and materials: cotton, polyester, linen, wool, leather, chenille*, chintz*, rayon, nylon, microfiber, and suede
• Specialty fabrics and materials: Haitian cotton, jacquard, mohair, silk, damask, and velvet
• Commonly cleaned furniture: Sofa, recliner, ottoman, chaise lounge, dining chair, barstool, window treatments, headboard, office chair, and mattress

NOTE: While these fabrics are typically made with wool or cotton, chenille and chintz go through an additional process, which requires a different cleaning method than ordinary wool or cotton fabrics.

The Upholstery Cleaning Methods

Once you know what pieces you would like to have professionally cleaned, research a couple of upholstery cleaning companies, and ask them about their cleaning methods. 

Find out what cleaning method the furniture manufacturer recommends, and compare the two processes—the upholstery cleaner’s method should be similar to the manufacturer’s recommendations. 

If you want extra stain protection for your furniture or need to remove strong odors, some companies offer additional treatments like stain repellents and deodorizers.

With professional upholstery cleaning, you can reveal and preserve the beauty of your fabric. Not only will your clean upholstery brighten the room and extend the life of your furniture, but you will also be able to rest easy in the comfort of your spotless, freshened fabrics.

If you’re asking yourself why it’s so important to have your carpet cleaned regularly, you clearly have no idea what could be lurking among the fibers. People commonly only consider the way their carpets look whenever thinking about having them cleaned — unless there are any noticeable stains, it can all seem like an unnecessary job. Read on to find out why that’s far from the case.

The Carpet Catch-All 

Your carpet serves as a repository for all kinds of nasties. To start with, keep in mind that carpets can retain up to four times their weight in dirt. Next, factor in dead skill cells, dust mites, mold, bacteria, pet hair, insect feces and husks, volatile organic compounds, and pollen, and you’ll understand that an unclean carpet quickly becomes a sea of pollutants, irritants, and allergens. 

When you walk across the carpet, some of that debris gets kicked up and some gets pushed deeper. That’s not a very healthy living environment. 

What Are the Hazards of Unclean Carpets?

Allergens are one of the biggest problems associated with unclean carpets, and they can be particularly problematic for young children since their immune systems won’t be as strong and they’ll also be closer to the ground.

Of course, you’ll also be encouraging the growth of mold, bacteria, and parasites. Even if none of those problems develop, failing to regularly clean your carpets is only going to make stains harder to remove in the long run. 

Why is Professional Cleaning So Important?

If you think you can turn back the tide by breaking out your vacuum, think again. Yes, vacuuming plays an important part, but you really need to seek professional cleaning services on a regular basis.

A professional cleaner will utilize high-end tools such as steam cleaners to eradicate problems that could scarcely be touched by a vacuum. 

It’s Hard to Undervalue the Importance of Cleaning Your Carpets

With years of experience cleaning carpets across Sacramento, we understand the importance of the task and boast both the knowledge and equipment to get it done right. To find out more, just contact us today. 

While regular carpet cleaning by professionals is necessary to ensure your carpet leads a long and healthy life, additional care and maintenance on your part can go a long way. Proper care and maintenance of your carpet will extend its useful life and preserve its appearance longer. Failure to maintain proper care will result in premature wear. Additionally, clean carpets contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

Useful Tips

• In a pinch, make your own spot remover by mixing 1/4 teaspoon liquid detergent (without bleach) and 1 cup cold water.
• Over time, the stain-resistancy of stain-resistant carpet wears down. For optimum performance, have a protector regularly applied after cleaning.
• Stain-resistant does not mean stain-proof. Be sure to act immediately to prevent spots and spills from causing permanent damage.
• Your furniture collects everyday dirt and soil just like your carpet. For convenience, have both professionally cleaned at the same time.
• Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. Most of the wear of carpeting is caused by dirt. Oily soils attract more oily soil and frequent vacuuming will reduce soil buildup.
• Get at stains quickly, 99% of all stains can be removed by one cleaning agent or another if they are cleaned in the first few days. The longer a stain chemically reacts with the carpet the harder it will be to remove it.
• Test carpet before scrubbing, extracting or spotting. All carpets are different. Some carpets are very sensitive to acid type cleaners and will lose their color quickly. Other carpet dyes are sensitive to harsh alkalis.
• Use appropriate spotters starting with the mildest. Do not use harsh spotting agents unless absolutely necessary and always neutralize high alkaline or high acid cleaners after use.
• Never dig or brush spots. The proper procedure is to scrape the spot towards the middle and then tamp the spot into the white towel or cloth using a brush or other tamping devices. A meat tenderizer makes a great tamping tool.
• Do not overuse detergents, shampoos or spotters. Too much detergent will result in residual left in the carpet that even thorough vacuuming may not remove.
• Do not overwet carpet. Our carpet detergents are chemically active enough so they do not need a tremendous amount of wetting. Over-wetting can cause brownout, carpet shrinkage, adhesion problems and all other kinds of nightmares.
• Extract residual if possible. Rotary scrubbing will clean the carpet fibers the best by encapsulating dirt and detergent residue, which powders off the carpet. Periodic extraction will flush out this dirt and other organisms deep in the carpet.
• Never “coat” a dirty or spotty carpet. After scrubbing or extracting a dirty carpet, if you are not satisfied with the results, do not apply a coat of carpet protector as this will result in “gluing in the dirt” making it harder to remove it the next time. Either re-scrub or extract the carpet or leave the carpet until the next cleaning cycle before you coat.
• Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. It is so important it deserves two recommendations.

Pre-Visit Tips

There is very little that you need to do to prepare your home for our arrival. The only thing we ask is that you remove any plants, lamps, knick-knacks or other items resting on the carpet or furniture from the rooms being cleaned. Our technicians will handle moving furniture and other items the day they arrive.

Post-Visit Tips

While our truck-mounted vacuum system removes almost all of the moisture immediately, your carpet or upholstery may still be damp to the touch. Using fans in any rooms cleaned and turning your air conditioning or heating system on can help accelerate drying time. Be sure to leave the protective blocks under furniture legs and any paper used with upholstered items in place until the carpet and/or furniture is completely dry to avoid any color transfer.

You may walk on your carpet immediately after cleaning, but avoid wearing street shoes, as they may re-soil your carpet. Be especially careful when walking from damp, carpeted areas on to non-carpeted areas to avoid slipping.

Between Cleanings

The normal hustle and bustle of everyday life can take its toll on your carpet. To keep yours looking its best between professional cleanings, vacuum heavy traffic areas two to three times a week, and the rest of your carpet once a week.
Using indoor and outdoor mats at each entrance can reduce the amount of dirt tracked into your home. Be sure to clean these periodically to ensure their utmost effectiveness.

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Hiring just the right housekeeper can be life-altering for the busy family. Now this may seem to be a little over-the-top, but I am serious. Think about your life-whether single, a couple or a family-you have no time. No time to keep your home as organized or clean as you would like. No time to do the smaller tidying jobs that would make a huge difference.

“I am still learning about my home. If you can’t do it yourself, find good service people and treat them well.” — Terry (mom to our Human Resources Coordinator, Louisa)

Hiring just the right housekeeper can be life-altering for the busy family. Now this may seem to be a little over-the-top, but I am serious. Think about your life-whether single, a couple or a family-you have no time. No time to keep your home as organized or clean as you would like. No time to do the smaller tidying jobs that would make a huge difference.

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At the risk of sounding like a cloyingly optimistic Peppy Patty (which I can assure you, I am not), I never really understood all the pervasive hate for Mondays. I get that easing yourself from the freedom of the weekend into the structure of the workweek is a bit of a shock to the system…