Having Carpet Installed? Things to Know

Having Carpet Installed- Things to Know

New home? Remodeling? Great! It’s an exciting time and “picking out” carpet and other features is a lot of fun. When it’s time for your carpet to be installed, here are a few things to know:
Have your old carpet removed and properly disposed of – if possible, recycle!
There is a great website for Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) that can assist you in finding proper disposal means in your area.
Decide on who will do your installation. 
Most likely, where you purchase your new carpet provides installation or recommedations for installers.  Be sure to look for professional installers who are certified and who follow professional protocals for carpet installation.
Be sure to keep fresh air moving after installation.
Ventilate the area well where your new carpet has been installed by opening windows and running fans or the fan of your AC. The new carpet “smell” will dissipate quickly with proper ventilation.
Care for your new carpet!
Always vacuum your carpet on a regular timetable, and Cincinnati Maintenance‘s recommendation is to have it deep cleaned by a professional a minimum of once per year (twice is better if you have children and/or pets).

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Regular Carpet Cleaning Helps with Allergies and Asthma

Regular Carpet Cleaning Helps with Allergies and Asthma

Your home’s indoor air quality is important. Especially if you or someone in your family have allergies or asthma. Some people believe that having zero carpet reduces allergies in the home. That may or may not be true, as other experts have indicated that carpet increases air quality because it traps known allergens and keeps them out of your home’s air space.
Whichever is actually true in your home and for your family, if you do have carpet, keeping it clean is the best way to reduce the annoying sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc., of allergies and may even help reduce asthma issues as well.
The first step is yours: be sure to regularly vacuum your carpets. The majority of loose, dry soil and other materials can be removed with regular vacuuming.
Your next step is regular deep carpet cleaning. As we indicated in a blog post last year, a good rule of thumb for homes with pets and families is to have your carpets cleaned every 6-12 months.
Keeping your home’s air quality at its best depends on a lot of factors. Cleaning your carpets regularly is a great step to improved air and hopefully less sneezing!

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Protect Your Entryway!

Protect Your Entryway!

Last December, I blogged about protecting the entryway of an office or commercial building with mats to help keep the area clean and to protect the floor of this high-traffic area. Your home deserves the protection  too!
Nothing says “home” like a welcome mat in front of the front door. But does the welcome mat really do its job in protecting your foyer floor once you head indoors?
The solution is simple and affordable. Protect your high-traffic area – the entrance to your largest investment – with an indoor rug or mat. Problem solved!
Obviously, a gorgeous area rug sounds glamorous compared to the words “entryway mat,” but the results can be the same: keep your home’s entry inviting and clean with a properly sized floor covering of your choice.
If you have children who are in and out all day with their friends, you probably want to hold off on an expensive or antique rug in your foyer. Luckily, entryway rugs or mats can be found in discount stores all the way to high-end boutique settings. So, your choices are endless!
Have fun perking up your home decor while protecting your flooring at the same time!

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Tips for Storing an Area Rug

Tips for Storing an Area Rug

Lots of people ask me how to store an area rug. Either they want to redecorate and don’t want to get rid of a favorite rug or they are moving and need to temporarily store it away — whatever the reason, there are a few things you should know before you store your rug — whether it’s in an attic, basement or in a storage unit.
Never store away an unclean rug.  Never, ever.
First of all, you don’t want to attract any bugs or pests with an unclean run. Finding a pest infestation in a rug you painstakingly stored is a nightmare.
Be sure to have the rug cleaned to remove all dirt, soil and grime. This not only helps repel any insects but it also saves the rug fibers.
Storing a rug that has been properly cleaned also helps protect against dry rot. The key word here is properly. If you DIY, be sure there is no type soapy residue left in the fibers.
Lastly, please never, ever store a rug that is damp in any way. This will lead to mold, mildew, odor and big trouble.
To roll or not to roll?
Depending on the space you have to store your area rug, you will need to face the decision: to roll or not to roll the rug.
Folding rugs can help save on storage space but can also cause major stress to the rug fibers. If you absolutely have to fold a rug, you can try to minimize the stress by having the rug folded with fibers facing outward which means the foundation will bend a little less.
If you are able, it is a good idea to roll the rug tightly. Again, to lessen the stress on the fragile or antique rugs, try to roll it with the fiber pile on the outside.  Less fragile area rugs can be rolled just fine with the fibers facing in.
Some people choose to wrap the rug in paper, which is fine, but discuss with a specialist which type of paper would be best, because you don’t want paper that bugs really go for. Rolling a rug in plastic is not the optimal choice because it can trap moisture or create moisture through condensation. Sometimes plastic can even cause rugs with any wool content to “sweat” and that creates a bad odors or, worse, the dreaded mold and mildew.
A few extra tips:
If at all possible, store your area rugs in a climate controlled storage unit or space.
Do not place items on top of a stored rug. Crushing the rug in this manner can damage the rug’s foundation and lead to cracking and other problems.
If we at Cincinnati Maintenance can ever answer any questions for you about storing your area rugs, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
 
 
 
 

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A Little Bit about "Wicking" – What is It and How to Deal with It

A Little Bit about "Wicking"

So, let’s talk about “wicking.”  On Monday we blogged about low moisture carpet cleaning. Cincinnati Maintenance is a big believer in this type of carpet cleaning which is also called encapsulation. You can see from that blog that we usually adhere to this type of cleaning because it dries fast, is non-toxic, and does not create a large “footprint” in the enviroment.
But, there is another reason we employ the encapsulation technique when serving our residential and commercial clients. It’s called “wicking.”
And, you don’t want it. Wicking, that is.
Have you ever had your carpets cleaned – particularly a specific stain – and it looks great but in a few days, that stubborn stain mysteriously shows back up? Frustrating, huh?  Well, THAT’S wicking.
Wicking is caused when a stain is created – usually from a spill – and it has penetrated deep into the carpet.  Then, when the carpet cleaned – commonly by a “wet” (water) extraction method – the part of the stain that has deeply penetrated the carpet is not completely removed.  After this type of cleaning is performed and the carpet has dried, the residual portion of the soiled area “wicks” its way to the surface of the carpet fibers.
Then, BAM! The carpet looks bad again because the stain has creeped back up to rear its ugly head.
With Cincinnati Maintenance’s green, low moisture technology, dry time is often only 45-90 minutes and also prevents that nasty wicking or reappearance of stubborn stains.

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After a Professional Cleaning, Who Wants their Carpets to Dry FAST?

After a Professional Cleaning, Who Wants their Carpets to Dry FAST?

After you have a professional come out to clean your carpets, do you want the carpets to dry quickly so you can get back to your normal household or business routine?  Well, sure you do! 
Cincinnati Maintenance knows that low moisture cleaning – called encapsulation – is the most advanced way to clean and maintain carpet in your home or business. Low moisture technique solves many problems commonly associated with carpet cleaning. Among these are waiting hours and hours for the cleaned area to dry, possible exposure to unwanted or unsafe chemicals, and – for the environmentally conscious – having a tremendous water-wasting footprint.
The great news is, with encapsulation, carpets dry fast! Really fast.  Homeowners are happy because “regular life” carries on and commercial clients are happy because their place of business has very few interuptions and no fear of a slip-and-fall hazard.
And, guess what? Most all encapsulation cleaners are PH balanced.  Not only are they safe for all carpet fibers, but they do not require the application of rinsing agents.  The carpet is fresh and there is no sticky residue that attracts unwanted soil.
Lastly, Cincinnati Maintenance continues to be on the cutting edge of green cleaning technologies.  Our low moisture cleaning is enviromentally responsible by cutting out waste of thousands of gallons of water, as well as being safe, effective, and clean without causing environmental hazards or exposing anyone to toxicity.

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Which Comes First? Do You Dust Before You Vacuum or Vacuum Before You Dust?

Which Comes First?

Ask people this question: Do you dust before you vacuum or vacuum before you dust?  You will get a plethora of answers – and different rationalizations for each anwer.
The same goes for baseboards. Should you clean the baseboards before you vacuum or after?
Well, if inquiring minds really want to know, this is what we at Cincinnati Maintenance recommend:
Dust first, then vacuum. Why? Pet hair, dander, dust, and other allergens are are always “floating” in your home, even if you can’t always see them. A good rule of thumb when cleaning is to wipe down your home’s surfaces first  – on a side note, we always recommend using microfiber cloths for dusting and other surface cleaning.  These help trap the particles and allergens in the cloth.
What you don’t want to do is vacuum, then dust, and then watch your surfaces appear dusty once more when the disturbed particles settle once again.
Neither notion of “which comes first” will ensure that all dust in the home is removed, but dusting and cleaning the baseboards first will trap most of the dirt and dust in your microfiber cloths, and then vacuuming afterwards will clean up any remaining debris that fell onto the floor or carpet when you dusted.
So, now you know.
 

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Clogged Dryer Vents Present Very Real Threat to Your Home

Actual Photos from a Dryer Vent Cleaning

Last February, we blogged about the importance of dryer vent cleaning. In fact, that blog post started out with: “You hardly ever think about it until you see a house fire on the news and hear it started from a dryer vent issue.  You wonder if it’s true that dryer vents need to be cleaned regularly or if a clogged dryer vent is really that big of a deal.”
But, again, we at Cincinnati Maintenance have found that most homeowners or business owners just do not really think about cleaning the dryer vents … until a fire or other destructive issue occurs. We don’t want anyone to go through the hassle of dealing with a small fire in the laundry room or, more importantly, to have to deal with a major fire tragedy.  The above photo is from an actual dryer vent cleaning job we recently handled. As you can see, a clogged vent is, indeed, a big deal.
Frequently, we are asked, “How often should I get my dryer vents cleaned?”  We recommend a cleaning every 12 months. Additionally, we will priortize a dryer vent cleaning due to the inherent risk it poses to your home or business.
Please call our office to schedule a Free Inspection – 513-827-6150.

 
 
 

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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Spring Cleaning Time!

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Spring Cleaning Time!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – Spring Cleaning time, that is! We at Cincinnati Maintenance
love to help Greater Cincinnati get their homes and offices squeaky clean, and we have some tips to
share, too!
First, we once blogged about how often should you have your carpets professionally cleaned? For
homes with families and pets, a good rule of thumb is every 6-12 months. A good, deep professional
carpet clean is the perfect way to kick off your Spring Cleaning frenzy!
Here are a few other items to add to your Spring Cleaning chore list:
Dust light fixtures and lamp shades – it make take a damp cloth to get the job done right.
Wash the doors, baseboards, trim, switch plates and doorknobs – the walls around the light switches
probably need cleaning as well.
Clean out everything from under the bed, move the bed, and sweep/mop/vacuum that space
thoroughly.
Remove couch and chair cushions and vacuum thoroughly. If you have pets or small children (meaning,
stains or odors!), consider having your upholstery professionally cleaned.
Clean out the medicine cabinet and cosmetic drawer – get rid of expired medicine and old cosmetics
you no longer use.
Clean under the refrigerator and stove – don’t forget to vacuum the fridge coils.
Clean the dishwasher, inside and out.
Clean out the pantry, freezer and fridge – get rid of expired or freezer burned food – then reorganize
everything. You’ll be glad you did!
Tile and grout need a thorough cleaning, too.
Often forgotten during a Spring Cleaning are:
Clean the ceiling fan blades.
Wash the floor registers and air vents.
Get your dryer vent cleaned.
Ahhhh, Spring Cleaning…..makes it the most wonderful time of the year!

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Another Great Homemade Cleaning Hack

Another Great Homemade Cleaning Hack

Hello, Cincinnati! Our last blog focused on the cleaning power of vinegar, but another great homemade
cleaning hack involves another powerhouse: good, old fashioned baking soda.
Baking soda is nature’s deodorizer! And, it aids is all kinds of around-the-house cleaning. For example,
we recently told you how to get rid of pet urine odor in carpet and rugs with a mixture of baking soda,
vinegar and water.
Other cleaning ideas for using baking soda are:
Clean your fruits and veggies – a clean sponge, a little baking soda and water does the trick!
Make your carpets and rugs smell great – sprinkle on some baking soda, leave on for a while and then
vacuum.
Clean your toothbrush – soak you toothbrush in equal parts of baking soda and warm water; then rinse.
Clean the silver – Mix three parts baking soda to one part water (it will be paste-like). Rub the mixture
on each piece of silver; rinse with warm water and use a soft, non-abrasive cloth to dry.
Perform a thorough, non-toxic cleaning of your kid’s toys – Mix 1/4 Cup baking soda to 1 quart warm
water; soak toys or wipe with a soft cloth dampened with the solution; rinse with fresh water.
Clean plastic kiddie pools and other outdoor furniture – use the same ratio of baking soda and warm
water as you would for children’s toys; clean with the solution and rinse with clean water.
Freshen and clean your food containers – smells can linger, especially in plastic and other food
containers. Soak these dishes with warm water and baking soda – overnight if necessary – and then
wash as usual.
And, oh yeah, don’t forget to use it in your baking, too!
Keep checking back on the Cincinnati Maintenance blog for helpful hints and ideas about every day
cleaning; carpet, tile and floor care; dryer vent safety; green cleaning; and more!

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