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Low Moisture Cleaning is AWESOME!

Low Moisture Cleaning is AWESOME!

Cincinnati Maintenance’s Low Moisture or Encapsulation cleaning is the safest and most advanced technique to clean and maintain carpet.  Here are some benefits:

  • Carpets dry fast! Your home or business gets back to “normal” quickly!
  • No complex chemical processes. Most Encapsulation cleaners are pH balanced and usually do not require rinsing agents.
  • Carpet is left fresh and clean with no chance of chemical residues being left behind to attract unwanted soil.
  • This technique is environmentally safe. Low Moisture cleaning also cuts out waste of thousands of gallons of water.
  • Carpet dries in 45-to-90 minutes compared to 4-to-12  hours with conventional methods.

Cincinnati Maintenance offers  free estimates for your cleaning needs. Call us today at (513) 827-6150 or email [email protected]. You can also complete our online contact form.
 

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Tips for Maintaining Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)

Tips for Maintaining Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)

Businesses and industrial clients rely on Cincinnati Maintenance to maintain and clean their VCT – Vinyl Composition Tile.  The best way to keep Vinyl Composition Tile looking its best and combatting wear and tear, is to have a cleaning schedule that is consistent.

  1. VCT be swept and/or vacuumed every day to battle loose dirt and grit. For some busier commerical and industrial buildings – which are apt to have more dirt and grit – a twice-a-day routine is recommended.
  2. Ideally, every dry cleaning should be followed by damp mopping.  
  3. Contact Cincinnari Maintenance to discuss a deeper, machine cleaning schedule.  This deep clean may also include buffing and an application of floor finish or a combination of these. Cincinnati Maintenance is happy to come to your building, assess the VCT, discuss your current practices, and recommend a timely schedule that provides the best care.

If restoration of VCT is needed, Cincinnati Maintenance can strip and refinish it.  Often, this level of restoration is a result of insufficient regular maintenance.
When businesses, commercial and industrial sites invest in VCT, a mainenance schedule that is adhered to maintains appearance and also lends to a higher level of safety for employees, staff, and customers.

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Pets in the House? Here's What You Need to Know

Pets in the House? Here's What You Need to Know

Whether your pets come in the house occasionally or live in the home 100% of the time, there are some things you should know. There WILL be a mess on your furniture or carpet at some point in time.
Whether it’s mud or dirt tracked in from outside or, ahem, a urine, vomit, or the dreaded poop accident — if you have pets, that’s all part of being an animal lover and pet owner.
Some tips on cleaning up your animal’s mess:

  1. Using paper towels, “pick up” any solid material right away and discard appropriately.
  2. Then, blot (and we mean blot, don’t scrub) as much as possible. You have got to get the liquid material reduced as much as you can before you even attempt to apply any type of cleaner.
  3. Try the old baking soda-white vinegar remedy (be sure to test in an inconspicuous area first whenever you use any type of cleaning solution).  Put two equal parts of white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle and add 2-4 tablespoons of baking soda.   For example, for two cups each of water and vinegar, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda.  For one cup each of water and vinegar, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
  4. Spray the area liberally. Let it sit at least 5 minutes and blot dry with a clean towel. When the area is dry completely, run the vacuum over it.
  5. If you’ve blotted up the majority of the mess before applying a cleaning solution, instead of #4 above, you might try sprinkling dry baking soda on the area and letting it sit for a while. Then spray the water/white vinegar mixture on top of it and proceed with blotting.

If you need professional help, we are always just a phone call away: (513) 827-6150.

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Cold and Flu Season Is Soon Upon Us!

Cold and Flu Season Is Soon Upon Us!

Cold and flu season is soon upon us! And other nasty bugs abound during this time of year, too.  Did you know the norovirus can live on a carpet’s uncleaned surface for a month or more? Ugh.  Illness is inevitable – kids bring home germs from school, there’s lots of get-togethers and parties for the holidays where you’re around more people, and even more people are out grocery shopping to buy for the holiday feasts — touching those grocery carts. Eww.
No one can completely avoid every illness that goes around, but keeping your business or home as clean as possible clean can sure go a long way in preventative care!
Last January we blogged about how we are frequently asked how often to clean the carpets in businesses such as medical clinics or daycares. Here is our rule of thumb: Certain types of businesses need the carpets cleaned more often than others.  For instance, daycares could benefit from weekly or twice-per-month cleaning because small children are crawling around and constantly put things that have been on the floor in their mouths.  Hopefully no one is putting anything in their mouth that’s been on the doctor’s office floor, but, nevertheless, every one-to-three months is good timing for medical facilities to have a deep floor clean.  During pandemic or a time of especially hard-hitting viruses, obviously more often can only benefit the reduction of germs.
Homeowners may want to consider some extra cleaning during “sickness season,” too.  A couple of tips for the home:

  • An area that is often overlooked is tile and grout.  Those grooves and crevices of tile and grout floors can get really gross and germy, too.  Don’t forget that these areas need deep, professional cleaning, too.
  • If you have someone in your home who suffers from allergies or asthma, vacuum regularly and considering professional cleaning more often. Read more about carpet cleaning versus allergies here.

Cincinnati Maintenance cares about our customers, their homes and their businesses. While we obviously can’t say we prevent illness, professional cleaning can be a powerful tool to help combat it!

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Green Cleaning – Great for You AND the Environment

Great for You AND the Environment

Green cleaning – most have heard of it, these days. Why should you care about green cleaning?  Daily, we are hearing more and more in the news about the importance of being safe for the environment. Keeping the environment healthy, keeps you and your families healthy, too. Cincinnati Maintenance believes that every home should be as “green” as possible. At the least, strive to maintain your home in a clean, safe, “green” way.
With your health and the environment our top priority, the products we use and how we use them are good for your home AND your family.
Cincinnati Maintenance uses green-certified products when we clean your home or office.  We want the healthiest possible environment for you– whether it’s a regular maintenance cleaning or a complete restoration. A perk of the green products we use is that your carpets dry very quickly and this eliminates mold or other biological growth.
There are no gasoline-burning engines during cleaning services and we use only HEPA filtration vacuums on every job. Our products and techniques ensure that your home is taken care of in the “greenest” way possible. That’s great for you AND the environment.

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Ink on your Carpet? Don't Panic

Ink on your Carpet? Don't Panic

When dealing with ink, we at Cincinnati Maintenance recommend a two-part system. First, blot with a clean towel to get up what you can. (This rule of thumb applies to almost every type of spill – and, remember, BLOT, don’t scrub!)
Then, you will need two spray bottles. Fill the first one up with water and add one drop of liquid dish detergent. In the other bottle, fill halfway with water and the other half with white distilled vinegar. Spray the spot to be cleaned with the detergent mixture, and use a towel to blot up spot even more.
You may also use a brush to tamp the spot to encourage color transfer. When spot is gone, spray vinegar mix on carpet and blot again. Remember, less is more. Use too much detergent and you will have a residue left on the rug or clothing or whatever is being cleaned. Owner Eddie Susshine says, “Rubbing alcohol can and has worked for me in the past, but I feel the two part cleaning system works best. I would not use any type of oil based cleaning agent. For example, WD-40 will definitely leave a harmful residue behind if not properly rinsed.”
Don’t panic! If you need professional assistance, contact Eddie Susshine right away – he’s here to help!

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How to Handle A Fingernail Polish Disaster!

How to Handle a Fingernail Polish Disaster

When dealing with paint or nail polish, the question of how to handle depends on how long the spot has been there. Both paint and fingernail polish are  typically are petroleum based, so the cleaning process is basically the same.
If someone spills a bottle of nail polish on the floor and its hard surface, quickly and liberally sprinkle sugar on top of it.! The sugar will absorb 99% of the product. What’s left over can be carefully cleaned with nail polish remover or acetone. However, NEVER directly apply nail polish remover or acetone to the surface that is being cleaned. Always apply the nail polish remover or acetone to a clean cloth and blot the spot
On fabric, nail polish remover and acetone, if applied directly to the carpet or fabric, can de-laminate the fibers, meaning the glue that is holding the fibers together may deteriorate and the carpet fibers will start to fall out or the upholstered fabric will become weak and possibly tear. If the paint or fingernail polish is wet, blot with a damp towel. Do not scrub because the stain will just get larger. Always work from the outside of the spot towards the center. When you cannot get any more transfer to the towel, then use the nail polish remover/acetone. Depending on how old the carpet is and how frequently it has been cleaned will definitely determine how well the spot will clean up. If the carpet is old and has not been cleaned regularly, then the dye-sets of the fibers are most likely open and ready to accept other dyes readily.
What we highly recommend – because of the petroleum content of paint and nail polish as well as because acetone or nail polish remover can do damage to hard surfaces, carpet fibers and upholstery unless it is handled very. very carefully – is in the case of this type of disaster, contact your professional cleaning company immediately to assist you. Contact Cincinnati Maintenance for these tough situations!

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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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Homemade Cleaning Remedies – The Power of Vinegar

Although we at Cincinnati Maintenance focus mainly on carpet, upholstery, floor and tile, we sure do love clean homes and offices. And, we love natural and organic remedies to keep that good clean going.
Which brings us to the power of good ol’ vinegar. A few weeks ago we blogged about using vinegar and baking soda to get rid of pet urine odor in carpet and rugs. But, vinegar can do so much more.
Why do we like to use vinegar in homemade cleaning products?  It’s non-toxic. That’s the biggie. It’s inexpensive. That’s a biggie, too.  And, it’s good for a lot of different small cleaning jobs around the house and office.
Here are a few cleaning ideas for vinegar, but, as with ANY cleaner, be it homemade or store-bought, test in an inconspicuous area first.
Cabinets and paneling: Mix ½ cup vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, and 2 cups of warm water. Apply with a soft cloth and wipe dry with a different soft cloth.
Showerheads: To remove hard water corrosion, soak in vinegar overnight and scrub gently with an old toothbrush.
Hard water and soap buildup: Liberally wet soft cloths with vinegar and place on hard water corrosion and soap buildup around faucets; leave for several hours or overnight; then, wipe away the gunk.  Soap buildup can tenacious, though, so you can try rubbing away the scum with a mixture of vinegar and salt.
Disposal: Get that nasty smell out of the kitchen disposal but pouring in a cup of vinegar; let it sit (do not run water nor run the disposal for at least an hour) and then run water and the kitchen disposal to vanquish bad odors.
One note about vinegar – be wary of using vinegar to clean marble surfaces, granite countertops, or stone tile.  The acidity of vinegar can etch these surfaces.
Keep check back on the Cincinnati Maintenance blog as we will be posting more green, eco-friendly homemade cleaning remedies soon!

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