Many households have a tradition of removing their shoes when they enter the home. If you’ve ever been house shopping with a realtor, you may have encountered a “please remove shoes or wear booties” sign by a home’s front door, accompanied by a stack of those blue shoe covers. Are these traditions really necessary? Will shoes harm the carpet if they are left on your feet as you trek across the living room?
As carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ, we say yes—it’s best to remove shoes before walking on carpet. Here’s why.
They Track
Think about all the places shoes travel. Who knows what you have stepped on while walking around in your shoes. You don’t want to track these items onto your carpet. Bits of gum, tar and oil are just a few of the things that may be stuck to the bottom of a shoe. If someone walks across your carpet with these items on their shoe, the debris can transfer to your carpet fibers. Once there, they can be nearly impossible to remove. They can cause permanent stains or damage.
They Tear
Many shoes feature abrasive soles. The patterns on the shoes can prove hazardous to your carpet. They can snag or dig into the carpet and cause damage. This may happen in an instant or over time. Either way, your carpet suffers. What were once lush fibers are eventually worn out by shoe travel.
They Grind
Some debris on your carpet is inevitable. However, much of this is easily cleaned with regular vacuuming or service from a carpet cleaning specialist in South Amboy, NJ. That is, unless people walk on it with their shoes. Shoes tend to grind debris into your carpet, making it hard to remove. Bits of dirt that would have come off the fibers with a quick vacuum swipe become pressed into the carpeting by shoes.
Barefoot Isn’t Always Better
Keep in mind, bare feet can also be hard on your carpet. Sweat from your feet will transfer to your carpet, which can also cause damage. The moisture attracts dirt, dust and dander. Over time, this debris will build up on your carpet.
The Solution
To protect your carpet from unnecessary wear and tear, avoid wearing shoes or going barefoot on these surfaces. When inside your home, wear socks, or keep a pair of slippers handy. Storing your slippers by the door makes it easy to slip off your outdoor shoes and slip into something comfortable for indoors. Your feet will thank you, and so will your carpet.
Kick Back and Relax
Whether you want to institute a “no shoes” policy in your home or let your carpet take the risk is up to you. Either way, your carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ are here to help. If you need additional carpet care advice or would like professional service for your floors, give us a call, then sit back and enjoy your renewed carpet. We look forward to partnering with you to keep your carpets looking sharp.
If you’re a mechanic or work in a factory with equipment that needs maintenance, you’re likely familiar with the trouble of tracking home motor oil. Motor oil is viscous enough to cling to shoes and clothes, yet it readily sets in carpet fibers the moment it touches them. Even a small amount of motor oil in your carpet can lead to a major blemish. And things only get worse if you try to scrub out the stain!
To truly deal with motor oil stains, you’ll need to enlist the help of carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ. Only they will have the technology and expertise to extract oil fully and completely from your carpets.
If you’re in a pinch and need to make your motor oil stain go away, or you’ve got the smallest little spot to clean up, there are a few tips that you can take to heart. Try these simple pieces of advice for best results:
First and foremost, remove any excess oil from the spot without pressing it deeper into the carpet fibers. A great way to do this is with a dull knife or other metallic object. The motor oil will cling to the metal nicely and it can be easily washed away when it’s removed from the carpet.
Next, you’re going to want to soak up any extra oil that you can’t scrape away. For this step, use baking soda or corn starch. Both are highly absorptive and will quickly conceal any excess oil. Let it sit for about 15 minutes for best effect.
Once the corn starch or baking soda is dry and the excess motor oil is congealed, run a light vacuum over the area. This will suck up all that extra congealed oil and give you a relatively clean slate to work with when it comes to treating the core stain.
Using a few drops of dry cleaning solvent or dishwashing detergent, drop them into the stain and start to gently blot it with a clean cloth. Oil should start to extract itself from the carpet fibers into the cloth. If it doesn’t, try a little white vinegar with the solution you’re using.
When your blotting ceases and there’s a dramatically lighter stain left in the carpet, it’s time to do the same thing with a sponge. Make sure you’re using a fresh sponge and pressing carefully onto the stain. Don’t scrub!
Rinse the area with cold water and see how it looks. It should appear significantly better, and may even appear to be nonexistent. If you can still see the stain clearly, repeat the cleaning steps again for good measure.
The unfortunate fact is that motor oil is one of the absolute hardest stains to get out of carpet—especially if it’s allowed to set. Carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ often have to use complex extraction methods to remove the oil entirely from your carpet and remediate it.
Don’t let oil spots be the bane of your carpeting. Contact the carpet cleaning pros at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center to absolve them from your surface entirely.
Can mold develop in carpet? The short answer is yes. In this post, we’ll discuss how mold forms in carpet, how to identify it, how to remove it and how to protect your carpet from mold in the future with help from carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ.
How does mold develop in carpet?
Mold is an almost absurdly resilient life form. With just a little oxygen and water, it can thrive on almost any surface. Carpeting in basements is particularly susceptible to mold, especially in moist or humid climates. Most often, mold forms in carpet because it’s collecting moisture when it shouldn’t, which is most common when an area that isn’t ideal for carpeting has been carpeted, such as a bathroom or basement. It’s also common when a home has been empty or abandoned for some time and is later bought as a fixer-upper.
How to identify mold in carpet
Carpet mold is often not as easy to identify as other forms of mold. The green fuzzy stuff that grows on a block of cheese is easy to see; same with the little colonies of black and green specks that form on sheetrock. Carpet mold, though, is often located on the underside of the carpet, meaning you can’t really see it with the naked eye without pulling up your carpet to check. Other signs of mold include:
Bad smells: The most common and most obvious sign of moderate mold is a musty, slightly tainted odor.
Stains: Stains on the carpet, especially stains that look like mildew, are another sign of mold. If you’re seeing stains on the surface of the carpet, you’ll still want to check the underside, as it’s possible this is a sign of a much larger growth of mold.
Wet carpet or carpet padding: If your carpet gets wet, it needs to be immediately dried to prevent mold growth.
How to remove carpet mold
If your infestation is small, it may be possible to eradicate your carpet mold with a thorough carpet steam cleaning and the right mold-fighting detergents, or by just removing the affected part of the carpet and recarpeting that small area (assuming you can find carpet that matches what you have now). If it’s beyond a small corner of a room, though, there may be no other option than removing the carpet and installing new carpet or some other flooring material.
Preventing carpet mold
On the whole, you’re much better off preventing the problem from occurring in the first place, as it can be an expensive problem to fix and a serious health hazard if ignored. Here are some suggestions for protecting your carpets:
Regularly clean your carpet: Always dry clean your carpet. If you steam clean it, make sure you completely remove all moisture afterwards. Every few years, you should get your carpet professionally cleaned by carpet cleaning specialists in South Amboy, NJ.
Use high-quality carpet and padding: Carpets and pads treated for molds are more expensive, but can prevent mold issues in damp climates.
Always dry standing water: Never leave water standing on any surface in your home.
Don’t carpet naturally rooms, such as the bathroom: You’ll be fighting a losing battle trying to keep these carpets clean.
Use a dehumidifier: In extremely damp environments, a dehumidifier can greatly decrease your carpet’s risk of molding.
If you’ve got a mold issue, or are simply looking to get your carpets cleaned, Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center is the place to call. We’ve been in business since 1948, so you can believe us when we say we’ve seen it all.
When we call on customers in need of professional carpet cleaning in South Amboy, NJ, we sometimes field questions about possible allergens associated with rugs in the home. This is a smart question, since many people are sensitive to a variety of airborne and other forms of allergies around them. You certainly don’t want a carpet to give you a bad reaction!
Fortunately, we have some good news: with proper care, you can have an allergy-free environment, with all sorts of great carpets! Here are a few things you should know about carpets and allergy concerns.
Bacteria and fungi are a no-go
It’s completely understandable to assume that carpets are breeding grounds for unhealthy fungi or bacteria. But we’re here to let you know that floor coverings made from synthetic materials—including ceramic tile and carpet—do not inherently produce any “food” to feed harmful biological entities. Many studies have been conducted over the years that confirm this fact, but these studies also note that it’s important not to use dirty cleaning supplies, especially on hard surfaces. For example, a mop that has bacteria in it should be cleaned or replaced to avoid spreading bacteria all over the kitchen tile!
Carpet chemicals are no longer worrisome
It used to be that carpets were created with harmful chemicals. These chemicals could then be emitted into the home. Some chemical use is pretty unavoidable, but thanks to the modern way in which carpets are designed—not to mention the care of carpet manufacturers—chemical emissions are no longer a serious concern. In fact, many studies have indicated that carpets are now among the lowest chemical emitters in your entire indoor space.
Carpets help prevent allergic reactions
In addition to providing no viable living space for bacteria and fungi, carpets can actually work in your favor if you are allergy-prone. This is because they have been said to effectively trap many airborne particles that could trigger a reaction. After they are trapped in the fibers, you can perform a thorough vacuuming and deep carpet cleaning in South Amboy, NJ to remove them. This solves the problem before it even starts!
Preventative maintenance is key
Do keep in mind that even though carpets help trap dust and other allergens, they can’t prevent the spread forever. Eventually, all that dust and grime in the pile will become too great to be contained, and when you walk on your carpet, it can be pushed into the air. So, for the health of your carpet and your family, be sure to call on the experts at Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center on a regular basis. If your carpet experiences a normal amount of wear and tear, it should be cleaned every 12 and 18 months. If it’s a very high-traffic zone, it may need to be cleaned more frequently.
Remember: cleaning your carpet on a regular schedule will not only keep allergens to a minimum within the home, it will also help your carpet last longer. Give us a call today to get started!
At Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center, we get a lot of questions about how to correctly clean and care for carpets. We are proud to be a leader in professional carpet cleaning in South Amboy, NJ, and we care about your carpets as much as you do. That’s why we work hard to provide the best service in the area, and teach our customers how to take basic carpet cleaning steps on their own between our visits.
Here are a few carpet cleaning tips you can start following today:
Know your type:The first and most important fact that you should be aware of is this: know what kind of carpet you own. Carpets come in many different materials, and if you don’t know what type yours is made of, you could clean it incorrectly and actually cause damage. Ask us to inspect your carpets if you’re unsure of exactly what kind you have. We’ll help you determine the best cleaning practices based on what you’ve got.
Keep the vacuum handy: One of the most basic and helpful things you can do for your carpets is to vacuum them regularly. A lot of the worst damage we see is due to long-term neglect, and that includes dirt that has been embedded into carpets over the period of many months or years. It’s a lot harder to remove ground-in dirt and mud after it’s dried and set, so if you just take a few minutes every week or so to give them a thorough vacuuming, you’ll save yourself a lot of time down the road. Some very high-traffic areas may even need a quick going-over on a daily basis; just think about what kind of wear your carpets see, and adjust accordingly.
Clean quickly:If you or someone else happens to spill something on a carpet, don’t beat yourself up—accidents happen. The next step is to immediately and thoroughly clean the spill so it doesn’t set into the fibers. We can help you learn the right way to clean up spills, so don’t hesitate to ask us for guidance.
The best offense is a good defense:One easy step you can take is going on the defensive. In other words, take measures to protect your carpets from unnecessary dust, dirt and grime whenever you can. A very effective way of accomplishing this goal is simply to invest in a couple of sturdy doormats or welcome mats. Place them inside or outside your busy entryways and have family and guests wipe their feet, or remove their muddy shoes on the mat, before entering the home. You’d be surprised how much debris can accumulate quickly!
One of the top services we provide for carpet cleaning in South Amboy, NJ is stain removal, so don’t hesitate to call if you find yourself in a pickle. We’ve got the tools to get your carpet back to its good-as-new state in no time, especially if you call us right away. We look forward to assisting you!
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