Category Archives: Cleaning Tips

How to Tackle 5 Common Carpet Stains

Life can get well… messy at times. Especially life with kids. Here is a rundown of 5 common household carpet stains and how to tackle them. We hope this industry insight helps you fret LESS and enjoy your messy, fun life MORE!

1) Colored Drinks – It’s no secret that kids love brightly colored things. While you may find their enchantment with their blue or red juice tongue oddly endearing, it’s a different story when your carpet sports those colors. To remove the colored drink stains, immediately blot the spill with a dry towel, pulling up as much moisture as you can. Make sure you’re blotting, not scrubbing. Scrubbing will only spread the stain. Once you’ve absorbed as much liquid as possible from the area, mix white vinegar, soap and water in a misting spray bottle and spray on the spot. Let it soak for about 10 minutes and then blot again with a clean, dry towel.

2) Chocolate – Sharing a piece of chocolate can be a bonding moment… at least until you find out your little one dropped a piece and sat there while it melted into your carpet. Don’t avoid these special moments. Instead, when you find yourself facing a chocolate stain, scoop up and blot as much of the residue as possible, then vacuum any dry particles. Afterwards mix 1/4 teaspoon of mild liquid dish soap with one cup of warm water and apply it to cloth. Gently work the fabric on the carpet from the outside of the mark towards the center. Let the solution stay for about 5 minutes and then blot it dry.

3) Chewing Gum – Kids love trying to blow the world’s biggest bubble, but everyone loses when gum gets stuck on your carpet. To expel it, dab an ice cube on the gum and let it sit there for 1 minute, which will make the gum hard. Once hard, you should be able to pull it off the carpet carefully. You may need to do a little scraping, but if you do, be sure to use a credit card or the dull side of a butter knife.

4) Blood – There is never a good time or place for a bloody nose. Try to act as quickly as possible to remove a blood stain from carpet. Remember to use cold water instead of hot, mixing it with a grease-fighting dish detergent in a spray bottle. Then follow the same steps as described for colored drinks.

5) Coffee – In a moment of bliss, you’re enjoying a hot cup of coffee while watching your kids play. Then, a ball or elbow knocks your mug and splatters hot liquid all over the carpet. Blot the area to absorb as much liquid as you can. Then spray on clean water and keep blotting the mark until it’s gone. If you still have some staining, apply a foamy shaving cream to the spots and rub it lightly with a cloth.

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Water Damage and Your Home

When a pipe bursts or a flood occurs in your basement, there is no doubt you need to take immediate action.

But sometimes water damage can be more subtle, even hidden. In these cases, it is critical to identify the problem and tackle it, before the situation worsens. The extent of the damage depends on how long the water is allowed to stand or accumulate. Excess moisture can also cause the development of mold, which can lead to health problems such as cold-like or allergy symptoms, headaches and nausea.

Here are 10 signs that could indicate your home is suffering:

1. Dark or wet spots on the wall or ceiling. Most are a yellowish brown color and expand from one point to make irregular shapes depending on the direction the water takes.

2. Cracking or flaking drywall. Drywall can absorb excess moisture in a property, which will cause it to bubble up and become swollen.

3. Paint that is peeling off or discolored in certain areas.

4. Pooling water or puddles that come back after you clean them up.

5. A damp, musty or moldy smell that suddenly appears.

6. The sound of water running, even when all the fixtures are turned off.

7. A sudden increase in utility bills. Keep an eye on your water bill and any unusual spikes.

8. A feeling of unusual dampness or humidity in the home.

9. A cold home. Excess moisture will draw heat out of walls in order to evaporate, in turn leaving them colder and your home more difficult to heat.

10. Cracked or warped tile, laminate or wood flooring. Water damage happens to all types of flooring. Don’t forget to also look for wet patches of carpet, especially in the corners of a room or less trafficked areas.

What now? Time is off the essence. It’s important to act quickly to avoid turning a molehill into a mountain of debt and frustration.

At ReClaim-It, we handle clients’ water damage with a multi-step approach:

1. Drying, disinfecting and dehumidifying walls.

2. Using water extraction to remove excess water so the area can dry.

3. Cleaning and removing mold from structures and building materials.

4. Disinfecting carpets, walls and furniture, leaving them safe to use again.

You should ALWAYS feel comfortable and secure in your home. By paying attention to these signs, you can help protect the place that protects YOU, all year long.

Rugs and Allergies

If you’re an allergy sufferer, spring fever takes on an entirely different meaning. Stricken with seasonal allergies as irritants like pollen, mold, and mildew start to fill the air, spring can be a sickly season. And while taking your allergy medicine is likely the best way to relieve your symptoms, there are other things you can do within your home to reduce the number of irritants in the air.

For example, spring cleaning is a good way to ensure you’re regularly removing irritants from your home’s environment. And appliances like air filters are another great way to reduce the amount of allergens you may come into contact with. But did you know that your area rugs can be natural air filters as well? It’s true!

So, what are the best rugs for allergy sufferers? Check out our hypoallergenic rug recommendations down below, all of which can improve your home’s air quality and trap allergens.

1. Polypropylene Rugs

The most reliable rug option for allergy sufferers are synthetic, polypropylene rugs. The polypropylene fibers are made to repel allergens and inhibit mold growth, meaning that they won’t house or release allergens into the air. This is what makes polypropylene rugs such a great option for the outdoors, but also for a home where allergies need to be taken into consideration.

Polypropylene Rugs
Polypropylene Rugs

Another benefit to polypropylene rugs is that they’re low pile rugs, meaning they are tightly woven or looped rather than shaggy. Shaggy rugs tend to shed their loose fibers, serving as another potential irritant to sensitive noses.  

2. Wool Area Rugs

Wool area rugs serve as a natural filter, trapping allergens and removing them from the air you’re breathing. As a naturally non-allergenic fiber, wool also prevents the growth of bacteria and dust mites. In fact, studies have shown that wool area rugs or carpets perform the best when it comes to resisting dust mite infestation. Beyond preventing dust and other common allergies, wool also wicks away moisture, helping to prevent against mold build-up.

Wool Area Rugs
Wool area rugs

3. Sisal Area Rugs

Sisal area rugs are also low pile, making them thinner than other area rugs and a smart option for a hypoallergenic rug. Sisal fibers are also intricately woven, reducing the possibility for shedding. And because sisal rugs should never be cleaned with moisture, mold and mildew will avoid your sisal rug if you are caring for it properly and keep it dry.

Sisal Area Rugs

4. Jute Area Rugs

As a natural repellant of dust mites, jute area rugs are ideal in homes where dust allergies are common. As a natural fiber area rug, jute rugs are also thin with tight and strong fibers, preventing the release of rug fibers into the air and improving your home’s overall air quality.

Jute Area Rugs

5. Grass Area Rugs

Like jute and sisal rugs, natural grass area rugs are also less likely to shed, reducing the number of irritants in the air. This includes natural grasses like seagrass and hemp. For allergy sufferers, this means that your home’s environment won’t be floating with as many irritants in the air.

While grass area rugs are ideal for their non-shedding properties, they do tend to have larger weaves, meaning they don’t filter the air as well as a polypropylene, wool, sisal, or jute rug. However, they’re still an excellent option that can improve your air quality.

Grass Area Rugs

Allergy-Proof Your Home

The type of rugs you have in your home can make a huge difference when it comes to your indoor air quality, positively impacting allergy and asthma sufferers alike. In addition to getting the best rugs for allergy sufferers in your home, it’s also a good idea to make sure you regularly clean your area rugs to remove allergens from your home. Not sure how to clean them? Call or email us for more information!