Wood Floor Re-finishing

How often should I clean my carpets?

First question to ask yourself…..Why should I get my carpet cleaned?

Even if you don’t think your carpets look dirty, guess again, they are. Dirt gets deep down into the fibers of the carpet. Getting your carpets cleaned on a regular basis will make your home a healthier place to live. Carpets that are cleaned regularly will extend the life of your carpet. The largest carpet manufacturer highly recommends hot water extraction (steam cleaning).

Next question to ask yourself…..When should I get my carpet cleaned?

Just don’t get your carpets cleaned when it looks dirty or once every couple of years. Here are some guidelines to go by:

Lightly soiled - vacuum once a week – clean every 12-18 months

Normal soil (families’ w/kids, elderly) – vacuum 1-2 times a week – clean every 6-12 months

Heavily soiled (families’ w/pets, smoking) – vacuum 2-4 times a week – clean every 3-6 months

Extreme conditions (large families, multiple pets) vacuum daily – clean every 2-3 months

Last question to ask yourself…..How should I get my carpets cleaned?

Use a company that does hot water extraction or in other words, steam cleaning. Ask them what exactly do they do or what process. For example do they prespray the whole carpet, treat the stains and spots and is it a deep cleaning for the price they are charging you. Also use a company that gives you a firm price up front.

The very last questions to ask yourself…..Who should I get to clean my carpets?

The only answer, JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care, of course

How Often Should I Clean My Carpets?

Many homeowners are unsure about how often to clean their carpets. This question should be handled with care. The carpet cleaning process depends on how soiled and how much use it gets. Here is a guideline on how often you should get your carpets professionally cleaned:

Lightly soiled, vacuum once a week, clean every 12 to 18 months.

Normal soil, (families w/kids, elderly) vacuum 1 to 2 times a week, clean every 6 to 12 months.

Heavily soiled, (families w/pets, smoking) vacuum 2-4 times a week, clean every 3-6 months.

In extreme conditions, (large families, multiple pets) vacuum daily, and clean every 2-3 months.

You need to choose a professional carpet cleaning company that is dedicated to customer service. You want a company that works on its own, on time, and gets the results that will last.

All rugs are not made equal. Be careful how you have them cleaned.

Area rugs and wall-to-wall carpets should not be cleaned the same way. Wall-to-wall carpet is synthetic materials and can withstand steam cleaning on a regular basis. While area rugs are usually made of natural or animal fibers, need to be cared for in a different way. Most area rugs are hand-knotted and the soil gets trapped in the knots and crevices. You can have your area rugs steam cleaned; this will only get the top portion of the rug cleaned, but what about the fibers in between and the underneath? Handmade natural fiber area rugs are a big investment, so choose a professional who has experience in area rug cleaning.  

Fresh red wine stain out of your carpet.

Someone spilling red wine on your light-colored carpet or upholstery is not the end of the world. If you act fast you can remedy the problem quickly. Here is the first of several solutions to resolve your red wine spill.

First, as with any spill, blot up as much of the wine as you can. Pour white wine on a red wine spill. The white wine will dissipate the red wine. Again, blot up as much as you can. If you can still see the stain generously sprinkle with salt, while the salt is drying it should lift out the remaining red wine.

If you do not have white wine on hand, first and always blot up as much of the spill as you can. Then spray the area with hydrogen peroxide, followed by generously sprinkling baking soda on the spot. Let dry and as it is drying the peroxide should neutralize the red wine and the baking soda will absorb the liquid as it dries.

It's important to note that these solutions may help if utilizes quickly, however as with anything else, there is no guarantee of complete effectiveness. Your best option, should these solutions not work, is to apply the baking soda or salt and immediately reach out to your carpet cleaner. If you don't have a carpet cleaner on hand, reach out to us and we'll be more than happy to help. www.jpcarpetandfloorcare.com

A natural way to remove pet urine

If you are looking for a more natural way to get up pet urine, the key is to act fast, so that the stain has no time to penetrate into the carpet. Get up as much of the solid and liquid waste as possible. There are a few products that you can use that are safe for your carpet and pets:

1. Vinegar – pour directly onto the area; allow it to soak in for a minute then begin blotting with a clean dry towel until the stain is gone. Remember to always blot never rub.
2. Baking Soda – coat the entire area; allow it to sit until it is completely dry (usually overnight), and vacuum the stain and odor away.
3. Salt – sprinkle a generous amount onto the stain, allow it to work for a couple of hours then vacuum up.

Hopefully you can catch it before it has time to set into your carpet. The key is to act fast and if none of these solutions work you should contact a professional carpet cleaner. 

Never scrub, always blot

The golden rule when spot cleaning your carpet in between professional cleanings is to never scrub. Scrubbing will push the spot more into the fibers of the carpet and make it hard for JP Carpet Cleaning to remove. It's not impossible but it is definitively harder to get out.

When something spills, your first step should be to get up as much of the spill as possible. Do this with a shop vac if you have one or by placing a towel over the spot, and firmly applying pressure. This is the process of blotting. Blot up as much of the spill as you can, replacing the towel as many times as you need. When you have removed as much as you can, sprinkle the spot with baking soda or salt, enough to cover the spot entirely. The crystals will absorb much of whatever liquid is still remaining. When the spot is completely dry, vacuum everything up. If there is any residue left over, take some warm water and a single drop of dish soap and apply a spritz over the spot before blotting it up.  

Marble Maintenance

Marble is a very beautiful and unique natural stone. Whether it is in the kitchen, bath, or throughout your home, it can be a challenge to clean. If you do not sweep or vacuum your floors dust and dirt can and will leave scratches. So sweep and vacuum as often as you can. To clean or wash your marble never use an acidic cleaner. The best thing is a little mild dish soap in warm water. The key is to always rinse your mop in between strokes; you don’t want to push dirt from one side to the other. After mopping always dry the marble never let it air dry. Marble is such a porous stone that even water can leave spots.

Whether you like the mirror shine or a matte finish, you will need to have a professional come and polish the marble by using a diamond abrasive compound to smooth it down and bring back the finish that you desire.

The important thing is to recognize what kind of stone you have and perform the correct type of maintenance regularly. For more information, we recommend reading this guide to ultimate marble restoration and repair. This article goes into more detail regarding the different types of restoration that will work on marble as well as a few other things to keep your marble in top condition. 

Choosing What Kind of Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors

Choosing what type of wood floors best suit your home is an important decision. The 3 main types of hardwood floors are solid wood – engineered wood – acrylic impregnated flooring. When choosing your flooring you should keep in mind that solid hardwoods may require more upkeep than engineered wood flooring, but they can be re-sand and refinished.

Solid wood flooring comes in unfinished and pre-finished. The difference between these two is that unfinished floors need to be installed, sanded, stained, and sealed. Pre-finished wood floors just have to be installed; they have been finished at the factory. Three main types:

Solid wood:

            Strip flooring – has a set width, from 1 ½, 2, and 2 ¼ inches

            Plank flooring – comes in 2 thicknesses, but is available in widths from 3 to 8 inches

            Parquet flooring – made up of geometrical patterns composed of individual wood slats

Engineered wood flooring is produced by adhering layers of plastic laminate veneer with real wood. (You should not confuse engineered wood flooring with laminate flooring; there is no actual wood in laminate flooring.)

Acrylic-impregnated wood flooring is infused with color and sealant throughout the thickness of the wood, so the finish is actually all the way through the wood. (Mostly used commercially)

Hardwood Flooring Part 1

Hardwood Flooring

Part 1

Choosing to have new flooring is a big decision, on that, you need to be well informed. Should I go with real wood or laminate? If you are not sure you need to educate yourself, find out what the difference is.

Laminate floor is made of a high-density fiberboard core, placed between a melamine laminate backing and a high-quality photographic paper. The image can range from wood, stone, or any other natural flooring. There are a few hybrid products that replace photographic paper with a very thin piece of real wood veneer.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both hardwood and laminate flooring: hardwood floors can be scratched, but scratches can be repaired. If laminate floors get scratched, it’s not very easy to repair. A hardwood floor can be sanded to remove any imperfections; you can not do this with a laminate floor. One benefit to laminate floors is that they do not fade or turn yellow from sunlight. Most stained wood floors will change color over time. On the other hand, wood floors can be restored to their original beauty. Laminate floors never need to be waxed or polished, they also hold up better in a kitchen or bathroom, whereas hardwood floors do not do well in rooms with a lot of moisture.

Ultimately, the decision is yours whether you go with hardwood or laminate flooring; you need to examine what is best for you, your family, and for your home.