Bed Bugs, and how to fix the problem

Bedbugs are more prevalent these days than in the past. I’m not sure if it just seems that way because people are talking about the issue more, or if bed bugs have seriously gotten out of control. If you happen to get them there are a few steps to follow so they don’t spread to your furniture, mattresses and infest your carpet and area rugs.

Here are some step you can take to get rid of the bed bugs that have infested your home.

Carpet, area rugs and floors

1. Clear things off the floors. Make sure you move everything. (toys, shoes, books, etc)

2. Do not sweep or mop floors you have the high possibility of spreading eggs or larvae.

Vacuum the floors.

3. Bag up all area rugs if you can. This will keep the bed bugs in the bag and not all over. You have two choices here. The first would be to call a professional to take your area rugs and have them cleaned off-site. This is the safest method, as most professionals use steam to clean your carpets. Your other option would be to bag up your area rugs and bring them to a laundromat and clean them with the highest heat setting possible. This is dangerous though if you have handmade, silk, or wool carpets as the colors may bleed.

4. You must vacuum the entire house to remove the bugs from the carpet. Use a vacuum

that has an easy bag  to dispose. Also add some borax powder to the bag. As the bed bugs are picked up they will mix with the borax, ensuring the bugs are eradicated. After vacuuming, remove the bag from the vacuum (best to do this outside), place it in a plastic bag and seal the bag, before putting it into the trash.

5. For your wall to wall carpet it will need a professional steam cleaning. Ask the

carpet cleaning technician to use the highest heat setting possible.

Mattresses and bedding

1. Remove bedding, linens, curtains and clothing and wash everything in hot water and use the hottest setting for the dry cycle.

2. Put all stuffed animals, shoes and any other items that cannot be washed in the dryer for 30 minutes, once again on the highest heat setting.

3. Using a dry stiff brush, scrub mattress seams to remove bedbugs and any eggs before vacuuming the mattress and surrounding carpet. Next, seal the mattress and box springs in a woven zippered cover to keep bedbugs from leaving or entering. Keep your mattress covered for one year. Bedbugs can live up to one year without eating. Or, as an alternative, you can call a professional to steam clean your mattresses as well.

Beautiful Furniture

Your furniture is the centerpiece of your home. Your couch, love seat and ottoman match and set the tone of your home.

Upholstery Cleaning Los Angeles

Is the upholstery green? Or perhaps it's red! Is the fabric microfiber? Are the pillows filled with feathers? Are your pillows patterned? Are they a contrasting color in order to add a bit of flare?

Each piece of furniture is unique! From the color to the fabric type to the decorative pillows. We love our couches (and if we don't, we are in the market for new furniture!) and we use them everyday. Just like carpets however, daily use will cause some dirt and oils to become trapped in the fibers of your upholstered furniture. Soon that beautiful, brilliant red love seat you have becomes dingy. Your kids and pets don't treat your couch with the same amount of love as you.

Whether you need full couch cleaning, or just couch cushion cleaning, let a professional service take care of it for you. Though it is not in the name, JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care  can and will take care of it for you. From microfiber to velvet to cotton, synthetics and more, JP is simply the best in upholstery cleaning. Let the premier upholstery cleaning service in Los Angeles take care of you!

Wood Floor Alternatives

Wood floors are beautiful. Here are some alternatives to solid wood flooring.

• Bamboo
• Laminate
• Wood-Looking Vinyl Plank
• Cork
• Wood Tile
• Engineered Wood

Each of these has their good and bad qualities. But it's up to you which type of floor fits your home and your budget. We've included some pictures to give you an idea of the different types mentioned above. Of course each of these options comes in different colors to suite your style.

Bamboo:

Laminate:

Wood-Looking Vinyl Plank:

Cork:

Wood Tile:

Engineered Wood:

As you can see, no matter the type of flooring, you can still achieve the beautiful look you want. As always, if you have any questions or need help making your decision, we at JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care are always here to help you!

Wood Floor Care And Maintenance

Your floors are an investment. Something that you want to last for years and years and years. But when it comes to wood flooring what can you do? It's fine right? It's a hard floor, it shouldn't need as much professional maintenance as carpet or tile right? Well, not really. Wood floors don't need as much professional maintenance, but they still require some TLC. We have compiled a list of important thing you should and should not do with your hard wood flooring. 

• Sweep regularly with a soft bristle broom or dry dust mop. 

• Use a suction only type vacuum. Vacuums with a beater bar or power rotary brush head can damage a wood floor and should not be used. 

• Wipe up spills promptly and use approved hardwood cleaner. 

• Use felt protectors under heavy pieces of furniture and chairs.

• Use protective mats at all exterior entrances. 

• Spiked heels or shoes in need of repair can severely damage flooring. 

• Replace hard plastic, metal casters, or wheels on furniture with soft rubber casters or by using a protective mat under the casters.

• Never wet mop your wood floors. Excess moisture or liquids can cause damage to wood flooring. 

• Never use oil soaps, wax, or other household products to clean your floor. 

• Keep pet nails trimmed. 

• Protect your floor when using a dolly for moving furniture or appliances. 

• Use protective window coverings to protect hardwood floors from excessive heat during periods of direct sunlight. 

• Never use rubber backed rugs or pads as they may damage hardwood floors. Area rugs should be soft, non-abrasive, and urethane backed.

As always, if you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to either leave a comment below or give us a call at 818-263-9314

Grease in the Kitchen

Every home has a kitchen, and every kitchen has a floor. No matter what type of flooring you have in the kitchen, unfortunately grease will build up. This is normal and common, as long as you use your kitchen. Daily cleaning of the floor with warm water and a small bit of dish soap can help curb the build up of grease. When you have tile floors however, the grout line will start to darken despite your efforts if the floor has not been sealed. The most effective way of avoiding this darkening is to have your tile sealed when the floors are laid. If this isn't possible, it is possible to have a professional come to clean the tile and grout and seal it once they are finished. Click Here to see how JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care will help you take care of your tile and grout, and help protect your floors from that nasty grease build-up.

Area Rug Underpads

Happy Friday Everyone! This week we've done a lot of work with different wood floors. I just want to let you guys know one thing to be aware of when it comes to your wood floor.

Area rugs are beautiful! The allow us to change the look and feel of our home. Unfortunately, one of the most common problems with area rugs on wood floors is what we call "waffling." This happens because of a certain underpad. The so-called "waffling" is shown in the picture below.As you walk along the carpet, the plastic of the underpad melts and sticks to the floor, causing the utter mess in the picture above.

(For the "after" click here!)

So, as you can see, when we start working, we have to tackle this area first. Also, this limits your choices when trying to choose a new rug. The non-skid carpet underpad (pictured below) would not be our recommendation if your area rug is slipping and sliding.  

"So, carpet tape then?" you may be asking. While carpet tape is a viable solution, when trying to remove the carpet tape, it has tendency to want to stay stuck to the carpet and the floor, either damaging your floor or your carpet as a result.

You best bet is something with a cloth top and a rubber bottom. The rubber keeps the carpet padding from moving along the floor, while the cloth top keeps the carpet secure to the padding. If you have already done your research and are trying to find said carpet padding, JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care can provide you with the padding you need, cut specifically for your area rugs!

The beauty of laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is a type of floor that mimics the look of real wood floors generally at half the cost! Laminate floors are simple to install and require very few materials, while still giving your home a fresh, new look.

 When it comes to purchasing the material, ensure that you purchase enough for the total square footage of the area in which you want to place the flooring, plus 10%. Just like yarn if you buy from a different skein, the details of the laminate may not match from flat to flat, so make sure you purchase enough of the material beforehand! The insulation, or sound barrier should also be purchased at this time. Again, purchase as much as you need based upon the square footage. 

 Once your new floors have been installed, a new life has been given to the atmosphere of your home! When in between professional cleanings, we recommend moping once every week or two with just hot water and a drop of dish soap. 

 Next time: The Pros and Cons of Laminate Flooring