We previously emphasized the importance of summer carpet cleaning. Much less attention, though, is given to tile floors during the hottest months of the year. Summer tile cleaning is just as important because the season creates situations for the floor to attract dirt and debris.

How Summer Creates Dirtier Tiles

Summer means more fun in the sun. The kids and pets play in the pool or in front of the lawn sprinklers. When they enter, they track the water indoors. You might think this is no big deal because it’s only water. However, when water dries, it leaves behind solid material on the tile floor, creating a visible stain.

Summer Tile Cleaning: The Basics

When cleaning tile, don’t over do it with the soap. More soap in the cleaning solution does not equal more clean tiles. When you use too much soap, some of the soapy residue remains on the tile. This creates a sticky surface for dirt to cling to.

Another helpful technique is actively drying the floor rather than letting it air dry. Homeowners may think air drying is fine especially with the summer heat. However, air drying often results in spots and stains. Think about it: do you let a mirror or car air dry? No, and you shouldn’t allow your tile floor to air dry either.

For best results, we suggest professional steam cleaning. This is one of the top maintenance methods for tile cleaning because it removes stains and kills bacteria. Mopping only creates the appearance of a clean surface, but actually makes the floor dirtier by spreading the bacteria.

We Clean Tile and Grout Year-Round

With the summer comes airborne pollutants, dirt, and sweaty bodies. This is why cleaning is all the more important. This goes for the carpet, tile, and upholstery. Contact Rick’s Family Carpet Care for summer tile cleaning.

Summer Tile and Grout Steam Cleaning

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton and Fife

You sit on your couch every day. This is your seat when watching Sunday football or the new episode of Game of Thrones. However, the frequency of use is precisely why the couch is probably dirtier than you might think. You’ll be amazed as you learn about these jaw-dropping dirty couch facts. Then we’ll explain how you can keep the couch clean.

A Dirty Couch May Be Teeming with Mold

During humid summer months the upholstery absorbs moisture like a sponge. The same goes for other materials like carpets and mattresses. This makes the couch a perfect breeding ground for mold.

A Dirty Couch has Grease Residue

Your couch is probably full of grease residue even if you never spilled any oily substances on the fabric. Your body produces natural oil, which can easily transfer to the couch if your exposed skin makes contact with the surface. The oil creates the perfect spot for germs to collect.

A Dirty Couch Is Ridden with Bacteria

According to studies, a couch has more bacteria per square-inch than a toilet seat. Common viruses, such as those that cause the flu, can survive on soft surfaces for up to 24 hours. Your couch could very well be making you ill.

How Often Should You Clean Upholstery?

According to the Hygiene Council, 61% of homeowners have never sanitized their couch or have only done so once in the couch’s lifetime.

We recommend an upholstery cleaning at least once a year, preferably in conjunction with a carpet and tile cleaning. Just as you regularly wipe your kitchen counter and bathroom sink, you need to do the same with your upholstery.

We Sanitize All Upholstery Types 

Make summer the month to fresh your home with professional cleaning. Start by calling Rick’s Family Carpet Care. We sanitize a dirty couch and remove all associated stains and foul odors.

Upholstery Cleaning and De-sanitization

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton and Fife

Carpet mold is far more common than people think. If you have a carpet in your home and haven’t scheduled a carpet cleaning in some time, then it probably has some degree of mold growth. Here’s how to recognize the signs of fungal growth deep in your carpet fibers.

The Truth About Carpet Mold

Most homeowners don’t suspect mold in their carpet fibers because the mold is deeper in the strands and not visible to the naked eye. However, other telltale signs are red flags of the presence of mold.

Musty Odor

A musty smell is a dead giveaway. However, since you spend most of the time in your home, you are probably accustomed to the odor and don’t even notice it. The smell, though, will be apparent to a visitor.

Discoloration

Mold in its advanced stages develops a distinct color. This may appear on the carpet in the form of black or green splotches. Even if you don’t see surface discoloration, the splotches could be visible underneath the strands if you look more closely.

Allergies

Mold induces respiratory problems, especially in those with a history of asthma or bronchitis. Heightened allergy symptoms could be a sign of mold. The mold might be in your carpet, but it could be in other locations, such as the furniture upholstery.

Dampness 

Does your basement’s carpet feel damp? This may be a sign of a leak in the basement. Depending on how long the area has been wet, mold may have already begun to grow. Dry the area as soon as possible; the same goes for any liquid spills.

We Eliminate Carpet Mold

Mold is resilient and can grow even on surfaces like tile and grout. You can’t simply remove mold with a scrubber and a household cleaning spray. Call Rick’s Family Carpet Care if you suspect mold. Our cleaning removes carpet mold embedded deep within the fiber.

Carpet Cleaning and Mold Removal

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton, and Fife

Spilling anything other than water on carpet is a nightmare scenario. This is especially the case with red wine, a notorious staining agent. We’ll show you how to remove red wine from a carpet and what NOT to do.

How Not to Remove Red Wine from a Carpet

Most homeowners instinctively and immediately grab a paper towel and begin scrubbing rigorously at the spill. Do not scrub at the spillage. While this may lighten the stain, it will also spread it.

You should also not spray the area with a store-bought stain remover. Many homeowners spray the area only to find the red stain turn greenish or brownish. Sprays may cause a chemical reaction that leads to the color change.

The Right Way to Remove Red Wine

Act quickly and place several paper towels over the spill and apply your weight on the towels. This should transfer most of the liquid from the carpet to the towels. Replace towels as necessary. While tempting, do not scrub with the paper towel.

Next, lightly wet a fresh towel and blot over the spill for several minutes. Follow this up by placing a fresh dry towel over the spill. Place a heavy item, such as a stack of books, over the towel to keep weight on it. Let it sit for a few hours or even overnight.

This should prevent the spill from turning into a permanent stain. If some redness remains, then you will require professional carpet cleaning. The above steps also work for most upholstery and mattresses. The quicker you act the greater the probability that you will be able to remove all of it.

We Remove All Types of Stain 

For more stubborn stains, contact Rick’s Family Carpet Care. We clean most types of floors, including tile and grout. Removing red wine from a carpet is doable, but full removal may require professional intervention.

Carpet Stain Removal for Puyallup Residences

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton and Fife

Carpet dents are an eyesore. These imprints occur as furniture leaves visible marks that you can’t simply smooth over. Professional carpet repair services might be necessary, though you could probably minimize the dent with a few simple DIY measures.

How Do Carpet Dents Form?

Carpet dents form when you leave upholstered furniture in the same spot for prolonged periods. This is especially true for furniture with legs. The weight of the furniture presses down on the carpet and could leave permanent indentations. The heavier the furniture, the quicker a dent forms in place.

How to Prevent Carpet Dents

Prevention is the best remedy. One of the best methods is to move the furniture every few weeks. You don’t have to completely relocate it, just move it a few inches so the legs are in a different position. 

Another method is to spread the weight of the furniture. Under normal circumstances, the furniture’s entire weight rests on four skinny legs. Distribute that weight by placing furniture discs under the legs. The larger the weight distribution, the shallower the dent.

How to Remove Carpet Dents

If a dent is already present, then a few DIY remedies will possibly work. You could try the ice method by placing an ice cube on the dent and letting it melt in place. Soak up the water with a towel and try to smooth over the area using a spoon or similar object. You could also try to use heat: press a damp ironed towel over the dent and smooth over with a spoon.

We Restore Carpet Dents

Call Rick’s Family Carpet Care if you have deep indentations on your carpet. We normally fix dents along the way as we perform regular carpet cleaning. Carpet dents can be quite stubborn and may require professional removal.

Carpet Dent Restoration

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton, and Fife

What is the biggest threat to a carpet? Is it dirt, pet dander, coffee spills? No, water is actually a carpet’s greatest threat. By water, we don’t mean a spill from a glass of H2O. We mean a soaked carpet from a flood or a major leak. The good news is that a wet carpet is still savable. 

How to Save a Soaked Carpet 

First, you need to contact a carpet cleaning service right away. They will make the final determination of whether or not the carpet is salvageable. You can also perform a few simple steps on your end. Perform these steps to remove as much of the water as possible.

• Lay towels over the wet carpet; replace them with fresh ones once they completely saturate.
• Use high-powered fans, which you can rent at most hardware stores. 
• Keep all windows and doors open. However, if humidity is high, then close the windows, switching on the heating system instead.
• Use a dehumidifier and keep it running throughout the day. Regularly check the dehumidifier’s canister and empty it when it’s full.
• Apply baking soda over the wet carpet; this helps remove odors. Vacuum the baking soda after half an hour.

When to Replace a Carpet

Under some circumstances, you might have to discard a wet carpet and replace it altogether. This will be the case if you don’t act immediately and mold starts appearing. We also advise carpet replacement if the flood water included grey or black water. The same also goes for upholstery and furniture that became saturated in the process.

Finally, you should consider a home insurance policy that covers carpet damage. 

We Restore Soaked Carpets

Whether from rain or a broken pipe, call Rick’s Family Carpet Care if water floods your carpet. We can also perform tile and grout cleaning as part of a larger cleaning package. A soaked carpet is a serious matter that requires immediate professional attention.

Carpet Cleaning and Restoration

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton and Fife

Do you notice black streaks on your carpet? This is especially common with white carpets. These occur as filtration soil enters the home. We’ll explain what filtration soil is and how to remove the unsightly stain.

What Is Filtration Soil?

Filtration soil manifests as black lines that often appear on carpet edges and near doorways. Unfortunately, these stains are resistant to most carpet cleaners. Most DIYers have tried in vain to rid their carpet of these blemishes. Once the stains appear, professional carpet cleaning is often the only solution.

Why are these stains so stubborn? Filtration soil is composed of dirt, salt, carbon, and other airborne particles. When these elements enter the home, the carpet acts as a filter that traps these materials. Carpet fibers also trap indoor contaminants, such as cigarette smoke or smoke from a candle. In some instances, the streaks may occur on upholstery and even wooden furniture.

How to Prevent Filtration Soil

Prevention is the best measure. If installing a new carpet, we suggest a darker color. This won’t stop filtration soil, but the streaks won’t be as noticeable. We also suggest limiting your use of candles, the fireplace, and a wood-burning stove. When entering the home, remove footwear and outer coats. 

Also, be sure you replace furnace filters at the specified intervals. We recommend filters with a high MERV rating that’s capable of catching smaller particles. 

Finally, keep doors in unoccupied rooms open. When doors are shut, the HVAC sucks air from the thin slot under the door. This leads to black lines in the room’s entrance. 

We Remove Filtration Soil

Airborne pollutants in the Tacoma region often end up as filtration soil inside residences. Rick’s Family Carpet Care has the equipment to remove the stain on even the whitest carpets. Our special offers include removal of stubborn filtration soil.

Residential Carpet Stain Removal

Serving Customers in Tacoma, Puyallup, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, McKenna, Roy, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Lacey, Tumwater, University Place, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Sumner, Edgewood, Milton, Kent, Auburn, Renton, and Fife

Winter is the time of year when your carpet requires special maintenance. Carpet cleaning is especially important this season because the fibers are prone to staining due chemicals we use to combat inclement weather. We’ll explain why winter carpet care is a necessity.

How Winter Affects Indoor Carpeting

Tacoma isn’t the coldest region, though the area does get cold enough to experience occasional snowfall. How can snow be harmful to carpets? The snow you track into the house isn’t just ice particles; it’s also made up of dirt, road salt, and other debris. Snow that collects on the soles of your shoes ends up on the carpet.

How does this harm the carpet? When the snow melts and evaporates, it leaves behind calcium and magnesium deposits. This manifests in the form of a whitish crust that causes the carpet fibers to become stained. A crusted surface requires extensive carpet repair. Continue Reading →

Most people are familiar with the 5-second rule. If food drops on the floor, it’s still clean enough to eat if you pick it up within five seconds. Is this true or just a myth? Let’s explore this idea further.

What Science Says About the 5-Second Rule

A study from Aston University in the U.K. delved into the 5-second rule. Researchers tested the bacteria content of food after being dropped on the floor. They determined that the time food remains on the floor does indeed matter. The type of floor matters as well.

As it turns out, bacteria from tile and grout has a greater probability of transferring to the food than bacteria from carpet. This is because hard floors are usually dirtier, due to inadequate cleaning methods. You may think a tile floor is clean after mopping the surface. However, all the mop really does is spread the bacteria around. This is not the case with carpet cleaning, which involves vacuuming and steam cleaning. Continue Reading →

Carpet care goes beyond an annual steam cleaning. It may also require a stretch every few years. What causes a carpet to scrunch up in the first place? And, how do you know if your carpet requires stretching?

What Causes Carpet Ripples?

Various factors cause the carpet to scrunch up. One cause is indoor humidity. Moisture in the air penetrates the carpet, causing the floor below to swell. You can avoid this with an indoor dehumidifier.

Carpet waves may also arise due to dragging heavy items across the floor. This tugs on the carpet, causing any slack to push to one side. If the furniture is too heavy to lift off the floor, then use the floorboard method. Lift the furniture just enough to place it on a laminate floorboard. Place another board in front of the first and slowly “walk” the furniture to its destination. Continue Reading →