Most homeowners have heard of the 5-second rule. If food drops on the floor, it’s still sanitary enough to eat if you pick it up within five seconds. Is this true or a long-held myth? Let’s explore this notion further.

Science’s Stance on the 5-Second Rule

Research from Aston University in the U.K. delved into the 5-second rule. Researchers tested the bacteria content of food after dropping on the floor. They concluded that the time food remains on the floor does indeed matter. The type of floor is just as important.

As it turns out, bacteria from tile and grout has a higher probability of transferring to the food than germs from the carpet. This is because hard floors are usually filthier due to insufficient cleaning processes. You may believe the tiles are clean after mopping the floor. However, all the mop does is spread the bacteria over a greater surface area. This is not the case with carpet cleaning, which involves vacuuming and steam cleaning. Continue Reading →

Carpet care goes beyond the yearly steam cleaning. It may also require a good stretch every few years. Why does a carpet scrunch up in the first place? How do you know if it’s time to schedule carpet stretching?

What Causes Carpet Ripples?

Multiple factors account for the carpet scrunching up. One cause is excess humidity. Moisture in the air penetrates the carpet, causing the floor beneath to swell. You can prevent this with a dehumidifier.

Carpet waves may also arise due to dragging heavy furniture and appliances across the surface. This pulls 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 hack. Lift the furniture just enough to place it on a laminate floorboard. Place a second board in front of the first and gradually “walk” the furniture to its destination. Continue Reading →

Carpet maintenance is a necessity for occupant health. However, homeowners need to recognize bait and switch carpet cleaning scams before contacting a professional. Tacoma is rampant with these schemes that target unsuspecting homeowners.

How Do Bait and Switch Carpet Cleaning Scams Work?

These scams advertise a certain price in local ads. However, once in your home and performing a pre-cleaning assessment, they’ll add one surcharge after another.

This may, for instance, include extra costs for chemicals or “special” cleaning agents. Another dirty trick is that they advertise a cost for cleaning a single room. When the job is complete, they’ll charge you for additional rooms, citing that the closet or foyer counts as a separate room. They may also charge higher prices for certain demographics, such as elderly homeowners, who are less likely to dispute the cost. Continue Reading →

You spend eight hours every night on your mattress. Obviously, you want your bed to be clean. You may believe it’s clean, but when was the last time you washed your mattress, if ever? A dirty mattress may be making you ill. Be prepared for some OMG facts about the average bed.

Facts About a Dirty Mattress

The average 1,500-square-foot Tacoma home collects 40-pounds of dust every year. The dust makes its way onto the carpet, wardrobes, cabinets, upholstery, and even the mattress.

Dust isn’t the only problem. The debris also includes millions of mold spores and microbes, which can live on surfaces for years and multiply.

In the bedroom, guess what item is teeming with the most microscopic debris? The bed, in fact, makes your bedroom a whole lot filthier. Just turning from your back to your stomach is enough to re-suspend particles into the air.

The mattress is a breeding ground for germs because it collects moisture from your sweat. The sweat combined with your body heat creates the ideal incubator for fungal growth. Continue Reading →