Why You Should Maintain Your Home’s Tiled Surfaces
Tiles can lend an air of sophistication to the rooms in your home. They can make your shower stall look modern and sleek. They can give your kitchen floor a stylish and polished appearance. If you have tiled surfaces in your home, you should put effort into their care. Tile and grout maintenance are an essential part of housekeeping. Here are some reasons why:
It Guards against Health Hazards
Cleaning your tiled surfaces keeps your home clean which is important for the protection of your health and that of your family members. As time passes, your tiles will experience wear and tear in the form of small fractures or cracks. They allow water to seep into the tiles which then gathers behind them, creating a breeding ground for mildew and mold. This can lead to breathing issues for your family members, particularly young children and the elderly. To prevent this, you need to invest in water damage repair for your tiled surfaces.
It Extends the Life of Tiled Surfaces
It is a well-known fact that frequent maintenance keeps an object functional for a longer period of time. Naturally, the same applies for tiled surfaces. Tile and grout maintenance are important to extend the life of the tiled areas of your home. If you want your tiles to remain functional and look presentable in the long run, it is necessary to assess them for damage occasionally and to clean them regularly. If you find any issues with your tiles, reaching out to a professional tile and grout cleaning service like Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning is your best option. Our highly trained operators will be able to help you solve the problem at its root and prevent it from getting worse.
It allows you to Protect Your Investment
If you have spent good money on installing the tiles in your home, it would be a waste not to maintain those tiled surfaces to keep them looking new and spotless. Regular tile and grout maintenance protect the investment you made on improving the appearance of your home. Neglecting your tiled surfaces means allowing the grout to become grey with dirt and the tiles to stay cracked or chipped. This would undermine your original intention of beautifying your home. Don’t waste your money this way. Engage the services of Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning to maintain your tiles and protect your investment!
It Adds Value to Your Home
Your home is likely the biggest investment you have ever made. Any improvements that you make to it only serves to increase its value. That is exactly what tiled surfaces do for your home. Not only are they functional and durable, they can make a room appear elegant and stylish. It is no wonder that home buyers prefer tiled areas. However, if your tiled surfaces are dirty or damaged, it can make a potential buyer think twice about purchasing your home should you intend to sell it. That’s why it is so important to keep up with tile and grout maintenance. By doing so, you can maintain or even add value to your property!
Should You Restore Or Replace A Water Damaged Carpet?
Regardless of whether it is due to flooding, a broken pipe or a leaking roof, excess water in your home never bodes well with your furniture. This is especially true for carpets. Because of how expensive carpeting is, no homeowner likes facing the prospect that they have to replace a water-damaged carpet.
Fortunately, carpet water damage is not irreversible. In some cases, the carpet can be professionally restored instead of being replaced.
Here are the different categories of carpet water damage and what you can do about it.
Category 1: Damage is Reversible
If the water damage to your carpet was the result of rainwater or clean water from a broken pipe, there is a high chance that your carpet can be restored. This kind of water contains only a small amount of contaminants, meaning that the carpet and its padding can be easily cleaned as long as carpet cleaning specialists work on the carpet within 24 to 48 hours of the water damage.
However, if the damaged carpet is left alone for more than 48 hours, the water in category 1 can become contaminated by substances like metals, soap or hair, turning it into water in category 2.
Category 2: Damage is Mostly Reversible
Category 2 water is contaminated water that can make people ill if they were to come into contact with it or if they were to consume it. It is also known as gray water. This kind of water includes toilet water that has been contaminated with urine, bath water and water from washing machines.
If the water-damaged carpet is treated by professionals within 24-48 hours, it can still be saved. Unfortunately, carpet padding that has been damaged by gray water cannot be restored and has to be replaced.
If the water-damaged carpet is left untreated for over 48 hours, the category 2 water turns into category 3 water or known as black water.
Category 3: Damage is Irreversible
Category 3 water damage is the worst kind of water damage. Black water is full of harmful bacteria, pesticides, toxins and pathogens. This kind of water involves damage done by black water, which is the most severe type of water damage. This is because black water contains a large amount of harmful bacteria, pathogens, pesticides and toxins. Black water can be sewer water, water from toilet backflows or floodwater from a natural disaster like a hurricane.
Carpets that have been contaminated with black water is too damaged to be restored even with the help of carpet cleaning professionals. It has to be replaced as it could be a potential health hazard.
Water-Damages Restoration Services
If your carpet suffers any form of water damages, the best thing you can do is to engage professional carpet cleaning services as soon as possible. Time can make all the difference between having a salvageable carpet or one that is damaged beyond repair.
Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning has had over a century’s worth of experience in carpet cleaning. Rest assured that we can remove all contaminants and moisture from your water-damaged carpets with our advanced cleaning solutions. We can meet all carpet cleaning needs at competitive prices. Contact us at 201-445-0800 or email us on Info@RugClean.net today!
Rugs In Good Condition Are Useful!
Rugs in good condition are beautiful additions to any living spaces. They are capable of transforming the whole appearance and ambience of a room. Regardless of whether you need to spruce up your living space or decorate a new home, a good rug can set the tone for any room or complement a decorating theme. Other than adding a new dimension of color and personality to a room, rugs also serve to showcase our personal style and design aesthetic.
It is no wonder that most people think of rugs as decorative pieces. The truth is that they are more than that. Rugs have many other practical uses. Let us explore these functions together!
Rugs act as Filters
Rugs are actually excellent traps for airborne contaminants and allergens such as pollen, dirt, dust and pet hair. When these contaminants land on your rug, they are stuck on the surface until you clean them up using a vacuum. By trapping these unwanted particles from the air, rugs improve the air quality in your home.
For that reason, it is important to vacuum your rugs frequently to prevent the accumulation and re-release of these contaminants into the air. As vacuuming only removes particles on the surface of the rug, it is also recommended to have your rugs professionally deep-cleaned about once a year.
Rugs Absorb Sound
Without rugs on your floor, every single sound in the room becomes amplified. The sound of footsteps, the click-clacking of your pet’s nails on the floor, your family members talking on the phone and the noise from your children’s video games would all be harder to ignore. Rugs make your home more peaceful by helping to absorb some of the day-to-day noises.
Rugs Protect your Floors
It is not uncommon to accidentally scratch up your beautiful floor. For example, a single hard scrape with your chair or coffee table is enough to leave a deep groove in your wood floor. Fortunately, rugs serve as wonderful protectors of our floors. They act as a barrier between your furniture and floor, preventing your gorgeous floors from sustaining any damage. They are particularly effective when paired with a rug pad to provide extra cushioning.
Rugs Anchor your Furniture
Have you ever experienced a time when you sat on a chair or sofa and it slid a few inches backwards? Rugs help to prevent that by anchoring your furniture to the floor. They provide extra friction that inhibits your furniture from shifting and sliding from their original positions when you use them. This not only makes your living space far more pleasant, it is also safer for you and your family.
If you have rugs at home and would like to get them professionally cleaned or repaired, you can look to Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning to do that for you. With over a century’s worth of experience in rug cleaning and repair, you can rest assured that we will provide you with excellent results. Our services are available at competitive prices and our customer service is unparalleled. If you are interested in engaging our services, feel free to call 201-445-0800 or email us at Info@RugClean.net.
How To Achieve Clean Tiles In 2020
After years of use, dirt, dust and grime would have accumulated on the tiles and grout in your home. The tiles that were once beautiful and spotless now look dull and dirty. The grout that was once pristine is now discolored. Fortunately, thorough cleaning can help you restore the beauty of the tiled areas of your home. If you would like to achieve clean tiles in 2020, you have come to the right place.
In this post, you will learn the best way to clean dirt, dust and grime off the surfaces of your tiles. You will also be advised on the type of the cleaning products that are best suited for this task. Tile and grout cleaning may seem like a simple task but it is actually more complicated than most people realize.
The Cleaning Method
To make the cleaning more efficient, always use a cloth or broom to collect the loose dust, dirt and grime from your tiled surfaces first. Otherwise, you will likely end up wiping those particles all over your tiles and grout. This would defeat your whole purpose of cleaning them.
Chemical Cleaners
You should be careful not to use any cleaning products that contain bleach or ammonia to scrub your tiled areas. The low pH levels of these products almost always result in discolored grout. When you pick a chemical cleaner, it is best to get one with a neutral pH level so as not to cause damage to your grout.
How Often You Should Clean
We advise you to clean the tiled areas of your home at least once a week or once every two weeks to prevent the accumulation of dirt. Insufficient cleaning can cause darkened and stained grout that ruins the appearance of your tiles. It can also result in unsightly mold and mildew growth.
Professional Help
Sometimes, the cleaning you do at home for your tiled surfaces are not able to restore them back to their former shine regardless of what you do. Even if you manage to adequately clean them, the color of the tiles may have faded or lost their luster over the years. In such a case, rather than completely replacing your tiles and grout, it is better to turn to a professional for help.
Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning has had over a century of experience in tile and grout cleaning. Our qualified team can design a cleaning program specifically tailored to your situation. You can rest assured that all our cleaning jobs are executed only by certified and highly trained operators. They will be able to thoroughly remove the dirt, dust and grime from your tiles and grout while protecting them from sustaining future stains. Our cleaning solutions are available to you at competitive prices and you can be sure to expect excellent customer service from our staff.
If you would like to engage our tile and grout cleaning services, please do not hesitate to call us at 201-445-0800 or email us at Info@RugClean.net for more inquiries.
Factors To Consider When Cleaning Vintage Rugs
Vintage rugs are a beautiful addition to any room. The problem is that most of these rugs are one-of a-kind and are difficult to replace to its exact design. That’s why owners of these unique rugs need to be extra cautious with their care.
Here is a list of dos and don’ts to guide you in cleaning vintage rugs.
1.Do get a rug pad.
Rug pads prevent rugs from slipping, wrinkling and bunching by keeping them firmly against the floor. This keeps the rug fibers from being stretched, preventing rolls from forming in the rug.
2.Don’t get your wool rug wet.
The outer layer of wool strands repels water. However, the inner layer absorbs and retains water. Because of this, when rugs get wet, it is hard for them to dry out completely. This means that mildew and mold may develop on the rug.
3.Don’t put plants on your rug.
Whenever you water the plants, the water may seep out from under the pot and soak into your rug. This will contribute to mold growth and rug rot.
4.Don’t dry clean your wool rug.
Dry cleaners use solvents that will dry out the natural oils in the wool fibers of your rug. This makes the wool fibers brittle and weak.
5.Don’t steam clean your wool rug.
The heat from the steam will damage the wool fibers of your rug.
6.Don’t vacuum on a high-suction setting.
A high-suction setting will pull at the fibers of your rug, damaging it. To clean your rug, you can vacuum on a low-suction setting to remove dust and dirt.
7.Don’t use a rotary vacuum.
A rotary vacuum pries into the fibers of the rug to loosen the dirt in it. Pulling on the rug fibers damages them, hence leading to increased shedding and shorten the lifespan of the rug. To effectively clean your rug, use a suction attachment and vacuum side-to-side instead of fringe-to-fringe. This ensures that the fringe finish remains intact.
How Often Should a Vintage Rug be Cleaned?
One of the benefits of vintage rugs, other than their appearance, is the fact that they are low maintenance. They only need to be vacuumed once or twice a month. The back of the rug only needs to be vacuumed once every few months.
Other than vacuuming, owners should rotate their rugs once or twice a year to ensure even wear. This is especially important if a part of the rug experiences higher usage. Rotating the rug will help it to maintain an even surface appearance.
Does Rug Material Matter in Cleaning?
The vacuuming process is the same for different rug materials. The difference only applies in spot cleaning. For wool rugs, use a formula of one part detergent to 100 parts water. For goat hair, cotton, and hemp rugs, a formula of two parts detergent to 100 parts water is more effective.
Is Professionally Cleaning Required?
If dust clouds appear when you beat your rug, it is a sign that the rug needs to be professionally cleaned. Otherwise, sending it for professional cleaning once every three to five years would suffice.
Beware: Dirty Carpeting Contributes To Air Quality Problems
Good indoor air quality (IAQ) can be hard to maintain. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 30 percent of non-industrial buildings in the United States have poor indoor air quality. This is a serious issue as indoor air contaminants can not only result in eye and nose irritation, but they can also cause allergic reactions like sinus congestion, respiratory infections, difficulty in breathing, hives or rashes. Research has shown that inadequate cleaning is one of the main contributors to poor IAQ and out of the three major surfaces which are ceilings, flooring and walls, flooring affects IAQ the most. Dirty carpeting is especially bad for IAQ.
However, proper vacuuming and cleaning can remove contaminants from carpets to promote good indoor air quality.
How Carpet Affects IAQ
When dust and other contaminants in the air land on uncarpeted floor, they are easily redistributed all over the room when people walk across the floor. With carpet, contaminants are trapped in the carpet fibers when they land on the floor. This hence reduces the amount of contaminants in the air. Research has proven that the air above carpeted floors has fewer dust particles and allergens than that above uncarpeted floors.
Carpet can help to improve indoor air quality by trapping dust and dirt until they are vacuumed away. However, if the carpet is not vacuumed and cleaned frequently, the dust and dirt will accumulate until the carpet can no longer trap them.
Carpet Cleaning
The best technique for maintaining IAQ is to vacuum the carpet at least once a week to remove allergens and pollutants before they are re-released into the air and to perform extraction cleaning once every few months. It is important to use a vacuum with string suction and an efficient air filter bag. Otherwise, vacuuming the carpet may release dust particles into the air instead.
Spot removals should be done the moment the carpet is stained. Detergent can be used to effectively remove dust particles trapped in the carpet fibers. After cleaning, it is important to thoroughly remove all cleaning agents from the carpet as moisture will damage it. Keeping windows open and fans running will help all the moisture to evaporate.
In addition to keeping the carpet clean, it is also good to keep the humidity levels in the room below 51 percent as it makes the environment less ideal for dust mites.
Removing Dirt at the Door
An efficient way to keep floors clean is to remove as much dirt as possible before people step into the room. This can be done with the use of entrance mats in doorways. These mats work the best when they are placed two to five steps away from the doorway.
On top of that, high traffic areas such as hallways, stairways, elevators and eating areas should be cleaned more regularly to prevent the accumulation of dirt.
At Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning, we use advanced cleaning equipment and solutions to effectively remove all contaminants and allergens from your carpets. Engage our services and never worry about indoor air quality again! We can meet all your commercial or residential property cleaning needs at competitive prices. Contact us at 201-445-0800 or email us on Info@RugClean.net today!
Are Musty Carpet Smells Making You Feel Sick?
Clean carpets do not typically produce any apparent odor. However, carpets that experience water damage and are not completely dry tend to produce a musty and pungent odor that permeates onto the whole house. This is not only highly unpleasant for the people who are living in it, it can also cause uncomfortable symptoms like nausea and headaches.
Carpet Odor
Carpet fibers can easily trap airborne dust particles, allergens and other contaminants. They include mold and mildew spores which can be found in almost every environment. When a carpet gets wet, its fibers absorb and retain the moisture, preventing it from drying up. The carpet then becomes an ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew and other bacteria, resulting in the production of an unpleasant odor.
After a carpet traps moisture, it only takes about 48 hours before an odor develops. Water damage comes in various forms. A broken pipe, leaking ceiling and flooding are all examples of water damage. Regardless of how it happens, once a carpet sustains water damage, it is crucial to engage the services of carpet cleaning professionals within the 48 hour window to prevent a musty odor from filling up your home.
Carpet cleaning experts are armed with specialized decontamination and water extraction equipment. They can ensure that the carpet is thoroughly cleaned and dried. If professional water damage and mold remediation techniques are not performed as soon as possible, the damage to the carpet may become irreversible.
Removing Carpet Odor
The unpleasant carpet odor can be tricky to remove. Some people may use a consumer-grade carpet cleaning machine to remove the bad smell. However, it is not effective in removing the mold and mildew that are already growing in the carpet nor the odor that they produce. Hiding the odor by applying topical deodorants onto the surface of the carpet offers a temporary fix but is not practical as a long-term solution.
That’s why you need professionals to help you. Here are some professional techniques utilized by carpet cleaning specialists to salvage a carpet with an odor.
- High-Pressure Hot Water Extraction with Deep-Flushing Tools
This technique helps to remove contaminants in the carpet to thoroughly clean it. This method is sometimes enough to get rid of the odor as well. However, this is not always the case.
- Injection of an Odor Neutralizer
To remove a strong and persistent odor, it is sometimes necessary to inject an odor neutralizer onto the carpet. The formula of the odor neutralizer has to be specific for the type of contaminant for it to do the job. Technicians executing the task are specially trained to identify the origin of the odor, which could be mold, mildew or some other contaminants.
In certain cases, the carpet may need to be detached from the floor so that the odor neutralizer can be applied onto the underside of the carpet, the padding and the surface of the floor.
At Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning, we use advanced cleaning equipment and solutions to effectively remove all contaminants and moisture from your water damaged carpets. We can meet all your commercial or residential property cleaning needs at competitive prices. Contact us at 201-445-0800 or email us on Info@RugClean.net today!