Can I use vinegar and baking soda to clean my carpet?

You can use vinegar and baking soda in carpet cleaning, but not at the same time. The cool chemical reaction used in 6th grade science class volcanoes has no value for cleaning. However, independently, vinegar and baking soda are useful. Vinegar is a fine disinfectant, possessing a pretty impressive germ killing ability. It’s not as strong as bleach, but it’s certainly less abrasive and easier on the nose. Vinegar is also helpful in cleaning up pet accidents (although I prefer hydrogen peroxide). Speaking of pet accidents, baking soda’s best use is as a deodorizer. Sprinkle it over the smelly carpet at night and vacuum it up the next day. Just as the open box in your refrigerator does, the sprinkled baking soda will absorb odor. If the desired result isn’t achieved, do it again. You won’t hurt anything.

All that said, keep in mind that just as with your dishes, laundry, and hair, you need soap and hot water to actually clean your carpet, and this is best left to professionals. If you must do it yourself, natural supplies such as white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda are preferable to soaps and chemicals in DIY carpet cleaning because they do not leave behind residues that attract dirt. Ever hear that carpet cleaning makes your carpet get dirty faster? This is only true because of these residues, which create a tar pit, and every dinosaur that walks by is going to leave a fossil. This problem oftentimes occurs as a result of DIY cleaning and poor “professional” work. Professional carpet cleaning technicians who do the job properly will rinse out soaps and chemicals along with dirt and spots, leaving only clean carpet behind, which won’t get dirty any faster than it did before (barring any rogue meatballs or sick dogs).

What’s the difference between vacuuming and steam cleaning?

by Jeremy Strickland

It’s laundry time. Time to do the dishes. Time to wash your hair. Time to give the dog a bath. Can you imagine doing these chores without soap and water?

To make a dirty object clean, you need four things: soap, hot water, agitation, and time. Vacuuming usually beats the carpet fibers with a rotating brush while sucking the dirt out. This process utilizes agitation and time to get dirt and debris out of your carpet. Vacuuming is important to maintain your carpet and to keep it looking good from day to day, but it does not clean your carpet. It’s not enough to keep your carpet looking good from year to year.

Steam cleaning is a misnomer. Steam is not the agent of the cleaning but a result of the hot water used by the Carpet Cleaning Technician. What most people refer to as a “Steam Cleaning” is more appropriately called “Hot Water Extraction.” This process involves applying chemical (soap) to the carpet, agitating with a carpet cleaning wand, and rinsing the dirt and soap out of the carpet with hot water. This process is how a carpet gets cleaned.

Randy’s Carpet Care has been perfecting the science and art of carpet cleaning in West Michigan for forty years. Call us today to schedule your free carpet cleaning estimate!

(616) 392-1400

 

Five Reasons To Remove Your Shoes Before Entering A Home

by Jeremy Strickland

All around the world, it is customary to remove your shoes before or upon entering a home. There are myriad cultural reasons for this, but for most, it boils down to hygiene. Here in the United States, however, it is not a universal custom. I mean, what’s the worst case scenario if you keep your shoes on when you visit your friends? Well, here are five points to ponder:

1. Your street shoes are making your home dirty, bringing in fecal matter, germs, dirt, sand, oil, grease, and more. Gross.
2. Besides the unwanted grime listed above, your shoes also track in pollen, mold and fungal spores, pet dander (regardless of whether or not you own a dog), and myriad other allergens. Leaving your shoes at the door is a great step (pun intended) toward reducing allergens in your home.
3. The dirt on your shoes gets cleaned off by your carpet with your first steps across it. Look at this dirt under a microscope, and you’ll see that it looks like little shards of glass. Sixty percent of home carpeting is nylon, and most of the rest is a plastic too, so you’re essentially grinding these tiny shards against the plastic fibers of the carpet with your feet, accelerating the wearing process. This is how visible traffic paths form.
4. Carpet cleaning and replacement costs you. A simple measure like taking your shoes off can help ensure that you don’t have to have your carpets cleaned more than once a year. Paired with annual cleanings, this simple action can extend the useful life of your carpet.
5. Taking off your shoes before entering someone’s home is a sign of respect. It shows the folks you are visiting that you appreciate their house and are mindful of the above four points. Your friends see this, and your mindfulness is meaningful to them.

Vacuuming also helps keep the carpet free from dirt and allergens, but only if it’s done properly and frequently, meaning that you take your time at least once a week, and cover every square inch of carpet, including corners and crevices with the attachments. A vacuum with a HEPA filter is best, particularly if allergies are an issue in your home.

So, you’re not taking off your shoes before entering your own home… What’s the worst case scenario? You’re sick, your carpet is irreversibly damaged, and no one wants to be friends with you anymore. My advice to you? Keep your friends. Lose the shoes.