Beware of Carpet Cleaning Scams

We all want to have clean carpets because a clean carpet equals a clean home. That is why we seek professional carpet cleaning services. Although there are genuine people out there who offer professional services, others want to make quick cash at your expense. You are safest scheduling carpet cleaning in Long Beach from a Chem-Dry franchise.

Many people have fallen prey to carpet scams, and that is why you need to be able to identify these scams. Here are some of the carpet cleaning scams on the market.

BAIT & SWITCH

This is the most common scam that many people have falling for. What happens is that a carpet cleaner puts an extremely low-price on his services when advertising his company. As a homeowner, you get excited to save some money, and so you contact the company or visit them. On getting there, they inform you that the advertised price was exclusive of some things such as a special cleaning solution needed for your carpet or labor. These people might even come up with additional costs once when arrive at your home. They’ll tell you that your carpet is thicker than the average carpet and so on to get you to pay more.

When this happens, some people just decided to give the cleaners more money because they feel like they have already wasted enough time on them and do not feel like taking time to search for another cleaning company. If you choose not to give in to this scam, you would have wasted your time and effort engaging with them. A legitimate company should offer full services at the cost they advertise.

"THE BEST METHOD"

Carpet cleaners use various methods to clean your carpet. Steam cleaning is the most popular method, and it involves getting rid of dirt that is deep in your carpet fibers. Pre-heated water and a chemical detergent are used to do this. When that dirt comes to the surface, a vacuum is used to drain it together with the hot water.

Some cleaning companies take advantage of homeowners’ need for having their carpets cleaned effectively. They will tell you that they will use the best method in the market to clean your carpet. They can then sell you the idea of steam cleaning and charge you higher prices for it. The reality is that no particular cleaning method is the best for every carpet. How old your carpet is, the material used to manufacture and its pile all determine which method should be used to clean it.

ONLY CLEANING SURFACE

This is another scam that most homeowners never know about until they see results they were not expecting. You need to be very diligent to escape this scam. The funny thing is that even reputable carpet cleaning companies pull this scam once in a while, although it can happen accidentally too. You may not be present when your carpet is being cleaned, and so you come back and find that it is drying or is already dry.

After a few days, you notice that the stains on your carpet have returned. This may be because the cleaners may have just cleaned the surface of your carpet or they may have used faulty equipment which could not get in sufficient water to clean the carpet properly or get out all the dirty water. Be on the lookout to avoid these carpet cleaning scams.

To Blot or Scrub Carpet Stains?

Carpet stains can be a little bit hard to treat and remove them completely if you are not careful to employ the right cleaning methods. You might be better of call a professional. If you do not, and attempt DIY carpet cleaning, it’s important to understand the different tactics that you can choose when removing stains.

You’ve probably heard about scrubbing and blotting. Do you know what each of these methods does to your carpet? Besides that, are they effective? Here, we dive deep into each of them then advise you whether you should scrub or blot. 

BLOTTING

Blotting simply involves pressing the stained part of the carpet with a dry towel or any other material that can absorb the stain. You just need to do it repeatedly until all the stain is completely absorbed.

However, for larger spills, you might have to find an alternative way to extract the spills before blotting. You can use a wet-dry vacuum first then you can blot finally to make sure that everything is removed completely and the affected spot is cleaned nicely, so it looks great as it were before the spills.

SCRUBBING

This involves getting a scrubbing material and rubbing it on the part that is stained. If for instance, you spill drinks on your carpet, you simply get a dry and clean rug then start rubbing at the spills to remove them. How long you do it depends on how much spills are on the floor.

However, you just need to do it until you feel that the stains are completely removed and are invisible anymore on the carpet. You need to be careful with this method since if you overdo it, you may end up damaging your carpet. In fact, scrubbing weakens carpet fibers, and it will be easy for scrubbed parts to get damaged.

BLOT OR SCRUB

Having known what each of these stain removal methods involves, you can already tell which method is safe for your carpet. While they all help in cleaning stained parts of your carpet, you need to give importance to safety and care not to damage your carpet.

Blotting is thus the best way to remove stains from your carpet. As already said, it simply involves pressing a dry towel or rug on the stained spot.

Scrubbing is a bit tricky, and you might end up damaging your carpet if you employ it to remove large spills/stains. Therefore, avoid applying it unless you have other special reason to do it.

Stain removal isn’t always easy, and when the liquid spills on the carpet, we are always quick to get anything around and start rubbing it on the stained part. Please don’t do it again because you are unknowingly damaging it. Instead, blot it, and you’ll get rid of the spills/stains while keeping your carpet intact. You, of course, do not want to cause more problems instead of solving the stain issue. Cleaning needs care and knowledge of how to do it nicely. Always blot instead of scrubbing.

Tips for Cleaning After a Party

It takes weeks or even a month to plan a party hoping that everything will work out as planned and there will be no hitches. Well, the planned day will finally come, and everyone will have the gladdest moments of their life but what awaits you after that day is another story altogether. 

You’ll wake up to water rings, broken glassware, floor scuffs and worst of all, a hangover. So how will go about the process of cleaning up your house to regain its pre-party status? Here are useful after party cleaning tips you can consider:

Help Stragglers Out

After every party, there’s always a risk of hangover individuals being left out. Your first thing the next day, therefore, is to check and clear all the rooms. Check the kitchen, bathroom and living room and shoo out anyone you find. If they can’t get out or maybe are your friends, ensure that they get a good place to sleep until they can leave on their own to their places. You can only start the cleanup exercise once you are sure that no one is left in any room in your home.

Clean Surfaces & Remove Stains

Cleaning now starts here, and it’s the toughest phase when it comes to cleaning up after a party. You’ll require and all-purpose cleaner to do this job and complete it successfully. Go room by room and clear all unwanted stuff. Start with the most important rooms such as the kitchen and living room. Make sure that at the end of this exercise, all the rooms are clean and there are no left out items that ought to be removed. 

It’s most likely that after a bash, there will be spilled drinks, food debris, and others. All these can stain surfaces especially carpets and upholstery. For serious stains that can’t be removed by regular cleaners, get other cleaning stuff like baking soda or vinegar and target all the spots stained, so you clean them well.

Pick Up Debris and Clean the Floor

At this point, you want your apartment to look normal. So go through all the rooms and make sure that there are no party debris and find out if the spills got to the floor. If the floor is okay, you don’t need to waste any time on it, but if the spills reached the floor, you might have to consider mopping it. If there is a spill on carpet, you will need to hire a Long Beach carpet cleaner like Amazing Care Chem-Dry.

Wash the Used Dishes

Your clean-up exercise won’t be complete if dirty dishes are all over. Therefore, clean the bottles, cups, glasses, plates and anything else that was used during the party. If some require soaking before cleaning, please do it. Well, the most important thing here is to ensure that nothing is left unclean.

Getting your apartment back to its pre-party state can be a hassle, but if you prepare something like a checklist, you won’t do a shoddy job or fail to achieve your objectives. Do not forget to clean your bathroom and refill the toilet paper. With all these steps, your room will feel like home once again.

Don't Miss: Tips for Cleaning Before a Party

Tips for Cleaning Before a Party

It’s a fact that when planning a party, we all want our friends and guests to find our rooms presentable. Having a clear outline of the important areas you need to clean up before the party day can help put things in order. 

You can’t put your best/favorite food forward in a room that doesn’t match the food you are presenting. The following cleaning tips can help you make your home presentable to your guests:

Clean Your Whole House & Brighten It

Your first step in preparing your home for a party is to get down to the tough job of cleaning your whole house. If you usually have a regular clean up, you won’t have a lot to do. The most important areas here should be the entry, windows, front porch and vital rooms such as the living room, bathroom, and kitchen. 

Once all these areas are okay and prepared well, rest assured that the remaining activities won’t be hard for you. Most people call this first job the dirty work probably because of what it involves.

You can even hire a Long Beach maid service for this: Maid Experts

Unclutter Guest Areas

If there are books, clothes, shoes, toys and other items in guest areas, please do the best you can to clear them all. You should prepare the space where your guests will sit. Therefore, any item that’s not required on that day should be removed. Also, remember to take care of the entry space. It should be straight and free of any unwanted items. Guests need plenty of room. So clear as much stuff as possible from the living room and other guest areas.

Clean the Washrooms

Impress your friends and other guests with a sparkling-clean washroom that smells fabulous. Don’t wait until when it’s a day to the party, so you start the cleaning exercise. Instead, prepare early and make sure that the washrooms are cleaned thoroughly. Get disinfectants and air fresheners to help get rid of the unwanted odor. Refill toilet papers and shake out rugs. Lastly, remove any unwanted items.

Put the Kitchen in Tip-top Shape

You’ll, of course, prepare nice food for your guests but you can’t do that if the kitchen isn’t in the right shape. Therefore, do a deep cleaning and put it in the best shape possible. Don’t forget the refrigerator, chopping boards, dishes, sinks, cooktop, recycling containers and others. Let not your kitchen disappoint you or fail to impress your guests. If some of them will sneak into your kitchen, let them learn a lot and borrow something from you. 

Party preparation needs time and strategic planning. You can’t wake up the last day and think that everything will be okay. Start early, use these tips, seek help and things will no doubt go down well when the big day finally comes. It takes hard work, determination, and preparation to organize a great party. If you do all these, you’ll relax and have confidence that the event will be successful. Get your house ready and prepare well to surprise your guests.  

Continue Reading: Tips to for Cleaning After a Party

How to Protect Furniture Upholstery

Having upholstered furniture is, indeed, decorative and provides comfortable seating at home. However, you can only enjoy the beauty and comfort of it for as long as you protect and maintain it. The one good thing about having such furniture is the fact that it’s easy to protect and keep it looking good for many years. If it’s been giving you a headache then count yourself lucky. 

Long Beach Cleaning offers a few ideas on how to protect furniture upholstery:

Turn the Cushions Periodically

Turning the cushions periodically can help extend the life of your upholstered furniture. But how does it help? Well, it allows distribution of the normal wear and tear. That means that your cushions will not develop indentations as it would be the case if you left them unturned for a while. However, turning doesn’t mean turning in the same sofa of furniture only. You can also move the cushions from one sofa to the other as some seats are used more than others. 

Regular Vacuuming

Furniture needs vacuuming the same as carpet. Vacuuming your upholstered furniture say on a weekly basis prevents dirt, dust, soil and other debris from being embedded into the fibers. In fact, vacuuming should be part of your cleaning exercise though many people ignore especially when the furniture looks good. That should never be the case. If you want to extend the life, make sure that your furniture is cleaned consistently and on a regular basis.

Spot Cleaning

If you have kids and pets at home, your upholstered furniture will occasionally get stained due to spills. Cleaning the full upholstery can be tough, and you may not have the time to do that on a daily basis. Aside from that, over-cleaning can also extend the damage. Spot cleaning can, therefore, help get rid of the stains and spills while keeping the rest of the upholstery good. But as you clean, make sure that you are using a soft brush to avoid damage. Same as carpet, do not use vinegar for cleaning furniture.

Call for Professional Help

It’s good to seek help professional upholstery cleaners, at least, once a year. Even when you are good at cleaning and observing all the necessary precautions, you may from time to time need advice and maintenance tips. DIY has its limits.

You can only get such help from professionals who are trained and have skills in upholstery protection. Things change over time, and in fact, every year, there are amazing developments that are good to know. If you do not interact with professionals and seek their help, you’ll be left behind.

Everyone would like to keep their upholstered furniture looking good for as many years as possible, but the fact is that only a few people achieve that. If you keep in mind the above tips and put them into practice, you’ll definitely protect your furniture upholstery and avoid repair and replacement costs.

Some of these practices are things you can do alone. However, you need to be as consistent as possible. That’s the secret to keeping your furniture looking good and well maintained. It’s no big deal, and it’s worth your effort.

We recommend these local upholstery cleaning services in Long Beach, California:

Amazing Care Chem-Dry

180 East Pepper Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807

(562) 302-1689

www.amazingcarechemdry.com

Surfside Cleaning & Repair
3845 Cedar Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807

(562) 801-1999

Angel's Carpet & Furniture Cleaning

3833 Ocana Ave, Long Beach, CA 90808

(562) 433-1024

Is DIY Carpet Cleaning a Good Idea?

DIY, we believe, is cheap and very economical. These are of course, benefits. But, there are some activities that you just can’t successfully complete by doing them yourself. Cleaning your carpet is one of those. This is why we recommend hiring a professional carpet cleaner. 

Day to day vacuuming reduces dust and probably allergens but according to the Huff Post, vacuuming isn’t cleaning. Same applies to the use of homemade cleaning solutions that are believed to be natural, chemical-free, and safe.

But then, do these supplies really keep your carpet clean? Do they allow you enjoy its quality of durability? Or do they wear and tear much quicker than they should because you are using the wrong solution and cleaning tools?

There are many dangers to cleaning your carpet yourself. Some are discussed below.

Excessive Moisture

If you are to be true to yourself, you’ll admit that there is always too much moisture left after you clean your carpet yourself. 

This is because you’re not a professional carpet cleaner. You have no idea how much water should be used or what cleaning agent should be avoided or allowed. You end up with wet carpets for days. 

Your home develops an unpleasant odor that makes your home noncondusive, even for you. This wetness makes it easy for dusts and pollen to accumulate and your carpet is back to been dirty.

This is closely followed by discoloration and mould growth which is a threat to the appearance of your home and your health. Mildew renders your carpet worse for wear in no time.

Professional carpet cleaners specialize in what they do. They have the right tools and can have your carpet dry within a day or two.

Warranty Loss

Carpet manufacturers recommend that your carpet get professional cleaning every 12 to 18 months. Going against this recommendation will invalidate your warranty rights. Should your carpet get damaged while you are experimenting with your DIY methods, you’ll be at loss, forfeiting the warranty that covers that.

Stress

Doing it yourself might seem cheap but it is stressful. Your arms and back will end up hurting for days. Cleaning carpets is hard work. Professional carpet cleaners are trained for it. Let them give your carpet the treat it deserves while saving you stress and the time you would have spent on it. All tough stains will be gone with lesser effort than you’d have put in doing it yourself. What’s worse is that with all your stress, it will never be as clean as a one handled by a professional.

Extra Expenses

Cleaning your carpet yourself will most likely add more to your carpet’s issues. Getting your carpet cleaned is different from making homemade perfumes or facial cleansers. If you use the wrong cleaning agents, you’ll destroy your carpets. They will become dull, losing their vibrant look, all thanks to the DIY approach.

Get your carpet cleaned once and for all while saving yourself the cost of spending more than you would have if you had just gotten professional carpet cleaners in the first place.

5 Reasons for Hiring a Carpet Cleaner

Giving your carpet a professional clean guarantees you a healthy carpet and good indoor air quality. If your carpet is to withstand the test of time and have you benefit from its numerous high points, you will have to follow the wise course of getting it professionally cleaned.

Below are five reasons why hiring a professional carpet cleaner is important.

A Healthy Carpet & Good Indoor Air Quality

Children are prone to making a mess of things either intentionally or not. Dirty carpets are potential health destroyers. You need to keep your carpet healthy, free of microorganisms and allergens due to the presence of pet hair and dust mites. With milk, drinks, food and mud finding their way into your carpet, only a professional cleaner can get it back to how it’s supposed to be.

Carpet Type

Carpets are made of different kinds of fabric. Plush carpets require more than the usual attention. A DIY approach cannot get them disinfected and cleaned. Some are made from wool, others from nylon. This difference in material composition makes cleaning methods differ for both. Only a professional cleaner knows what works for what or not. They are trained to do this; it is their area of specialization. They will clean your carpets without harming it, your environment, or your family.

Tough Stains

Professional cleaners gain experience over time from cleaning different kinds of carpets and combating various stains. It is very likely that the tough stain you believe will never go off is one they’ve come across and handled in past jobs. With the right equipment and cleaning agents, those stains will be gone in no time. Professional solutions are much more powerful than vinegar or household cleaners. This will be accomplished with little moisture left in your carpet. Within a couple of hours, your carpet will be dry and once again, alive.

Manufacturer’s Recommendation

Manufacturers have a better understanding of the carpets they make. It’s their creation after all. Carpet manufacturers recommend that you get your carpet professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. They must have good reasons for recommending that. Your carpet will last longer and the early onset of wear and tear will be prevented. More so, you stand a chance of benefitting from the warranties they provide if you stick with their recommendation. However, be careful as most manufacturers do not recommend steam cleaning.

The Holiday Season

Winter - the season of the year that earns your home more visitors than it has seen all year. The start of winter is a perfect time to get your carpets cleaned professionally. This will improve the overall appearance of your home, something a DIY approach won’t achieve. You’ll have your home sparkling clean and welcoming by the time the cleaning is over.

There are many more reasons why a professional clean cannot be overlooked or completely ditched. Vacuuming basically takes off surface dirt, leaving out deeply embedded dirt. And have you noticed how much moisture your carpet retains and how long it takes it to dry after every time you clean them yourself? 

A DIY approach might be cheap but it’s definitely not the best. Get a professional carpet cleaner to do the job - today!

Long Beach Cleaning recommend these carpet cleaners in Long Beach, California:

Amazing Care Chem-Dry

180 East Pepper Drive, Long Beach, CA 90807

(562) 302-1689

www.amazingcarechemdry.com

Long Beach Carpet & Floors

2934 E 1st Street, Long Beach, CA 90803

(562) 333-2121

B.D.E. Carpet Care

2265 Mcnab Ave, Long Beach, CA 90815

(562) 900-7654

Vinegar for Carpet Cleaning

Vinegar is considered a multipurpose miracle solution that works as a natural remedy for many home related issues. It is believed to work for tough stains and spots on surfaces. But, does it work for stains on carpets?

A good understanding of vinegar and how it works will help us see if it should be used as a cleaning agent for your carpet or not.

ABOUT VINEGAR

Vinegar is an acidic solution derived from the fermentation of acetic acid. It is 90% effective against mold and 99.9% effective against bacteria as stated in the “Heloise Hears A Hint – 48 hours” CBS News in 2000. When diluted with water, it can be used as a disinfectant for your carpet. But, what about cleaning out spots?

VINEGAR & CARPET STAINS

Carpet stains can be caused either by acidic or alkaline substances. To clean stains, they need to be neutralized back to a pH of 7, which is literally supposed to convert that stain to the color of pure water. Afterwards, moisture is blotted out with a clean, white paper towel. Vinegar, being an acidic solution, can only be used to neutralize stains caused by alkaline substances.

If vinegar is used on acidic stains, it will aggravate the situation by increasing its acidity, thus making it harder to clean.

Undiluted white vinegar applied directly to stain, spreads the stain over a much greater surface area. Forgetting to dilute vinegar before use will certainly damage your carpet. The carpet’s fibers will suffer a devastating blow.

If your carpet is made from delicate fibers like wool, acidic solutions like vinegar will most probably not work for them. A trial could damage the carpet.

White vinegar is a good cleaning agent for SMOOTH surfaces like glass, not your carpet.

Vinegar as an Antibacterial Solution

Vinegar is an excellent antibacterial solution. Let it do what it can for your smooth surfaces in the home. It is also an effective solution for killing germs on fruits. Upon dilution, you can use it to rinse your fruits and vegetables. You should spare your carpets though.

A professional clean is what your carpet needs; don’t deprive it of its rights. Professional carpet cleaners and steam cleaners in Long Beach have the right equipments and the best cleaning agents you can think off. Their reputation matters to them as third party recommendation will do wonders for their business. So, be certain that they will offer you the very best.

Do not use vinegar as a carpet cleaning agent. As much as it is a good disinfectant, it is ineffective at removing dirt.

It is a common DIY approach to cleaning carpets. Remember though, that there are lots of dangers associated with cleaning your carpets yourself. Some include:

• Spreading stains
• Losing carpet warranty
• Endangering carpet fibers
• Early onset of wear and tear
• Excessive moisture leading to discoloration

To avoid all of these, ditch DIY approaches for your carpet. Amongst all thing DIYs work for, carpets are an exception.

What is Steam Cleaning?

Over time, bacteria and allergens build up in your carpet fibers, causing damage to your health and well-being. No matter how often you vacuum your carpet, there are still some bacteria that will remain in the carpet fibers and continue growing. 

That is why it is extremely important to have your carpet cleaned deeply either with water-shampoo, dry cleaning or steam cleaning. Now in contrast to simple vacuuming or brushing, dry cleaning or steam cleaning perform a much more extensive disinfection of carpet fibers. 

Despite dry cleaning being faster, steam cleaning is the number one preference in today’s day and age and is considered more sanitary. But how does it actually work?

First off, let’s get rid of the myth that steam cleaning is chemical-free cleaning. Surprisingly enough, steam cleaning is not just about the hot flow hitting and penetrating the carpet fibers. Detergents are still being used, believe it or not. 

The special machine sprays detergent on your carpet, while the hot water activates it and helps disinfect the carpet. Then, a wet-vac is used to suck in the majority of moisture out. Due to some moisture still remaining in the carpet, you should stay away from it for about 12 to 24 hours after getting it steam cleaned.

Now the fact of chemicals being used in the steam cleaning process does not mean it’s harmful. To all people who try avoiding chemicals only due to health concerns: keep in mind that not all detergents are toxic. 

There are plenty of products out there that will not cause any harm to your health or the health of your children. There are even special non-toxic and hypo-allergenic products for sensitive people, you will just need to choose the right product for you and your carpet.

Not does steam cleaning only reduce harmful bacteria in your carpet, but it will also improve the overall appearance of the carpet and make it look fresher. It will not cause any discoloration or dye bleed, unlike some other cleaning methods.

So you can get a steam cleaner and start disinfecting your carpet yourself, or you can hire a professional carpet cleaner. Either way, make sure to let your carpet dry out properly prior to usage.

In case if you decide to steam clean the carpet yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind: choose your detergents after thorough research on the chemicals they contain; purchase a steam cleaner that has temperature control functions, especially if you have different types of carpets in your house; and ventilate the room properly, both for the carpet to dry faster and the detergent perfumes to fade quicker.

It is our recommendation you hire a carpet cleaner in Long Beach. There are several steam cleaners to choose from. We recommend the following:

LBC Steam Cleaners

835 Locust Ave Unit 423

Long Beach, CA 90813

(562) 323-7222

Steam It. Clean It.

1136 E Claiborne Dr.

Long Beach, CA 90807

(562) 454-8921

Curtis Steam Cleaning

207 Park Ave

Long Beach, CA 90803

(562) 565-9001