Category: Cleaning

How To Deal With Carpet Stains That Keep Coming Back Over And Over Again

Does this sound familiar? You spill something on your carpet and immediately blot it up, spraying carpet cleaner on the area and dabbing at it until the stain is completely removed. You breathe a quick sigh of relief, happy that your carpet is saved.

A few days later, however, you are walking by the area and glance down, only to see that the stain has returned. Frustrated, you clean the area again, doing your best to make sure that all signs of the stain are gone. Unfortunately, a few days later, the stain magically reappears, resulting in an endless cycle of cleaning the same spot.

Dealing with carpet stains is challenging enough. However, when they keep coming back over and over again, it is extremely frustrating. Why do they keep reappearing? What can you do to stop the problem?

The key to dealing with stains like these is to figure out why they occur in the first place. What is it that makes a stain on your carpet reappear. As it turns out, there are two primary factors that can contribute to stains like these: soiling and wicking.

The first problem, soiling, has to do with the cleaning products that are used on the stain. If any soap or detergent remains in the carpet after cleaning the stain, it can act as a magnet for dirt. Even though the area might look clean once you are done working on the stain, the leftover cleaning products in the carpet fibers can attract and hold contaminants until the carpet eventually becomes discolored. This can make it look like the original stain has reappeared when in fact it is new dirt that has been attracted to the cleaning residue.

The best way to avoid this problem is to make sure that no cleaning residue is left behind in the carpet. This usually involves rinsing the area multiple times to remove all traces of soap or detergent. It is also important to use products that are specifically formulated for cleaning carpets. These products are designed to minimize the amount of residue that is left behind, preventing problems like these.

The second problem, which is known as wicking, occurs when the stain is extremely deep. For instance, imagine that you spill a glass of red wine on your carpet. The wine doesn’t just sit on the surface of the carpet. Instead, it seeps down through the fibers, through the carpet backing, and into the underlying carpet pad.

When you clean the carpet using everyday cleaning products, it usually only removes the stain from the carpet fibers themselves. Even though the area might look clean, the stain still remains in the underlying pad. Over time, the remaining contaminants can get wicked up through the carpet fibers to the surface of the carpet, causing the stain to become visible again. This process can occur over and over again until the underlying issue is addressed.

There are a couple of ways that you can correct this problem. The first option is to thoroughly soak the area where the stain is located. Blot or suck up all of the water until the area is nearly dry. In theory, this will help pull the stain up out of the underlying carpet, as well.

In severe cases, you may need to replace the carpet pad under the affected area. This is relatively easy if the stain is located near a wall. For reappearing stains in the middle of your carpet, however, you may need to contact a professional cleaner for help.

These strategies should help you effectively deal with carpet stains that keep coming back over and over again.

The Top Five Natural Cleaning Products For Your Home

Although traditional cleaning products that you can purchase at the store are effective, they do have one major drawback: most of them are full of harmful chemicals. If you already have everyday household cleaners in your home, spend a little bit of time reading the labels on the bottles. You most likely will see a lot of warnings about only using them in well-ventilated spaces, avoiding contact with your skin and eyes, and keeping them away from children or pets.

What if there was a way to get rid of these dangerous products and replace them with safe, natural products instead? As it turns out, you can. Some of the world’s most effective cleaning products are completely natural, meaning that they don’t contain any chemicals that could do major harm to your family or your pets. If you are ready to start making a change, here are the top five natural cleaning products for your home:

1. White Vinegar

Vinegar is good for more than just making pickles or creating a delicious vinaigrette. It can also be used to clean and disinfect your home. You can use it to clean everything from your windows to your countertops and floors. It is particularly effective at combating mold and mildew, making it an excellent bathroom cleaner.

Even though vinegar has a strong aroma, the smell quickly dissipates after it dries. Rather than using vinegar full strength, try diluting it with water. For a general purpose cleaning spray, try mixing one part vinegar to four parts water.

2. Baking Soda

Part of what makes baking soda such an effective cleaner is the fact that it is mildly abrasive. That means that you can use it for scrubbing dirty pots and pans, removing hard water stains, cleaning grout, and countless other challenging tasks around your home.

3. Lemon Juice

High in citric acid, lemon juice has natural antibacterial properties that make it an excellent disinfectant for your home.

You can use this powerful natural cleaner on surfaces where germs and bacteria tend to accumulate. One word of caution, however: avoid using it on natural stone countertops or floors. The acidic nature of the lemon juice can sometimes etch the surface of natural stone. Always test lemon juice in an inconspicuous area before cleaning any surface to make sure that it won’t cause damage. For most surfaces, however, it is a highly effective way to kill germs.

4. Tea Tree Oil

This powerful essential oil has antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, making it an excellent cleaner for your home. Always dilute it with water before applying it to the surfaces of your home. It is a particularly good choice for cleaning showers, sinks, and other areas where there is a lot of moisture since it does an excellent job of killing mold. One thing that you need to know, however, is that tea tree oil can be toxic to pets in high enough concentrations. Even though it is safe for people, you may want to opt for a different natural cleaner if you have animals in your home.

5. Olive Oil

Even though it may sound strange, you can actually use olive oil to clean your home. It does a good job of dissolving oily residue like leftover grease on cooking pans. It also can be used to polish wood furniture, providing an inexpensive alternative to traditional furniture polish.

These are the top five natural cleaning products for your home. Chances are, you probably already have a lot of these products laying around. If you haven’t already, try ditching traditional cleaners in favor of these safer natural alternatives. From a health and safety standpoint, you definitely will be glad that you did.

Top 5 Toughest Carpet Stains and How to Remove Them

Although traditional cleaning products that you can purchase at the store are effective, they do have one major drawback: most of them are full of harmful chemicals. If you already have everyday household cleaners in your home, spend a little bit of time reading the labels on the bottles. You most likely will see a lot of warnings about only using them in well-ventilated spaces, avoiding contact with your skin and eyes, and keeping them away from children or pets.

What if there was a way to get rid of these dangerous products and replace them with safe, natural products instead? As it turns out, you can. Some of the world’s most effective cleaning products are completely natural, meaning that they don’t contain any chemicals that could do major harm to your family or your pets. If you are ready to start making a change, here are the top five natural cleaning products for your home:

  1. White Vinegar

Vinegar is good for more than just making pickles or creating a delicious vinaigrette. It can also be used to clean and disinfect your home. You can use it to clean everything from your windows to your countertops and floors. It is particularly effective at combating mold and mildew, making it an excellent bathroom cleaner.

Even though vinegar has a strong aroma, the smell quickly dissipates after it dries. Rather than using vinegar full strength, try diluting it with water. For a general purpose cleaning spray, try mixing one part vinegar to four parts water.

  1. Baking Soda

Part of what makes baking soda such an effective cleaner is the fact that it is mildly abrasive. That means that you can use it for scrubbing dirty pots and pans, removing hard water stains, cleaning grout, and countless other challenging tasks around your home.

  1. Lemon Juice

High in citric acid, lemon juice has natural antibacterial properties that make it an excellent disinfectant for your home. You can use this powerful natural cleaner on surfaces where germs and bacteria tend to accumulate. One word of caution, however: avoid using it on natural stone countertops or floors. The acidic nature of the lemon juice can sometimes etch the surface of natural stone. Always test lemon juice in an inconspicuous area before cleaning any surface to make sure that it won’t cause damage. For most surfaces, however, it is a highly effective way to kill germs.

  1. Tea Tree Oil

This powerful essential oil has antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, making it an excellent cleaner for your home. Always dilute it with water before applying it to the surfaces of your home. It is a particularly good choice for cleaning showers, sinks, and other areas where there is a lot of moisture since it does an excellent job of killing mold. One thing that you need to know, however, is that tea tree oil can be toxic to pets in high enough concentrations. Even though it is safe for people, you may want to opt for a different natural cleaner if you have animals in your home.

  1. Olive Oil

Even though it may sound strange, you can actually use olive oil to clean your home. It does a good job of dissolving oily residue like leftover grease on cooking pans. It also can be used to polish wood furniture, providing an inexpensive alternative to traditional furniture polish.

These are the top five natural cleaning products for your home. Chances are, you probably already have a lot of these products laying around. If you haven’t already, try ditching traditional cleaners in favor of these safer natural alternatives. From a health and safety standpoint, you definitely will be glad that you did.