Whether from smoking, burning a fire in your fireplace, or from a recent home fire, the lingering smell of smoke isn’t one most people want in their home. No matter the cause, it can take several different methods to get that stink out. Here are some all natural methods you can try to get that smoke odor out of your home!
Open the windows. The first thing you want to do is get some fresh air circulating. Open all of the windows! If you have fans, get them going too. They will help pull the smoky air from the room. Keep the windows open and the fans going for as long as you can.
Baking soda is great at absorbing. Burning scents candles or spraying aerosol room fresheners will only mask the smoke odor for a little while. Instead, you want something that will absorb the scent. You can sprinkle baking soda on your soft surfaces such as carpets and couches. Leave it to sit for a few hours, and then vacuum it up.
Vinegar is for more than just salad. A household staple, vinegar is great for anything from salads to DIY cleaning solutions. Just like baking soda, vinegar will help to neutralize odors, not just cover them up. Although pungent, leaving vinegar in bowls around your home will reduce the smoke smell. You can also add it to loads of laundry that have been affected.
Charcoal traps smells. Most home improvement stores carry a range of activated charcoal products specifically for odor elimination. Those bags of activated charcoal are for more than just helping with your smelly shoes. Place several bags around a smoky room or place them on any furniture. Just make sure not to put the activated charcoal powder directly onto any fabrics since it can stain.
Steam it away. Steam cleaning is great for more than just pet stains and Kool-Aid spills. The combination of steam and heat can help break down the smoke molecules that are left over in your upholstery and carpets. Although you can rent a steam cleaner, it’s always a good idea to call in the professionals, especially if you have severe smoke damage. You can contact Thomas’ Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services anytime to fill out a Service Request!
We’ve all seen it. The glass of red wine falling in slow motion towards someone’s pristine carpet. If you’re a carpet owner, then stains are your worst enemy. Unfortunately, they’re also apart of everyday life, especially if you have children or pets. But there’s good news! Even the most difficult carpet stains can be removed! Here’s how.
Wine/Juice
By far the most dreaded stain is red wine. Because of the rich color and watery consistency of wines and juices, they are able to easily soak into your carpet. Chances are, it’s permeating even deeper than you think it is, even all the way to the carpet pad. This could lead to more problems down the road, like lingering odors or even mold growth underneath the carpet.
First, you’ll want to blot the stain. Blotting will soak up any of the excess liquid. Never rub the stain. This can embed the wine further into the fibers and make it more difficult to remove later. Different ways to get red wine out of your carpet include:
- A paste with a three-to-one ratio of baking soda and water
- Club soda
- Two-parts hydrogen peroxide to one-part dishwashing soap
- A mixture of white vinegar and water
Whatever you use, make sure to allow your cleaning solution to fully saturate the wine stain before blotting with a clean piece of paper towel or rag.
Coffee
Coffee is one of those stains that you’ll find aplenty in both residential and commercial spaces. Similar to wine, coffee is another dark liquid that is able to easily soak into your carpet. Because of this, you’re going to start the cleaning process in the same way you would for spilled red wine. Blot the surface liquid away, making sure not to rub it in. Next, you’ll want to use a mixture of water and white vinegar to remove the stain. Work from the outside towards the center of the stain. It is recommended that you change your cleaning cloth frequently to ensure you aren’t spreading the stain further.
Blood
Chances are, if you’re dealing with a blood stain, there’s a larger emergency than your stained carpet! However, because blood penetrates, make sure to clean the affected area while it’s still fresh. The longer blood sits, the harder it is to remove from soft surfaces such as your carpet. Always use cold water to clean blood! Warm or hot water will only cause the stain to set. A mixture of liquid dish detergent and cold water will help to lift the stain from the carpet. Like with wine and coffee, make sure you are blotting to transfer the stain instead of rubbing it in.
Pet Stains
Whether it’s urine from a new puppy or vomit from an upset stomach, all pet stains have something in common. They tend to leave a lingering odor. Removing pet stains is often a race against the clock. Your best bet is to clean up the mess as soon after it happens as possible. If it is allowed to dry, you’ll need to re-wet it. Applying baking soda to the wet or damp spot can draw out both moisture and any odors. There are also carpet cleaners that are formulated specifically for pet stains.
Cooking Oil
It’s been a long time since anyone has had carpet in the kitchen. However, a spilled oil cruet on your table could potentially lead to disaster for your dining room carpet. Because oil is hydrophobic- meaning it repels water- you’ll need a specialty cleaner to remove the stain.
Stains won’t come out?
Even if you got to the stain as soon as possible and blotted instead of rubbed, there still might be something let behind. If you’ve tried everything to get it out, but the stain still won’t budge, it may be time to call in the professionals. With their experience and the right tools, they’ll be able to get that stubborn stain out of your carpet and have it looking like new once more. Need your carpet professionally cleaned? Contact Thomas’ Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services today!
Carpet cleaning and carpet restoration are the two most use ways to keep your carpets looking fresh and brand-new year after year. Both of these types of carpet maintenance can not only prolong the life of your carpet but can also be performed on any type of carpet, from residential to commercial. Although many companies specialize in both carpet cleaning and carpet restoration, there is in fact a big difference between the two.
Carpet Cleaning
Carpet cleaning, or maintenance cleaning, involves routine cleaning to keep your carpets looking fresh. If maintenance cleaning is allowed to take place, then dirt is removed before it has the chance to settle into your carpet. The first step of carpet cleaning is vacuuming. This will remove loose dirt and debris that makes its way into the fibers of your carpet. Regular vacuuming will help keep grime from settling in and causing stains.
The next part of carpet cleaning is steam washing. Over time, grime can settle in, drinks will be spilled, and pets will have accidents. Stains will start to appear in your carpet. Steam washing, used for both residential and commercial cleaning, can help to remove the stains and clean the carpet deeply.
Carpet Restoration
Carpet restoration, or restorative cleaning, is a one-time process to deep clean and “restore” your carpet to a new or like-new condition. This type of cleaning will depend on how dirty the carpet is. As well as how old it is, and what it is made out of. There are cleaning agents that can be used on synthetic materials but not wool carpets.
Much like maintenance cleaning, restorative cleaning begins with vacuuming. It is important to get the loose particles out of your carpet before any other cleaning tactics can take place. Next, different sprays and cleaners will be used in tandem with agitators, like mechanical rotary or cylindrical floor machines, to remove both suspended and embedded soil. Once any spots have been treated and your carpet has been thoroughly cleaned, it will then be dried.
Carpet restoration can also include more than just the deep cleaning of the carpet. Damaged sections of carpet can be replaced by the experts using carpet patching. If your carpet has become crooked or pulled away from the wall, then you may require carpet re-stretching to straighten it back out. If you carpet has been damaged by water, then you may need wet carpet restoration. In this process, professionals will thoroughly dry out your carpet before beginning the restoration process.
How to Combine the Two
Ideally, you should always be using a combination of maintenance cleaning and restorative cleaning to keep your carpets looking their best. Whether it is for your residential carpet or your commercial space, you should begin with carpet restoration. This will give your carpets a deep clean to remove any evidence of the former tenants of the space. Then, make sure you are keeping up with regular carpet cleanings to prevent the build up of dirt, debris, and the set in of stains.
If you’re interested in either type of cleaning for your residential or commercial space, contact Thomas’ Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services today!