DIY Upholstery and Leather Cleaning

/0 Comments/in /by

The Dangers of DIY Upholstery and Leather Cleaning

Whilst we fully recommend our customers maintaining their furnishings, there is a particular area of DIY cleaning that has a habit of going terribly wrong for many homeowners: DIY Upholstery and Leather Cleaning.

We’ve long advised exercising caution when carrying out DIY carpet cleaning, and with leather or upholstery cleaning, it is even more vital you get it right.

If you choose the wrong product to clean upholstery or leather there is often no way to remedy the damage caused.

Even more astonishing is that some of the manufacturers or superstores that sell such furniture will hand out a basic care kit that supposedly covers the cleaning needs of a huge variety of fabrics and leathers.

I advise you DON’T use them!

Homemade Upholstery Cleaning Solutions

Despite there being numerous websites that you can find instructions to make homemade upholstery cleaning solutions, be very careful if you choose to make and use them.

TEST the solution first on a small hidden area of the fabric at the back of the sofa.

That way, if it causes any unexpected reaction, you have not ruined your expensive item of furniture.

And if you need advice on stubborn individual stain treatment, please get in touch with a reputable professional upholstery cleaner.

DON’T attempt to remove a stubborn stain with additional harsh chemicals.

Professional Upholstery and Leather Cleaning

Thinking of hiring a rental machine along with some upholstery shampoo to rejuvenate your sofa? I’d suggest giving it a miss.

We are often called by unhappy homeowners who have used these machines only to find they are not powerful enough to remove the necessary moisture from the fabric. This causes many problems such as over wetting and even unsightly water marks.

We also recently visited a home where an unfortunate lady had used a steam machine which had permanently altered the colour of her sofa’s fabric due to excess heat.

Not in a position to pay for professional cleaning?

Not everyone can afford to pay for professional cleaning right away.

If it comes down to budget, the best course is to save another month or two rather than buy a harsh cleaning product from your local store.

But a good professional upholstery cleaner should be more than willing to offer advice over the phone.

They may also have safe and effective solutions that you can purchase to maintain your furnishings and remove common stains quickly before they set.

If you need any stain removal advice or info on caring for your upholstery and leather, please don’t hesitate to call me today on 07530 532208 (Melissa).

 

 

 

Which Method of Carpet Cleaning is Best?

/0 Comments/in /by

Which Method of Carpet Cleaning is Best?

 

If you’ve ever rented a carpet cleaning machine from a local store, you’ll probably have been more than a little alarmed at how long it took for your carpets to dry…

It’s also the reason why many of our customers ask if we use a “dry” carpet cleaning method.

And yes, we do…along with other methods.

But, is dry cleaning the best method of cleaning a carpet? And is it the only way to achieve fast drying times?

Let’s dig a little deeper and investigate which method of carpet cleaning is best for your home or business.

Although there are several different variations of machines, techniques and products within dry and Hot Water Extraction (HWE) carpet and upholstery cleaning, essentially it comes down to two options…

Which Method Of Carpet Cleaning Is Best

Dry Carpet Cleaning or Hot Water Extraction?

The type of carpet and upholstery cleaning method you choose often depends on the company you hire and to some extent the type of carpet that is laid.

If we are cleaning carpets in an office with carpet tiles, we will almost certainly be using our rotary machine to carry out bonnet cleaning. But generally, this is one of the only times that we would choose a somewhat “dry” method over hot water extraction cleaning (sometimes referred to as steam cleaning).

You see, in our experience, dry carpet cleaning simply does not come close to achieving the same results as HWE.

The dry method removes soiling by absorption or transference. It can be a great method of working on typical commercial carpet tiles or carrying out maintenance cleans, but it needs a conscientious operator to ensure that pads are replaced before they are dirty and that products are completely removed from carpets.

And even the most diligent carpet cleaning operator will struggle to ensure that ALL traces of products and residue are removed from fibers and fabrics.

Hot Water Extraction Carpet Cleaning

Hot water extraction sprays a hot water solution into the carpet – which has been pre-treated with a carpet cleaning product – and then quickly extracts the moisture along with the soil via a powerful vacuum system.

The effectiveness of this method depends on the power and quality of the machine being used by the carpet cleaning company. As with so many things, you truly get the results you pay for…

This method is recommended by all carpet manufacturers as being the best method of carpet and upholstery cleaning.

HWE will remove solutions and soiling from your carpet whilst simultaneously removing harming harmful allergens and bacteria.

And if the clean is performed using a modern, powerful machine, drying times are very fast and cause no inconvenience whatsoever.

It is the healthiest and most effective method of cleaning carpets and upholstery for homeowners, and as long as it is carried out with care by an experienced company (insist on insurance!) it will get you the results you desire.

 

 

 

 

Emergency Stain Removal

/0 Comments/in /by

Post School Holidays – Emergency Stain Removal!

Hands up if you’re kinda glad things are going back to normal this week?! Even secretly…

Like me, I’m sure you love our children more than anything in this world. But, they do seem to have unique talents in muddying and staining carpets and upholstery! At least mine do.

It’s been a very busy summer for us this year. We’ve been out cleaning a variety of premises including homes of new and repeat customers, pubs, offices, mobile homes and even a very large hotel (we are delighted to have been awarded the contract to clean the carpets in the Radison Blu hotel in Cardiff.

So if you do happen to be staying at the hotel in the near future, you can be sure that the carpets will be super hygienic and as clean as possible!

Grubby hands and muddy feet!

Carpets often take the brunt of the damage from children hurtling to and from the garden during the summer, with high traffic areas such as hallways taking a particular beating.

But upholstery also benefits from a good professional clean due to grubby hands smudging stains onto the arms of sofas. Over time this can cause the fabric on the arms of your sofa to deteriorate and appear discolored.

We recommend a post summer professional clean of at least your main walkways  – hallways, living rooms, stairs and landings. It’s not just for appearance – it will help protect and maintain the integrity of the carpet fibres and prolong their condition for many years to come.

Emergency Stain Removal

You know that annoying little stain that keeps catching the corner of your eye? Don’t ignore it. The faster you treat a stain the better the chance of removal. But do not use cheap chemicals purchased from a shop.

If you aren’t in a position to pay for professional stain removal, we also supply a really great stain remover that onkly costs a few pounds that will deal effectively with loads of common stains.

Just give us a call, pop me an email or get in touch on Facebook and I’ll happily drop one off to you!

Hope you all have a great September.

 

Melissa Edwards x

07530 532008