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Dustmites

Picture a home overflowing with millions of tiny spiders. Imagine the family living with this insect infestation. Their carpets, their beds their furniture are all covered with teeming clusters of tiny bugs. Every day these arachnids are eating, sleeping, defecating and dying right there on the couch while junior is watching TV, or on the bed while mom and dad are having a nap.
Now look around your house because, even though you don’t see them, they’re everywhere! We are talking about dust mites, microscopic anthropoids that are one of the leading causes of allergic reactions in the home today. Dust mites are extremely small. With an average size of 250-300 microns they are invisible to the human eye. Dust mites are oval shaped with eight hairy legs, no eyes, no antenna and a tough translucent shell. Their favourite food is flakes of dead skin. There’s nothing a dust mite loves more than to curl up in a warm, humid environment like your couch or mattress and munch away on a meal of human skin.
It’s actually not the dust mites themselves that cause the problem, it’s the proteins found in dust mite droppings that cause an allergic reaction in many people. Completely eliminating dust mites would be difficult if not impossible to do, but there are some steps that you can take to minimize your exposure to dust mite feces and reduce the symptoms of any allergy sufferers in you home
Encase your mattress, box spring, and pillows in dust mite proof covers
Wash bed linens once a week in hot (130° F) water
Vacuum frequently – make sure the allergic person is out of the room first!
Use a high-grade vacuum with a double-thick disposable vacuum bag and a high efficiency HEPA filter
Make sure the vacuum canister is tightly sealed
Don’t forget to vacuum upholstery and drapes
If possible, limit the amount of stuffed toys in the household
Treat carpets with a special tannic acid spray to denaturalize the dust mite protein
Consider replacing carpets with wood, vinyl or tile flooring
Dust frequently with a damp cloth or special, allergy dust cloth that will limit dust redistribution
Use a dehumidifier to keep the humidity level below 45 %. Dust mites thrive in a humid environment.
Dust mites are the most common allergen in the world. Unfortunately you’ll probably never be able to entirely rid your house of these invisible invaders. If, however, you take a pro-active approach and follow some of our simple guidelines, you can at the very least provide a cleaner, healthier environment for your loved ones.

Upright Vacuum Cleaners

General Information :
The amount of hype and performance claims for upright vacuums has exploded in recent years. Manufacturers are constantly one-upping one another with this or that latest feature. Before spending hundreds of dollars on a new upright vacuum here are some things to consider.

A more powerful vacuum is not necessarily better. For upright vacuums efficient design is much more critical than power. Also, do not be mislead about motor amperage. Amps, as a measure in vacuum motors, simply indicate how many amps the motor pulls from the wall socket. Often, a more powerful motor can run on fewer amps. If possible, try to obtain the airflow or C.F.M.  cubic feet per minute and the water lift ratings. Common on commercial vacuums, these are more accurate measurements of performance.

Consider whether the unit has one or two motors. Two motor uprights have one for suction and one to drive the beater brush. In single motor vacuums one motor does both jobs. As might be expected, dual motor uprights perform better but are more expensive. Also, single motor uprights will not shut down the beater brush if an object gets stuck a feature found in some dual motor models.

Most uprights nowadays feature on board tools and a suction hose. Consider how easy it is to use the accessories or even if you will use them at all. If you already own a canister vacuum you may not need these extra features.

Consider how the beater brush is set up. How easy is it to change the belt and is it sealed from debris? Can you change the brushes on the beater, or do you have to replace the whole assembly when the brushes wear?

Consider how you empty the vacuum. Many units now have a permanent plastic dirt cup rather than disposable bags. Although more expensive to start, for those who do a lot of vacuuming it may be more economical over time.

Pay careful attention to the type and amount of filtering the vacuum has. New models claim to have extremely efficient filters. Make sure they are easy to clean or cheap to replace. High filtration can only be achieved with very tiny pores, which by nature will clog often and reduce performance. If filtration is a real concern models with dual or triple layer paper bags work very well.

Always test-drive a vacuum before purchasing. Make sure it rolls well. Is it easy to wind and unwind the cord? How adjustable is it for different carpet pile heights? Is the dirt cup or paper bag easy to dump or change? How quiet or loud is the machine?

Vaseline from Carpet

General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of stain removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:
Dry cleaning solvent,dish washing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, white vinegar, warm water, measuring cup, vacuum. Dry cleaning solvents can be purchased at your grogery store or at your local carpet cleaning supply retailer.

Technique:

  • Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
  • In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting). Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
  • Apply a small amount of dry cleaning solvent to the white terry towel and blot the stain. Continue until no further transfer of material to the towel is apparent.
  • If the stian remains proceed to the next step.
  • Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
  • Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed. Be patient. Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of the pile.
  • Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
  • Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed. Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
  • If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended.
Never use laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.
Never use non-volatile solvents as they can cause delamination in synthetic carpets either immediately or over a period of time. Non-volatile solvents do not dissipate at room temperture & will remain in your carpet.
Never pour solvents directly onto your carpet or saturate your carpet. Instead apply the solvent to a white terry towel and blot the stained area.
Never use highly combustible solvents such as gasoline or paint thinners.

How to Clean Urine Stains from Carpet

How to Clean Urine Stains from Carpet

Ideally, you would catch the culprit who’s peeing on your carpet right away in order to have the most success in not only stopping them, but being able to clean urine stains from carpet right away! 

clean urine
How to Clean Urine from Carpet

Tools & Chemicals:

Dishwashing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, white vinegar, cool water, measuring cup.

Technique:

Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.

If the urine is fresh and wet, blot, tamp down and absorb wet urine using a white terry towel. Vacuum any excess dried urine bits or gently scrape up materials with a spoon, if necessary

Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of cool water.

In a small, inconspicuous area, apply a small amount of the cleaning mixture to test that it doesn’t damage or react with the carpet fibers. If there is no damage or reaction, blot or tamp and repeat on the urine spot until the stain is removed. Be patient. Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of the pile.

Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.

Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed. Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. If residue is left on the carpet, it can attract dirt and soils.

If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a test spot on a small, inconspicuous area of carpet to check for reaction or damage first. If the test spot is fine, then apply a small amount to the stain and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never use laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.

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