Fall Cleaning Checklist

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fall cleaning
Everyone knows about spring cleaning, the time when we clear our house of the dust, dirt, and accumulated “stuff” of our winter hibernation. Fall cleaning is just as important, even though no one ever talks about it.

If spring is a time of renewal, a time when we want to release what’s old and stale in order to let in new light and fresh air, then fall is a time of gathering. When the air turns crisp and cool and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, it’s time to harvest what we sowed in the spring in order to create a warm and comfortable, homey space for the coming winter.

So what does a thorough fall cleaning look like? Follow this fall cleaning checklist to make sure your home is ready for a warm and cozy winter!

  • Warmth: Clean the woodstove or fireplace, bring in firewood or order fuel, bring space heaters out of storage and dust them off.
  • Coziness: It’s almost time to bundle up and hunker down! Bring winter clothes and blankets out of storage and launder or dry clean them so they’ll be ready for cozy nights around the fireplace with hot chocolate.
  • Air Quality: Closing up the windows and settling in for winter means the air circulation in your house may be reduced. In order to keep the air clean and healthy throughout winter, you’ll need to change the air filters on your furnace or HVAC system. Don’t forget to bring air purifiers and humidifiers out of storage, as well.
  • Deep cleaning and dusting: Your family is going to be spending a lot of time indoors over the coming months, and breathing so now is a great time to clean and dust in all those places that get ignored during the busy summer. Sweep or vacuum under furniture, dust the curtains and blinds, and clean underneath the fridge and other appliances.
  • Carpets, rugs, and upholstery: To ensure your home is the coziest it can be during the cold winter season, you’ll want to deep clean your carpets, rugs, and upholstery! Five Step can help with this process, of course! Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line to get your free estimate today!

 

 

What We’re Thankful for in 2022

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We’ve been spared so far from chilly weather here in WNC this fall, but the leaves have changed color and cold, wintry days are just around the corner. The leaf peepers have come and gone, and we’re settling in for a cozy winter. Thanksgiving is just a week away, can you believe it?!

In the spirit of the holiday, we’d like to take a few minutes to talk about what we’re thankful for this November.

  1. Clean sofas and chairs! (And carpet, rugs, hardwood floors, and tile.) We are thankful that we’re able to bring a non-toxic, eco-friendly, and sustainable clean to so many area homes and businesses. There’s something about a freshly cleaned sofa or armchair that adds warmth and coziness to any home, and we really appreciate the opportunity to help provide that extra level of comfort for so many local families.
  2. We are safe, healthy, and warm. Let’s not take it for granted. Not everyone is so fortunate as to have a sturdy, dry home; good health; plenty of food; and friends and family to share it with this Thanksgiving.
  3. We live in Asheville! We truly do live in one of the most gorgeous places in the world, and we are so grateful to call western North Carolina home. From the breezy hot afternoons of June to the quiet snowy mornings of January, the weather is nice almost all year round. We get to take in the most breathtaking mountain views just driving to our clients’ homes and businesses every day. There are so many fun things to do and experience in WNC—from delicious cuisine to waterfall hikes to musical events to brewery tours. And this area is populated with some of the loveliest, kindest, and most interesting people on earth. We wouldn’t trade our home here for anywhere else.
  4. New friends and associates! We are very active in our local business networking community, and with the gradual reopening of the economy after the pandemic, 2022 has been a great year for meeting new people and establishing mutually beneficial business connections. We love being a part of this vibrant community, and we look forward to all that 2023 has to offer.
  5. Pumpkin recipes! Not everyone loves pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, and all the other pumpkin items that make their annual appearance around this time of year. But for those of us who do, this is the time of year to appreciate all of that pumpkin delight. Get it while you can, because those pumpkins are going to disappear from the supermarket before Christmas!
  6. Our fantastic customers! Our clients are the best. Really. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank YOU for your trust, your support, your business, and your friendship. We strive every day to give you, our customers, the high-quality work and friendly service you deserve and expect from us. We heartily extend our gratitude to you for helping to make our business a success!

We hope you have just as many things to be thankful for this year as we do, and that your holiday is filled with joy.

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Five Step!

 

Fall Cleaning Checklist

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fall cleaning

Everyone knows about spring cleaning, the time when we clear our house of the dust, dirt, and accumulated “stuff” of our winter hibernation. Fall cleaning is just as important, even though no one ever talks about it.

If spring is a time of renewal, a time when we want to release what’s old and stale in order to let in new light and fresh air, then fall is a time of gathering. When the air turns crisp and cool and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, it’s time to harvest what we sowed in the spring in order to create a warm and comfortable, homey space for the coming winter.

So what does a thorough fall-cleaning look like? Follow this checklist to make sure your home is ready for a warm and cozy winter!

  • Warmth: Clean the woodstove or fireplace, bring in firewood or order fuel, bring space heaters out of storage and dust them off.
  • Coziness: It’s almost time to bundle up and hunker down! Bring winter clothes and blankets out of storage and launder or dry clean them so they’ll be ready for cozy nights around the fireplace with hot chocolate.
  • Air Quality: Closing up the windows and settling in for winter means the air circulation in your house may be reduced. In order to keep the air clean and healthy throughout winter, you’ll need to change the air filters on your furnace or HVAC system. Don’t forget to bring air purifiers and humidifiers out of storage, as well.
  • Deep cleaning and dusting: Your family is going to be spending a lot of time indoors over the coming months, and breathing so now is a great time to clean and dust in all those places that get ignored during the busy summer. Sweep or vacuum under furniture, dust the curtains and blinds, and clean underneath the fridge and other appliances.
  • Carpets, rugs, and upholstery: To ensure your home is the coziest it can be during the cold winter season, you’ll want to deep clean your carpets, rugs, and upholstery! Five Step can help with this process, of course! Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line to get your free estimate today!

 

How to Clean Velvet Upholstery

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clean velvet upholstery

Who doesn’t love the beauty and luxuriousness of rich, velvet upholstery? No one! But this upholstery can be one of the trickiest types to clean. Stains don’t only stick to the surface of the velvet, they also coat the individual fibers and seep into the backing, causing quite a mess! So how do you clean a velvet sofa, chair, or ottoman? Follow these tips to find out how to clean velvet upholstery.

What type of velvet is your upholstery?
If your upholstery is synthetic velvet (or velveteen), you should be able to DIY it without too much trouble. If, however, the velvet is made from cotton, silk, or wool, you may want to call in an expert. Cotton velvet is especially finicky, and the fibers can bunch and kink when they come into contact with soap, water, or cleaning solutions.

To get stains out of synthetic velvets:
Clean the fabric as soon as possible after staining occurs. Do not allow the stain to dry on its own, as it will set into the fabric and become much harder to clean. With a clean cloth or towel, gently press the stain to absorb any moisture and wipe away any loose debris. Prepare a mixture of lukewarm water and dish soap, then apply the suds to the stain. Rinse by dabbing with a damp, soap-free cloth. Allow the velvet to dry and then gently brush it.

For regular maintenance:
Clean your velvet upholstery with a furniture brush to remove dirt, lint, and fuzz. Vacuum regularly with the furniture attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Velveteen can be safely steam cleaned. For cotton, silk, or wool velvet, check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

If you’re not sure whether your upholstery is synthetic velveteen or natural fiber velvet, you’re likely better off calling a professional upholstery cleaning service to handle the job. If you live in the Asheville, NC area, we would be happy to help you with your velvet couch, chair, or other furniture.

Give us a call at 828.237.3277 or drop us a line for an estimate today. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

An Easy Way to Get Dents Out of Rugs

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Rearranging your living room only to find unsightly dents in your beautiful area rug? Not a problem! Divots left behind in your rug by the legs of your furniture can easily be removed and fluffed out easily. Just follow these four simple steps to get dents out of rugs.

  1. Lay a damp towel over the dent.
  2. Run an iron over the towel on medium heat, checking periodically to see if the rug fibers beneath have begun to lift. The heat of the iron should gradually cause the fibers to spring back to their original shape.
  3. Leave the towel on top of the dent until completely dry.
  4. Finally, vacuum the affected area. The suction from the vacuum cleaner will pull the fibers up to their normal height.

This simple process should remove even the deepest divots from your rug. If you find that you need additional help to make your area rugs look brand new, give Five Step a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line today. We offer a full range of effective, sustainable, and friendly floor cleaning services, and we love nothing more than making our customers happy!