How to Get Chewing Gum Out of Carpet

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When you find a sticky, gunky mess of gum stuck in your carpet, you’ll want to get it out as soon as possible. But how? You may have heard that freezing the gum with ice does the trick. While freezing is a helpful start, it may not be enough to complete the task. It all depends on how stuck into the carpet fibers the gum is. But don’t fret! There are ways to get chewing gum out of carpet. Just follow the steps below.

  1. Freeze the gum. Put a few ice cubes in a plastic baggy and place it on top of the gum. Leave it there for a few minutes, long enough for the gum to freeze and harden. Once it is hardened, try to pull the gum off of the carpet. If you succeed, great! You can stop here. But if there are still bits of gum ground into the carpet fibers that won’t come off, continue on to the next step.
  2. Apply WD-40. Please perform a spot test first to ensure that no discoloration will result! WD-40 is great for dissolving chewing gum, enabling you to easily lift it from the carpet. Spray the solution from close to the gum stain, and with a butter knife, scrape at the gum, picking up the bits as they separate from the mass. You may need to reapply the WD-40 if there is a lot of gum, or if it is ground deeply into the carpet.
  3. Quick clean-up. Finally, once the gum is completely removed, spray the area with your favorite non-toxic carpet spot cleaner, or a small amount of dish detergent and water. Wipe it with a clean cloth, and allow to air dry.

And that’s it! By following these three steps, you should be able to get chewing gum out of carpet without a big hassle. If you live in the Asheville, NC area and you need some help with carpet cleaning, give Five Step a call at 828.327.7233 or use our contact form.

How to Remove Ink Stains From Upholstery

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Did you lose an uncapped pen in between the couch cushions? Or did your toddler create a masterpiece in Magic Marker on your armchair? These things happen. Now you might be wondering how to remove ink stains from upholstery.

Not to worry! There are a few simple methods you can use to get rid of those ink stains and leave your furniture looking as good as new.

Ink stains can be tricky to clean because the method you’ll need will depend on the type of ink that was spilled and the type of fabric you are cleaning. Also, synthetic fabrics may be easier to clean than natural fabrics like cotton or wool. It may take a little trial and error to get it right.

Here are a few cleaning solutions you can try:

  • Dish soap and water (for very light stains)
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • White vinegar
  • Denatured alcohol

You might have to try more than one of the above solutions in order to get the best results. But each cleaning agent will involve the same basic steps. They are:

  1. If you’re using one of the stronger cleaning agents (isopropyl alcohol or denatured alcohol), perform a spot test in a hidden area, just to make sure the product won’t damage the upholstery.
  2. If the stain is fresh, blot it with a clean white cloth or paper towel to remove as much of the wet ink as possible.
  3. Add a small amount of the desired cleaning solution, enough to cover the stain.
  4. Blot the stain with a clean cloth or paper towel. Do not wipe!
  5. Repeat as necessary, and if you’re not seeing results, try the next product on the list.

It’s as simple as that! Of course, if you’re having trouble with the above instructions, it may be time to call in the professionals. No matter how tricky or extensive your upholstery stain is, Five Step can get it out in a hurry! Just give us a call at 828.327.3237 or drop us a line today!

How to Get Wax Out of Carpet

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wax on carpet

Did your elegant candlelit dinner result in a waxy mess? Did your séance go awry when someone toppled the candle onto the carpet? Or perhaps you just have a teenager. Regardless of how you ended up with a wax stain, you are probably wondering how to get wax out of carpet.

Removing dried, hardened wax from carpet might seem tricky, but it’s definitely doable. Just follow the three simple steps below and see for yourself.

 

  1. Scrape up the dry wax. Using a butter knife or other dull metal straight-edge, scrape the hardened wax and vacuum up the chunks. You can also score the surface of the wax and lift it up in pieces with the knife.
  2. Iron the wax stain. Place a wet towel over the hardened wax and hold your heated iron on top of the towel for up to 30 seconds at a time. The wax will melt and be lifted onto the towel. The towel must be wet to avoid overheating and possibly burning the towel or the carpet underneath. If your towel dries out, wet it again. For an extra heavy wax spill, have extra towels on hand in case the first one gets too saturated with wax. Repeat until the wax is gone.
  3. Remove any remaining residue. At this point, you can use a regular carpet cleaning spray to remove any remaining wax film. Use the carpet cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

If you have any trouble with the above steps, it may be time to call in the pros! Give Five Step Carpet Care a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line.

 

How to Clean Red Wine from Carpet

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clean red wine from carpet

Wondering how to clean red wine from carpet?

There’s no problem with enjoying a nice glass of red wine in the evening, but sometimes imbibing can result in a dark red mishap. If you end up with a red wine stain on your carpet, don’t worry! Chances are, you can get it out with just two simple cleaning ingredients if you act quickly.

Try to attack the stain as soon as you notice it. The less time the wine has to absorb and set into the carpet fibers, the better your chances of successfully removing the stain.

Follow these steps to clean red wine from carpet:

  1. Blot stain immediately with a clean cloth.
  2. Slowly add water and continue to blot.
  3. Apply a paste of 3:1 baking soda and water to the stain, making sure to cover it completely.
  4. Allow the paste to dry, then vacuum.
  5. If the stain has not been completely removed, apply a spot cleaner, making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
  6. If the stain is still there, call your friendly local carpet cleaner!

If you didn’t discover your wine stain until it was too late, or if you’re having trouble with the above steps, it’s time to call in a professional!

Five Step Carpet Care is the leading professional carpet cleaner in the Asheville, NC area. We will have that red wine stain out of your carpet in no time! Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or get in touch via our contact form today!

 

Carpet Cleaning for Small Businesses: Why is it Important?

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carpet care for small businesses

Being a small business owner isn’t easy! There are so many things on your to-do list: hiring, billing, customer service, marketing, delivery, equipment maintenance, accounting…the list is never-ending. It’s understandable that sometimes more minor tasks are forgotten or put off until later. One of those possibly minor-seeming tasks might be carpet cleaning for small businesses.

But it’s not a good idea to make professional carpet cleaning one of those “back burner” tasks. If you have carpet in your business location, keeping it fresh and clean is important. The way your space looks and smells helps your customer to form their first impression of the business. But, perhaps even more importantly, professional carpet cleaning protects your health as well, not to mention the health of your employees and customers.

Over time, carpets will accumulate pollutants that could pose a health hazard. These contaminants come into your business through foot traffic, drafts from open doors or windows, HVAC systems, spills, and even coughs or sneezes. Regular vacuuming can eliminate some of the toxins, like mold spores, pollen, and dust. But other health hazards–like bacteria, viruses, harmful chemicals and pesticides–can only be extracted using professional cleaning methods.

To make sure your business space is both clean and healthy, it’s a good idea to commit to routine professional cleaning.

How often should you have your carpets cleaned? Well, it depends.

  • If you do not receive clients at your location, and you have relatively little foot traffic, you can probably get by with yearly professional cleanings.
  • If your business location does receive clients, or has moderate to heavy foot traffic, two to three cleanings a year are recommended.
  • Restaurants, hotels, and nursing homes should have carpets cleaned more frequently in order to maintain a healthy environment. Monthly cleaning is recommended.
  • Elementary and high schools should have carpets cleaned on an every three to six months schedule.
  • Carpets in kindergartens or day care centers require extra attention. Small children are built low to the ground and attract a lot more dirt and dust than adults, as well as bacteria and viruses. Their developing immune systems are also much more susceptible to illness from bacteria or viruses. Therefore, it is recommended that daycare centers have carpets cleaned monthly.

Carpet cleaning for small businesses requires maintenance! In between professional cleanings, follow these tips to keep your small business’s carpets looking their best:

  • Stick to a regular vacuuming schedule.
  • When having work done inside your location (like remodeling or plumbing), put down adhesive carpet protection strips where the heaviest foot traffic will be.
  • Place welcome mats both inside and outside all entrances so customers and employees can wipe their feet before entering the space.
  • When small spills or stains occur, you can blot (not rub) with a dry paper towel to remove as much of the moisture as you can, then apply a spot cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Before using any spot cleaner on your carpet, do a spot test in an out-of-sight location to ensure the cleaner won’t result in fading or damage to the carpet fiber.

If your business is located in the Asheville, NC area, give Five Step a call at 828.237.7233 or contact us to discuss your carpet care needs.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

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spring cleaning checklist

Flowers are blooming and the days are growing warmer. Spring has arrived in western NC, and with it, the urge to shake off the dust of winter. It might be an ancient instinct, passed down from humanity’s cave-dwelling days, or maybe it’s just ingrained in us from an early age by culture and media. But in these early days of spring, it’s not uncommon for people to start feeling an itch to clean house. Spring cleaning is upon us!

Don’t let the prospect of spring cleaning overwhelm you. Delegate some chores to other family members—even small children can take part. Put on some music to make the time go faster, and put in a pizza order so you don’t have to deal with dinner when you’re done.

Spring cleaning can also be made simpler and more efficient with a checklist. It’s a bit more involved than your regular cleaning session, with focus placed on tasks that don’t need to be done as often and areas you might have let go over the past year. Each household’s needs will be different, but the checklist below should give you some good ideas of where to start.

  1. Decluttering. The first step to any successful spring cleaning project is to spend some time decluttering your home. This is the time to throw out broken items, gather ill-fitting clothes for donation, organize the closets, and find places for anything you’ve brought into the home recently. Out with the old and in with the new!
  2. Cobweb patrol. This is a great job for your teen or tween. They’re tall enough to reach crown molding and ceiling fans with the vacuum extender, and they’re young enough to not have back problems. So put them to work finding any cobwebs and dustbunnies that might have evaded your normal cleaning routine. (Pro tip: do this first after decluttering. Remember: always clean top to bottom to avoid having to clean things twice!)
  3. Clean appliances. Start in the kitchen by cleaning out your fridge and freezer, tossing anything that’s no longer useable. Then give your fridge a good deep clean, taking all the shelves and drawers out and washing them with warm, soapy water. Clean the interior of your oven and microwave, and last but not least, pull your refrigerator out and dust the coils. This will make your fridge more efficient and save a little money on your monthly electric bill!
  4. Replace filters. Spring is a great time to change the air filters in your home’s HVAC system, as well as cleaning or replacing the filters in space heaters and air purifyers. If you have an inline water filter from your well, now might be a good time to take a look at it, as well.
  5. Curtains, drapes, and blinds. Once a year or so, it’s a good idea to pull down your curtains and drapes to have them laundered, or dust and steam clean them in place. You probably dust your blinds more often than that, but spring cleaning is a good time to do that, as well.
  6. Porches and outdoor areas. One of the great things about spring is we get to spend a lot more time outside! Prepare for games of tag, cookouts, and other outdoor activities by paying a little attention to your porches, decks, and patios. You’ll want to clean seat cushions, wash glass table tops, beat any outdoor rugs, and sweep.
  7. Linens, mattresses, and mattress pads. In the bedroom, strip the linens off the mattress and let them air out for a couple of hours before flipping the mattress. If you have a guest bed that doesn’t get used very often, now’s the time to launder the sheets and change out the heavy winter comforter for a lighter one.
  8. Carpets, rugs, upholstery. Carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning can be a pain in the neck if you DIY it. Since you’ve already got a lot on your spring cleaning plate, why not save yourself the hassle by hiring a professional carpet or upholstery cleaner? If you live in the Asheville area, Five Step has got your back!
  9. Cabinet Clean-out. Spring is a great time to clean out your cupboards, cabinets, and pantries. Throw out any stale foods, re-organize the canned goods, and consider whether those old rusty baking pans are worth hanging onto. Once you’ve taken everything out, but before re-organizing and replacing the items on the shelves, let the cabinets air out for an hour or so. Then, clean the shelves or replace the shelf paper before putting everything back.

 

 

9 Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home

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allergy proof your home

Did you know that over 50 million Americans suffer from some type of environmental allergy each year? Or that allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the American population? If you or a family member suffer from environmental or seasonal allergies or asthma, you might want to know how to allergy-proof your home.

One of the most important things for allergy sufferers to do is to keep their home environment as free from allergens as possible. You might not be able to control what you come into contact in the outside world, but at home, there’s a lot you can do to prevent allergic reactions.

  1. Pets: If you have allergies or asthma, but you also have furry friends living in your home, it’s a good idea to keep them out of certain areas. For instance, bedding, carpet, and upholstered furniture can attract and harbor pet dander, as well as any pollen or mold spores that your pets happen to bring in from outside. Keeping your pets out of those areas can help cut down on cleaning and keep your allergies at bay.
  2. Flooring: If possible, opt for hard, smooth, flooring surfaces in your home. Hardwood and tile floors are excellent because they contain no potential allergens from the manufacturing process, do not harbor pet hair, dander, or pollen, and are easy to clean. Be aware that vinyl, linoleum, and wood laminate flooring options sometimes contain chemicals, such as formaldehyde, that can trigger allergic reactions in some people. If you are unable to replace carpets with hard surface flooring, make sure to vacuum regularly and have your carpets periodically cleaned by professionals who do not use harsh chemicals in their cleaning process.
  3. Dust: Pay special attention to dusting if you have allergies or asthma. Dust mites may be the culprit, and you have to keep your home free of dust if you don’t want to give those little pests a place to live. Use a clean, damp cloth to remove dust from tables, picture frames, and décor. Regularly vacuum curtains, blinds, and ceiling fan blades, and don’t forget to edge along the crown molding. This will go a long way toward helping allergy-proof your home.
  4. Air filtration: Using high quality air filters in your home’s heating and cooling system, and changing those filters on a regular basis, can prevent a lot of suffering from allergies! In addition, you might want to use standalone air purifiers with HEPA filters in rooms where you spend the most time.
  5. Bedding: Use dust mite-repelling mattress and pillow covers, and wash your comforter and sheets once per week. Avoid wool, feather, and down bedding materials in favor of cotton, linen, or synthetic.
  6. Upholstery: In addition to regular vacuuming, it’s a great idea to commit to periodic professional upholstery cleaning. Vacuuming alone can’t extract allergens that might be hiding deep underneath the upholstery fabric, but a professional cleaning will leave your furniture healthy and allergen-free, both inside and out. Make sure the service provider you choose does not use any fragrances or harsh chemicals in their cleaning process.
  7. Household chemicals: Many common household cleaning products contain chemicals that can cause problems for allergy sufferers. Ingredients like ammonia, bleach, sodium laureth sulfate, and triclosan can worsen your allergies or even trigger an allergic reaction themselves. And, believe it or not, these ingredients can even be hiding in all natural cleaning products. D-limonene, a natural citrus oil and common fragrance, can be particularly problematic for some people. Using fragrance-free products or products labeled “non-allergenic” can help. You might also switch out your glass and surface cleaners for plain old white vinegar and replace scouring powders with baking soda.
  8. Cleaning routines: Staying on top of house cleaning is very important if you want to allergy-proof your home. Make a schedule and stick to it. If you find that certain cleaning chores aggravate your allergies, you might want to ask a family member to do it, or hire a professional house cleaner.
  9. Ventilation: One common cause of allergies is mold and mildew. Since these fungi tend to grow in damp places, the bathroom is the most likely place to head them off. Use a fan while showering or bathing to force the warm, humid air out of the room. When you are done using the shower, you can also dry the walls with a towel to prevent mildew growth.

Why is Upholstery Cleaning So Important?

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upholstery cleaning is important

 

Professional upholstery cleaning is probably not at the top of your mind when it comes to important tasks around the house, but maybe it should be! Here are a few reasons why upholstery cleaning is so important for your furniture, your family, your wallet, and even your mood.

 

Upholstery Cleaning Promotes Better Health

Did you know that health hazards could be hiding in your furniture’s upholstery? From bacteria to viruses to mold spores, the fabric on your couch or lounge chair can harbor a lot of microbes and allergens if not cleaned periodically. This is especially true in homes with small children, who are liable to bring home germs from school and smear them indiscriminately on every surface they come into contact with. Cold and flu germs may only live for a few hours or days, but those mold spores, pollen, and other allergens can remain in your furniture’s upholstery for much longer. If you or any of your family members suffer from asthma or allergies, having your upholstery professionally cleaned can really improve your family’s health!

 

Clean Upholstery Increases Your Enjoyment of Your Home 

Most of your upholstered furniture is probably in the room you use the most for relaxing: the living room or den. But when your furniture is dirty, it can be difficult to relax. The upholstery might have a sticky or grimy feel, or it might harbor a slight unpleasant odor. At the very least, the lackluster appearance of dirty furniture can increase your level of stress and prevent you from enjoying your relaxation time at home. Hiring a professional upholstery cleaner can seriously brighten your mood!

 

Spend a Little Money Now to Save More in the Long Term

One thing that sometimes prevents people from committing to routine upholstery cleaning is the price. You might wonder, is it even worth it? The truth is that periodic deep cleaning helps prolong the life of your furniture, which can save you big bucks over time. And, just to put your mind at ease, professional upholstery cleaning doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Five Step’s upholstery cleaning services are quite affordable!

If you live in the Asheville, NC area and are looking for a top-level, professional upholstery cleaner, Five Step has got you covered. For a quote, give us a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line today.

Tile Cleaning Before and After

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Check out this photo we snapped of a recent tile cleaning job!

Lots of cleaning service companies make empty promises, but at Five Step we believe our work should speak for itself. Here you can see side-by-side evidence that our cleaning process works wonders on dirty, old-looking tile and grout.

If you live in the Asheville, NC area and you’d like to see some tile cleaning magic like this in your home or office, give Five Step a call at 828.237-3237 or drop us a line today!

Can You Spot the Error in These 4 Hardwood Floor Cleaning Myths?

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hardwood floor

When you’ve been cleaning hardwood floors professionally as long as we have, you encounter a lot of erroneous information about cleaning wood floors. Not all hardwood floor cleaning advice is created equal! Some of it is just…wrong.

In this post, we’ll address some common myths regarding hardwood floor cleaning. See if you can spot the error!

  1. A shiny floor is a clean floor. Not always. It is true that a clean floor should have a shine to it, but actually, the shine of your floor has as much to do with its surface texture as with cleanliness. Dull floors can result from tiny scratches or scuffs on the wood’s surface. To restore shine to a floor like that, refinishing is usually required.
  2. Wood floors must be cleaned or treated with oil. For most wood floors, this is outdated advice. The wisdom of applying oil soap to wood floors was perfectly fine when wood floors were sealed with wax, which dehydrated the wood. But nowadays, most wood floors are sealed with polyurethane, which does not allow moisture to escape. Therefore, for most wood floors, no oil is needed. Modern sealants create a barrier that prevents any oil from soaking into the wood itself. Applying oil soap to these floors only makes the floor slick, and, rather than keeping it clean, is liable to attract dirt and grime.
  3. Add vinegar to your wood floor cleaner. This is another bit of outdated advice. It used to be sensible in the old days, but not any longer. Time was, people used all-purpose, lye-based soaps for cleaning…well, just about everything. These lye-based soaps were corrosive. Much harsher than our modern, wood floor-specific soaps. So people added vinegar to the mop bucket, lowering the PH of the solution and thereby reducing the harshness of the soap. Modern wood floor cleaners are formulated to have the ideal PH level for cleaning wood floors, so adding vinegar is no longer necessary.
  4. Water’s just as good as cleaner. Water can work for a quick, superficial cleaning, but it really depends on how deep of a clean you need. You can damp mop most wood floors with just plain water. This will pick up dust and debris, and leave your floors looking cleaner than before. But for a real deep clean, you need a liquid floor cleaner formulated specifically for wood floors. We recommend Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. No matter what cleaning agent you use, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions!

 

We hope this post helps to demystify the process of caring for hardwood floors. Of course, we’re here to help if you’ve decided DIY isn’t going to cut it. Check out some of our before-and-after pics to get an idea of what we can do with wood floors. If you live in the Asheville, NC area and are looking for professional wood floor cleaning, give Five Step a call at 828.237.3237 or get in touch via our contact form today!