Five Step Carpet Care of Asheville NC provides rug and carpet cleaning services at the most affordable price in Asheville NC.

The Impact of Carpet Cleaning on Allergy Sufferers

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clean carpet air quality

For allergy sufferers, maintaining a clean and allergen-free home is crucial for comfort and health. Carpets, while providing warmth and aesthetic appeal, can also be a haven for allergens like dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and mold spores. Regular carpet cleaning can significantly impact the well-being of those with allergies by reducing these irritants and creating a healthier living environment. Read on to learn more about the impact of carpet cleaning on allergy sufferers.

 

The Allergen Trap

Carpets act like giant filters, trapping allergens and preventing them from circulating in the air. However, over time, these trapped particles accumulate and can become a source of continuous exposure, aggravating allergy symptoms. Regular vacuuming helps, but it often isn’t enough to remove deep-seated allergens embedded in carpet fibers.

 

The Power of Professional Carpet Cleaning

Professional carpet cleaning offers a more thorough solution. Methods such as hot water extraction (steam cleaning) penetrate deep into the carpet fibers, removing dirt, dust mites, and other allergens that regular vacuuming can’t reach. Steam cleaning not only removes allergens but also sanitizes the carpet by killing bacteria and mold spores.

 

Improved Air Quality

Clean carpets contribute to better indoor air quality. When allergens are removed from the carpet, they are less likely to become airborne and inhaled by the occupants of the home. This is especially beneficial for individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma, who can experience significant relief from reduced exposure to allergens.

 

Frequency of Cleaning

For allergy sufferers, it’s recommended to have carpets professionally cleaned at least once or twice a year. In households with pets, children, or high traffic, more frequent cleaning may be necessary. Additionally, regular vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum can help maintain cleanliness between professional cleanings.

 

Regular professional carpet cleaning is essential for allergy sufferers, offering significant relief from symptoms by removing allergens and improving indoor air quality. Investing in professional cleaning not only enhances the appearance and longevity of your carpets, but also promotes a healthier living environment for you and your family.

Regular Carpet Cleaning Promotes Better Indoor Air Quality

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clean carpet air quality

Carpets are a popular flooring option in many homes and businesses, providing a soft, warm surface to walk on. However, carpets can also act as a filter, trapping dirt, dust, and other contaminants in its fibers. This is why regular carpet cleaning is crucial to maintaining not only the appearance of your carpets, but also the indoor air quality of your home or business.

Carpets that are not cleaned regularly can become dirty, stained, and worn, making your entire space look unkempt. Cleaning removes dirt and stains that can make your carpet look old, but it also removes allergens, bacteria, and viruses that make your home or business unsanitary.

Carpets can act as a trap for dust, mold spores, and other particles that can be harmful to your health. These contaminants can cause respiratory problems, exacerbate allergies, and lead to more serious health conditions. Regular professional cleaning removes these contaminants, improving the indoor air quality of your home or business.

Regular carpet cleaning also helps prevent mold and mildew. Neglected carpets, especially in damp or humid environments, can get moisture trapped between the carpet and the subflooring, providing an ideal environment for mold and mildew growth.

Finally, carpets that are not cleaned regularly can become unhygienic, harboring harmful microorganisms like bacteria and viruses and keeping your family or work crew in a cycle of contagious colds and flus.

In conclusion, regular carpet cleaning is crucial for maintaining not just the appearance of your carpets, but also the indoor air quality of your home or business. It helps remove dirt, stains, allergens, and harmful microorganisms that can negatively impact your health! To maintain the overall hygiene of your home or business, it is recommended to schedule professional carpet cleaning at least once per year, or more frequently for high-traffic areas.

If you live or conduct business in the Asheville, NC area, give Five Step a call at 828.237.3237 for all of your carpet cleaning needs! Or just drop us a line via our contact form.

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!

 

 

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!

 

Cigarette Smoke Odor Removal in Asheville

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cigarette smoke odor

Over the years, we’ve received a lot of calls from ex-smokers. They’ve made the decision to quit smoking, and they’ve followed through on that decision, making huge improvements to their health and their quality of life. But there’s just one problem: their houses still smell like an ashtray. It doesn’t take long before that odor becomes unbearable, and that’s when they give Five Step a call. That’s why we’ve become the top source for cigarette smoke odor removal in Asheville.

Years of indoor smoking invariably leaves behind strong, unpleasant odors. Even worse, it is now known that exposure to this “third-hand” cigarette smoke can pose severe health risks, even after months of not smoking in the room. Infants and young children are especially at risk. Studies have shown that even small amounts of third hand smoke exposure are correlated with respiratory diseases and developmental delays.

These nasty, unhealthy odors cannot be eliminated by airing out the house with fans, by deodorizing the carpet, or merely re-painting the walls. These things can help, but they are band-aid solutions that will not entirely fix the problem. Something needs to be done to get the lingering residues out of your carpet, upholstery, and rugs.

Well-meaning friends and family might have advised you to just replace the carpet and furniture, insisting that there’s no way those smells will ever come out. But that’s not true. Good, professional carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning CAN eliminate both the unpleasant odors and the harmful residues left behind by years of cigarette smoke and tar.

If you’ve recently quit smoking, congratulations! Give yourself a big pat on the back. You’ve made a smart decision, and your hard work and commitment to quit is commendable. Your next step should be to rid your home of the stinky and harmful odors and residues left behind by your former habit.

If you’ve got a lingering cigarette smoke odor problem in your carpets, rugs, or upholstery, we can help! If you live in the Asheville, NC area, give us a call at 828.237.3237 or get in touch via our contact form today!

 

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.

Pet Odor Removal in Weaverville NC

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What’s that smell?!?

Attention, Weaverville! Pet odor removal is possible!

Did your puppy have a few accidents in the family room before he graduated potty training? Or does your cat track litter into the carpeted hallway? Maybe you have a sick or elderly pet who has continence issues. Or perhaps you just have that unmistakable “dog smell” from fur and dander being ground deep into your carpet pile, where the vacuum can’t reach it.

Is it a lost cause, or is there a way to rid your home of bad pet odors without shipping your furry friends off to the farm?

Chances are, the odors are actually coming from the bottom of the carpet, or the padding underneath. But you don’t have to rip the carpet out and replace it to get rid of the odors! Quality professional carpet cleaning can address those smells (and stains) for good.

At Five Step Carpet Care, we help homeowners (and landlords) with pet odor problems every week. We’ll get rid of those smelly spots so that you and your pets can enjoy your carpet again. Best of all, our green, non-toxic five step process will take care of those odors without leaving any chemical residues behind.

If you live in Weaverville (or anywhere in western NC) and you struggle with pet related odors in your home, give Five Step a call at 828.237.3237 or send us a message.

 

WNC Cigarette Smoke Odor Removal

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cigarette smoke odor removal

As WNC’s top source for carpet cleaning, we’ve received a lot of calls over the years from ex-smokers. They’ve made amazing improvements to their health and quality of life by making the choice to quit smoking, and following through on that choice. But their houses still smell like the inside of a 1970s dive bar. For someone who has just recently quit smoking, it doesn’t take long before that odor becomes unbearable, and that’s when they give Five Step a call.

Years of indoor smoking can (and invariably does) leave behind strong, unpleasant odors that just won’t go away no matter how much the house is aired out with fans, or the carpets deodorized. Even worse, it is now known that exposure to this “third-hand” cigarette smoke can pose severe health risks, even after months of not smoking in the room. Infants and young children are especially susceptible. Studies have shown that even small amounts of third hand smoke exposure can be associated with respiratory diseases and developmental delays.

If you’ve accomplished the momentous feat of quitting smoking, congratulations! Give yourself a big pat on the back. You’ve made a smart decision, and your hard work and commitment to quit is commendable. Your next step should be to rid your home of the stinky and harmful odors and residues left behind by your former habit.

One thing a lot of homeowners will do after quitting smoking is to repaint the walls. This is a crucial step! But just as important, if not more so, is doing something about your upholstery, carpets, and rugs.

You may have received advice from well-meaning friends and relatives along the lines of “there’s no getting that smell out—you’ll just have to replace the carpet!” But that isn’t true. Good, professional carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaning CAN eliminate both the unpleasant odors and the harmful residues left behind by years of cigarette smoke and tar.

In addition to helping out ex-smokers, we’ve also cleaned carpets for homeowners who purchased a house in which the former occupants smoked cigarettes, and for landlords whose tenants smoked in the house. Whatever the reason, if you’ve got a lingering cigarette smoke odor problem in your carpets, rugs, or upholstery, we can help! If you live in the Asheville, NC area, give us a call at 828.237.3237 or get in touch via our contact form today!

 

Are Health Hazards Hiding in Your Carpet?

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When it comes to carpets, cleanliness is not just what you see on the surface. Carpet health hazards often go unaddressed because we can’t see them. Vacuuming is a good start to keeping clean carpets, and it’s great for dealing with unwanted debris and particulates, like mold spores. But for a healthy clean at the microscopic level, periodic professional cleaning is required.

When you prep raw meat in your kitchen, do you clean up with a wet paper towel, or do you use a cleaning solution to take care of any bacteria remaining behind on the kitchen surfaces? Chances are, you put the cutting board and knife into the dishwasher, where it will be scoured with steaming hot water and an antibacterial detergent. Then you spray the counter with an antibacterial spray, and you wash your hands, too. Not taking these steps could pose serious harm to your family’s health.

We may not eat food off of our carpets. But when your carpet is overdue for deep cleaning, it can harbor the same types of health hazards found in a kitchen, like bacteria and viruses, plus extra ones like mites and fungi. They ride in on the soles of your shoes, or on your pets’ paws. They settle into the carpet fibers and make themselves at home. Vacuuming alone can’t tackle these invisible threats. Some of the contaminants may cause odors, which, over time, can impact not just your health, but also your enjoyment of the home.

But there’s good news. Periodic professional deep cleanings can eliminate those contaminants and leave you confident in not only the cleanliness but also the healthiness of your home.

Five Step Carpet Care can eliminate the health hazards hiding in your carpet. With our unique, environmentally friendly, and sustainable five-step process, your carpets will look as good as new, even under a microscope! Our cleaning solutions are 100% non-toxic and safe for you, your family, and your pets.

Live in the Asheville, NC area? Give us a call at 828.772.1824 or get in touch via our contact form today to schedule your cleaning!