It’s that time of year when the traffic on your carpet increases with parties and holiday visitors. The likelihood of spills and stains appearing on your carpets also increases and it is important to use the correct product on the stain, otherwise you could end up with an even bigger mess on your hands.

Here’s a quick checklist:

• Cornstarch can be applied to fresh grease spots to absorb them
• Dry cleaning fluids or oil solvents can be used for greasy residues, but be careful as these can also delaminate the latex binding the primary and secondary layers of your carpet
• White wine or club soda can be applied to red wine spills
• A combination of solvents and clear dish washing liquid for all purpose stains
• Glycerin or rubbing alcohol works on most ball point inks.
• White vinegar and water applied to pet puddles works well.  Remember to blot.
• Eye droppers and cotton swabs make application easier.
• Always use clean white towels for blotting not rubbing.
• Place these items in a handy carry all tray so you’re ready when needed.  Quick response is always our best remedy.

Are you still having problems with those carpet stains? Please call 480-821-1481 for assistance or ask us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CleanNFreshAZ

Have you ever spilled candle wax on your carpet? This accident tends to happen more frequently during the holiday season. However, you may be able to remove the candle wax yourself by following these instructions: 

1. Using a spoon or dull knife, carefully scrape off as much excess wax as possible.
2. Place aluminum foil over the bottom of your iron to prevent wax from getting on it. Set the iron on the low dry heat setting.
3. Place two layers of paper towels over the wax spill on the carpet or upholstery. Place the low heated iron on top of the paper towels. The heat from the iron will start to melt the wax and it will wick up into the paper towels.
4. As the paper towels absorb the wax, rotate them to clean areas and continue to apply the iron’s heat until all the wax is absorbed into the paper towels.
5. You may find that some color from the candle remains on your carpet even after the wax is cleaned off. It is possible for the candle dyes to transfer into the carpet fibers. The dyes used in candles are extremely difficult, if not impossible to clean out even for professional cleaners. This discoloration may be permanent. Check with us first as you may need a professional carpet repair person to cut out the affected area and replace it with extra carpet. This may be your only recourse to remove the unsightly stain.

Please use safety precautions with candles. Parade Magazine reports that December is the peak month for candle fires in the U.S. Nearly 13,000 occur annually, causing more than $175 million in property damage. Never leave candles unattended, that is when the National Fire Protection Association says most accidents occur. For safety tips, visit www.nfpa.org/candles.

Any questions on this and other cleaning challenges please call Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service at 480-821-1481.

During August some moms in the valley are sad, others are leaping with joy and many have emotions somewhere inbetween. It’s back to school!  Children have approximately 8-11 weeks summer break in the valley of the sun and that is enough to exhaust even the most patient parent. If the return to school has brought quiet to your house during the school day, it is a good time to check your house for that summer break damage, plus get some household tasks completed that have been on your ‘to do’  list since school finished in May.

Post Summer Break Checklist

Carpets – Time to spot clean carpets. If there are more spots than carpet, it’s a good time to get those carpets cleaned. This also helps with reducing indoor air pollution that tracks in on shoes, bare feet and pets.

Upholstery – Time to spot clean, or, if necessary, get a professional in to clean your sofa and chairs.

Tile and grout – Heavy traffic on your tile and grout may have taken it’s toll on it’s appearance during the summer. It’s time to assess the damage and, if necessary, get a professional cleaner in to do the job.

Windows – You can clean the inside of your windows to get rid of sticky finger prints. However, it may be wise to leave the main outdoor window cleaning until the end of the monsoon season. You don’t want another haboob sweeping through spoiling your hard work, plus the strong summer sun makes smudge free windows a rare achievement.

Closets - If you have recently bought new school clothes for your children, it’s a good time to look through their closet and donate items that they have outgrown over the summer. It’ll make more room for the new school clothes.

If you just want to put your feet up and RELAX, or you are too busy to clean your house, call us and we can send one of our trustworthy employees out to bring CLEAN and FRESH  back into your home. Hopefully your post summer break house assessment will be quick and easy to fix, but if you need additonal help or cleaning advice, please don’t hesitate to call Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service at 480-821-1481.

The answer is NO! Getting your carpets professionally cleaned does not significantly affect the carpet protector. However, there will be a noticeable loss of carpet protector due to normal traffic areas on your carpet.

Carpet protector is a coating applied to all residential carpets during the manufacturing process. Normal foot traffic wears this protective coating off the fibers. Carpet protector can be restored to the fibers at the time of cleaning.

If you have further questions on carpet cleaning,  please contact Norma and her Clean Team at 480-821-1481.

Often we are asked if it is alright to walk on carpets that may still be damp from professional cleaning.  Well the answer is yes, you can walk on the carpet, even if it is still damp, BUT keep in mind a couple of points: 

• Walking on a damp carpet will quickly transfer the dirt on the bottom of your shoes, to the carpet.
• There is a possibility that any furniture that is placed onto the damp carpet may permanently bleed metal rust or wood stain into the carpet. Ensure that plastic or aluminum foil is placed between the carpet and the furniture.
• Step with CAUTION from the damp carpet onto a hard surface as it can be very slippery. It’s a good idea to place a towel at the doorway on the hard surface floor to wipe your shoes as you walk on and off the carpet.

Any questions on carpet cleaning please contact Norma and her Clean Team at 480-821-1481.