May 17, 2012

Cleaning Up Baby Vomit on Your Carpet

Having a cute baby around the house can really make everyone light up with a smile. Who can resist the innocent and joyful laughter that a baby makes? One drawback with having a baby around your home though is that they can make quite a mess. One of these problems is having them accidentally throw up on your carpet. Babies vomit all the time and sometimes this problem can’t be avoided. So what are you supposed to do to get rid of this mess?

Baby vomit can be very problematic for any carpet owner. It makes your carpet dirty as well as making it unhygienic. These issues can be very tough to remedy especially if you do not know the right way to do it. Here are some tips to help you get by and solve this dilemma.

1. Clear the Spill of Any Excess Particles – The first step to clean the baby vomit is to clean the spill area of any excess particles on it. Some vomit may be of more solid consistency and in these instances you should use a spoon and scoop it up to remove it. If it is more liquid and wet then get a clean rag and slowly blot the area to get rid of it.
2. Use a Vinegar Cleaning Solution on the Stain – Now that you have cleared the area of any excess particles, the next step is for you to create the cleaning solution which will be effective against the remaining stain. This can be done by mixing one part of white vinegar with four parts water. Place this inside a container or a spray bottle and mix it very well.
3. Apply the Cleaning Solution on the Vomit Stain – With the cleaning solution on hand, the next thing for you to do is to apply it onto the vomit stain. It is recommended that you use a spray bottle for this step so that you can properly control the amount of cleaning solution you use.
4. Cover the Stain with a Clean White Cloth – Once you have soaked the stain in the cleaning solution, get a clean white cloth and cover the soiled area with it. Next, use a spoon and blot and apply pressure onto the covered stain. This will help transfer the stain from the carpet onto the cloth. Repeat this step until you have completely gotten rid of the stain.
5. Rinse the Stained Area – The last step is for you to rinse the area with water. This will flush out any excess cleaning solution which may be left behind the carpet.

Cleaning Chocolate Milk Spills on Your Carpet

Chocolate milk is delicious and are loved by both kids and adults alike. Who doesn’t like a nice, cold glass of chocolate milk in the morning, afternoon, or even at night. If you have children at home, chocolate milk is probably one of the things that occupy your fridge. One problem with chocolate milk though is that sometimes children can be playful and clumsy and this can cause them to spill some of it onto your carpet. This can create a pretty nasty stain which can really ruin a beautiful carpet.

So how do you get rid of this ugly brown mark on your favorite carpet? Well, it isn’t that easy but good for you that this stain is still very treatable. Check out the guide below to help you learn how to clean up chocolate milk spills on your carpet.

1. First, you’ll need to clean up the mess that is made by clearing up the area of any excess chocolate milk. You can do this by simply using a clean rag or a sponge to dab the spill in order for it to absorb the excess liquid. Do this repeatedly until you have removed as much of the chocolate milk on the carpet as you can.
2. Next, you’ll need to prepare the cleaning items which you will use. For this task, you’ll be needing a cleaning solution which you can make yourself using household items such as dishwashing liquid and water. You will also need a spray bottle, some paper towels or a clean white cloth, and a wet/dry vac if you have one.
3. Get the cleaning solution ready by mixing a teaspoon of the dishwashing liquid with a cup of warm water. Place this inside a spray bottle and apply the solution onto the soiled areas of the carpet. Let the stain soak in the cleaning solution for several minutes before moving on to the next step.
4. Now, get the paper towels or the clean white cloth and slowly blot the chocolate milk stain on your carpet. Be careful not to rub or scrub the stain as this may just cause it to become worse. Blotting it from the outside moving inwards is your best approach to get rid of the chocolate milk stain on your carpet. Continue doing this until the stain is completely gone.
5. The last step of the process is to rinse the carpet area you just cleaned with water. This will help flush out and remove any excess residue which could have been left behind. Dry the area using clean rags or with a wet/dry vac if you have one.

Chocolate milk spills need not be traumatic for you anymore. Simply follow the guide above and say goodbye to that ugly chocolate milk stain on your carpet in no time.

Advice for Dealing With a Water-Damaged Carpet

Water damage can be very devastating and can leave your carpet looking nothing like its regular self. It can be damaged severely and there is even the possibility that it may become unusable already. When this happens to you, learning how to properly approach the problem is vital if you are to have a chance at getting your carpet clean and back to normal. Here are some of the simple advice that I can offer to aid you in facing this tough carpet cleaning ordeal.

• Assess if the water damage comes from a sanitary or unsanitary source. This is always important to know how to properly approach the situation. Sanitary water damage, commonly coming from overflowing sinks or other clean water sources, are a lot easier to deal with as you won’t have to worry about the germs, bacteria, and fungi that the water brings to your carpet. If you have an unsanitary flooding which caused the water damage then maybe its best that you let professionals do the carpet restoration for you as this would be very hard to do properly on your own.
• Check how long has your carpet been wet. This is essential too as this will determine if your carpet can still be restored properly. The longer the carpet is exposed and soaked in the water, the higher the chance that there will be irreparable damage caused to it. Usually, a carpet which has not been wet for more than two days will have a good chance at being restored completely. Any exposure longer than that will no doubt make carpet restoration impossible and thus buying a replacement is your only option. That is why acting fast and cleaning your carpet immediately after getting water-damaged is highly recommended so that you may still have the opportunity to restore it back to normal.
• If you are to opt for professional help when cleaning up your water damaged carpet, make sure that you are hiring the proper people for the task. Not all professional carpet cleaners have experience with water damage on carpets thus they might not be adept at fixing this particular problem and restoring your carpet. Always make sure that you deal with professional cleaners which specialize in dealing with water damage or at least those who have personally experienced cleaning up this problem in the past.

Water damage on the carpet doesn’t mean that you’ll need to throw your carpet away. Use the advice above to help you in taking the proper steps in restoring your carpet and making it look clean and beautiful once again.

Removing Uncommon Stains on Your Carpet

There are many challenges when you own a carpet and removing different kinds of stains is one of them. Stains can really affect how your entire carpet looks and can instantly ruin it if you don’t know how to clean it up. Removing tough stains is a must so learning how to do it should be a priority of any carpet owner.

But sometimes there are those kinds of stains which many people are not really that familiar with. Such a case will leave the carpet owner scratching his head as to how he should go about in cleaning it up. These uncommon stains can be quite problematic and can really be frustrating to any homeowner. To help you out, below is a list of some uncommon stains and the method you should use to remove it from your carpet.

Carpet Yellowing – For light colored carpets, sometimes you will notice that it has gradually become yellowed over time which can really destroy its appearance. Most people are surprised as this is not caused by any immediate cause but actually happens over time and right under your nose. The remedy for carpet yellowing is using an acidic cleaning solution to remove it. Mixing one part white vinegar and one part water and applying it onto the affected areas can help solve this problem for you. Be careful though and be sure that your carpet is okay for use with an acidic substance to avoid any damage.

Insecticides – For those household which have an insect problem, using insecticides which are okay to use inside the home can be the source of this uncommon carpet stain. Spilling insecticide on the carpet can be a problem as not only will it leave a mark on the carpet’s surface but it can also make it unsafe for your children to play on if you don’t properly clean it up. Sponging the area with a dry cleaning solvent and then blotting with a clean white cloth or a sponge can eliminate the stain left on your carpet. To be sure that no insecticide residue remains on the carpet, rinse it with clean water and use a wet/dry vac to dry everything up. This will ensure that your carpet is clean as well as safe for use.

The two stains above are unique and can be hard to fix if you don’t know the proper approach to take. Try the tips above to help you solve these carpet cleaning problems efficiently and hassle-free.

Common Questions Asked About Water-Damaged Carpets

Having a water pipe damaged and burst in your home is no joke. It can leave your home in shambles, ruining your home and causing a big headache for any homeowner. One of the big problems that you can experience as a result of a busted pipe is water flooding inside your home. A likely result of this unfortunate event is causing water damage to your beautiful carpet. Carpets are great to have inside your home to complement the look and feel of the room. Unfortunately, a water-damaged carpet will be no good as it will stay ruined unless you make restoration and clean up efforts immediately.

Dealing with this carpet cleaning problem is tough especially for those who have not experienced a problem of this kind. Surely, a lot of carpet owners have questions in their minds related to cleaning up water damage in their carpet and how to do it the right way. Here is a list of some of the common inquiries regarding that as well as the answers to these questions.

How Soon Should I Clean Up My Water-damaged Carpet?

The sooner you act and try to restore your carpet the better the results will be. Water damage is tricky because the longer the water stays on your carpet the more damage it potentially does to its condition and quality. Don’t waste any time and act fast and try to restore your carpet right away. Waiting too long may result to your carpet being too badly damaged to be restored which will mean you’d have to replace the entire thing altogether.

Why Should I Disinfect My Carpet First When Dealing With Water Damage?

Disinfecting your carpet is important especially if you are dealing with unsanitary water on your carpet. Water from your pipes may be dirty and can contain bacteria and germs which is why disinfecting the carpet is always recommended to avoid any potential health problems for your family.

How Long Do I Need to Fan My Carpet?

Drying the carpet using industrial fans is one of the best way to go about dealing with water damage. The length of time though actually depends on the extent of the water damage and the size of your carpet. For slight water damage only your carpet will usually be completely dry in about 6-12 hours but for major water damage it may take 24-36 hours for the carpet to dry up.

Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing with Water Damage on Your Carpet

Floods, busted pipes, and a number of different issues can cause a large volume of water to flow to your carpet and in the process cause damage and deterioration. Water damage on the carpet is no joke as it can really be a major problem, sometimes even to the point that you would need to replace your carpet entirely.

There are ways that you can do the carpet restoration on your own after water damage but sometimes inexperience can lead carpet owners to commit mistakes and errors which can have negative effects on their carpets. Here is a list of common miscues that you should avoid when trying to restore a water-damaged carpet.

• Trying to restore a carpet with major water damage – Some water-damaged carpets can be dealt with on your own. This is especially true if you are dealing with damage caused by clean and sanitary water and the portion affected on the carpet is manageable. If you have major water damage on the carpet and if the water is unsanitary such as caused by a floor or an overflowing toilet, doing the work on your own is not the best course of action. In these difficult situations, it is wise to contact professionals who are capable and equipped of carrying out the work properly for the sake of your carpet.
• Not Fixing the Source of the Water First – If you have leaking pipes which caused the water damage on your carpet, it is very important that you deal with that problem first before trying to restore your carpet’s condition. Not doing this will simply mean that you’ll be having the same problem again very soon. Call a plumber or fix the source of the problem yourself before making any attempts at restoring your carpet.
• Not Cleaning Up the Water Damage Quickly – Some homeowners think that they can take their time before trying to clean up the mess caused by water damage. This is simply not the case. It is imperative that you deal with the problem as soon as possible to prevent any long term damage to your carpet. Taking it slow may increase the likelihood that your carpet will be beyond restoration so act fast and deal with the problem as soon as possible.

Trying to restore your carpet after water damage is a tough task and doing it properly is important. Don’t make the avoidable mistakes above to have the best chance of restoring your carpet to good condition after being water-damaged.

Wood Floors And Water Don’t Mix

 

This picture shows what happens to wood floors when a Tampa Water Damage occurs. We know that wood expands when it gets wet and will keep on expanding until it reaches a point that is full so to speak. As wood floors expand they warp and cause further damage if left unchecked. The parquet floors shown in the picture is a great example of this. All wood floors will expand but parquet floors really show us just how damaging a flood loss can be. What can you do if you have wood floors and experience a pipe break in your home? Get help fast! That’s it, call a professional to mitigate your water loss and keep the damage contained and under control. Letting this problem go unchecked will just cause more damage, which will cost more money to you.

After arriving on this water loss and just before removing the parquet flooring we had to set up negative air. This means we closed the door in the master bedroom to keep small particles and debris from contaminating other areas of the home. The negative air helps keep the contaminates suspended in the air from flowing under the closed door. The blue machine in the background is the air-scrubbing machine that keeps the negative air pressure in the room while removing the flooring. The flooring is then removed through the window into bins. I included this process just as an example of how important it is to call a professional to remediate your water loss. With so many different procedures and so many different sceneries during a flood, responding quickly and having a team of professionals is critical.

Unfortunately the parquet flooring in the condition above cannot be salvaged. With a regular wood floor the flooring can be salvaged but would need to be sanded and then stained to match the rest of the flooring but left unattended this type of wood flooring will soon reach the point of no return and will have to be removed.  Water damage floods can be simple or complex depending on the conditions and the areas affected. If you have a small flood on the floor with carpet and padding and the water has not reached others areas like walls or affected areas like pet spots the drying process can be quick. On the other hand if you have a second floor flood that has affected many different areas and surfaces like wallpaper or popcorn ceilings then the drying is more complex and the rules and procedures are more plentiful. Every water damage loss is different so why guess at what needs to be done. Call a professional and let your worries disappear.

Dry Solutions offers many different services, this means we can take care of all the different services needed to finish your home in a timely manner.

 

  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Upholstery Cleaning
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning, Grout Color Sealing
  • Carpet Repairs & Re-Stretching
  • Mattress Cleaning
  • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
  • Infrared Leak Detection
  • 24 Hour Water Damage Tampa Restoration, Structural Drying and Repair
  • Carpet & Upholstery Protection

Follow These Steps To Get Help Fast!

1. Call us 24 hours at (813) 428-1288

2. Our certified technicians will arrive within 90 minutes

3. We dry your home or business & bill your insurance directly

 


Cleaning Tomato Soup Stains on Your Carpet

Keeping your carpet neat and clean is almost an impossible job. Everyday it is subjected to all kinds of cleaning threats such as dust, dirt, stains, and unsightly marks. Cleaning up these problems are not exactly a walk in the park and usually the homeowner will need to spend a lot of time cleaning up the mess. One problem that many people often encounter is cleaning up food spills on the carpet, such as accidentally spilling tomato soup while eating it in the living room. This occurrence is not that uncommon and learning how to clean this up will be very helpful in case you will face this situation in the future. Below are the steps that you should follow when you have a tomato soup spill on your carpet at home.

1. Remove the Excess Tomato Soup on the Carpet – This is the best way to start cleaning up this mess. Removing the excess tomato soup on the carpet not only helps in preventing the spill from becoming worse, it also makes it easier for you to clean up the remaining stain. Use a clean sponge or some rags and dab it onto the stain to remove the excess liquid so that all that will be left is the ugly stain on your carpet.
2. Use a Carpet Cleaning Solution on the Stain – After clearing up the excess tomato soup on the carpet, it is now time to apply some cleaning solution on the stain. You may take your pick on the carpet cleaning product that you are using, just make sure that it is compatible with the type of carpet you have before using it directly on the carpet fibers. To do this, test a small amount first on an unnoticeable portion of the carpet to see if it causes damage to the fibers. If not, then you may proceed in applying it to the stain.
3. Blot the Stain Using a Clean White Cloth – After applying the carpet cleaning product on the stain, use a clean white cloth and start blotting it. This step will help transfer the stain from the carpet surface onto the cloth. Continue doing this step until all of the stain is removed. Sometimes it will take only one attempt but in other cases it might take several tries. Just don’t give up easily and continue doing this until you totally get rid of the stain.
4. Rinse the Carpet with Water – Doing this last step is to make sure you rinse any excess cleaning solution residue on the carpet. The excess residue can build up over time and damage your carpet so rinsing it is important.

Tomato soup is delicious to eat but never a pleasant experience to clean up after you spill it on the carpet. If ever you encounter this type of situation, don’t panic and simply follow the steps above to be able to remove the tomato soup stain on your carpet with ease.

Carpet Cleaning 101: Deodorizing Your Carpet on a Budget

Pet odors, fungi, bacteria, and a lot more threats can cause your carpet to become unhygienic, unclean, and worst of all, have a nasty smell which can be observed even as you enter the door. If you constantly have visitors and guests in your home, you wouldn’t want to have to deal with the embarrassment that have a smelly carpet entails. Nobody wants to be in this kind of situation. Cleaning and deodorizing your carpet is easy enough and can likewise be done without hurting you financially. Some people always assume that deodorizing your carpet will cost you a ton of money. You will see in the list below, this is not always the case as you can get nice smelling carpets without having to use up your cleaning budget. Here are some of the ways where you can deodorize your carpet while even on a budget.

 

 

Use Vinegar to Deodorize Your Carpet – Vinegar is a nice, inexpensive way to remove the strong and nasty odor on your carpet. If you are dealing with smells such as wet/dog smell or pet stains, putting out a bowl of vinegar can make a lot of improvement as it can really be useful in absorbing the nasty smell and thus removing the unpleasant odor on your carpet. A different way of utilizing vinegar is by mixing it with clean water to create a cleaning solution which you can use. Use a teaspoon of the former with a cup of the later to create a nice cleaning solution which will deodorize your carpet in a jiffy.

 

Ammonia – Ammonia, while being constantly used to clean bathrooms and kitchens, is not always in the spotlight when talking about carpet cleaning. What many are unaware of is that using this affordable ingredient to remove strong smells can be really useful. Dealing with nasty odors can be a cinch when you use an ammonia based cleaning solution which is very simple enough to make on your own. You can do this by mixing a teaspoon of clear, white ammonia inside  spray bottle and applying a considerate amount of it onto the place where the odor is originating from. It is cheap and you won’t have to spend a lot of money or time waiting in lines to get the job done.

 

Hopefully these two cleaning methods of deodorizing your carpet can be of use to your particular situation. The next time you are dealing with carpet odors, don’ hesitate to use the tips above and have yourself a cleaning frenzy to get your wool carpet easily cleaned.

 

Time Is Your Worst Enemy During A Flood Loss

Water Damage Delamination

This picture shows what can happen when you experience a flood in your home. If the water is left to sit long enough, secondary damage will undoubtedly set in. The picture shows a common secondary damage called carpet delamination. What you’re seeing is the separation of the carpet. The primary and the secondary backing are coming unglued and when this happens the carpet is very weak in those areas.

This will appear as bubbles or wrinkles on the top of your carpet. This can be repaired but can be very costly. Often the course of action is to remove the carpet for replacement because the cost of repairing the damage is greater than replacement. If we were called when this Tampa water damage occurred this most likely would have been prevented. I cannot stress the importance of calling for help to manage a flood emergency. The costs are too great when it comes to your home or business being turned upside down. Not knowing what to do next or how this unfortunate emergency is going to affect your life.

Remember that everything that is hydro scopic will become affected during a water damage emergency if left unchecked. This means that all your furniture, papers, pictures, walls, clothes, shoes, drapes, wicker furniture and wood items will start to absorb moisture and then if left uncheck, could become damaged. While writing this article I’m reminded of what is most important to me like my daughters pictures she made for me when she was very young. Yes I still have many of her pictures on the walls as she wont let me take them down. One picture is of a duck. This duck she make me has four legs. Later she cut them off because she was embarrassed but I talked her into taping the legs back on. That picture to me is worth more than gold. I hope you understand how important it is to protect those keepsakes and know that they simply cannot be replaced.

This is a quick list of what you can do when your house is flooded.

1.      Don’t panic and slip and fall. Think safety first.

2.      Calls a professional water damage company now. The more time your water damage is left unchecked, the more damage you will encounter.

3.      Protect your self. That’s it, don’t handle anything in standing water or try to move something heavy on slippery floors. It’s just not worth it.

Dry Solutions offers many different services, this means we can take care of all the different services needed to finish your home in a timely manner.

 

  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Upholstery Cleaning
  • Tile & Grout Cleaning, Grout Color Sealing
  • Carpet Repairs & Re-Stretching
  • Mattress Cleaning
  • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning
  • Infrared Leak Detection
  • 24 Hour Water Damage Tampa Restoration, Structural Drying and Repair
  • Carpet & Upholstery Protection

Follow These Steps To Get Help Fast!

1. Call us 24 hours at (813) 428-1288

2. Our certified technicians will arrive within 90 minutes

3. We dry your home or business & bill your insurance directly

 


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Business Name: Dry Solutions

Address: 4017 W. Osborne Ave Ste 6, Tampa, FL 33614