Is It A Spot Or A Stain?

Tip of the week: A spot is not a stain and vis-versa!

A spot (on your carpet or furniture) is a concentrated substance that can be easily treated/cleaned, whereas a stain is also a concentrated substance but has dyed, bleached or damaged your carpet/furniture. There you are, now you know, just in case you have spent years wondering but were too scared to ask...

Most stains will be able to be cleaned up -if you are quick-like red wine etc. However, by leaving them you will have to apply some time to get them out of your furnishings. This may require the purchase of a commercial product specific to that type of spot. However, if there is a synthetic dye within the substance this may cause you problems (and this is when it is classified as a stain) in removal: patience and the right commercial product is essential. To reiterate the point 'Time is of the essence'; the quicker you deal with the problem the easier the spot can be removed, even if you only get around to tackling it the next morning/day should be ok.  

The longer it is left the more likely you will need a professional with a box of tricks (solutions etc).

Stay clean.

Tom

Acleanerplace Cleaning Services

Curtains- to Clean or not to Clean?

Many of us will rarely clean/wash our curtains- well every-now and-again. But It's not as often as you would clean your carpets furnishings etc. Most people are loath to put them into the washing machine because it can ruin them-dependent on the fabric and dry cleaning is expensive. So, you give them the odd vacuum, which is ok, but if you live in a polluted area (smokey etc) they will collect the dirt. Also they can harbour dust mites which will contribute to allegies.

I had a call to clean a set of curtains that had not been cleaned in 50 years- yes 50! In all honesty, they were not that dirty as you would think. And a quick and simple process was all that was needed; a good hoovering and, due to the type of fabric, a sponging down with a 'Dry Foam' cleaning solution - a soapy foam that is sponged/brushed onto the fabric, and is then hoovered again when dry to remove any residue dirt - easy cheap and effective. The customer was well satisfied with the result and on this occasion the customer had taken them down, but they can just as easily be done in situ and is, for me, preferable.