Monthly Archives: December 2016

Preparing for New Year’s

12-29-16.jpgWith 2016 finally coming to a close, everyone all over the country are preparing to usher in 2017.  From parties with relatives and friends, we’re sure that your home will be a great place to be come the 31st.  However, before we get there, a quick clean up may be in your favor.  Keep reading for a simple, foolproof guide to carpet cleaning for New Year’s!

When it comes to cleaning for a party, the first thing you want to do your carpet is to give it a good vacuum.  Go slow, and make sure you get all of the carpet.  The more the vacuum, the less you have to worry about the health of your carpet.  In addition, make sure you vacuum your tile and wood floors, and be sure to give your tile floor a quick mopping with water.

Now that vacuuming is out of the way, make your way over to your carpet and look out for stains.  If you’re short on time, only look for stains that have a clear color difference from the carpet, and use some white vinegar to get it out.  While this will not completely remove the stain, it will make it unnoticeable to your guests.

Finally, before you embark on your New Year’s extravaganza, you should know how to get champagne out of carpet.  For a fresh spill, grab some paper towels and soak up as much as you can, then grab a sponge, soak it in club soda, and dab the stain until it comes out.  Once it comes out, clean the remaining strands with a mixture of water and dish soap, and blot from the outside in.  Dab with cold water, then blot dry with a cloth and you’re good to go!

New Year’s is great, and we want to make sure that you have a good time with your family and friends, not to mention that your carpet stays protected through it all!

From all of us at Bayside Carpet Cleaning, we hope you and your family have a wonderful New Year’s!

Christmas Clean Up

12-27-16.jpgFrom all of us at Bayside Carpet Cleaning, we hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!  Now that the presents have been opened and the relatives have left, it is time to give your flooring a quick touch-up to rid the Christmas messes, and to usher in the new year with a clean carpet.  Read on to find how you can give your carpet a quick, effective clean!

The first thing you need to do is an obvious one: vacuum all your floors.  Relatives galore have most likely tracked in dirt, dust, and who knows what else, so do yourself a favor and break out the vacuum to save yourself and your carpet.  Next, take a walk back through your home, looking for stains.

Should you find a stain on your carpet, you can take advantage of this simple, all-purpose cleaner to take them out.  Mix together cold water and a small amount of dish soap, and dab on stains that you encounter.  If that seems to be ineffective, you can step up your game with a vinegar-based carpet cleaner, and try that.  With enough vinegar and patience, you should be able to get the stain right out.

In addition to taking care of your carpet, you should also give your tile floors a quick mop to relieve them of any Christmas residue left over.  However, we highly advise you to use just water when you mop, as some commercial cleaners can wind up hurting your tile floors over time.  Just water will do the trick, and if you’re feeling a little adventurous, feel free to add in a few drops of essential oils to give your carpet a nice, refreshing smell.

Of course, most of us are busy in the time between Christmas and New Year’s, and do not really have time to give our flooring the cleaning that it deserves.  That is where we come in.  One call to us can give your carpet a professional clean, without the hassle.  In no time, you’ll feel like it’s Christmas all over again with your new-to-you carpet.

Give us a call today for a free estimate!

Last-Minute Clean Up Guide

12-22-16.jpgHey there Bayside Carpet Cleaning fans, the holidays are finally upon us!  This weekend marks the start of the holidays, no matter what you celebrate.  However, before guests come piling through the door, you may want to do a quick check to make sure everything is in order.  Check out our guide to be sure that you’re set for the holiday events!

De-Clutter:  Make sure that there is no clutter in the room that you plan to host all of the festivities in.  If there is, then hide it by stuffing it into another room to be dealt with later.

Carpet:  Run a quick vacuum over the carpet, and keep an eye out for any stains that may be left behind.  If there are any lying around, a quick mix of vinegar, dish soap, and water can lift them right out.  Take 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dish soap and pour into a spray bottle.  Fill with water, shake, and spray on the stain.  Let sit for 5 minutes, and then dab dry.  The stain should be gone, but if not, try again until it does.

Wipe:  Finally, make sure you wipe down all of the tables in the rooms you plan to host guests, and give the nearest bathroom a quick wipe down as well.  Nothing fancy, just a spray with a commercial cleaner and wipe it dry with a cloth.

Final Check:  Look around to make sure there is no clutter, dirt, stains, or debris lying around.  If you spot nothing, then you should be good to go enjoy the holiday with your family!

Should you need any last-minute help for cleaning your home, feel free to use all of the previous blogs that we have put up throughout the year.  There is a ton of information on there that you can use to make your home look the best it possibly can.

All of us at Bayside Carpet Cleaning would like to wish you a very happy holiday, and the best of luck on your cleaning endeavors!

Refreshing Scents

12-20-16.jpgSo you plan to clean up everything in your household for the coming onslaught of holiday guests, but there is one question that keeps bugging you: Does my home smell good, and how can I make it smell better?  Well, today we have an answer to your question, using only all-natural remedies that you have right in your cabinet.  Read on to find out more!

Sometimes, no matter how many times you go over your carpet with the vacuum cleaner, the faint smell of pet hair or spilled ice tea still lingers.  However, that smell can begone by just using the cinnamon that can be found in your spice cabinet.  Simply take a tablespoon of ground cinnamon and mix it with a cup of baking soda.  Put the contents into a shaker container (like an empty pepper shaker) and sprinkle all over your carpet.  Let it sit for a solid hour, and then vacuum over.  By letting it sit, you are letting the cinnamon dig into the fibers, providing a fresh smell that lasts even after the powder is vacuumed up.

Now for furniture, the method is the same, but the ingredients are quite different.  To mix together an effective furniture deodorizer, take a tablespoon of baking soda and 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil.  For the holidays, peppermint may be a great oil to add in.  Once you have mixed those two together, pour into an 8-12 ounce spray bottle, and fill with water.  Shake, and spray your furniture.  No need to wipe this up, and the essential oils will absorb into the fabric, providing yet another lasting scent that will have guests wondering about your scent-based secrets.

Finally, for good measure, you can always place a bowl of vinegar into any room that you think has a funky odor to it.  Wait overnight, and we guarantee that the smell will be gone, replaced by fresh air.

Cleaning for the holidays may seem hectic, but it doesn’t have to be.  Give us a call today to squeeze you in before the holidays!

That New Furniture Smell

12-15-16.jpgFrom time to time, everyone needs an upgrade with their furniture.  However, when you bring home a new piece that will match perfectly with your room, you may find yourself pinching your nose at the chemical smell given off, and slightly regretting bringing it in.  Well, there is no need to fear any longer, as there are a few simple things you can do to rid that chemical smell from your new furniture.  Read on to learn more!

Arguably, one of the best things you can do for your furniture when you bring it home is to let it sit outside for a day.  Now, we realize that this will not work for all pieces of furniture, but for the ones that you can easily move outside yourself, leave them out on a warm, non-humid day.  Let nature do all of the work to push the chemical odor right out of the fabric, and soak in the wonderful refreshing scent of the outdoors.

Now, for the furniture that you cannot move outside on your own, there is an equally effective option that is lurking right in your cabinets: vinegar.  Simply mix together equal parts of vinegar with equal parts of water, and spray all over the piece of furniture in questions.  Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then wipe it up with a dry cloth.

For added protection, feel free to place a bowl full on vinegar right next to the furniture in order to absorb any airborne odors that were left over.  Feel free to apply the vinegar until the smell is gone, and in no time, you’ll have your new furniture smelling great once more.

For more carpet, flooring, and furniture care tips and tricks, be sure to check back to our blog every Monday and Thursday for our latest article!

Pet Hair Begone!

12-13-16.jpgNo matter what your holiday plans entail, chances are that you are going to want to do a great deal of cleaning before guests of any sort come to visit.  While some enjoy cleaning up the house, those who have pets may find that it is an absolute chore, especially with the hair everywhere.  Well today, we hope to alleviate some of that stress, as we have for you a few simple tips on how to get pet hair out of almost anything!

Out of all the things your pet’s hair can be on, chances are that your carpet takes the cake.  By walking, running, and laying on it day in and day out, your carpet has accumulated a lot of hair from Fido, although you may not even see it.  Vacuuming can get most out, but if you are really looking for a deep clean, feel free to take an extra step: mopping.  Grab a mop, spray it with water, and lightly drag it across the carpet to free up all of the pet hair that has been trapped by your fibers for so long.  You may be surprised by how much pet hair this method can get out!

For your upholstery, you can take a similar method to get a whole bunch of pet hair out.  Instead of a mop, get a rubber glove, dampen it, and then run it over the piece of furniture in question to rid it of all the pet hair there is.  Most likely, you will get the pet hair that you cannot see with your naked eye, and your guests may very well thank you for it.

Cleaning up can be a pain, but it doesn’t always have to be.  With just a few simple tips, and a new way of thinking, you can make your cleaning to-do list that much simpler.

Should you want a professional deep-clean before your guests arrive, give us a call today for a free-estimate!

Pesky Pine Needles

12-8-16.jpgFor those who love the holiday season, decking the halls with boughs of holly, greenery, and pine is sure to be a longstanding tradition.  While all of these really reel in the festive spirit of the season, the scattered pine needles that they bring can sure become an annoyance to anyone walking on carpet.  So today, to help heal those pricked feet, we have some quick and easy tips for getting those pesky needles out of your carpet!

Of all the ways that pine needles can get inside your home, bringing in a Christmas tree is a sure way to bring a whole lot in at once.  The needles will fall as your bring the tree into the family room, but thankfully with the right tools, you can make short work of them.

For a large pile of needles, your first step should be to grab a dustpan and brush, and start to brush up the needles.  After the majority have been swept up, grab the vacuum cleaner and go back over the spot, being sure to go slow over the spot, repeating for at least ten times.  If any pine needles remain, use a furniture lint roller and go over the spot, allowing the adhesive to pick up and last stubborn needles.  If you don’t have a lint roller hand, then duct tape works just as well.

Stick to these solutions, and you should have no problem with someone screeching out in pain because a pine needle pricked their bare foot early in the morning.  Decoration for the holidays is a load of fun, but you do not have to put you nor you family at risk to do it.

For more carpet and flooring tips and tricks, be sure to check back to our blog every Tuesday and Thursday for a new tip!

Cleaning Workout

12-6-16.jpgDuring these next few weeks, you may find that you are crunched for time between decorating for the holidays, shopping, and enjoying quality family time throughout the most wonderful time of the year; so much so, that you may need to forgo your usual workout schedule.  However, did you know that you can get a rigorous workout by just doing some simple cleaning around the house?  Read on to find out how you can combine a killer work-out routine with easy household chores!

You may not have time to hit the gym, but you will have to make time to clean the house before relatives arrive.  Thankfully, you can take an extra step when cleaning to burn off a few extra calories.  For example, when vacuuming your carpet, do lunges to reach those corners instead of walking the vacuum over there.

In addition, instead of mopping your hardwood and tile floors, you can take a cloth and scrub them yourself, making for a killer workout for your core muscles.  Besides, you will also get a much deeper clean!

Also, when dusting around the home, squat when necessary instead of sitting on the floor.  This is great for getting in the corners of your appliances and door frames, and will give you a burn like no other.

Finding time to workout can be challenging, but with a few tweaks, your regular cleaning routine can also become your regular workout routine!

For more carpet and household tips and tricks, be sure to check back every Tuesday and Thursday for out latest article!

Decorating for the Holidays: Area Rugs

12-1-16.jpgWell Bayside Carpet Cleaning fans, December is finally here!  The season of hot chocolate, cookies, and goodwill is now upon us, and we have no doubt that you all will be decorating your home to match the tidings of the season.  However, when unpacking all of those boxes that you’re bringing down from the attic, be sure to give your holiday rugs a quick cleaning before putting them out.  Join us today as we give you tips on how to make a rug that has been stored in a box for 11 months look just like new!

Before we even get to the topic of how to clean your rug, we strongly advise you to do all of your holiday decoration unpacking outside.  By doing this, you limit the amount of dirt, debris, and other things left from the year before from getting onto your carpet, a mess that you will inevitably have to clean up later.  Not only that, but unpacking your rugs outside makes the cleaning process that much easier.

The first thing that you are going to want to do when unpacking your rug is to get out the vacuum cleaner.  Give the rug a nice vacuum on both sides, and be sure to get out as much dirt and debris as possible.  Then, break out the brush attachment for your vacuum, and give it another close comb over to get out all of the pet hair.  Once that is done, you can use the old tennis-racket trick to beat the rest of the dirt out of the rug, but be sure to only do this with a small rug that is not handmade nor delicate.

If you happen to notice a stain on your rug from yesteryear, a simple homemade detergent and some elbow grease should be able to take it right out.  Mix together 1 teaspoon of dish detergent, 1 quart of warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar.  Lightly blot it onto the stain, rinse with water (blot it as well) and then finally dab dry.

This solution should work for most holiday stains left on your rug from last year, but if not, know that we are here to help.  With our proven gentle cleaning techniques, we can get stains out of your area rug, without damage to the rug itself.

To have us give your holiday rugs a quick cleaning before you put them out, give us a call today!