Category Archives: News

Loving Leather

1-5-17.jpgLeather furniture is a great addition to any home, but cleaning it may appear to be a problem for some.  Luckily, cleaning leather furniture is just as easy as cleaning other furniture, despite what you hear on the Internet.  Join us today as we give you some helpful tips for cleaning all types of leather furniture!

While the technique of cleaning leather furniture is pretty straightforward, you need to watch out for what you clean it with, as some homemade and commercial cleaners can ruin the leather.  For most jobs, we prefer to use a mixture of vinegar and water, and we steer clear of the commercial stuff.  A simple solution of equal parts vinegar and water will get out most stains, keep your leather fresh, and give it a clean scent afterward.

The first thing you want to do when cleaning leather furniture is to give it a good vacuum to get off loose dirt and dust.  Nothing fancy, just a vacuum with a brush attachment will do the trick.  Then, apply the homemade solution with a cloth, but be sure that the cloth is only damp with the solution and not soaking wet, as lingering water can damage the leather.  Try to only wipe down the problem areas of the furniture, and wipe down only what you need to.  After you’ve wiped down the problem areas, go back over with a dry cloth.  Once the furniture is dry, you are good to go.

Cleaning most things is simple once you break it down to size, and leather is no exception.  For more cleaning tips, be sure to check back to our blog every Tuesday and Thursday!

Carpet Cleaning Resolutions For You

1-3-17.jpgNew year, new you—right, Bayside Carpet Cleaning fans?  While reinventing ourselves is not at the top of everyone’s resolution list, keeping your carpet in great shape should be.  It’s simple, easy, and effective, all with the help of a few simple additions to your regular routine.  Read on to find out more!

When it comes to protecting your carpet, and making sure that it stays in great condition, nothing is quite as effective as a regular vacuuming schedule.  By keeping up on vacuuming, you are keeping dust mites, dirt, and other impurities out of your carpet, which not only speaks to the health of you and your family, but to the health of the carpet itself.  Try to give your carpet a thorough vacuum at least once a week, but feel free to give it some more love if it is in a high-traffic area of the house.

In addition, you should look to protect your carpet in the coming year.  No, we don’t mean breaking out the plastic wrap and covering the whole floor, but instead putting out door mats and throw rugs.  These simple additions will help keep dirt out of your carpet, which equates to less time that you need to spend vacuuming every week.  It is a sizeable investment to capitalize on both time and energy, so why not give it a try?  You can also encourage guests to leave their shoes by the door, as your carpets will accumulate much less dirt this way.

Finally, you should also make it a point to have your carpets professionally cleaned.  Sure, regular upkeep is great, but it cannot get the deep clean that a professional clean can give, like removing dug-in stains and bacteria.  One clean per year should suffice, but more may be needed if it is a high-traffic area.  
To schedule your professional clean, give Bayside Carpet Cleaning a call today!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Making Use of Doormats

10-18-16.jpgTo place a doormat, or not to place a doormat, that is the question.  While some love the neat designs doormats can come with, others view them as a waste of space and money.  If you fall into the latter category, then we encourage you to read on, as you may be surprised just how much a doormat can do to help your carpet stay clean, fresh, and healthy!

The biggest advantages to having a doormat is an obvious one: it provides a place for people to wipe off their feet before coming into your home.  You don’t need us to tell you that shoes get pretty filthy throughout the day, from stepping in a plethora of things, which will wind up directly onto your carpet without a doormat.  Now, while one mat may not be able to get off every little speck of dirt, it can reduce the amount of heavy soil on a person’s shoes by up to 50%.  For a carpet owner, that is huge, and all it takes is a small investment.

In our professional opinion, we recommend using two doormats to severely diminish the amount of dirt on your carpet: one on the outside, and one on the inside.  For the outside doormat, try to find something real heavy and durable, like a rubber or scraper mat, as these will get off a good chunk of dirt and can survive all sorts of weather conditions.  For the inside mat, you have greater options in terms of flexibility, since these will not be picking up a majority of the dirt.  Feel free to get creative, and pick a design that works for you!

However, even with the help of doormats, you should still have your carpet professionally cleaned every year to take out all the other dirt and grime that has been building up.  One cleaning from us is all your need to have your carpet looking, smelling, and acting fresh again!

For a free in-home estimate, give us a call today!

Disadvantages of DIY

boston-terrier-rides-200x200In the digitally-connected world, where DIY guides are only a few clicks away, you may be tempted to give your carpet a professional-esque cleaning without the “hassle” of calling in the actual professionals. While this idea may seem lucrative to the household ambitious handyman, you may actually do more harm to your carpet than good.

One of the biggest components to a deep-carpet clean is the chemicals that is put into the cleaning solution, and how that solution is applied to the carpet. Adding in too much chemicals into your solution can cause anything from irreversible damage your carpet, to not providing enough “umph” to clean it thoroughly. The right balance is needed, and by mixing the chemicals yourself, it may be more difficult than you imagine.

Not only that, but the method in which the carpet is cleaned can differ from the professionals to the DIY-er. The average DIY-er will most likely go and rent out a “Rug-Doctor” or another commercial cleaning device, and then try to clean. More often than not, these machines have been heavily used and not properly maintained, which can put your carpet at adverse risk. On the other hand, the machinery that is used by the professionals is maintained and tuned for optimal performance, which will give your flooring the deep clean it deserves.

Having your carpet professionally cleaned may seem like an investment in itself, but with Bayside Carpet Cleaning’s money-back guarantee, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. If you don’t like it, or if you think you can do a better job, just let us know, and we’ll gladly refund your money. However, for those looking for the best clean that their carpet has ever had, calling Bayside Carpet Cleaning is the best thing you can do.

Give us a call today for a free in-home estimate!