Pet Stains? My Carpet Is Cleaner Than Yours!

Pet stain removal depends on a few common sense factors. Understand that older stains demand lots of effort. Fresh stains, by definition, are totally curable. Stop torturing yourself if you consider your pet stain situation is incorrigible. Maybe you won't have success in totally removing the pet stain. But you can always improve its condition. Let's start with the basics. When applying a detergent go from the outside to the inside. Avoid making the common mistake of scrubbing circularly from inside to outside. Do this and you'll save yourself another big headache.

Don't despair no matter how scary and big the pet stain seems. Use the force of nature in your advantage. Think about how temperature manipulates the physical realm. When something gets hot it melts, making it easier to move around and eliminate. Methodically heat up the pet stain in careful fashion. Just don't burn the whole carpet. An industrial incinerator is not the ideal tool for this job. Start with towels soaked with hot water. Apply the towels on top of the stain. The pet stain should transfer from the carpet to the towels. Repeat several times.

When you finish cleaning, never forget to quickly dry the affected area. A high powered fan can take care of the details. Have one handy during the pet stain removal process. When you finish you might notice that remaining solids stiffen up. Treat these a bit differently. Smash the remaining solids apart and after pick up the pieces. If appropriate, use a vacuum to suck up these little crumbs. When finished, rinse the affected area with water. A little soap never hurts. Finally, let your carpet rest for a few days. It should then look as good as new.

About The Author
Anne Willis has won numerous battles against all types of stains. Check out her latest exploits at http://www.stain-removal-tips.com and be sure to read her featured article: http://www.stain-removal-tips.com/pet-stain-remover/.

Find The Top 8 Carpet Extractors

Carpet extractors are an excellent method of basic economical in depth carpet cleaning. Carpet extractors will clean your entire carpet, remove spots and stains, keep high traffic areas clean, and they'll even clean your upholstery and drapery. Here are the top 8 carpet extractors.

1. Dirtdevil Featherlight Carpet Extractor

The dirtdevel featherlight is a lightweight and very portable carpet extractor. Comes with a 5 brush nozzle system which will gently clean your carpets and the powerful vacuum will dry the carpets quickly. It has a 1 gallon reservoir for your cleaning solution, and a nice wide nozzle.

2. AX9 Carpet Extractor

The AX9 is designed to clean almost any surface no matter how tough the access it will get into those tight crevices. That's because it comes with a complete set of accessories to make the job easy. It provides total dryness with only one sweep. Complete with an ergonomic handle that makes moving it around more comfortable.

3. EAG 1400

The EAG 1400 is a commercial size carpet extractor that will clean up your commercial or home space. Built much like a wet/dry vac it has a dual two stage vacuum motor that provides maximum power. It has a 12 gallon solution tank as well as a 12 gallon recovery tank. The 8 large castor rear wheels, and 3 front castors make it easy to maneuver. It has a 25 foot cord so will reach and a 15 foot vacuum hose.

4. Admiral 8

The Admiral 8 comes with an ergonomic and adjustable handle with finger tip controls for operation. This no hose design makes it easy to fill and empty. It can also be purchased with the hard floor cleaning kit.

5. Ext 311 Extractor

The Ext 311 has a nice compact carpet extractor that pulls soil from the carpet effectively. The 2 stage vacuum motor, 10 foot hose, and a 9 inch and 10 inch heavy duty tool will clean any carpet easily. It has an 11 gallon solution tank and recover bucket can be removed to empty. Easy to roll along on the 2 inch casters.

6. The Speedster Carpet Extractor

The Speedster comes with 100 PSI solution pump and dual two stage vacuum motors that have a 150 degree water lift. The large rear wheels and grip handle makes this extractor easy to maneuver and move around.

7. Clean NB 48 Carpet Extractor

The NB 48 is complete with heat to dry up behind you. This commercial carpet extractor is one of the best sellers for professionals. 10 foot wand, 20 foot hose.

8. Harding 1408 Carpet Extractor

The Harding 1408 has a forward reverse brush action which gets down deep and takes less time to clean. It has an 8 gallon solution and recovery bladder as well as two sets of spray nozzles which work independently, and a 14 inch shoe. All lines are built inside so there are no outside lines. Comes complete with 40 foot chord.

These are 8 top carpet extractors but there are many many other excellent products on the market. The carpet extractor you choose will depend on how much carpet you have to clean, and how often. The one thing that has been proven over and over is that carpet extractors will extend the life of your carpets and keep them looking fresh and new.

About The Author
John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit: http://www.carpets-guide.com.

How To Clean Your Throw Rugs

Throw rugs are a handy way to cover wear, spruce up a room, or add warmth and comfort to hardwood floors. They are affordable and easy to find and you can choose from all types of patterns, designs, colors, and materials. Here's how to clean your throw rugs and keep them looking fresh and new.

Throw rugs are very easy to care for. They require no special treatment or attention, unless of course you've purchased wool rugs or the manufacturers instructions give you specific directions for cleaning.


1. Vacuum

The single easiest way to keep your rugs looking fresh and new and extend their life is to vacuum them on a regular basis. Vacuuming pulls dirt away so it cannot get pushed deep into the fiber and wear the rug.

2. Check Tag

Read the tag for any special washing instructions. If you find none you can assume that our instructions will work.

3. Pretreat

If your throw rug has any stains pretreat it with any of the laundry stain removers or pretreatments available. Apply as you would with any other item. Then let soak for a few hours so that it can penetrate deep into the fiber.

4. Wash

Toss it in the washing machine in cold water. Use a mild laundry detergent and be sure it does not have any bleaching agents. These could fade the color of your rug. Even the bleach free ones can be harsh on some fabrics and are not recommended for your throw rugs if you want to keep the new looking. If your rug is too large for your washer locate a laundry mat that has the commercial size washers then take it there to wash.

5. Hang to Dry

Never throw your throw rug in the dryer. Always hang to dry. Hanging over the shower door works great as any water left in the material will drip into the shower. You can also hang over any other style of door, or lay flat to dry. If you lay flat to dry be sure to flip and move regularly otherwise the water will be wicked into the surface and it will take forever to dry.

6. Brush

Not only do you have to brush your pets, now you have to brush your rugs. Once your throw rug is dry take a comb or brush and gently work it through the rug brushing against it's natural grain so it becomes full again.

A quick search online will reveal there are thousands of throw rug choices out there. You can also buy throw rugs at local carpet dealers. Stores like Walmart or Target offer some great prices on these style of rugs so be sure to check them out too!

Throw rugs are the perfect way to add to your home decor. As you can see from how to clean your throw rugs process they are not difficult to maintain. There also great because normally they are of a small to medium size so you can mix it up every now and then and rearrange them in your home.

About The Author
John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit: http://www.carpets-guide.com.

Key To Successful Commercial Carpet Cleaning Is Knowing Your Carpet

Commercial carpets don't seem to get the same attention as our home carpets do. More often we consider commercial carpet cleaning about as important as visiting your worst enemy. They are treated as a burden not worthy of ones time or care. It's too bad because a little knowledge and your commercial carpets would stay looking like new for a long time. The key to successful commercial carpet cleaning is knowing your carpet.

By the time you are finished reading this article you'll know how to get to know your commercial carpets better. Once you get to know your commercial carpets your commercial carpet cleaning will be effective and keep your carpets looking new.

Many commercial carpet cleaning processes use water. There are both benefits and disadvantages to using water to clean your commercial carpet. By knowing the type of carpets you have you can choose the appropriate cleaning process for them.

First you need to know what kind of backing the carpet has and how the carpet is attached to the floor. Next you need to know the type of yarn and what the carpet fibers are made of. Once you know this you can extend the life of your carpet by using the correct amount of water solution.

Most commercial carpet cleaning contractors will agree that the more water you use during the cleaning the better the cleaning results will be. Because the more water you flush through the more dirt that is carried away. And this is absolutely true. When you use water is becomes the medium and the dirt gets suspended in the water, however the more water you put into the carpet the more water that is left in the carpet and that can create plenty of problems.

Water left in the carpet can cause mold, stretching, damage to the sub floor, and damage to the adhesive to name just a few of the problems. By knowing the type of carpet you have you can determine the correct amount of water and solution to use so you don't encounter any of the problems from too much water.

The carpet backing is the layer between the carpet fibers and the sub floor. There are many different types of backing but the two main categories are permeable and impermeable.

A permeable back allows water to travel through the backing to the floors surface. In commercial applications this is generally concrete and the carpet is glued directly to the floor. Over wetting the carpet allows the water to reach concrete which can result in very long drying periods, and staining from wicking which is caused by the wet carpet soaking up minerals from the concrete. Another big problem is that most of the adhesives are water soluble so you know what the water does to the adhesive. It dissolves it.

An impermeable backing doesn't allow the water to reach the floor surface so the water never affects the adhesive or causes wicking. An impermeable back means your carpet will dry a lot faster.

There are also two main types of face yarn used in commercial carpets. They are loop pile and cut pile. Loop pile has carpet fibers that create a closed loop that is more tightly woven and provides less places for the dirt to get lodged or the water to soak in. Cut pile has open face yarn with individual threads. Because the fibers are looser there is an unlimited number of places for the dirt to take up residence and the water to hold.

So if you have a cut pile carpet with a permeable back on a concrete floor what do you think will be the result. Well you'll almost have a swimming pool if you don't use a minimal amount of water. Too much water and you'll be waiting for days for the carpet to dry and the glue will let go in the process.

There are also two types of carpet fiber. Nylon and Olefin are both common in commercial carpets. Neither absorb water so you can use a good dose of water without worrying about soaked carpets. However you need to watch the chemicals because some of the harsher ones can lift the dye out of the nylon.

Wool is a natural fiber and it holds water which means you need to watch the amount of water you use with wool. You also need to be careful when using harsh chemicals which can react with the wool.

So to sum it up a nylon carpet with an impermeable back is the easiest to clean and maintain. You can use lots of water and you won't have to worry about the glue lifting or it taking days to dry. Regardless of what carpet combo you have the key to successful commercial carpet cleaning is knowing your carpet.

About The Author
John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit: http://www.carpets-guide.com.

Water Damaged Carpet, What Can Be Done?

Water damage can come in many varieties, from a spilling a single bucket to a complete basement flooding. How you approach your carpet clean up will also depend on the quality of the water if it is clean water, like rain water, or is it from a sewer backup. Each situation should be evaluated on an individual basis, but here are some general guidelines.

First the obvious try to stop the water at the source to eliminate further damage. Check behind the walls as water may be trapped in the insulation or behind the vapor barrier. Next remove all furniture from the room, lift up the edges of the carpet and remove the uderpadding and discard. Extract as much of the water as possible, try to do this soon as you can, as bacteria and mold can set in quickly. Note – depending on the size and scope of damage it may be worth calling in a professional. After you have extracted as much of the water as possible treat the carpet with a disinfectant. Finally prop up the carpet to let airflow get under the carpet and put fans throughout the room to speed up the drying process.

Unsanitary water has many more health issues and concerns and you must take some precautions. Using rubber gloves and rubber boots is a must. I would recommend calling in a professional technician to handle this type of problem. The damage may not be isolated to just the carpeting it could extend to the drywall, insulation and wood studs. This type of water damage if not handled properly could pose a serious health risk.

About The Author
Randy Heslip is a regular contributor to www.vacuum-reviews-cleaners.com where you can find more information to help you choose the right vacuum for your cleaning needs. Article may be reproduced if resource box is left intact.