To Seal or Not to Seal – That is the Grout and Tile Question!

To finish off a bathroom tiling the shower can be the finishing touch that adds beauty. What many homeowners that are DIY types aren't sure about is if they should seal the tile. The first thing that a professional would ask them “Do you know the difference between what grout is and what tile is?"

While this may seem like a silly question to some, to those who didn't know, it is a learning step, but important to know before you do a tile job yourself. Tile is the pretty part with the colors and designs that attract you to start with. Grout is the stuff that goes between the tiles, filling the gap.

Grout should be sealed for a few reasons:

• Easier To Keep Clean

• Protects From Mold and Mildew

• Keeps It New Looking

Before you apply sealant to the grout, let it sit a day to dry and cure and plan to reseal every 2 to 3 years, depending on the foot traffic it gets. Whether or not you should seal the tile depends on the tile itself. Tile made of limestone, marble, matte, natural stone, slate or terra cotta are porous. They will absorb water so by sealing these materials, you can protect them against mildew, mold, stains and water.

Keep in mind some sealers will darken or even stain the tiles, changing their looks. Once you have stained the tiles, you will need to re-stain them once a year to keep them looking good. Ceramic tile is a beautiful product but is not porous and sealing is not necessary.

So Many Types of Tiles! Which is the Best for My Kitchen?

Tile floors look great in any kitchen. They add style and are also easy to care for, if you choose the right type of tile. So which is the best type of tile for your kitchen? First you need to select a tile that is durable enough for the kitchen. A kitchen is high traffic and prone to have drops and spills that other rooms don't have. There is such a wide variety of kitchen tiles on the market today with materials, price points and sizes. The possibilities are endless.

Glazed and Unglazed

When you start shopping for kitchen tile, you will notice there are glazed tile and unglazed tiles. Glazed means they have been treated. They are easy to clean and resist stains. However, they are smooth so when they are wet, which is highly probable in the kitchen, they become slippery.Unglazed tiles aren't as smooth, so they are less slippery. The textured surface is often aesthetically preferred. However, they aren't as durable and more likely to get damaged and stained in a kitchen.

You will find that there are many different types of tiles too. There are natural materials such as pebble, porcelain, quarry and stone which are durable with a rough texture. They are also on the high end of the price point. Other choices are ceramic or porcelain, both which chip easy and you may find yourself replacing tiles frequently.

Before you buy a tile, think about what is more important in your kitchen. How much traffic does your kitchen have each day? A family with kids in and out will be better off with the most durable product that is easy to clean and resistant to drops and spills.

Vacuum Cleaner Features That Are Important

One of the most important household tools you can have is a vacuum cleaner. When shopping for one, it can be confusing, such as deciding if you need the canister style or an upright. It is important to know the differences between vacuums and knowing which is best for your needs.

Canister style vacuums are lighter weight than the upright style, which makes the upright a little harder to maneuver. The canister style is best for cleaning small gaps and spaces. Today both the canister style and the upright style come with attachments though, so that you can get in those small gaps and spaces with the upright style.

You will also need to choose either the bag or bag less vacuums, both of which have pros and cons to them. The bag type collects the dirt and dust in a sealed bag that is disposed of in the trash. The bag less type sucks the dirt and dust into a cup that is emptied out.

Depending on the area you live in, the filtration of a vacuum cleaner is important. There are 3 types of filters, each having a different suction ability. Homes with allergy sufferers should use the best HEPA filter possible to remove the allergens from the air.

The amount of power a vacuum cleaner has will make a difference in how powerful the suction is, which is determined by the motor's wattage. The higher the wattage, the more power and the stronger the suction.

How To Care For Your Flooring

You put some hard earned money into that ceramic tile floor and the last thing you want to do is damage it by cleaning. There are different methods and different products to use when it comes to cleaning your ceramic tile floors:

Resilient Floors:

This would include vinyl composition tile that is most commonly found in commercial buildings that have a high traffic flow because of its durability. The general care and maintenance is a drawback though and it is recommended by flooring specialist to have a finish or sealant applied to get a glossy look. You will need to regularly mop this type of floor with a neutral pH cleaner to keep that glossy look.

Stone Flooring:

Granite, limestone and marble fall under this category and are popular in home even though it is one of the most expensive types of flooring. This type of floor can be easily damaged if not cared for properly. Just as with the flooring described above, a neutral pH floor cleaner or soap specifically stated for stone floors is recommended. Never use acid or alkaline cleaners and never use flood mop use.

Masonry Flooring:

Flooring in this category includes ceramic tile, clay tile or concrete. How to clean them will depend on the style and texture. Such as glazed ceramic tile is moisture resistant and a neutral pH cleaner is recommended. Concrete flooring is usually sealed and the same neutral pH cleaner is recommended. Acid or alkaline cleaners should be avoided. The grout should be cleaned from time by professionals with slow moving steam machines to bring the dirt out of the deep pores.

Wood Flooring:

Very popular in homes however, care should be taken in the basic maintenance due to the fact that they can be easily damaged. Protecting them from abuse, moisture, soil and stains is a number one priority. Because they are sensitive to scratches and water, the basic maintenance is best with a microfiber flat mop with a commercial wood cleaner.

Laminate Flooring:

Another popular floor in homes, they are found in a combination of cellulose and wood with a melamine coating. This type of flooring probably requires the least amount of care other than daily sweeping and general moping. It is recommended to use minimal amounts of water as they are moisture sensitive.

The Best Way To Take Care Of Pet Stains On Your Carpet

While pets can be an enormous and lovable addition to any home, even the most house trained of pups can end up wreaking havoc on your carpets. So what is the best method of dealing with those stains in the immediate? Especially when you don’t want to leave any cleaning chemicals around that could put your pet in danger.

Believe it or not, a combination of vinegar and baking soda can be your best bet when it comes to pet stains. But the steps are what’s important here. Firstly, pour some vinegar on the stain, enough to soak the stain up, and then sprinkle some baking soda over it. If you put the baking soda first you’ll end up with a bubbly foamy mess (as I’m sure we all remember from junior high science class). But if you pour the vinegar first you avoid the overflowing reaction. Done the right way you’ll be able to hear the baking soda pop and crackle as it’s deodorizing the carpet while the vinegar absorbs the stain.

You’ll want to leave this for a day or two to the let stain be fully absorbed. It’s a good idea to put a bowl or some sort of covering over the stain to keep the foot traffic from kicking over your baking soda. But after about thirty six hours you can sweep up the baking soda and vacuum over the stain and voila, you’ll see a completely clean and fresh smelling section of carpet instead of the lingering remnants of a pet stain.

And while this method is all well and good for small stains here and there, anything larger is best treated by a team of carpet cleaning professionals like American Carpet Clean. They can handle your toughest pet stains and will do so with environmentally safe and non-toxic cleaning supplies that will be safe for even the smallest of puppies to be around.

Winter Care For Your Upholstered Furniture

Chances are you don't buy new furniture on a daily or weekly basis.  Most of us buy a living room suit once every 10 years, some of us even less often.  So in the meantime, it is important that you take care of this semi-major investment to keeping it looking good and in good shape. 

That means even during the holiday season and the cold, wet winter, you may need to take some extra caution and care. Here we offer a few  tips to help you preserve your upholstered furniture and keep it 'health' and new. 

As soon as there is a spill – wipe it up! Spills do not need to sit and soak in, this will only make it more difficult to get clean. As well, when furniture has a stain, it will accumulate even more dirt there. Dirt and grim build up only weakens the fiber of the fabrics which in turn, lessens the life span of our furniture. 

Flip the cushions weekly to retain their shape and keep them from getting permanent indentations. This should include changing the positions as well, meaning switch end cushions with the middle cushion on the couch, etc.  This is akin to rotating your car's tires.   

Keep your furniture out of direct sun light. This will fade your furniture quicker than you can image. If you do have your furniture placed in sunlight, rotate your furniture from time to time. Use a fabric protection like stain repellent and on furniture that gets heavy use, place washable covers over the arms, the back for protection.   

Not only is smoking bad for your health, it is not good for your upholstered furniture either. It leaves a foul smell and sticky, yellow coating on everything. If you have a smoker in the house, ask them to smoke outside. Or hire a professional furniture cleaner twice a year to keep your furniture fresh and healthy. 

With just a few extra steps you can keep you upholstered furniture healthy and live a long happy life with you and your family! 

Winter Care For Your Carpeting

Winter in this part of the country can play havoc on your home or offices carpet. With the ice, mud, salt and snow being tracked in, it will really begin to look old and worn quick. So do you wait till spring time to clean this up? Or should you clean in the mean time? 

Any professional flooring person will recommend that you  maintain your carpet with regular cleaning. While it may seem like a worthless effort, it is a must to keep your carpet 'healthy' and give it a long life. After all, replacing carpet is not cheap, but cleaning it is! 

When left alone, all that wetness along with the dirt, grim and salt will simply get pushed deep down in the fibers and begin to weaken the carpet not to mention, make it look dingy, dirty and dull. Think of the nastiness left there that you and your family are breathing in as well! 

The first thing you should is place door mats at every entrance of your home, inside and outside each door. These will pick up so much of that mess it's amazing. Whether you realize it or not, when people see a door mat, even kids, it is a natural reaction to wipe their feet. 

Make it a habit to shake those door mats at least once a day, more on snow days. Even though those mats are catching all that loose dirt, grim, mud and wet, when the door mat gets filled up, it just starts getting tracked into the rest of the house. 

Regardless of all this door mat effort, there will be some spots here and there. Those can be spot cleaned with a damp rag and dish soap, blot, do not rub the stain. Rubbing will only spread the stain and push it deeper into the fibers. Then blot with a clean towel. Wet carpet should be dried as soon as possible to prevent mold and mildew. Use a clean towels to blot it dry, a hair dryer or if you have  shop-vac, even better. 

Be patient and take a deep breath. Spring is not that far away and you can schedule an appointment with a professional carpet cleaner now to be ahead of the rush!