Archive for Upholstery Stains

Follow This Checklist Before Selling Your House

Warm weather is here and just like all the flowers springing up in your yard, so are “FOR SALE” signs. Spring and summer are popular times to sell a house. If you’re planning to put your house on the market, your home must stand out and look its best. Sams is here to help you make that happen. Following this checklist will ensure your house is refreshed, renewed, and ready for a quick sale at top dollar.

Take Care of Offensive Odors at the Source

The moment that a potential buyer opens the door to your home, they begin to form a laundry list of impressions. Those first impressions can make all the difference in whether your home gets the offers it deserves. Good or bad, the way your home smells can set it apart from others.

You might not even realize that your home has a particular odor that could turn potential buyers off, but a real estate agent (or even your best friend) will point this out to you.

If odor is a problem in your home, Sams can take care of those funky smells and create an environment that’s pleasing to the noses of your potential buyers. Air fresheners create an unnatural smell and only temporarily cover up smells. Some potential home buyers may even be allergic to them or not like the scents you chose. The smell you’re looking for us “clean,” and there’s really only one way to get it. So leave this job to the pros!

Check out Sams’ specialized services to help with eliminating odors, whether it’s to help sell your current home or make your new one more enjoyable.

Clean Carpet is a Must

There are many in the real estate business who would advise that a total carpet replacement is needed when selling a house. We agree that stained, worn, or dirty carpets will surely turn many buyers away. But you may not need to replace your carpet at all when you rely on Sams! We have expertise in carpet cleaning and stain removal. We can even employ patching or spot dying for particularly tough areas. Even ripples and indentations are no match for the Sams team.

Remember that most buyers only spend moments in a house, and if they find themselves in a room with dirty or damaged carpets, they are far less likely to make your home their own.

Don’t Ignore Your Tile and Grout

Bathrooms and kitchens are where homebuyers focus most of their attention when viewing properties. Moldy or dingy tile and grout in these rooms can make or break a homebuyer’s impression. While tile is great because of its durability, it can be difficult to get truly clean. Many people do not know that tile and grout can be cleaned and made to look new again, giving your kitchen, bathroom, or any tiled room in your home a facelift. A visit from Sams can turn drab tile and grout into a showstopper.

Freshen Up Your Upholstery Furniture

Even though the person buying your home won’t likely be buying your furniture with it, it’s part of what they see when viewing your home. Stained or dirty furniture can leave potential homebuyers with a bad impression of your home overall. We understand all upholstery is different, and Sams knows the best way to clean and beautify your furniture again.  Do yourself a favor and have it cleaned so your home looks great for showing, and you will have clean furniture for your new home! It’s a win-win all around.

Eliminate Signs of Pets

We love our furry friends, but the reality is that having pets in the home can lead to fur trapped in hard-to-clean places such as carpeting or furniture. Pets can also be the cause of the odors we pointed out earlier.  While diligent vacuuming can keep the fur somewhat under control, it doesn’t always take care of the fur that has embedded deep in your carpets, or the smell your pet can leave behind. Even the best-trained pet can have an accident from time to time, and the moisture can penetrate below the carpet, into the padding or even the subfloor. Save yourself the hassle (or even worse) the need to get new carpet, and let Sams take care of it for a truly deep clean. Your future homebuyers will thank you.

Selling a home can be stressful and we are here to help you take the stress out of the process by getting your ready to be a show stopper from the moment a potential buyer sets foot inside your door. Call Sams today to schedule a cleaning before you list your home for sale this year!

Learn how we prepare your home for a fast sale at top dollar:

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Three Essential Spring Cleaning Tips

There’s nothing like taking a deep breath of fresh, spring air. Spring is a time for new beginnings, and a time for people to give their house a thorough cleaning to welcome in the new season. Some people enjoy getting down and dirty to clean. Others? Not so much. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, we’re here to provide spring cleaning tips and ensure your house gets the deep clean it deserves after the winter and rain.

Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Start From the Bottom Up

Everyone knows we do carpet cleaning and repairs, but did you know we also do tile and grout cleaning? You may have been able to keep the months of wet boots off of your carpet, but your entryway, mudroom, or kitchen may not have fared so well. Tile is a great product, but can also be intimidating for some people to tackling cleaning themselves. Our tile and grout cleaning process digs deep into the flooring to remove dirt and grime over-the-counter solutions can’t touch. Get your tile and grout in shape for summer and ready to face the seasons ahead.

Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Cozy Up on a Clean Couch

Our upholstered furniture isn’t something we put on our weekly cleaning list, but it still deserves some love and care! We carefully inspect your piece of furniture to determine the best way to clean it, whether that is dry cleaning or steam cleaning. We make sure to prep your furniture and color test on a small, unnoticeable area first. We know you love your furniture, and we clean it with care, so it will last a long time and always look its best.

Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Be Prepared for Spring Showers

Spring is notorious as being one of the rainiest times of the year, and if you have a basement that’s been known to flood, all that rain may be more stressful than refreshing. We hope you’ll never need it, but Sams offers 24-Hour Water Damage Restoration, every single day of the year. Our technicians are experienced and formally trained to quickly remove water from your home or business and use evaporation techniques to prevent additional damage. We also have long-standing and great relationships with insurance companies that we can help guide you through the claims process.

Whether you just want to spruce things up a bit, or if you have a larger project to tackle, we’re here to help. Let us make your spring cleaning a bit easier, and put your mind at ease. Contact Sams to learn more about these and other great spring cleaning tips and services to spruce up your home ahead of the summer months.

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Three Reasons to Have Your Couch or Sofa Professionally Cleaned

How long has it been since you’ve had your couch or other upholstered furniture professionally cleaned? While many people know and understand the value of professional carpet cleaning, keeping the sofa clean isn’t on most people’s radar. But it should be. The same pollutants and allergens that affect your carpet also affect your couches and chairs. In this article, we’ll detail the three biggest reasons to call Sams to schedule professional cleaning for your upholstered furniture.

Reason #1: Professional Cleaning Extends the Life of Your Couch

The biggest and most beneficial reason to have your furniture professionally cleaned is an economical one. While wear and tear is a natural part of any piece of furniture’s lifecycle, replacing it can be an expensive, and often unnecessary, solution. The Sams team specializes in bringing worn and dingy furniture, that customers were prepared to discard, back to life. We provide the same level of care and attention to detail when we work with your furniture as we do when cleaning your carpets. How much could you save by getting five or ten more years out of your furniture before replacing it?

Reason #2: Prevent Damage from Cleaning Incorrectly

Not all upholstered furniture pieces are created equally. In fact, there is a myriad of fabric and construction choices furniture makers can use when designing and building their products. And the choices they make dictate how the furniture needs to be cleaned. Using the improper method to attempt to clean the couch on your own could result in permanent and irreversible damage. Leave the decisions (and the work) to the professionals. The Sams team will thoroughly inspect your couch to determine the appropriate cleaning method, and then tackle the project correctly.

Reason #3: It Reduces Allergens Hiding in Your Furniture

Just like your carpet and every other piece of fabric in your home, your upholstered sofa is like a magnet for dust, dirt, pet hair, and other potentially harmful allergens that could be making you sick. Furniture traps pollutants you can’t see. Every time you sit or lay down to relax, the pressure of your body weight reduces and activates those allergens into the air. Professional sofa cleaning from Sams is like a big reset button for your upholstered furniture.

Bring Your Couch or Sofa Back to Life with Sams

Fortunately for you, there’s a team right here in the St. Louis area who has spent decades helping homeowners extend the life of their furniture with professional cleaning services. The Sams team has the knowledge and materials to safely and completely clean your upholstered furniture. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your cleaning.

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How to Keep Your Home Office Clean

In March 2020, many office workers throughout the St. Louis area became remote workers seemingly overnight. Many of us set up makeshift office spaces to accommodate our temporary arrangement, planning to be back in the office in the weeks ahead.

Fast forward a year and many of us are still working from home with plans to continue on a permanent or hybrid basis. If you’re working from home, you likely spend more waking time in your home office than you do in any other room in your house. Keeping it clean and sanitized should be a priority for both your physical and mental health.

Let’s explore three actions you can take today to instantly improve quality of life and work/life balance with your home office.

Declutter and Dedicate Space

If your home office is in a multi-purpose room, it’s important that each purpose have its own dedicated space. While there’s been a good deal of debate over the years, studies have now shown that clutter leads to lost time and can impact our cognition, emotions, behavior, decision-making, and relationships.

Aside from the psychological impacts, it’s simply impossible to keep a space clean without keeping it tidy. Go through your workspace and look for items that you don’t need to do your job. If there’s no reason for the item to be in the space, remove it. A simple first step to keeping your home office clean is reducing the number of items that need to be cleaned or moved to do the job.

Set Aside Time for Cleaning

With all the use your home office is getting, you may find that your normal cadence for house cleaning simply isn’t enough to keep your office space clean, sanitized, and tidy. Dedicating just 15 minutes a day a few times per week, to micro-cleanings can make all the difference. This time could be used for a quick run of the vacuum on carpets and furniture, dusting surfaces and decorations, or wiping down light switches and computer components. However you choose to use it, scheduling time to clean a little bit of your home office at a time will make upkeep more manageable.

If you’re spending less time in your commute, reprioritizing some of that time for office cleaning will of a long way toward creating a cleaner work environment without it becoming a major project.

Commit to Regular Professional Carpet, Rug, and Upholstery Cleaning

The single biggest factor that determines how frequently your carpets need to be cleaned is traffic. If you’re up and down and in and out of your home office several times throughout the day, your carpet could be getting dirty without you even realizing it. Factor in accidental spills while eating and drinking at your desk, and you can understand why having your carpet cleaned on a regular basis by the Sams team can make a big difference in its life and longevity.

You don’t have to have all the carpet in your house cleaned every time we come. If you typically have your carpets cleaned annually, you could identify three rooms that might need a six-month touchup each year in between your regular cleanings. Sams offers specials for multi-room cleanings that you can take advantage of.

Beyond carpets, the Sams team can also help with the furnishings and décor in your home office. We offer area rug cleaning services with pickup and delivery. If you have a soft chair or couch you use for breaks or reading through proposals and projects, our team has the talent and tools to keep your upholstered furniture clean and looking its best as well.

There are upsides and downsides to working from home. But taking a proactive approach to keeping your home office clean and tidy will allow you to begin each day prepared to do your best work.

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Rescuing Your Upholstered Furniture

When you invest in your furniture do you consider the future? Whether your pieces are expensive or not, the goal is to expand the life of the furniture, particularly your upholstered pieces. Wear and tear contribute to the diminishing of the appearance and quality of these items. The secret to enhancing the life of upholstery modern furniture is preventative maintenance and professional assistance. Of course, Sams has suggestions to make your furniture last. However, upholstery collects dirt, fade colors and look worn over time with use. It doesn’t matter how well you take care of it, daily routine will still wear on your pieces. What matters is the preventative measures you take and the assistance you utilize for proper upkeep. Sams understands that all furniture is different and some pieces come with different types of fabric, colors and construction techniques. With that in mind, we’re giving you the secrets to saving your upholstery.

Pre-Treat

As far as we consider maintenance, this is at the top of our list. As part of our steam cleaning process, not only will we pre-treat and clean the fabric, but we will protect your piece with the appropriate fabric protector. Our detailed process ensures you that we will apply fabric protection where it’s appropriate. Sure, there are several products out there for furniture protection, however, you should consult with a trained technician about which products can be used for the best results. We would like to make sure your small spills don’t turn into big problems in the future.

Vacuum

The kids crashing on the couches and leaving crumbs behind can cause damage and create stains. We recommend vacuuming for fabrics that can’t be exposed to water, particularly with pet hair. Since upholstery has to be handled with care, regular maintenance is very important to us. Set a schedule for vacuuming (or make an appointment with us) to prolong the life of your pieces for your kids play parties. We utilize particular methods that allow our technicians to pay special attention to the given problem areas with your furniture so we are assured the best removal techniques.

Professional Assistance

Just like many things in the world, Sams understand when it comes to upholstery all products aren’t created equal. In minutes, our service technicians can have your furniture looking just as sleek when you first saw it. To make sure of this, we like to first inspect your furniture to determine the appropriate method that will serve the best benefit. After choosing the method, we move forward with a detail process to clean your furniture. Preventative products can be purchased, but without proper consultation or knowledge of materials you may not achieve quality results. Our proven process includes everything from color testing to dry cleaning with oil based solvents, assuring our customer of real results.

We care about our customers, and we only want to see the quality and life of your furniture reach its highest potential. If those furniture accidents ever happen in the future, remember that our intent is not only to satisfy our community and customers, but it’s to restore, repair and refinish your pieces.

If you’re ready to repair that dusty and dingy couch, please feel free to contact us.

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Spills and Stains, Oh My! How To Treat Your Carpet and Upholstery When Life Happens

Spills happen. We are all human, as much as we would like to pretend we are perfect, we are bound to laugh a little too hard and spill a glass of wine. A child is bound to turn around too quickly and knock over their milk. An overly excited dog might run into the room and track muddy paw prints. Life is busy and hectic, and we’re bound to need a little touch up here or there. C’est la vie.  And that’s where we come in to help.

If you have a little stain or spot in the carpet, here are our tips to treating it yourself at home. Of course, do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or feel like the stain just might be out of your control. Here are our do’s and don’ts for treating stains and spots in your carpet or upholstered furniture.

  • Don’t Wait
    Immediately pick up any solid spills and soak up any liquid with a clean white towel. NOTE: It’s important to ALWAYS use a clean white towel to insure that no dye from the towel stains the carpet. Remember, we are trying to treat a stain, not cause another.
  • Don’t Scrub
    Gently blot carpet to avoid pushing the stain deeper into the fibers. When blotting, blot from the outside of the stain going inward, as blotting outward can spread the stain to a larger area. This is what we are looking to avoid!
  • Don’t Over Saturate
    You don’t want to add to much water to the area, this could saturate the carpet backing, causing further damage. This also goes with any cleaner, be sure to use a small amount and never saturate. We recommend keeping water or cleaner in a spray bottle for a fine miss and to avoid over saturating the carpet or upholstery.
  • Be Careful With Any Cleaning Product, Use a Test Area
    There is too much uncertainty with cleaners and how they might react to your carpet or upholstered furniture, you don’t want to take that risk! Be careful with any product by reading the label and using only small amounts first in a test area to make sure it’s not setting your stain and can be removed. Reach out to a carpeting professional for their cleaning agent recommendation or to purchase a professional cleaner. All Sams’ customers receive a bottle of our “Outta Sight” spot remover after a cleaning, which is perfect for those pop up, “uh oh” moments! Trust your gut and use water first to soak up the stain, and from there, use the Outta Sight cleaner to treat the area. Be sure to use any cleaner lightly, you want to use a gentle hand and touch, too much could harm rather than help.
  • Don’t Let The Area Air Dry
    You might think it’s best to just set it and forget it, but in this case, letting the area air dry can cause rings and dimples. Take a dry cloth and place it over the wet area. Then add a non-staining, heavy object over the cloth and let it dry overnight. The weight will help keep the carpet flat and from rippling, saving you a headache down the line.
  • Hand brush or vacuum area post stain removal
    This is an important step to plump up the carpet and help to revive the area. With a little fluffing, the carpet should be rejuvenated and thanking you for a job well done.

Of course, give us a call if you have any questions or would like us to give that stain a closer look. We would be happy to help!

For more information on Spots and Stains, be sure to check out the Spot/Stain Removal section of our website HERE.

 

 

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