Is your carpeting dull, lack luster and well past it's prime? Are you living with chipped tiles in the kitchen? Ashamed to have friends over because of the embarrassment your floors cause you? Maybe you're envious of the brand new floor your neighbor had installed and how it transformed their kitchen?
Yes, you've discovered by now that countless choices await anyone looking to take the leap. We can both agree choice is good. But c'mon. When shopping for new carpeting, vinyl or tile the options will leave your head spinning. Making it harder to decide. Besides this isn't something you're going to be able to change again any time soon. So getting it wrong is not an option.
So without considering a specific application let's look at how you can improve the first impression your floors make.
New wall to wall carpet is always an exciting option. If you get a quality nylon with a thick, dense pile (45 ounces or more) it can be an extremely durable option too. Especially if you spring for a pad upgrade. Which is what really determines how long that sea of inviting color will keep it's good looks.
Next there's the growing popularity of wood floors. Some find the glossy finish on laminates hard to resist. Engineered wood is another option. Of course if your wallet can handle it, few things compare to the classic beauty of hardwood.
You'd be surprised the difference wood flooring can make. Nowadays you're not limited to oak or even domestic woods. African hardwoods to exotics are highly sought after options. Or you can make a real difference by opting for eco-friendly bamboo.
You'll find ceramic tile has it's place too. Like in the kitchen, bath, or your entrance ways or anywhere water might be an issue. Stylish and durable the range of colors can boggle the mind.
It's not surprising that vinyl is still a popular choice. Especially for the budget conscious. Vinyl gives you a definite cost advantage over all other types of flooring most of the time. It's available as tiles which you might consider installing yourself or continuous sheets which are best handled by a pro. Choice is never a problem with vinyl flooring as it comes in varied colors and patterns. Being moisture resistant doesn't hurt either.
Then too any of these can always support an area rug. Which you can use to tie the room together or just as an accent. And area rugs are easier to change to freshen up a room without replacing the underlying flooring.
To be sure updating lackluster flooring will not necessarily be cheap. But it can instantly transform a room from ho hum to oh wow. Giving you years of beauty and enjoyment for your trouble.
Besides giving advice and tips on how to maintain carpet and wooden flooring, Aiden Mundt has explored and written detailed reviews covering bagless vacuums, brawny Dysons as well as a Dirt Devil vacuum or two. If you have a question about a floor care appliance AskTheVacuumGuy.com is the site for you.
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March 28 2010 | Home Improvement | No Comments »
There are various ways to approach carpet and upholstery cleaning. The kind of material as well as the reason you are cleaning it will determine which specific method you will use Regardless of whether you are planning on using a professional carpet cleaning service or you feel energetic enough to do it yourself, here are some of the basics on cleaning upholstery, rugs and carpets
Carpet and rug cleaning methods
Other than the countless 'housewives remedies', there are generally five recognized methods of cleaning carpets. Steam (also known as hot water extraction), shampoo, bonnet or quick dry and dry absorbent compound cleaning.
Hot water extraction (steam) is often the most common of all the normally used methods but since the drying time can be up to 12 hours depending on the material, this is not always the best solution. A strong pump sprays a cleaning solution on to the carpet or rug which then gets sucked out with all the dirt by a powerful vacuum.
Any appliance store can offer you a wide variety of carpet cleaning machines. Many of these appliances are upright, free standing units with a solution tank for the cleaning fluid and two or three nylon brushes on the underside. The procedure is the automated version of somebody cleaning with a scrubbing brush in that the dirt is loosened by the brushes and then the dirt and dust is then vacuumed (normally with a separate vacuum cleaner) afterwards. As with steam cleaning, the carpet takes about 12 hours to dry.
Quick dry cleaning uses the same equipment as normal shampooing and actually the two methods are identical in many ways. The only different is that quick dry cleaning, instead of using nylon brushes to scrub the carpet, uses a flat, absorbent pad which looks similar to a small round mop. The carpet is first sprayed with the quick dry cleaning solution before the machine buffs the carpet (think of buffing as being the same as trying to make your kitchen floor shine). The bonnet (the pad) absorbs the cleaning fluid and collects the dirt at the same time. Drying time is about an hour which is a lot more practical for high traffic areas.
Dry Foam cleaning is a mixture between shampooing and hot water extraction. Foam is introduced to the carpet by a machine with rolling brushes and the carpet is then vacuumed to remove the dirt. The drying time, dependent on the carpet type of course, is between an hour or two.
A powder called dry absorbent compound containing detergents and solvents which are lightly spread over the carpet. Either the professional or you use a machine which brushes the mixture into the carpet fibers after which you leave the carpet for a short time while the powder encapsulated the dirt. Once a bit of time has passed, a vacuum cleaner is used so suck up the dirt as well as the remaining compound. This method eliminates the chance of your carpets going moldy since no water is ever applied.
Options for cleaning upholstery
The determining factor when choosing the best method to clean upholstery is the type of material to be cleaned. Some, for example, can only be dry cleaned (velvets and silks) and the cleaning is best left to a professional while other stronger materials can be wet cleaned. The steam method or hot extraction method is the same as what you would use on your carpets. The only difference is that the nozzle is a smaller, hand held version. You can also hand shampoo most fabrics but it is advisable to shake the cleaning solution and only apply the foam using a damp sponge.
Identifying Upholstery
Most people don?t know what the best method is for cleaning their fabric furniture. If you are lucky you will probably find a manufacturers label underneath one of the cushions which will contain the cleaning instructions and various suggestions and warnings. Mostly you are looking for a code at the top or bottom of the label with a 'S', 'W' or 'SW'. The 'S' means that the material must be dry cleaned while the 'W' means wet cleaning is allowed thus allowing for shampoo or steam cleaning methods. The 'SW' indicates that both wet and dry cleaning methods are acceptable for the material.
Industrial carpet cleaning and industrial window cleaning. Only two of the specialties offered by Crystal Clean Solutions - www.crystalcleansolutions.co.uk Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
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March 10 2010 | Home Improvement | No Comments »