Tag: Cleaners

Ceramic Tile & Grout Cleaning

Posted on by Kathy McClelland

Tired of the old mop and bucket routine? Wish you could find someone that could really get your grout clean? Make your tile and grout super clean with our new Turbo Technology! The turbo attaches to our truck-mounted system allowing us to get maximum soil removal and a super clean rinse!

We will clean a small area of your floor at no charge and at no obligation so you can see the results yourself!

How to Care for Your Ceramic Tile

Purchase a high quality dust mop and sweep your ceramic tile floors daily. This is especially important in new installations where the grout has not fully cured. Dirt, mud and sand grind into the grout mortar from heavy foot traffic. Dirt collecting mats should be placed in frequently used entrances and shaken out weekly. We do not recommend the use of floor waxes as they can be difficult to remove from ceramic tile floors. As long as your floor is properly sealed and maintained, you should find no need for these products. Shower stall and tub enclosures should have proper ventilation. Stagnant water breeds stain causing mildew as well as other fungal growth. Mop or sponge your tile down 2-3 times weekly. Mix 1 capful of dish washing liquid per gallon of hot water. Mop up excess water and rinse with fresh water. Mop excess water again and allow to dry. Buffing with a dry towel will help reduce spotting.

How to Care for Your Marble and Natural Stone 

Dust mop interior floors frequently using a non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt, and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasive qualities. Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the particles that will scratch your stone floor. Be sure that the underside of the mat or rug has a non-slip surface. Normally, it will take a person about 8 steps on a floor surface to remove sand or dirt from the bottom of their shoes. Do NOT use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments on the wheels may scratch the surface.

DOs:

  • DO must mop frequently.
  • DO clean surfaces with mild detergent or stone soap.
  • DO thoroughly rinse & dry the surface after washing.
  • DO blot up spills immediately.
  • DO protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs and counter tops with coasters or trivets.

DON’Ts:

  • DON’T use vinegar, lemon juice or cleaners containing acids or marble, limestone, travertine or onyx.
  • DON’T use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners.
  • DON’T use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.
  • DON’T mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas.

Better Results with Benefect

Posted on by Kathy McClelland

Germs and viruses are everywhere. Although we wish these microscopic creatures mean you no harm, we won’t sugar coat the truth. Here’s a brief  list of some of the common viruses and bacteria in our world today:

Viruses

  • Cold virus: up to one hour on human hands
  • RSV (respiratory syncytial virus): up to six hours on door handles
  • Flu (influenza) virus: up to 24 hours on hard surfaces
  • Parainfluenza (respiratory): up to 10 hours on hard surfaces
  • COVID-19: a few hours to days, especially in cold and dry environments

Bacteria

  • Salmonella and campylobacter (foodborne illness): one to four hours on hard surfaces
  • Norovirus (stomach/digestive illness): several days on hard surfaces
  • Clostridium difficile (diarrhea): five months on hard surfaces
  • MRSA (staph bacteria): days to weeks in hard surfaces

These germs are constantly invading your home, office and car. Under the right conditions just 1 bad bacteria can multiply into a billion in just 24 hours. Germs lurk in places that you’d expect but also in places you wouldn’t.

Did you know that your mobile phone is 7 times dirtier than the toilet seat? [1] It’s true! and let’s not even get into that tv remote in your living room. The kitchen faucet handle at your sink is home to an average of 13,000 germs per square inch! Light switches, door knobs, keyboards, play toys …the list of possible contaminates goes on.

Not every microorganism is dangerous, but we can’t tell which ones are and which ones aren’t without a microscope. Knowing where germs are is one thing, getting rid of them is another. To protect your family from these microscopic marauders you need disinfectant.

Disinfecting is your best defense when it comes to protecting your home and safeguarding your family’s health. But if you’re used to using grocery store cleaners to battle these invaders, think again! National brands use harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach and quaternary disinfectants. Sound dangerous? They are. Sure they kill germs, but those same chemicals can inflict permanent life long damage to you and your family in the process. Not a great tradeoff.

These cleaners irritate your skin and eyes and can decimate your lungs. They viciously trigger asthma. In fact a landmark 20 year independent study published in 2018 proved that using products content chlorine bleach or quaternary disinfectants as little as once a week is just as damaging to lung capacity as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years. [3]

Does disinfecting have to be so risky?

At Buddy’s Carpet Care the health of your family is our top priority! After much research we have chosen to use Benefect as our number 1 disinfectant. Benefect has been approved by the EPA to be used against the coronavirus when used as directed. This makes benefect every bit as effective as it’s national brand competitors without the terrible long term side effects. This innovative formula is biodegradable, safe for the environment and safe for the surfaces you need to trust most.

When you have Buddy clean your home, you can enjoy every moment without worry! Calling Buddy’s is the smart and healthy way to cleanse your home and keep your family safe.

Sources:

  1. https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2011/mobilephones.html
  2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/your-tv-remote-could-be-20-times-dirtier-than-your-toilet-study/articleshow/74218337.cms
  3. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC

3 Toxic Cleaners to Avoid

Posted on by Kathy McClelland

We all find ourselves cleaning more frequently these days. We’re sanitizing hands, washing counters and wiping down the furniture and floors. Just like food, it’s important to know what ingredients are in the cleaners you’re using. Not all products are safe. This is why it’s so important to read and understand the ingredients in your cleaners before you buy. Even “green” or “natural” cleaners can hide harmful toxins because of the lack of regulation behind those labels.

There are four main times when toxic products can affect you.

  1. If you get some on your skin while using them
  2. When you inhale the fumes while using them.
  3. When anyone sits or lies on the carpet and gets some on their skin
  4. Breathing in the air after cleaning while toxic fumes are still rising.

Children and pets are especially vulnerable because they are so much closer to the carpet and often roll around and lie with their faces buried in the pile. Not only do they inhale dust and carpet fibers, but the fumes from the latest cleaning products used on it. In addition, their lungs are smaller and they have a faster metabolism, so they can be far worse affected than adults.

Here’s the top 3 toxic cleaning ingredients you should be avoiding:

1. Phthalates

Found in: Many fragranced household products, such as air fresheners, dish soap, even toilet paper. Because of proprietary laws, companies don’t have to disclose what’s in their scents, so you won’t find phthalates on a label. If you see the word “fragrance” on a label, there’s a good chance phthalates are present.

Health Risks: Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors. Men with higher phthalate compounds in their blood had correspondingly reduced sperm counts, according to a 2003 study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Harvard School of Public Health. Although exposure to phthalates mainly occurs through inhalation, it can also happen through skin contact with scented soaps, which is a significant problem. Unlike the digestive system, the skin has no safeguards against toxins. Absorbed chemicals go straight to organs.

2. Perchloroethylene or “PERC”

Found in: Dry-cleaning solutions, spot removers, and carpet and upholstery cleaners.

Health Risks: Perc is a neurotoxin, according to the chief scientist of environmental protection for the New York Attorney General’s office. And the EPA classifies perc as a “possible carcinogen” as well. People who live in residential buildings where dry cleaners are located have reported dizziness, loss of coordination and other symptoms. The route of exposure is most often inhalation: that telltale smell on clothes when they return from the dry cleaner, or the fumes that linger after cleaning carpets.

3. Butoxyethanol

Found in: Common in household cleaners and all-purpose sprays

Health Risks: Short-term exposure to high levels in humans is associated with pulmonary edema and severe liver and kidney damage. Chronic exposure in humans is associated with neurological and blood effects, such as nausea, tremor, and anemia.  Animal studies have reported reproductive and developmental risks from inhalation exposure.

Here at Buddy’s Carpet Care we use green cleaners that will never put you or your household at risk. We are proud to have the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval which means that everything from our equipment to our cleaning solutions are safe for your family. Click here for a list of certified green cleaners from the CRI that you can trust! Never hesitate to call our office if you’ve got a question about how to clean a stain or material in your home. If Buddy can walk you through how to clean it yourself he’ll be more than happy to do so. We love helping our clients and offer free cleaning estimates – with no pressure or sales pitch. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll be here for you.

 

 

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