How to Clean a Velvet Couch

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Velvet upholstered furniture is beautiful and luxurious, but this upholstery can be one of the trickiest types to clean. Stains don’t only sit on the surface of the velvet, they also coat the individual fibers and seep into the backing, causing quite a mess! So how do you clean a velvet couch, chair, or ottoman?

 

Know what type of velvet you are dealing with:

If your couch is upholstered in synthetic velvet (or velveteen), you should be able to clean it yourself without too much trouble. If, however, the velvet is made from cotton, silk, or wool, you’ll probably want to call in an expert. Cotton velvet is especially finicky, and the fibers can bunch and kink when they come into contact with soap, water, or cleaning solutions.

 

To get stains out of synthetic velvets:

Clean the fabric as soon as possible after staining occurs. Do not allow the stain to dry on its own, as it will set into the fabric and become much harder to clean. With a clean cloth or towel, gently press the stain to absorb any moisture and wipe away any loose debris. Prepare a mixture of lukewarm water and dish soap, and apply the suds to the stain. Rinse by dabbing with a damp, soap-free cloth. Allow the velvet to dry and then brush it carefully.

 

For regular maintenance:

You can clean your velvet upholstery with a furniture brush to remove dirt, lint, and fuzz. Vacuum regularly with the furniture attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Velveteen can be safely steam cleaned. For cotton, silk, or wool velvet, check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

If you’re not sure whether your upholstery is synthetic velveteen or natural fiber velvet, you’re likely better off calling a professional upholstery cleaning service to handle the job. If you live in the Asheville, NC area, we would be happy to help you with your velvet couch, chair, or other furniture. Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line for an estimate today. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

Where Can I Take an Area Rug to be Cleaned?

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Want to know where you can take an area rug to be cleaned? You have two options. You can either try to DIY it, or you can call in a professional.

We wrote a post some time back on the pros and cons of do-it-yourself rug and carpet cleaning. You should be able to safely go this route as long as your area rug is made with synthetic fibers, is not a fine oriental or Persian rug, and does not have excessive staining or contamination with pet waste.

If any of the above warnings apply to your rug, or if you just don’t want to mess with renting a rug cleaner and doing it yourself, you’ll want to hire an expert.

Professional rug cleaning services are available in most locations. Sometimes dry cleaners offer a drop off rug cleaning service, as well.

Of course, if you live in the Asheville, NC area, Five Step Carpet Care is your best option for competent and friendly rug cleaning services. We clean area rugs, fine rugs, and oriental rugs in our Asheville facilities, and you can either drop off your rugs or take advantage of our convenient pick-up and drop-off service.

To see the quality of our work, check out some of our before and after photos.

You can also check the website for current pricing.

And you can always get in touch by calling us at 828.237.3237 or dropping us a line via our contact form.

 

Can You Wash Scotch Guarded Fabric?

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how to clean scotch guarded fabric

Do you have a Scotch Guarded sofa or chair that needs spot treatment?

Many couches and chairs come from the factory already treated with a product called Scotchgard. (You can also apply a Scotchgard treatment yourself at home.)

This is really great stuff—it repels water and prevents liquids from absorbing into the upholstery fabric, reducing the likelihood of a tough stain.

Once a piece of furniture is “Scotchgarded”, it will rarely need cleaning beyond occasional vacuuming to take care of crumbs, pet hair and dander, and dirt and dust. When spills occur, you can usually clean them just by blotting with a paper towel if you get to them quickly enough. Blot until no more dampness comes up on your paper towel.

The way the product works is that it slows the absorption of fluids into the fabric. It doesn’t stop absorption completely. So if you clean it up immediately, you’re golden. But if don’t catch a spill in time, you likely will have a stain to deal with.

If you do miss that magic window of time and end up with a tough stain on your Scotchgarded couch, there are a couple of things you can do.

Our advice? Call a reputable upholstery cleaner. It’s not expensive, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to get the stain out if you hire a professional. Plus, even Scotchgarded fabrics can benefit from occasional deep cleaning. Fabric treatments like Scotchgard only work to prevent tough stains. They don’t do anything about odors or ground-in particulates from regular wear and tear.

But if you’re in a do-it-yourself mood, do yourself a favor before you attempt to clean it and check the manufacturer’s label on the piece of furniture. The cleaning instructions will tell you what types of cleaning products are safe for your couch or chair. They are written in cryptic code, but here’s a handy guide:

“S” means solvent-based cleaners are safe. Try rubbing alcohol.

“W” means you must use a water-based cleaner in order to avoid damaging the upholstery. Use a bit of dish soap mixed with water.

“W-S” means you can use either solvents or water-based cleaners.

“X” means don’t use any cleaners; only vacuum.

If all that sounds too complicated, take our advice and call in an expert. If you live in the Asheville, NC area, we would be happy to help you with your Scotchgarded upholstery cleaning needs. Call Five Step at (828) 237-3237 or drop us a line, and we’ll get back to you quickly!

Take a Look at These Customer Reviews!

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We love when customers review our service! And lately the five star reviews have been rolling in. It makes us feel proud that we’ve helped so many homeowners and business owners in the Asheville area with their carpet, rug, hardwood, upholstery, and tile cleaning needs. So check out these recent reviews from Google to see what customers are saying about Five Step Carpet Care!

We want you to be our happy customer, too! If you live in the Asheville, NC area and need professional carpet, rug, upholstery, hardwood, or tile cleaning at competitive prices, give us a call at 828.237.3237 or drop us a line today!

Tile and Slate Cleaning in Hendersonville, NC

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Five Step is Hendersonville’s top source for tile and slate cleaning!

Tile floors are beautiful and durable, but even with regular cleanings, they can start to look dull and dirty in a well lived-in home. The tiles lose their gleam and the grout gets stained and dingy, just from normal everyday wear and tear. Bathroom tile gets covered with soap scum or even mildew, and slate floors can take on an aged look.

Periodic deep cleaning is necessary to keep your tile and slate looking clean and new, but doing the work yourself can leave you with bloody knuckles and aching knees. Not to mention that it can take a lot of time without specialized equipment!

Instead of subjecting yourself to that kind of punishment, give Five Step a call! Our professional crew will make your tile shine and your grout gleam.

We can tackle any surface, including:

  • Bathrooms- tubs, showers, and floors
  • Kitchens- floors, backsplashes, counters, and walls
  • Outdoor areas- terraces, decks, patios, pool areas
  • Traffic areas- foyers, hallways, and staircases.

And of course, our cleaning process is green, non-toxic, and sustainable. We conserve our precious waterways by using just a fraction of the water resources our competitors use. Just one more reason to choose Five Step!

If you have tile or slate in your home that needs some TLC, drop us a line today or give us a call at 828.237.3237. You’ll be glad you did!

 

Cats on Roombas!

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We interrupt your regularly scheduled super-serious carpet and floor cleaning content to present this adorable video compilation of CATS ON ROOMBAS!

(Just for fun!)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

😉

BEST of the Five Step Blog!

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Hello readers! This week we thought we’d do a round-up of all the best posts we’ve published on the blog over the past year or so. From hardwood floor cleaning myths, to bad carpet advice, to advice on vacuum cleaners, there’s a lot of information here! And if you scroll to the end of the post, you’ll find a funny satire piece, just for fun.

So without further ado, here are ten of the BEST posts from the Five Step Carpet Care blog!

The Worst Carpet Cleaning Advice We’ve Ever Heard

worst carpet cleaning advice

Are Health Hazards Hiding In Your Carpet?

4 Hardwood Floor Cleaning Myths – BUSTED!

wood floor cleaning

Vacuum Cleaners: To Bag or Not to Bag?

5 Signs You Should Invest in Rugs

A Dog Owner’s Guide to Clean, Healthy Carpets

Pros and Cons of Different Types of Vacuum Cleaners

6 Tips for Hiring a GOOD Upholstery Cleaner

How to Protect Carpets Between Cleanings

protect your carpet

7 Reasons NOT to Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaning Service (SATIRE)

Before and After: Fire Restoration Rug

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Our rug cleaning clients call us to help with all kinds of rug catastrophes. Food spills, puppy accidents, and normal wear and tear are the most common issues we address, but sometimes we get the opportunity to restore a rug that has been through hell and back. Take this fire restoration rug, for instance.

Here’s what it looked like when it came to us. Fire and smoke damage had left this fine persian rug looking black and burnt to a crisp. It was hard to see the gorgeous pattern underneath the damage. You could barely tell it was even a rug. The owners could have been forgiven for thinking it was destined for the dump, but fortunately they decided to give us the chance to work our magic on it.

Underneath all of that soot and ash was a piece of art, and it wasn’t so damaged that it couldn’t be restored to its original beauty and vibrancy. We were able to clean the fire restoration rug and return it to the owners looking just as good as new. Don’t believe us? Here’s the after picture.

Here’s the proof that fire damaged rugs aren’t always impossible to clean. We hope you never have the misfortune of having to deal with a house fire, but if you do, it’s good to know that soot covered rugs, carpets, and upholstery can be restored with the right know-how.

If you live in the Asheville NC area and need rug cleaning services for any reason (not just fire restoration!), we’d be happy to help. Just drop us a line or call us at 828.237.3237 and we’ll get your fine rugs or area rugs looking beautiful and new again. We even offer a convenient pick-up and delivery service.

This Christmas, Give Yourself the Gift of Clean Carpets!

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christmas box

December’s here, and along with the excitement of the holiday season comes the stress and overwhelm of holiday preparations. It’s cold outside, and all you want to do is relax in your warm house with your family, and maybe enjoy a little holiday cheer.

Maybe you’re hosting family for Christmas, or maybe you’re planning a holiday party. Preparing your home for guests can be stressful at any time of year, but it’s especially so in December, when most of us have so many other demands on our time. From gift shopping to meal planning to putting in the extra hours at work to wrap up those projects before taking time off for the holidays, you’re probably stretched pretty thin. When you have a few minutes to spare, you want to curl up beside the fire and stuff yourself with Christmas cookies, not worry about deep cleaning the living room.

Well, we have good news for you. Five Step Carpet Care can help you check at least one item off your never-ending December to-do list, and that’s the carpet and rugs. Our friendly and competent crew can get your carpets looking sparkling new in no time. We also offer a convenient rug pick-up and delivery service, so you can get your area rugs and fine rugs cleaned without leaving the comfort of your home.

And if you need upholstery, wood floor, or tile cleaning services? Yeah, we do that, too.

And, of course, our cleaning solutions are 100% green, non-toxic, and sustainable. So you can pamper your home without risking the health of your family, your pets, or the environment.

Even if you’re not hosting any gatherings this holiday season, what better way to treat yourself than with the gift of immaculately clean, vibrant carpets and rugs? It’s an excellent way to get the new year started right.

If you live in the Asheville, NC area, and you’re looking for a reliable and professional carpet cleaning service, give us a call at 828.237.3237 or send us a quick message using our contact form. Don’t worry, there’s still time to get those carpets and rugs spotless before Christmas!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving to all of our clients, staff, and friends! We have so much to be thankful for this year. We get to live and do business in an amazing community. We get to see the gorgeous mountain scenery every single day. We get to work with some of the best people on earth. And we get to do something something we’re good at that improves our clients’ lives.

So here’s to all the blessings of a life well lived, and wonderful people to share them with. We hope you are all spending the holidays warm, safe, and in the company of those you love. And we hope you have enough delicious pie to last you til December!