Kitchen Health Hazards

The surfaces in a kitchen that are considered health hazards are probably not at the top of your list of household concerns, but statistics show that a closer look at countertops, cutting boards and other food preparation areas where you slice and dice your way to your favorite meal is warranted.
 
As stated by Dr. Charles Gerba, a noted microbiologist and professor: “In most cases, it’s safer to make a salad on a toilet seat than it is to make one on a cutting board.”
 
Ick.
 
Let’s look at three common surfaces where there is food contact and what can be done to protect the health of yourself and your family.
 
Countertops
 
We take them for granted as the most common food preparation surface, and yet we often don’t pay enough attention to how clean they are. Especially close to the sink, where most food prep usually takes place. Make it a daily habit, and especially after preparing tasty meals that include meat such as chicken and pork, to use a disinfectant kitchen cleaner and paper towels. But don’t just spray and wipe. Spray the disinfectant cleaner all over the countertop and give it a few minutes to work, and then wipe it off.
 
Cutting boards 
 
As previously mentioned, cutting boards have been known to be so contaminated that toilet seats are considered to have less contamination. Most people, after preparing food, quickly rinse and wipe off their cutting boards, leaving a teaming army of bacteria behind. Just like with countertops, a disinfectant cleaner is important. Even better? Have several cutting boards in your kitchen and after using one, put it in the dishwasher. Done. Clean. Healthy.
 
Sinks
 
Many bacteria tests of kitchen sinks reveal a collection of E. coli. Why? Unless you are on vacation, your kitchen sink is always wet, which is what bacteria thrives on. Add food particles to the mix and the bacteria has a huge buffet to feast upon. Frequently spray the kitchen sink with disinfectant cleaner, give it time to work, and then rinse with hot water. Do this daily. Doesn’t take much time at all.
 
Of course, when you want peace of mind and a healthy home, especially when you are too busy to do it yourself, call a pro. Your professional cleaning service knows how to clean it all.

Before you close the house up for the winter call Delta Carpet Cleaning in Berea, Ohio to clean the summer dust and allergens from your carpet. 

You will be glad you did! www.deltacarpetclean.com

216-939-8741

Bleach and Carpet Do NOT Mix!

This is what can happen when you try to clean your own carpet with a rented machine and you use the wrong cleaning product!  Bleach and other cleaning products can strip the color from your carpet.  Small spots can be repaired by Delta Carpet Cleaning (but not large areas like in the picture) using permanent dyes. If you have spots that need repaired give us a call 216-939-8741.  You can view some actual color repair jobs on our website at: http://deltacarpetclean.com/Spot-Dyeing-Color-Repair-Berea-Ohio.html

Should I have my furniture cleaned?

Most people forget about having their furniture cleaned. 

Dust, soil, pet dander and body oils make your furniture look dull and worn. 

They can also make the fabric wear out faster. For more information and pricing 

call Delta Carpet Cleaning today 216-939-8741. We even clean and condition leather! 

 Visit our website today! 

Carpet. It's good for you!

Everyone is concerned about better health. We shop for healthy foods. We take our vitamins. We visit our doctor on a regular basis. We drink filtered water. What we might not appreciate is the value of filtered air.

How do you effectively filter the air in your home? You are right… changing the filters in your furnace system on a regular, scheduled basis. If you wait too long, you know it because the filter is just so darned dirty. It makes a mess when you change it. So you vow to do it more often, and maybe you even put it on your wall calendar so you don’t forget. You might even pick up a better quality filter, such as one that uses HEPA standards.

  But what about the biggest filter in your home? Wonder what it is? Just look down… if you have carpet, that’s the filter that often gets ignored. If you don’t have much carpet, odds are you have area rugs covering those hard floors. Those area rugs are filters, too.

Carpet in a home is a protection for you, because it traps all kinds of allergens that can be the bane of asthma sufferers. Carpet is a filter and, like all filters, has to be either changed or cleaned. It’s not practical to change your carpet every year or so (heck, no one could afford that!) but you can — and should — have it cleaned.

Remember, allergens are very light and float in the air, and are respiratory concerns, especially for allergy and asthma sufferers. Carpet helps to keep those particulates to a minimum.

There are many documented studies about how homes and facilities, such as schools, are healthier because of carpet and regular cleaning schedules.

  So enjoy your carpet… and have it cleaned by Delta Carpet Cleaning in Berea, Ohio. Our technicians are professional trained and will treat your home like their own.  Call today 216-939-8741 or visit our website at www.deltacarpetclean.com 

Oh No! I spilled bleach on my carpet! Now what?

Michelle with Delta Carpet Cleaning in Berea, Ohio is a certified carpet colorist.  She can fix your bleach spots.  Visit our website for more pictures.  Call for more information 216-939-8741.

  Before  

After

Pet odor removal by Delta Carpet Cleaning

Did Fluffy or Fido have an accident on the carpet? Well, it happens. 

You're not alone. Follow this link to our website for some easy do-it-yourself clean up tips:http://www.deltacarpetclean.com/pet-odor-removal.html

Remember to call Delta Carpet Cleaning for those stubborn pet odor issues.

216-939-8741 

How to Remove Blood Spots from Carpet and Furniture

Blood spots on your carpet or on your furniture… what a terrible thing. Hopefully when it happens, it’s not from a very serious accident.

But when it does happen, you must remove it quickly. Blood spots can be removed fairly easily if you get to it quick enough.

Of course, if there is a fair amount of blood, more than just a few spots, it’s best not to do anything except call the professionals at Delta Carpet Cleaning, Inc. in Berea, Ohio.

For a small amount of blood, though, you should be able to handle the task of removing the spot if you follow some simple, safe procedures.
 

1. Blot. When you have a fresh blood spot, get a white absorbent and disposable towel (like a paper towel without print on it) and blot up as much as you can. Never rub or scrub. That can damage the color and/or texture of the fabric, especially furniture fabric.
2. There is probably still a spot remaining, even with a lot of blotting. So take about a quart of luke-warm water in a bowl, and add a drop of dish soap to it. Just a drop, you don’t want to leave any sticky residue behind.  Make sure the dish soap does not contain bleach!  Dip a fresh, white absorbent and disposable towel into the solution and carefully blot the blood again. What you are trying to do is use the detergent solution to release the blood from the fibers into the towel.
3. After that, if there is still some light blood staining remaining, use a fresh, white, absorbent and disposable towel to apply a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, the same strength you purchase at a drug store. But remember, hydrogen peroxide is a “bleach” and you must be careful with colors, especially on furniture fabrics. It’s best to test an area like on the back, bottom skirting to make sure the colors aren’t affected.

Phew! That’s a lot of work. And it might do the trick, but it might not. You could set the blood and it could become a difficult stain if you aren’t careful.

So if you don’t like to live dangerously and would rather play it safe… call your favorite carpet and furniture cleaner at Delta Carpet Cleaning, Inc. at 216-939-8741. They know exactly what to do and they have the tools and cleaning solutions to do it right!

Visit our website at: www.deltacarpetclean.com 

Dirt Dulls Your Carpet

Should You Wash Cushion Covers?

It’s a very easy thing to want to do… you notice your sofa cushions are a little dingy, which is perfectly normal with kids, pets and normal usage.

So you decide to do-it-yourself and wash the cushion covers. They come out looking nice. But you also notice a little problem. The colors aren’t as bright as they used to be, and it takes a lot of effort to get the covers back over the foam cushions themselves. In fact, for one cushion, you can’t even get it zipped up all the way.

The reason is that cushion covers are not designed to be washed like normal laundry. “But it has zippers!” you exclaim. That’s for the convenience of the furniture manufacturing company or the upholsterer.


Although we strong discourage... it keep these points in mind if you are tempted to wash your cushion covers:

1. When you wash the cushion covers, there is some danger in fabric shrinkage and dye loss. If this happens, not much you can do to fix it.
2.  Shrinkage typically occurs in the drier, so if you are tempted to wash your own cushion covers, hang them to dry (but remember there is always risk).
3. Dyes are funny things. The dyes on your favorite t-shirts are pretty tough and durable and last a long time, but on upholstery they can  and do bleed or fade.  I know from experience!
4. Putting cushion covers in the laundry can also cause problems with the integrity of the fabric, such as any latex backing that could be present; delamination, or the separation of the face fiber and backing, can occur.

 
If you must do it please keep these points in mind and be very careful with your valuable furnishings! Do your furniture and all upholstery fabric a huge favor and call Delta Carpet Cleaning in Berea, Ohio for more information 216-939-8741.  Visit our website deltacarpetclean.com for more before and after upholstery cleaning pictures.  Let us clean those cushions!

We treat your home or business like our own!

Always Do This When Cleaning

Taking care of cleaning chores around the house is something homeowners have engaged in since houses were invented. Not much thought goes into it other than it just needs done.

However, some specialized tasks, such as removing a spot from a carpet, getting rid of an irritating pet odor from the family dog or trying to find the best cleaning solution for the toughest jobs can actually end up causing more harm than good.

Spot removal

When we find a spot on the carpet, there are two things we tend to do. The first is to put way too much cleaning solution on the spot, saturating it and even getting the padding wet. This just spreads the spot and causes trouble in the future. The second is we tend to scrub way too long and way too hard. This can fray the fibers and you can’t fix that. So when you get a spot, flush with cool water and blot white towel and repeat until spot is gone. Never scrub or rub. For stubborn stains call Delta Carpet Cleaning for more advice.  We will be happy to help you do-it-yourself.

Odor removal

The biggest question when Fido or Fluffy does their thing on the carpet is “How do I get it out?” That’s not always easy unless you get to it right away. Urine will penetrate into the carpet, the padding and even the subfloor, and when it dries, over time it becomes sticky and smelly. Some will put powdered carpet deodorizers on those spots, which only gums up the carpet and creates a residue very difficult to remove. Like with spot removal, flushing with cool water blotting the area quickly is usually the best remedy for the do-it-yourself types.

Using products

When one product works well and you find another one works well, too, the tendency is to mix them. Remember, never mix ammonia and bleach. Both are effective products on their own, but mixed together, they become deadly. Other products on your shelf could, if mixed together, create toxic fumes that can cause harm to your family. Always follow directions.

How can you avoid all these problems and challenges? It’s simple: Call Delta Carpet Cleaning 216-939-8741. We’ll be right over to save the day.

Snow Shovel Safety

We knew it was coming....winter weather is blowing across much of the country and — unfortunately — that means out comes the snow shovel, the snow blower and the ice melt. And sweat on the foreheads of many.
 
(Editor’s Note: you might be fortunate enough not to experience snow at all. If that’s the case, then reading this will at least give you a good feeling that you chose warmer climates, or a feeling of empathy for those who did not.)
 
You’ve seen the news reports: When some overexert themselves when shoveling the white stuff, they can get hurt or even worse… so it’s smart to plan ahead and be prepared with proper information before engaging in a physical activity you aren’t used to. Snow shoveling puts stress on your back and also on your heart.
 
Choose your snow shovel carefully, one that is right for you. A curved handle keeps your back straighter when shoveling, and make sure the handle is of proper length for your height. A plastic shovel might not be as durable as a metal one, but it is lighter and easier to use, especially when dealing with a lot of snow.
 
Just as you would do before working out, stretch your muscles and warm them up. Pace yourself, take breaks.
 
When you go out to take care of a new snowfall, do more pushing of the snow, as that keeps strain on your back to a minimum.
 
When dealing with a heavy snowfall, and you can’t push it, shovel in layers, inches at a time. But never throw snow over your shoulder; toss it in front of you or to the side.
 
And never forget, what is outside comes inside, so snow, mud, ice melt and other hard-to-remove soils will end up on your carpet and other flooring. When this happens, do the right thing: Call your favorite cleaning professional - Delta Carpet Cleaning 216-939-8741

Tossing in the Towel

It happens all the time in a typical household. You grab a paper towel — or two, or three — to wipe up a mess when something is spilled. That’s what paper towels are for, right?

But something else you might have experienced using paper towels is for polishing your nice granite countertop, rubbing and scrubbing but still seeing streaks on the surface. You keep going until you have exhausted not only your stock of paper towels, but your own energy as well.

And what about the mirrors and windows in your home? Have you ever sprayed them with window cleaner and no matter how much you rubbed and scrubbed with a paper towel, you still saw those little swirly marks?

Of course. Happens all the time!

We have nothing against paper towels. We all use them and need them. But there is a better choice when it comes to cleaning many of the surfaces in your home.

What’s that better choice? A “microfiber” cloth or towel, and it solves all kinds of cleaning challenges.

Microfibers are amazing things. They are normally made from polyester, sometimes with other fibers added, and can be reused again and again and again with normal laundering. (A very important tip  don’t use fabric softener when you wash them as that leaves a residue on the towel.)

The word “micro” is key: Tiny filaments that act like thirsty grime-seeking sponges. Microfibers are soft and eagerly grab dirt, spills and more, leaving the surface sparkling clean. Those shiny surfaces in your home are perfect for microfibers.

Bonus: Anyone who believes in cleaning “green” and recycling should consider using microfibers. They are environmentally a superior choice. You can purchase them from virtually any store that sells cleaning products. Try them out.

So toss in the towel — the paper one, anyway.

3 ways to get rid of dust mites

Delta Carpet Cleaning, Berea, Ohio  216-939-8741