The Do's and Don'ts of Dealing With Pet Odors

When it comes to owning a pet, there are lots of things to look forward to, but there are also a lot of responsibilities. Cleaning up after your pets can be a hassle, and you might be less prepared than you think when it comes to eliminating some of the stains and odors that they leave behind. That’s why we- here at The Steam Team- want to give you some professional advice about the Do’s and Don’ts of dealing with pet odors.

What Not To Do

There are a few common mistakes out there made by many pet owners when trying to eliminate unwanted odors from their home. Let’s look at these methods and discuss why you shouldn't use them.

Bleach- Using bleach on a urine stain or other area to eliminate odor will successfully disinfect the surface, but may not reach deep enough in the material to eliminate the odor altogether. It may also be harmful to any children or pets if they inhale it.

Ammonia- Since cat and dog urine already contain ammonia, which is part of the bad odor, using ammonia will only intensify the unwanted odor. Also, make sure you NEVER mix ammonia and bleach, as the mixture could be fatal.

DIY Solutions- There are some common DIY ideas out there for dealing with pet odors, such as using peroxide, baking soda, vinegar or dish detergent. These methods may be somewhat effective but won’t completely eliminate the odor.

The Best Method For Pet Odor Treatment

There’s only one surefire way to eliminate the unwanted pet odors from your home; seeking help from professional technicians with the right equipment and methods. Luckily, The Steam Team offers a powerful pet odor treatment that involves replacing carpet and subflooring if needed, and applying powerful enzyme treatments to the area to ensure that the odor is completely eliminated at the source. For more information on our professional pet odor treatment, as well as our many other services, please visit The Steam Team website.

Understanding Carpet Cleaners And Where To Use Them

Here at The Steam Team in Austin, through our years of working with carpet cleaners to provide professional, top-notch cleaning services, we’ve learned a lot about these machines. We’ve written this blog for you to help you understand a little bit more about how steam cleaners work, and what surfaces they work best on.

The Benefits

There are many obvious benefits of cleaning your home with the best carpet cleaners, which are entirely water and heat based. Since no chemicals are used, you won’t have to worry about the negative effects that chemical cleaners can have on some surfaces like marble. You also won’t have to worry about the health risks that some store-bought chemical cleaners bring. Carpet cleaners kill 99.99% of bacteria, and dry up quickly since the water evaporates after sanitizing the surface. Steam cleaners are also excellent at cleaning more tough to reach spots and can even removed hardened substances like wax or glue.

Which Surfaces Can They Clean?

Carpet cleaning is wonderful for nearly every surface of the home, but for some you’ll need to use specific attachments to avoid damaging the material. Carpets, upholstery, mattresses and curtains can all be steam cleaned, but you’ll need to make sure you use the upholstery attachment. There’s also a floor attachment that you’ll need to use if you plan on steam cleaning your floors, tiles, ceramic and metal fixtures. With the right attachments, steam cleaning can easily kill germs, mold and fungus on any surface. The only surfaces that can’t be steam cleaned under any circumstances are cardboard, paper products, delicate fabrics or anything with water-based paint.

The Steam Team

Carpet cleaning is one thing, but having a high-powered steam cleaner in the hands of a trained Steam Team professional is another thing entirely. If you want your home to be absolutely as clean as possible, give the steam team a call and let our technicians handle your steam cleaning needs. For more information, visit The Steam Team website.

Protection and Cleaning for Your Upholstered Furniture

Have you recently outfitted your living room in brand new upholstered furniture? Perhaps you’re wondering how to care for it, clean it, protect it, and help it to last many years. It’s definitely possible, friends! Let’s jump right into how we can clean and protect our upholstery today! And don’t forget: The Steam Team is always by your side, ready to lend you a hand!

Upholstery Cleaning: The Steam Team Method

The Steam Team has the cleaning methods to match your needs! Mostly, we’re just concerned about safety and about achieving the results that you’re seeking. We know there’s a reason you’ve contacted us, so we’re going to do our best to clean your upholstery like you’ve never seen before!

Fabric Protection

There are many things that dull the appearance of your upholstery. For example, spills, stains, and ultraviolet radiation all do this. And while we can do little to prevent wear and tear from our children, pets, spills and accidents, we can fortunately choose to let The Steam Team treat our upholstery with a fabric protectant! It’ll help keep your upholstery in tip top shape!  

Rely on the Professionals

It never hurts to give the professionals a call when your upholstery could use a deep cleaning or stain removal! If your cleaning products are failing you, that stain keeps reappearing, or you’ve no idea what you’re doing, don’t hesitate to give us a call! The Steam Team has been at this for well over a decade now; we have plenty of experience up our sleeves!

The Steam Team is your leading cleaning and restoration company in Austin, TX. We love serving this city and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! So if your upholstery is in need of some professional TLC, don’t wait; give The Steam Team a call today!

3 Reasons to Rid Your Home of Smoke and Ash After a Fire

House fires are devastating all around. You lose possessions, you take on structural damage to your home, and smoke and ash feel nearly impossible to get rid of! But with the help of a professional cleaning and restoration company who really knows what they’re doing, you can have your home back to normal in no time! And you definitely want to be hasty about it; here are three reasons to rid your home of smoke and ash after a fire:

Simply put, smoke and ash cause...

Damage to Your Possessions

Smoke and soot can cling to your possessions, causing discoloration, staining, that stench; ultimately the smoke ruins them. It’s important that you immediately contact the professionals for help with the cleanup! You want to make sure it’s done correctly, in order to protect the health of you and your loved ones.

Damage to Your Home

Smoke clings to walls, countertops, and flooring, too. The evidence of that devastating house fire is everywhere. But let’s get rid of it! The Steam Team can come in and effortless steam clean your walls, countertops, flooring, draperies- almost anything. Contact the professionals, like us, and we’ll be out in no time to help restore your home to its original condition!

Damage to Your Health

Finally, smoke and ash pose a health risk. Not to mention, smoked-damaged property slowly and gradually releases toxic gases and chemicals into the environment- that doesn’t sound good for your health, does it? Contact the professionals for help removing smoke and soot completely from your home.

Whatever the issue may be, The Steam Team has your back! From general cleanup and restoration to cleaning up after a house fire, we know exactly what to do! We also have top-notch equipment that we like to bring along; you’ll be shocked at our results!

Top 3 Tips to Tackle Tile and Grout Cleaning

Austin Texas Murals

Ceramic tile and grout are often overlooked, since cleaning them can certainly be an irritating chore. Far too many people spend a lot of time on their hands and knees with a toothbrush, scrubbing each individual grout line for hours on end. But if you’re able to follow these three simple tips, you’ll find that tile and grout cleaning has never been easier!

Preventative Measures

Our first tip is to be sure to take all proper actions to prevent your tile and grout from getting dirty in the first place! The better care you take of your tile, the less likely it’ll need to be deep cleaned. Some ways to do this are;

• Always keep your floors dry, even if the spill is just water or ice.

• Add mats or rugs on top of the tile in areas that are stepped on frequently.

• Vacuum regularly.

• Always rinse with water after a spill.

Mopping Tile

Once you’ve removed the dirt by sweeping or vacuuming, you’re ready to mop. Mix hot water with a mild detergent and use a rag or chamois mop, rather than a sponge mop. A sponge mop could push dirty water into your grout, which would only make for a harder job later. Change your bucket of cleaning solution often so you won’t end up with a cloudy film of dirt on the floor.

Steam Cleaning Grout

Rent or purchase a steam cleaner that can effectively clean and sanitize all types of tiles and grout. Make sure that it comes with a small brush attachment for the grout. When you have the steam cleaner set up and heated up, move the cleaning brush back and forth over the grout. You’ll find right away that it’s much easier than using a toothbrush! Lastly, when you’re finished cleaning, use a towel or dry mop to wipe up any excess moisture.

If the job of cleaning your own tile and grout ever becomes too frustrating or won’t work with your busy schedule, always keep in mind that The Steam Team professionals can do it for you!

Expert Care For Your Area Rug- Cleaning Austin Texas

The gorgeous handmade rug lying on your floor was probably one of the best decisions you made when it came to decorating your home. It’s an elegant addition and certainly an investment- so today, let’s talk a little bit about caring for such a delicate piece.

Caring For Your Fine Area Rug

The best way to care for your oriental rug is to prevent additional wear and tear from occurring. This is usually easier said than done, especially if there are pets or children in the house, but it’s worth it in the long run if you’re able to set a few guidelines. Area Rug Cleaning Plant located at 9901 Burnet Road Austin Texas 78758

Preventive Measures

Rug pads are a great place to start when it comes to additional (preventive) measures for your oriental rug. They add extra protection by cushioning the rug, creating less strain on the rug fibers when weight or pressure is applied.

Next, consider making your oriental rug a “no-shoe” zone. This will keep extra dirt and debris from getting on your rug and becoming stuck in the fibers and is far less abrasive.

Finally, rotate the rug 180 degrees a few times each year. This keeps the fibers from fading in certain spots, especially if there are patches of the rug that get direct sunlight.

Call the Professionals for Cleaning

In the event of a spill, blot—don’t scrub—with a white paper towel or cloth. If it’s a stain that water alone can’t remove, take your rug to a professional rug cleaner.

However, even if you aren’t dealing with stains or spots on your rug, it’s important to still have oriental rugs professional cleaned every few years. This ensures that any built-up grime is taken care of and won’t affect your gorgeous, timeless piece.

Do you have an oriental rug that needs to see a professional? Give The Steam Team a call today- our experts are highly experienced and use only the latest equipment.

What Is Hot Water Extraction By The Steam Team of Austin

Professional Rug Cleaning

So, what is hot water extraction? Well, it’s just another way to say steam cleaning. The two terms are often used interchangeably. So today we’re going to review steam cleaning (hot water extraction) and its many benefits to homeowners- because there are so many! And of course, this is barely scratching the surface; there are many other reasons as to why we should steam clean, and only so much time to cover them! Call 512-451-8326 for your Austin Texas rug cleaner!

Hot water extraction...

Cleans Without Chemicals

Simply put, steam cleaning cleans without the use of any chemicals. All that it requires is high water pressure, and extreme heat. It easily extracts dirt from carpet, and porous materials like tile and grout.  This not only saves you money on cleaning products, but it doesn’t leave behind any harmful residue or streaking.

Cleans Like No Other Method

There’s a reason why homeowners prefer steam cleaning over other methods of cleaning. It cleans thoroughly and effectively- without much effort! Mopping takes a lot of back work, much like scrubbing and vacuuming. But a steam cleaner doesn’t require the same kind of physical labor (especially if you let The Steam Team do the work for you- hint hint!).

Saves You Time and Money

We’ve already mentioned how steam cleaning saves you from having to buy cleaning products (though that is a major plus!). But its effectiveness is also what saves you time! With hot water extraction, you no longer have to re-do cleaning projects; steam cleaning gets it the first time. It provides you with a clean that you can fully trust, and we all know that that’s all we want!

Professional steam cleaning companies, like the Steam Team, can help you steam clean just about anything, from carpets, to surfaces, walls, and ceilings! Just give us a call whenever you’re in need! Local cleaning companies. We have been serving Austin for over 40 years. Call 512-451-8326 today.

Why Should You Install Carpet Padding?

Rug Cleaning 

For homeowners, oldies and newbies alike, it may be difficult to choose which type of carpet padding to install! There are many benefits to carpet padding, such as softness, cushion, and some even hold those pesky rugs in place- but it all depends on the thickness! Below we’ll explain these benefits, and hopefully convince you to install carpet padding beneath your carpet, as it’s so great for your flooring and home in general! Serving Austin, Texas and surrounding areas.

A Little Extra Cushion for Our Sensitive Feet

Have you ever walked on carpet without padding? Notice the huge difference! With some types of carpet, it almost feels as if you’re just walking on the (concrete) foundation. But carpet padding provides your flooring with an extra layer of comfortable cushion, so your carpet will truly feel softer. You’ll want to walk around on it all day long!

An Increase in Carpet’s Longevity

Carpet padding absorbs the impact on carpet made by foot traffic, which helps preserve its backing and binding! So yes, carpet padding can actually help your carpet last much longer!

Area and Oriental Rugs Finally Stay Stationary

At last, no more constant shifting of your area and oriental rugs. It’s very common for them to slip and slide all over the place with foot traffic, and this can actually pose a threat to your family! Imagine yourself slipping and sliding-  and falling, sustaining an injury. Thankfully, this worry can be alleviated with the right carpet padding beneath your rugs.

And what’s the best part? The Steam Team can help you take care of your carpet! We’re experts at it- we have the experience, the knowledge, and the professional grade equipment to do almost anything with carpet, whether that be cleaning, care, or installation. Just give us a call ASAP and we’ll be out ASAP! Call 512-451-8326 today!