2013 Archives - 158/166 - Talk Local Blog

Archive for 2013

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Does Carpet Cleaning Remove Pet Dander?

Carpets get dirty for many reasons – kids, pets, unruly guests, infuriating people who don’t remove their shoes, etc. So, inevitably, you will need to get your carpet cleaned. Some stains and dirts come out easier than others, but pet dander is not one of these.

Pet dander is tiny flakes of dead skin that continuously fall off pets. It is incredibly light and can become airborne with shed fur, ultimately causing allergic reactions for many people. It can be spread by touch or by normal shedding and is not easily removable.

Carpet cleaning is one way to clean pet dander, though it may not be the most effective. The formal carpet cleaning process is an extensive one meant to clean the carpets from any soils, dusts, and other materials that may get stuck in your carpet. Usually, carpet cleaning is performed by professionals who own expensive equipment and use expensive products. However, these professionals aren’t always able to clean the pet dander that may be in the air or stuck to furniture and carpet. This cleaning doesn’t remove all pet dander, or even all the dander on the carpet.

Method for Cleaning Pet Dander

1. Mix fabric softener with water into a spray bottle.

2. Lightly spray the floor with this mixture, making sure not to completely saturate the carpet.

3. Let it dry for several minutes.

4. Vacuum up your floor as you normally would.

The fabric softener works to loosen up the carpet from the stains, making it easier to remove the dander. This method is effective at removing dander from your carpet, though not completely. This method also works with furniture, but to get the remaining dander, other methods will need to be used.

Other Methods to Remove Pet Dander

– One suggested method is to wear rubber gloves and rub it against walls and other surfaces where dander may have strayed.

– An alternative method is to find a balloon, then rub it along a carpet. The resulting static helps to pull hair out from carpet. By utilizing these tactics, you should be on your way to reducing and removing dander in your home.

Additional Assistance

When talking to any professional carpet cleaners, ask them what steps they take to reduce dander. If you need help locating a professional carpet cleaner, consider using TalkLocal to find a carpet cleaning company for you. TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality carpet cleaning companies in your neighborhood within minutes. Just enter in your specific problem, location, and availability, and up to three companies will call YOU directly, saving you the time and stress of finding one yourself.

Posted in Carpet Cleaners | No Comments »

Cat Nail Manicures

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

If your cat runs when she sees the clippers, you may need some tips to help get you through cat nail manicures. Just remember- it does not have to be painful for you or your pet! If you follow these guidelines, it won’t be.

Cat Nail Manicures

Help your cat adjust to manicures. You should try and “set the mood” for your pet. Hopefully you’ve introduced your cat to nail clipping when he or she was a kitten. It’s OK if you haven’t, it just might be a little harder.

Keep your cat calm. Choose a chair in a quiet room where your cat can sit on your lap. Make sure your cat is in a relaxed state, like when they’re sleepy. Make sure the cat can’t spy any distractions such as other pets, birds or children.

Massage your cat’s paw. When you have your pet in place, you should take the paw between your fingers and massage it for no longer than three minutes. If your cat tries to pull away, don’t resist, but keep your fingers on the paw. Try to do this often so the cat will not feel nervous when you grab the paw with a clipper in hand.

When you are clipping the nails, make sure you never cut to the quick. The quick is where all the nerves and blood vessels are. If you cut too much of the nail off, it will hurt your cat really badly. Snip only the white part of the claw. Be prudent when cutting, it’s better to cut less than to cut too much.

Additional Help

Hopefully this helped, but if not you can always contact a veterinarian for help! If you need to find a veterinarian or pet groomer TalkLocal will contact local professionals in your area at whatever time is most convenient for you!

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

Peanut Butter on Mousetraps Not Working?

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

Peanut Butter on Mousetraps Not Working?

Do you have a pesky mouse problem that just won’t end? If you are using mousetraps to fix your rodent problem, you are on the right track. Mousetraps can be an effective way to kill any unwanted mice that may be living in your house. However, it is important to use the right type of bait to maximize the success of the traps. There are a couple of different types of bait that you may find more effective than peanut butter for your mousetraps.

More Effective Bait for Mousetraps

High Sugar Foods: Mice like foods with a high sugar content like grains and fruit. Peanut butter can work in some situations, but if you have not found this successful try moving on to a different type of food. Keep in mind that when you use food as bait, you are more likely to catch male mice that are out hunting for food.

Lint or Cotton: Consider putting lint or cotton in some of the traps. This will help you catch pregnant female mice that are out looking for nesting material. Getting rid of pregnant females will exterminate your problem much more effectively than targeting males.

Still Having Rodent Problems?

Try one or both of these types of bait to maximize your at-home pest control. If you still have a rodent problem after several attempts, consider hiring an exterminator. TalkLocal will connect you to up to three local pest control professionals in minutes!

Posted in Pest Control, talklocal | No Comments »

No Internet in Safe Mode With Networking

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

Windows “safe mode” is a way to allow users to access certain troubleshooting programs and features of their computer without activating the rest of the operating system. It is often used for computer maintenance and debugging procedures. When booting in safe mode, only the minimum necessary features are enabled, in order to better isolate problem areas. The average computer user may need to use the safe mode to install or modify their antivirus programs, or to try and get rid of a virus on their system. If you have no internet in safe mode with networking, perhaps because you want to download and install antivirus software, there are a couple things you can try to fix your connection.

Things You Can Try

– Make sure that you are booting up “safe mode with networking,” and not just the normal “safe mode.” Safe mode with networking differs from the default safe mode in that your operating system loads some additional drivers and features necessary to connect to networks that are not loaded in the default.

– If you still have no internet in safe mode with networking, it might be because you are trying to connect to a wireless network, which is typically not possible while in safe mode. Safe mode, even with networking, does not initially load wireless card drivers and therefore cannot be used to connect to a wireless network. If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, there is an option to turn on wireless drivers while in safe mode. Follow the steps outlined here to enable this option. If you are using Windows XP, or a previous version, you will need to connect with an Ethernet cable in order to access the internet while in safe mode.

Additional Help

If you are connected through an Ethernet cable and are still have no internet in safe mode with networking, there might be something wrong with your system, your hardware, or your internet connection itself. Check to see if your internet is working on other computers on the network. If it is functioning normally then it might be time to call in a professional computer technician to take a look at your computer. You can use TalkLocal to find a quality professional technicians in your area. All you need to do is enter your name, contact info, and a short description of your problem and TalkLocal will automatically connect you with someone who can help in just a few minutes.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

How to Pick the Right Junk Removal Place

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

It’s basically impossible to avoid accumulating clutter over the years. So we all end up needing to dispose of our unwanted junk in one way or another. One of the best ways to get rid of your unwanted stuff is to use a junk removal company. But you’ve got to be careful; these days, any guy with a van can call himself a junk removal company. So here are some important tips on how to pick the right junk removal place.

Additional Help

You should weigh the factors above, and pick the place that works the best for you. A clean house can mean a clean mind, so don’t put off removing your junk! If you have any questions about what type of junk removal you should use, or need to find a junk removal place near you, simply use TalkLocal. We will connect you to high quality local professionals in just minutes!

Posted in Garbage Removal | 3 Comments »

bootmgr is Missing on HP Laptop

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

Everyone hates it when they get an error on their computer. It means that something is wrong but you probably have no idea how to fix it. It’s basically the computer’s way of laughing at you. A common error that some HP users have is a pop up saying that the bootmgr is missing. Not many know how to fix this but that are indeed a few ways.

How to ‘Find’ the bootmgr

Some people complain that this problem began to occur after they hit the F11 key. The best way to help solve this is to:

1. Re-install the operating system. In order to reboot your computer with the newly installed system you must have your BIOS settings configured correctly.

2. While the computer is restarting you should continuously hit F1, F2, F10, esc, or delete in order to get to BIOS. After re-installing the operating system the problem should be fixed.

If you want to try to restart the computer and not have to re-install the system you can enter the system recovery process upon reboot. The recovery disc should be inserted and the program will walk you through the steps. Be sure to read everything when do this because the recovered computer will be a direct result of your steps.

Either of these options are viable choices to take when trying to solve this error. If you do have this problem or even if you don’t you should make sure the back up all of you files in order to make sure that you don’t lose any information.

Additional Help

If you follow these steps and still your bootmgr is missing, it may be necessary to seek a professional opinion. The easiest way to do this would be to go to TalkLocal, type in your problem, availability, and requirements and let us do the work. TalkLocal will find you up to three technicians in the area that will be able to help you.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Grooming Your Dog

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Grooming your dog can be a difficult process depending on what kind of hair your dog has. It can be more difficult if your dog is a long-haired pup versus a short haired dog. However some things stay the same regardless of the breed of dog you have.

Grooming Your Dog

1. Start brushing at the top of your dog’s head, but be gentle when you do this. When you’re grooming the head you should remember that the skin and hair around a dog’s face are very sensitive.

If your dog has long hair, put your fingers behind the long hair and comb it. Make sure that your dog’s skin is protected from the comb. For your short-haired dog, use a soft slicker brush made for the face. This will be gentle enough not to irritate your dog.

2. Long-haired dogs tend to have long ear hair. If you need to brush this out as well, put your hand between the comb and your dog’s skin. If it’s matted or knotty, use a washcloth that has been dipped in de-tangler solution. This will help get the tangles out. If they’re too big, you might have to use clippers.

3. Smooth the fur on your dog’s neck. Use the soft slicker brush to brush out any knots. If your dog has a lot of fur around the neck, try using a comb.

If your long-haired dog needs its legs brushed, you’ll have to comb it out since it tends to tangle often.

4. Brush the dog’s belly. Once again, you should use the soft slicker brush to brush out any knots. A Note of Caution: This is another area of the dog that’s very sensitive.

5. Brush the back of the dog. This will be the easiest part, especially compared to the dog’s rear end. When brushing the rear end of a dog, make sure to use a slicker brush at first to test out how your dog feels about being brushed back there. Be very careful as this is another sensitive area.

6. If your dog has a long furry tail you’ll need to comb that out as well.

Now you’re done!

Additional Help

If you need more help grooming your dog, or if your dog is sick, in need of vaccinations, or just needs a checkup, just use TalkLocal! We will connect you with up to three veterinarians or dog groomers in your area within minutes!

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

Email is Stuck in Outbox Outlook 2010

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Microsoft Outlook is a useful tool for email organization and synchronization. Unfortunately, sometimes it has some problems. One frequent problem occurs when users think they have sent an email, but it turns out that the email is stuck in outbox waiting to be sent. This article contains a few ideas about what might be causing this problem and what you can do to fix it.

Why the Email is Stuck in Outbox

Additional Help

If you try these tips and you are still struggling with your Outlook, or if you have any other problems related to Outlook or your computer in general, visit TalkLocal. We will find you up to three local computer repair professionals and have them call you back within minutes.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Deep Carpet Cleaning with a Steam Cleaner

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

We’ve all been there- the red wine on the white carpet, the new puppy that needs to be potty-trained, and the normal wear-and-tear until the carpet is dirt-covered.

Carpet cleaning can be difficult depending on what kind of carpet stain you have. But one way to fix all of these problems is to target deep carpet cleaning with a steam cleaner.

Deep Carpet Cleaning with a Steam Cleaner

Steam clean carpets with plain water and a steam cleaner vacuum. Don’t bother with the detergent. Just use water and operate the machine as directed. The hot water will remove a considerable amount of dirt, even without detergent.

If you must use soap or detergent while steam cleaning, don’t use more than 3-4 tablespoons of mild liquid soap or detergent and at least one gallon of water. Do not mix vigorously because suds may clog the steam cleaner vacuum.

Avoid steam cleaning in the winter, as you won’t be able to open the windows. However, also avoid steam cleaning on a hot, humid day, as the carpet will not dry.

Removing Shampoo Residues

To remove shampoo residues from earlier cleaning attempts, use a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar and 2-1/2 gallons of water. (Add another cup of vinegar for a stronger solution.)

Removing Grease Stains

1. If you have grease stains on your carpet, sprinkle the grease stains with baking soda or corn starch.

2. Let stand six hours or overnight.

3. Vacuum the area. The grease stain should be gone after that.

Cleaning Liquid Spills

1. Soak up liquid spills by covering them with clean white (or light-colored) towels or paper towels.

2. Scrape sticky substances off carpets with a spatula or spoon.

3. Avoid rubbing in spills. This will damage carpet fibers and make the stain spread.

Removing a Stain

1. Mix one cup of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon mild liquid soap, such as dishwashing liquid or fine fabric detergent.

2. Apply a small amount, blot by pressing a clean white towel into the carpet and lift. R

3. Repeat thia process until the stain is removed. Don’t scrub. Be patient.

One last tip: Club soda will remove red wine stains. Just do follow the above steps with club soda and you should be set!

Additional Help

Keeping your carpet spotless is close to impossible. You can find your local carpet cleaning professionals using TalkLocal! This free online service will connect you with up to three carpet cleaners for you so you can get the help you need at the time you want it.

Posted in Carpet Cleaners | 1 Comment »

Dell Laptop DVD Drive Keeps Opening

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Dell laptop DVD drives do not stay closed sometimes. It only closes if the CD drive is in use, and when the CD tray is empty it keeps opening. Or, the DVD tray keeps ejecting when it is empty or in use. Keep reading if your dell laptop DVD drive keeps opening. This issue could be due to either a software or a hardware malfunction.

Software Problem

Scan your computer for viruses or run a diagnostics test on your computer. Sometimes, there could be a glitch in the software that keeps commanding the DVD tray to eject. Eliminating any potential viruses by scanning your computer with a trusted virus scanner could fix the issue.

Hardware Problem

The problem could be the electronic circuit board, which can be easily replaced for a low cost. It is not recommended that you tamper with your computer’s circuit board if you are not an expert in computer hardware.

It can also be caused by a faulty connection to the DVD drive, in which case you can remove the data cables and power cables that are connected to the drive and then plug them in again.

Additional Help

In the worst case scenario, your tray sensor might not be functioning properly. In this case, it may be best if you call a technician to help you replace it. TalkLocal can help connect you to up to three professionals in your area, who can help you when you need them.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »