The last thing you want to spill on your carpet is red wine.  However, if you do, don’t panic- there are a few at-home remedies that can help remove a red wine stain.  Continue reading to learn what to use to get red wine out of carpet.

1.    Club Soda and Table Salt

If the red wine has dried up, club soda and table salt are the perfect combination to remove it.  First, apply the club soda to the stain so its carbonation can lift up the red wine from the carpet.  Then, use table salt to soak up the red wine.  We recommend leaving the salt on the stain over night so it fully absorbs the stain.

2.    Talcum Powder and Corn Starch

Both of these items can soak up red wine very easily.  Once again, leave the substance on the stain overnight to ensure it soaks the stain up completely.  Vacuum the next day, if necessary.

3.    White Wine

White wine is the neutralizer to red wine and makes it easier to lift red wine off the carpet.  First, pour some white wine on the stained area and then blot with a thick towel.  Never rub, as this puts a stain deeper into the carpet.  If this does not completely get rid of the stain, use the club soda and table salt method to complete the process.

4.    Vinegar and Soap

Vinegar and soap can be mixed to be a remove red wine stains as well.  Apply the vinegar first, then the soap.  Let them both soak and then wash and rinse.

5.    Oxy Stain Cleaners

These inexpensive cleaners are great for lifting and cleaning red wine stain on carpets.  They can be purchased at your local grocery store.

If none of these methods work and you’re looking into hiring a professional cleaning, use TalkLocal.  TalkLocal will connect you to up to three high quality carpet cleaners in your area today.

You might be wondering, How often should you clean your carpet? Making sure to keep your carpets clean will not only make the atmosphere fresher in your home, but it will save you money by prolonging the life of your carpet. By removing the dirt and debris from your carpet, you take out the gritty particles that can do damage to your carpet.

Read these helpful tips to learn more about keeping your carpet fresh and well kept.

Regular upkeep:

– Break the area you need to vacuum into sections and do each section before moving onto the next section.

– Vacuum once a week. (Twice may be necessary for high traffic areas.)

– Go slowly over dirty areas or high traffic areas multiple times to thoroughly pick up any dirt particles.

– Go over areas with different angles where people sit and get up and down because dirt has been ingrained from different directions.

– Add baking soda to the vacuum bag to reduce odors and provide freshness to the room.

– In order to reduce dirt in your home, take off your shoes before entering carpeted areas and keep dirty pets to a certain area of the house.

Targeting spills and stains:

– Address the spill when it first happens

– Before doing anything else, use a towel to absorb as much liquid as possible and to scrape up any larger chunks. Rubbing does more harm than good, so blot the area thoroughly.

– Use carpet cleaner on the outside of the stain and work your way in. This helps to reduce pushing the stain to an even larger surface area.  Follow directions on the carpet-cleaning container.

– Steam cleaning is a great chemical-free option.

To get in touch with a carpet cleaning professional right away, check out TalkLocal. Within minutes you will be connected to a professional right in your area for free.

If you have an unpleasant smell in your basement (whether it is finished or not), the most likely cause of that smell is mold and mildew that could be growing anywhere, even on or under your carpet.  Before we explain what to do when you have a moldy smell in basement, here are possible reasons.

Why do I have mold and mildew in my basement?

Dark, damp, humid places are the perfect places for mold and mildew to grow. Many basements fit these conditions, even finished ones. In order to remove the smell, you will first have to kill the fungus.

How to Kill Fungus

1. Mix one gallon of cool water and one cup of oxygen bleach (you can also use chlorine bleach, but it may damage or discolor surfaces).

2. Take a scrub brush and use the water and bleach mixture to scrub all of the walls, floors, carpets and other surfaces in your basement.

3. Wait fifteen minutes.

4. Rinse everything clean with cool water.

Even though you have now killed the mold and mildew, the odor will still remain. You will have to take more steps to remove the odor.

How to Remove the Smell

– One way to get rid of the odor from your basement is to open a few boxes of baking soda in your basement and replace them with new boxes every thirty days. The baking soda will absorb the smell and you remove the odor without using any chemicals.

– Another option is to put bowls filled with undiluted white vinegar in your basement. The vinegar will get rid of the smell and kill any remaining fungus on floor as it dries.

– You can also open all the doors and windows in your basement and turn on fans in order to blow the unpleasant odor out of your basement and bring in clean, fresh air.

If your basement is finished, it may be more difficult to get the mold and mildew out of the carpet and you may want to hire a professional carpet cleaner to kill the fungus and remove the smell. With the help of TalkLocal, you can be on the phone in minutes with up to three high quality carpet cleaning professionals in your area that are available when you are.

Accidents happen, so if you have a food or drink stain on your carpet, don’t fret. More often than not, you can remove food stains from carpet if you’re quick enough. And if you’re worried about spending hours cleaning up the mess, don’t be.  By following these tips, you will learn how to remove food stains from carpet.

First thing’s first, you will want to act quickly because the sooner you act, the less you will have to clean. If it’s a food stain you want to clean, make sure to start by removing any solid food particles you’re able to reach. Next, use a clean and damp cloth or sponge to dab at the stain until all the food particles within the carpet have been cleaned. Do not to rub the stain, as this will only cause it to spread around.

At this point, all food particles should be cleaned up and only the stain should remain. The next step entails choosing between common household items such as vinegar, baking soda, dishwashing liquid, detergent, etc. All these do a great job at getting rid of stains if used properly.

Vinegar can be poured directly onto deep stains and vinegar diluted in warm water can be poured on less severe stains. After letting it soak for a minute, use a cloth or sponge to blot the stain. When the stain can’t be lifted any further, use another damp sponge to rinse the carpet; the smell should leave in a couple days.

If you prefer to use baking soda, then the first step is to make a paste out of baking soda and water. Apply this paste directly on the stain and wait roughly twenty minutes. Remove the paste and blot anything remaining with a damp cloth or sponge.

Other household items like dishwashing liquid, household detergent, and club soda all work the same way. To prevent the stain from returning, it’s important to keep a thick, dry towel over the stain and weight it with a heavy object such as a book. This step absorbs any excess liquid that may remain under the carpet where you can’t see.

By following these steps, the majority of stains can be eradicated. But for those few stains that don’t come out no matter how much product and elbow grease is used, you may need to hire a professional carpet cleaner to take care of them.

If your carpet has reached this point, consider using TalkLocal, a FREE service that connects you with the best professionals in just a few minutes. All you need to do is enter in your specific issue, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple carpet cleaners who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Hardwood floors are much easier to clean than carpeted floors when dealing with spills, however, there are some downsides, too; though hardwood floors are beautiful, they scratch very easily. You need to find a product that is gentle but also does good cleaning work. If you have hardwood floors, the type of vacuum cleaner you use is very important so consider the following factors to find the best vacuum cleaner for hardwood floors.

Consider:

1)     Price

2)     Cords

3)     Usability

4)     Cleaning/Filter

5)     Storage

How to Buy

The price for buying a vacuum cleaner will grow if you are looking for a product that is specifically meant for hardwood floors. You should be aware when you are shopping around that they will be more expensive than regular vacuum cleaners.

Vacuums come with both corded and cordless options. This is not truly an issue with the vacuum but of personal preference. The durability and length of the cord should be considered.

When getting a vacuum you will want to look for one that has specific features for hardwood floors. One of these features is a switch that stops the rolling brush from spinning. This brush is damaging to your floors. It also scatters the debris around rather than picking it up when it is used on wooden floors. Another feature is one that adjusts suction power.

Cleaning with vacuums gives you a couple of dirt collection options. If you use bagless vacuum with built-in bins, you may be exposed to a dirt cloud when you empty it, which could ruin your floors or affect your allergies. Bagged vacuums generally hold more dirt and are better for your floors.

Storing your vacuum cleaner doesn’t really affect the flooring but it does just make it easier to use. You have the choice between upright or canister vacuums.

Problems

If you have a large mess to clean, TalkLocal can put you in contact with a local cleaning service within minutes.  Simply input your location and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest. You don’t have to do any work and you will be connected with a company almost immediately. Go ahead, check it out!