Cleaning Up ‘Accidents’.  JM Callahan Carpet and Rug Cleaning of Beaufort, SC.
 

 
Our pets. We love them. No matter what.
 
No matter if they hack up hairballs. No matter if they barf up their breakfast. No matter if they mistake the corner of the living room for the litter box or the grass patch outside.
 
Dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, birds… the list goes on as to the types of pets that people have in their homes and subsequently treat like family. Or even better than family.
 
With owning a pet comes responsibilities. Some obligatory, such as taking them to the vet for annual checkups. Others more of a necessity, such as cleaning up after they make a mess, from turning over the food dish to the previously mentioned hacking or barfing — or other issues that create a smelly, visible mess that must be dealt with.
 
Pet accidents. They happen to every pet owner. And are they really “accidents” — as if the pet didn’t really mean to do it? That’s another story entirely.
 
Here are a few basic steps to consider when cleaning up “accidents”.
 
Scrape or wipe it up — all of it
No matter the mess, whether tossed up tidbits from the food bowl to a hacked-up hairball to urine or feces in the carpet, the first order of business is to clean up excess residue. There’s no point to applying cleaning product or deodorizer to substance that you can remove with a few paper towels.
 
Blot and blot… and blot some more
Now is the time to get as much moisture (gross!) out of the carpet or off the flooring material, or even off furniture. Using white, absorbent paper or cloth towels, push down on the affected area. Do not scrub. The idea is to absorb as much contamination as you can.
 
Apply product — and clean!
The final step is to clean up all remaining residues from the surface. Always pretest colors and fabrics before adding cleaning products, although most surfaces are fairly durable and can handle mild cleaning agents. Get some ideas for the best products from your local carpet cleaning company. Control the amount applied with a flip-top bottle or adding the product to a white, absorbent paper or cloth towel. Work into the area and clean away the contamination. If you remove it when fresh, there should be no residual issues.
 
Sounds easy, right? It’s not always this easy. When you have difficult cleaning challenges, do the right thing. Call your professional cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
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Cleaning the Air Conditioner.  JM Callahan Carpet and Rug Cleaning of Beaufort, SC.
 

 
It’s summertime. And if it isn’t that hot yet, it will be really soon. If hot weather isn’t in the forecast right now, give it time… it will warm up.
 
When hot weather strikes, most people work hard to be comfortable, and that means turning down the air in the home, using their trusty air conditioning system. For some, that means 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For others, 70. Others… like it even colder. It’s all about personal preference.
 
But when your air conditioner doesn’t perform adequately, or even worse, stops completely, panic strikes as the heat and humidity increases.
 
How can you avoid a sluggish or broken air conditioner? A few preventative maintenance steps can help tremendously.
 
Keep it simple — and clean!
Any part of your air conditioning unit, whether it is a portable window variety, mini-split, or central air, it’s important to keep all working parts, filters, everything clean of dust and debris.
 
All this means is a regular inspection, perhaps twice a month, and taking steps to clean dirty areas. If your air conditioner is portable and has a water collection tank, empty it regularly.
 
What comes in handy for removing dust and debris, especially from filters you can’t remove and aren’t washable, is a can of compressed air, such as you might use for your computer. But remember that when you blow dust off one surface, it will land on another.
 
And, if you aren’t sure about filter location or any aspect of your AC unit, ask a professional and take notes so you can refer to them in the future.
 
Call the pros
As with any electronic and complex piece of equipment, there are limits to what you can do yourself. Consider calling a professional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning company come in annually and perform an inspection. These are usually very inexpensive and, if you ever need repair service, they will respond faster if you are a regular customer (usually).
 
Once in a while, an air conditioning unit malfunctions or spills over, making a big mess. If that ever happens, it’s time to call your favorite cleaning company to take care of the issue. After all, it pays to call a pro!

Caring for the Commode.  JM Callahan Carpet and Rug Cleaning of Beaufort, SC.
 

 
It’s no fun. It’s un-delightful. But someone must do it.
Cleaning the commode — aka “the toilet” — is a task that must be done on a regular basis, because if you don’t do it… well, you know.
Over time, grime can build up but also very-difficult-to-remove hard water, lime, and calcium deposits. Rust stains can also accumulate.
And there is no “one way” to take care of each situation. Frequency of usage, the quality of your water, and other factors can dictate more frequent or less frequent cleaning.
The first rule of thumb is clean based on appearance. Don’t wait until you notice the commode needs cleaned. Schedule it and clean it even when it doesn’t look like it needs it. This may be weekly or bi-weekly. But put it on your calendar to-do list.
The first item you need is a good quality toilet cleaning brush. If your water quality is considered “hard”, purchase one that can provide some mild abrasion, such as a wire brush. This will help with the difficult task of removing mineral deposits. But don’t overdo it; you can scratch the surface of the commode, inside the bowl.
Now you need a quality cleaning product. This is where you really need to consider your best options.
A commercial-grade cleaning product is obviously the best choice, as it will handle most residential cleaning challenges with ease. There are no doubt some supply houses in your area that have these types of products, and most big-box stores also carry similar brands. If you neglect cleaning for a period of time, you will need one of these stronger products, usually a potent acid-based cleaner. If you keep your commode clean on a schedule, a milder household product should suffice.
Choose a cleaning product that has a spout you can use inside the bowl, applying the product up high under the rim of the bowl. Grime and mineral deposits like to hide there. Apply your cleaning solution thoroughly, using your brush to agitate the surface inside the toilet, and allow a few minutes of contact time for the product to work. Then agitate again and flush. Inspect, re-clean if needed… and you should be happy with the results.
As always, using cleaning products is partnered authomatically with a few warnings. Don’t allow it to contact your skin, so use gloves. And don’t forget the eye protection glasses or goggles. Safety first!
Never forget, however, that the absolute best cleaning of your home, whether in the bathroom or the living room, from hard floors to carpet, and more, let your favorite cleaning company do the work. After all, it pays to call a pro!
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