Acid and oil are a 1-2 punch to your backsplash. Oil is like glue that adheres dirt and grime to your surface. This is why proper cleaning and sealing is so important. If oil comes in contact with your backsplash after acids break down your seal, it can soak deep into your tile and create a stain — which is worse than dirt that can simply be cleaned off.

Oil also has a nasty habit of being surface active, meaning it wants to spread out as far as possible. So once it’s allowed to soak into a surface, the oil creates a dirt-spreading reservoir. You can wipe the surface, but the reservoir will just send out more oil as it seeks to re-equilibrate across the entire surface. If you’re wondering why it feels like you constantly have to wipe your backsplash down, it’s because you do.

To help prevent this problem, we recommend resealing stone and tile backsplashes every two years; however, the recommended frequency goes up depending on how much acid contact is expected. If you frequently make salads with vinaigrettes, pasta with tomato sauce, homemade salsa, or use lemons and limes when cooking, you increase the frequency of acid contact and need to consider resealing more often.

Backsplashes around ovens are particularly susceptible to attack based on the hot oils that splatter from frying pans. This can be even worse if the oil contains an acidic ingredient such as lemon or vinegar because now the sealer is being attacked not just with acid, but hot acid. Chemical reactions tend to double in speed for every additional 10°F of temperature. For example, if you’re cooking at 200°F, you are now 130°F above room temperature or 13 groups of 10°F. This is an enormous acid attack accelerant. It makes splatters on backsplashes more damaging to their seals and more likely to oil stain once the seal is compromised.

Mosaic backsplashes present a unique challenge because there’s a greater grout-to-tile percentage in mosaics. Consider that a 1 sq./ft tile with 4 sides will have 4 linear feet of grout, but if we factor in how it shares that surface with neighboring tiles, we can assume on average 2 linear feet of grout per 1 sq./ft of tile. Meanwhile, if in the same area we are working with 1-inch tile, we are adding another 22 linear feet of grout lines. This mosaic will require more than 10 times the grout, making your grout the hidden area that really needs to be addressed in order for the surface to look good.

Call us today so we can take a look at your backsplash for FREE! 

Rip-Off #1: Unbelievably low price. To some degree, all of us are attracted by low price because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price – usually between $3.95 and $9.95 per room – and then, once they’re in your home or office, they pressure you into buying “add-ons.” It’s as if you were buying a car and found that the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and steering wheel. Carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical cleaners would like you to believe.

Rip-Off #2: Bait and Switch. Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use dual process as a bait and switch technique. Here’s how it’s done: First they “bait” you with a basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievably low price. Then, when you call, they try to “switch” you to the more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don’t fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you’ll likely receive poor workmanship and they will not guarantee their work.

Rip-Off #3: Unsupported claims, “THIS CLEANING METHOD IS THE BEST.” You’ll read this in almost every ad and hear this from virtually every carpet cleaner. But remember this, the method that’s best for you is the method that achieves your goal. If you want a method that dries quickly, then a method that takes a long time to dry isn’t for you. So before you choose a carpet cleaner, identify your objectives. Then select the method that best reaches those objectives.

Avoid those uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners out there, and get the most outstanding service experience EVER with Hansen Steam Way.

Carpet Cleaning is Just Like Exercise

​If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will see great results and feel better for it. And understanding the right way to clean carpet will help you save time by doing it correctly the first time with products that do the job right from the start. Not only will Seal of Approval cleaning products help keep your carpet looking great, they can also help meet the warranty requirements of the carpet manufacturer. Below are three simple steps to keeping your carpet clean and looking great:

Vacuum at the right frequency with a CRI-approved vacuum.
Clean spots and spills quickly with products that do not damage the carpet or cause it to re-soil more quickly.
Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.

Stop Dirt at the Door

Preventing dirt and grime from getting on the carpet in the first place is a great way to start keeping it clean. The following helpful hints can stop dirt in its tracks.

• Use mats — Outdoor and indoor mats or runners can reduce the amount of dirt that enters the house.
• Take off your shoes — You can save wear and tear on carpet by asking everyone to take their shoes off before entering your home.
• Change your air filters — Change air filters in your heating and air-conditioning systems as recommended by the manufacturer’s directions. The more dust and particles removed by the filter, the fewer that fall onto the carpet.

Spot Removal Steps

Act Quickly! Most carpet available today has been treated with a stain-resist treatment, so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain. Remember, staining is influenced by many factors, and no carpet is completely stain proof.

Blot liquids with a dry, white, absorbent cloth or or white paper toweling (no printing).

Do not scrub the area! Scrubbing may cause pile distortion in the affected area. Continue to use a dry cloth or paper towels until the area is completely dry. For semi-solids, gently scrape up with a rounded spoon. Solids should be broken up and vacuumed until completely removed. If the spot can be identified, locate the substance in the spot removal computer and follow the directions carefully.

Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to be certain the solution will not damage the fiber or the dye. After applying several drops to the testing area, hold a white cloth on the wet area for 10 seconds. Examine the carpet and cloth for color transfer, color change, or damage to the carpet. If a change occurs, another cleaning solution should be selected.

Apply a small amount of the selected cleaning solution to a white cloth and work in gently.

Work from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent the spill from spreading. Do not scrub! Blot in order to absorb as much as possible, and repeat if necessary.

Continue using the first cleaning solution as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. It is not necessary to use all of the cleaning solutions if the first solution removes the spill.

Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times. After the spill has been completely removed, rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water, and blot with a dry cloth until all of the solution has been removed. Some cleaning solutions will cause rapid soiling if the solution is not completely removed. Apply a one-half inch layer of white paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy object. Continue to change paper towels as needed.

A dry, absorbent, cleaning compound may be used as a substitute to accelerate drying time. For more detailed information on a specific spill, please search on the pull-down menu at right. Many fiber manufacturers provide a toll-free cleaning assistance and advice (consult your warranty).

Wool Wisdom

​One of the most crucial areas of carpet maintenance is removal of spots and spills. Acting quickly when anything is dropped or spilled, and always having the necessary cleaning materials at hand are of the utmost importance. We recommend a “WoolClean Spot Removal Kit,” which can be purchased from a Wools of New Zealand Partner Retailer. Call 800-367-0462 or check the Wools website at www.woolsnz.com for the Partner Retailer nearest you.

Frequent vacuuming is a wool carpet’s best friend.

• An upright vacuum with a beater bar/brush is the best type for cut pile carpet. A suction-only vacuum may be required for loop pile Berber carpets to prevent excessive fuzzing.
  Vacuum cleaner dust bag should be emptied when half full.
• Exercise prevention maintenance by placing absorbent mats at the most frequently used entrances to your home. Change or launder when these mats become dirty. Filters in your heating and air conditioning systems should be changed regularly.
• Periodically clean traffic lanes and the areas in front of frequently used chairs with an absorbent powder (such as Host®, Dri-Matic® or Capture®).
• Keep absorbent cloth or paper towels and cleaning solutions on hand for quick response to spills and accidents.
• DO NOT apply stain-repellent treatments that contain any silicone as they tend to accelerate carpet soiling. (Some carpet manufacturers do not accept responsibility for complaints where such treatments have been used.) When having your wool carpet professionally cleaned, use a “WoolCare Specialist” certified by Restoration Industry Association.