Expert Methods For Cleaning And Protecting Furniture

Furniture Cleaning Austin

Lots of people love leather furniture, but many people will buy leather furniture without realizing how to properly take care of it. To make things easier for you, let’s give you the expert methods for cleaning and conditioning leather.

What Type of Furniture Fabrics

If you’ve been under the impression that all types of leather take the same kind of maintenance, we’re here to let you know it's a little more complicated than that. It's very important to know what kind of leather you have before attempting to clean it.

Protected Leather- This makes up the majority of leather upholstery. Protected leather may also be labeled finished, semi-aniline, or pigmented leather. Protected leather, as the name suggests, is topped with a protective coating and is more durable than other leathers.

Unprotected Leather- Also called aniline, pure aniline, or unfinished leather, this leather has a more soft and luxurious feel. This type of leather is more sensitive to staining and is also more expensive than protected leather.

Furniture Treatment

When cleaning unprotected leather, you may use a slightly dampened cloth with distilled water, a dry cloth and vacuum (make sure you’re using the small brush attachment), or an approved leather cleaner. The specific manufacturer may have their own instructions, so be sure to check that out. But no matter what the method is, clean very gently with unprotected leather, as it is much more susceptible to staining.

Protected leather can handle a lot more, but you should still be careful to not use certain products. Clean with a vacuum and damp cloth, but only use approved leather cleaners.

An approved furniture protectopr should be applied every six to twelve months. To properly protect, add a small dollop of conditioner onto a small cloth and gently rub the conditioner all over the leather. This will keep your leather looking shiny and moisturized.

Steam Team Cleaning Professionals

But you have a busy schedule and you might not be able to do all of this yourself. If you need some help caring for your leather, we have you covered. The Steam Team can completely clean and condition your leather furniture for you. Feel free to call any time!

How To Make Your Old Furniture Look Brand New

Furniture CLeaning in Austin texas

If you know anything about The Steam Team, or you’ve used our services before, then you’re already aware that our technicians provide high quality cleaning and restoration jobs for our valued customers. But have we told you about what we can do for your furniture?

For far too many homeowners, furniture is something to be used only until they show signs of deterioration and dirtiness, and then they’re often thrown out and replaced. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Depending on various conditions in your home, physical signs of soil will start to appear on your furniture in two to four years. A good rule of thumb is to have them professionally cleaned every two years, which could triple the life-span of your furniture, and is significantly less expensive than the cost of replacement.

Renewing Your Furniture

There are many different materials used to make various furniture, and most of them cannot be cleaned in your regular laundry machine or by being taken to the dry-cleaners. This is why a professional cleaning is the preferred method. The Steam Team professional technicians will begin by inspecting your furniture to determine whether to use a low moisture hot water extraction method or a dry cleaning process. They will ensure that even the most delicate fabrics are cleaned properly and safely. A quick call to The Steam Team will have all soil and stains gently lifted out of your furnishings and they will be dry within minutes. 

Steam Team Services

Now that you understand the importance and methods of furniture cleaning, you might think twice before throwing out that old dirty fabric. Give The Steam Team a call and have them freshened up in no time. For more information on drapery cleaning and our other services, visit The Steam Team website.

Pro advice on Cleaning Furniture and Textiles

Rug Cleaning Facility in Austin

You might hear people tell you that you shouldn’t get expensive furniture because it requires too much maintenance, but it doesn’t have to be hard to manage. In fact, if you know how to care for expensive furniture, it's rather easy.. Luckily for you, The Steam Team knows all about cleaning and protecting, and we’ve compiled this short guide to help you take great care of your furniture.

Managing Spills

The first thing you should be concerned with is avoiding spills, or if you do spill something on your expensive furniture, wipe it off quickly. When wiping a spill on furniture, use a soft, dry cloth and allow the area to air dry. If you aren’t able to find a cloth quick enough for whatever the reason may be, simply spread the spill towards the edge of the furniture and brush it off. Though this may sound like you’re just spreading the stain around, you’ll actually eliminate the outline of the watermark, which is the most obvious sign of a stain.

Why Protecting Furniture Matters

If your furniture is real cotton or wool, then it is necessary to protect with a quality sealant. Protecting the furniture can reduce staining, the burden of protection of the furniture falls on you, and you’ll have to do it regularly to keep the cotton and wool in good condition. It should be about every 6 to 12 months. For specifics, contact the manufacturer of your specific piece of furniture.

Steam Team Cleaning Experts

We understand that you’re probably a very busy person, and not everyone has the time on their hands to clean and protect their furniture on their own. That’s why we offer professional cleaning and protection services! For more information, please visit The Steam Team website.

Detailed Post-Construction Cleanup From The Steam Team

If you recently had any major construction or remodeling done on your home or business, there’s probably a big mess that needs cleaning. Luckily, our Steam Team Professionals have the right experience and equipment to clean any post-construction mess. Here’s our team’s process:

Total Surface Cleaning

Construction is messy, and your home or business may have been left covered with dust and debris. Dust knocked off of certain surfaces, pieces of wood, sawdust and chipped paint may be covering your counters or shelves. Our technicians will clean all windows, cabinets, shelves and countertops by hand until all debris is removed. Floors and walls will be sanitized with steam cleaners, vacuumed or mopped as needed to remove debris. Furniture will be cleaned according to its specific material. Our technicians won’t quit until the surfaces of your home or business are spotless!

Finishing Touches

After thoroughly cleaning all surfaces and furniture, our technicians will move on to the more detailed areas. If any debris of any kind remains in the ventilation system after construction, it could enter the air of the property and cause problems for anyone breathing inside the building. All vents will be cleaned and dusted to make sure this doesn't happen. Then our team will move on to things like electronics, small appliances, light fixtures, small decorative items and ceiling fans. At the end of the process, your home will be even cleaner than it was before the construction or remodeling took place!

Other Steam Team Services

We do a whole lot more than just clean up after construction or remodeling! Here at The Steam Team, we provide a wide range of cleaning and restoration services including tile and grout cleaning, pet odor elimination, marble polishing and many, many more. For more information about our many services, visit The Steam Team website.

What Do Customers Say About Their Steam Team Cleaning Experience?

cleaning services

If you’re dealing with water damage, a stained carpet, clogged appliances or many other issues in your home or business and you’re thinking about hiring The Steam Team, you might be wondering what previous Steam Team customers have to say. As a general rule, when you’re thinking about paying for the services of any company, it's always a good idea to look at customer reviews. So what do Steam Team customers say about the service they’ve received?

Customer Reviews

The Steam Team has been around a long time now, and we’ve been fortunate enough to receive lots of customer feedback! Let’s check out some of our reviews to give you a good idea of what we can do for you. One customer said, “The Steam Team cleaned my carpet today and brought a 15+ year old carpet back to great condition. I highly recommend this company!”. Another recent review said “I had my first experience with the Steam Team yesterday and couldn't have been more pleased! I had several large, old stains that I was sure would never come up - but I was proven wrong. Overall, it was a great experience”. 

Now it's true that we’re not the only company that offers these sorts of cleaning and restoration services, you can certainly find others. But we’ve seen that our customers have noticed a difference. For example, one customer had this to say; “I used The Steam Team for dryer duct cleaning, and I’ll never again look elsewhere! The last time I had this work done, the company that came out used only a shop vacuum to clean the duct, and I had to call them back twice because they did a terrible job. This time, I called The Steam Team, and they came out with all the necessary equipment, and did a terrific job.”

Steam Team Technicians

So how does The Steam Team consistently get such positive customer feedback? Well, as that last review said, we ensure all of our technicians have the necessary equipment for the job, as well as the right training. But beyond that, our technicians want to get the job done right the first time, and to make sure you have a great experience all around. To see all the services our highly trained technicians offer, please visit The Steam Team website.

Maintaining Your Marble Floor The Professional Way

Cleaning & Restoration in Austin

Marble flooring is a great choice to add sophistication and beauty to any home, as long as you know how to properly take care of the marble. Marble can be more sensitive to cleaning solutions than other flooring may be, so we’re here to tell you about the professional way to maintain that sleek shine of your marble floor.

The Importance Of Polishing

Polishing your marble is extremely important to keep its deep lustre. Most marble will need to be polished at least every one to three years, and some may even last five if they’re properly maintained. If you don’t have it polished in this time, it will have dull, damaged spots from day-to-day things like spills damaging the floor over time. This occurs because marble is sensitive to anything acidic, and as the seal is worn down over time, the marble starts to become damaged. Marble also happens to be very porous, so dirt will settle into it if the seal is damaged. If you notice any of this occurring, you need to have your marble floor professionally polished as soon as possible.

Professional Marble Polishing

As we mentioned before, marble is extremely sensitive to anything acidic, which is why most household cleaning products are not a good choice for polishing marble. Only certified marble polish, marble cleaner and marble sealer should be used. Without the proper equipment and methods, you can’t polish your marble floor on your own. That’s why we recommend our professional marble polishing service. We’ve got our very own line of marble polishing products to give the shine back to your marble. So if it’s time to have your marble polished and renewed, give us a call and let our team of professional restoration technicians help you today! For more information, please visit The Steam Team website.

3 Tips to Protect Your Furniture

When purchasing new furniture, there are many thoughts swarming through the mind. Typically, they’re surrounding excitement and esthetic- planning on where you’re going to put the stunning new pieces- but there’s always the nagging thought of how they’ll never look just this pristine again, right? We’re here to eliminate that thought altogether! Take some tips from the professionals and your furniture will last the longest it can. 

Keep Fido Off the Furniture

Do you have pets? The first step is to keep pets off of the furniture. Mud stains are all too common when Fido is allowed to jump up on the sofa! Do your best to train your pets not to jump up on the furniture. A good idea is to set their own bed near the furniture so they can still relax with you, without creating such a mess! 

Keep Food Away from the Furniture

The next thing you can do is keep food and drinks away from the furniture. It’s tempting to bring food and drinks into the living room, but we urge you to resist that temptation! It only leads to more furniture stains that are difficult to remove. So do yourself a favor and keep everything in the kitchen! 

Call in The Steam Team

The final thing you can do is to call in the professionals. Give The Steam Team a call; we’ll be out and ready to help you out before you know it! With our professional-grade equipment and years of experience and expertise, we’ll have your furniture looking fantastic in no time flat! We use nothing but hot water and highly pressurized steam to remove new and old stains from your furniture. 

Give The Steam Team a call today for help with your furniture. You know you won’t have any regrets! We truly cannot wait to give you a hand. 

How Do You Clean Furniture?

ow do you clean your leather furniture? Not sure how to? Well, that’s okay because below, we have five tips for cleaning for leather upholstery! We’ll start with the basics, and move onto the tasks that require professional treatment. And remember, The Steam Team has over a decade of experience in caring for leather furniture. And we’re just a phone call away!

Dry Dusting

Dust builds up quite quickly; we just tend to ignore it, procrastinating the chore. But procrastinate no more! Grab your clean, white, microfiber cloth and begin at one end of the furniture, working your way to the other. This will pick up most of the dirt and dust.

Utilizing the Vacuum

Your vacuum likely has a handy dandy attachment that’s perfect for your leather sofa! Use this attachment to reach areas like cushion corners and crevices, or even underneath your couch! If your vacuum lacks this attachment, skip to the next step:

Cleaning With a Moist Cloth

For light stains and stubborn areas of dirt, moisten a microfiber cloth and wipe gently. Be sure that you’re thorough, as you’d hate to have to redo your cleaning job!

Using Soaps and Detergents

If that bit of moisture doesn’t lift the dirt from your leather, try rubbing the microfiber cloth across a bar of mild soap. Do not rinse your furniture. Instead, buff it dry with a new, dry cloth. It’ll get the job done!

Steam Cleaning for the Best Results

For best results, we always recommend steam cleaning. Steam cleaning can achieve a clean that you’ll hardly be able to even believe. And what’s even better- it can all be done by the professionals. You don’t even have to lift a finger.

For help cleaning your leather furniture, don’t hesitate to call The Steam Team! We have over a decade of experience and expertise, plus all of the right equipment for the job! 

How to Help Upholstery Furniture Last Longer

Upholstery Cleaning Austin

Upholstery furniture is already known for its longevity- that’s one reason why we love having it in our living rooms! It looks beautiful, sustains wear and tear like a champ, and lasts longer than other materials. But with a few simple tips and tricks you can help it last even longer. All you need is a little consistency, the right cleaning formulas, and some well-practiced routines! And as always, The Steam Team is here to help! Furniture cleaning experts!

Thorough Cleaning on a Routine Basis

That upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner has never come more in handy! Use it to clean the nooks and crannies of your couches and sofas, and remove tons of dust, debris, dander, spilled cheerios- you name it. You can also dry dust with a soft, clean microfiber cloth. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised at the clean and pristine state of your furniture!

Proper Conditioning with Proper Supplies

When it comes to cleaning and conditioning your furniture, we suggest avoiding DIY techniques. Leave the olive oil, essential oils, and mayonnaise for your dinners and diffusers! Make sure you’re using either a formula specifically made for upholstered material, or another mild option: distilled water and a clean cloth.

Letting the Professionals Step in

Ah, the good ‘ol “Let us take care of it.” It’s true, it’s far easier and convenient to let the professionals come in and take care of your upholstery for you. This way, you avoid further damaging that precious ottoman of yours, or ruining your favorite reading chair! Professional companies like The Steam Team know exactly how to treat your furniture, and will treat it as if it were their very own. So don’t be afraid to put your trust in The Steam Team; not only are we properly experienced, but we’re experts! We know what we’re doing! We clean all types of textiles and furniture. 

How Your HVAC System Can Affect Your Home

HVAC & Air Duct Cleaning 

You may already be thinking; ‘of course my HVAC affects my home, it controls the temperature!’ Well, yes, this is obviously true - but, we’re not talking about the temperature of your home - we’re referring to its cleanliness. Many (or most) homeowners don’t know that the HVAC system can affect the allergen level around the house - and very easily, too. From mold growth to rodent droppings, dust collection and pet dander - without proper cleaning and maintenance, all of these things can be taken care of. Let’s take a closer look…

Allergen Reduction

No matter where you live, allergies are all around outdoors. Even though you may change your air filters indoors often, allergens and other pollutants can be distributed throughout your home from the air ducts themselves. As we previously mentioned, all kinds of particles collect in and around those ducts - that’s why it’s extremely important to keep them exceptionally clean. Especially if you’ve been abnormally suffering from allergies lately!

One of the biggest mistakes made with air ducts is improper cleaning. In some cases, homeowners may try to clean the air ducts (even just as a “temporary fix”) and you can hardly tell the difference. That’s because the entire ductwork needs to be inspected and cleaned, too!

How to Keep Your Air Ducts Clean

Now you’re probably asking yourself; but what does keeping the air ducts clean entail? It’s actually rather simple, so don’t panic.

The best way to take care of those air ducts is to call a professional. They’ll know how to handle the situation and they’ll be able to give you advice on regular maintenance and allergen reduction.

Who Should You Call?

That’s easy! Ask any of our past customers and they’ll tell you, just give The Steam Team a call. Our technicians go through rigorous training, they’re certified, and they have extensive experience under their belt.

3 Common Upholstery Cleaning Mistakes

Upholstery Cleaning Austin Texas USA

By now, we’re sure you know how important it is to clean your upholstered furniture - not only does it improve the aesthetic appeal of your sofa, but it also increases the overall longevity of the furniture. However, more often than not - people are making mistakes when cleaning their upholstered furniture. Whether cleaning your ottoman, loveseat, or even drapery - next time it’s time for a little spring cleaning - avoid these common mistakes.

Improperly Trying to Remove Stains

Every fabric responds to stains differently - using improper techniques to try and remove these stains could actually make them bigger. If not, you could damage the fabric of your furniture, leaving another permanent stain. Although, in some cases - the product you choose to use could be the real culprit.

Using the Wrong Products

Not all cleaning products are safe to use on every fabric, and you could end up causing more damage to your furniture rather than cleaning it. While you should always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, they may not give you specific products to use. Don’t forget to check labels and ingredients - some products can lead stains to become permanent if used on the wrong fabric. Of course, test the product on a small area of your furniture (that you wouldn’t normally see), to ensure the fabric won’t have an abnormal reaction.

Not Hiring a Professional

While you may not consider hiring a professional for the “small” problems - improper techniques and damaging products can often turn a “small” stain into a “big” one. Whether it be for small stains or a regular cleaning, steam cleaning is one of the most effective ways to clean your upholstered furniture - especially when hiring the professionals. A reputable company with experienced technicians will use truck-mounted steam cleaning systems, providing stronger suction (thus, a better clean). When in doubt - always hire a professional!