How Should You Care For Your Leather?

Many people get leather furniture or upholstery and think that it won’t ever require any care or maintenance, and that it can’t be damaged like some other materials can. And on the flip side, some people won’t ever get leather because they feel that it is too complicated and requires too much maintenance to care for. The reality is somewhere in between these. Let’s talk about some expert advice from The Steam Team to understand leather and how to properly care for it.

Knowing Your Leather

To properly care for your leather furniture, upholstery, or anything else, you need to know what type of leather you have and what method of care goes along with it. When it comes to full grain leather, you should use a lightly damp cloth with warm water when you need to clean a spill or stain, and be sure not to scrub heavily. With Hair-On leather, you can gently vacuum or dust it with a dry cloth. We won’t go into detail about all the methods here, but do research to find the right cleaning method for your leather.

Day-to-day Care

The daily care of leather is typically very simple. When it comes to spills, try to get them cleaned immediately using only the specific method for your leather, as stated before. Do not use any standard chemical cleaner on your leather or you’ll risk doing damage. Also be sure to keep your leather away from any direct sunlight or a heat source, as it could cause the leather to dry out and fade in color.

Our Leather Cleaning Service

Much more important than the daily maintenance is an annual deep clean and oiling that is required for any leather. Without having its natural oils replenished about once per year, leather will lose its color and comfort.  Luckily, our professional technicians offer this service, and we have our very own line of leather cleaning products for the job. For more information about our leather replenishing service, visit The Steam Team website.

Concrete Floor Cleaning & Staining: Advice From The Experts

Concrete is becoming an increasingly popular option for flooring in many people’s homes and patios, largely due to the fact that with proper staining a concrete floor can have it’s look drastically changed! But, is concrete staining really worth it? And how should you go about doing it? Here’s some expert advice from us here at The Steam Team:

Concrete Staining Benefits

One of the most obvious benefits to having a stained concrete floor is the easy maintenance level. In fact, stained concrete floors are the longest-lasting flooring option you can choose. That’s because unlike other floors, stained concrete does not crack, chip or peel. Besides occasionally wiping it with a damp cloth, your floor won’t require much upkeep.

Do you prefer for your floor to have the sleek look of marble? Or what about the homely look of a wood floor? Or stone tile? Whatever your preference, concrete staining can create the appearance of any of these options, and many more! It also just happens to be much cheaper than these other flooring options. That means you get the ideal look for a fraction of the price! 

Staining Your Floor With The Steam Team

Staining a concrete floor is no easy feat, and may take you hours to do on your own, not to mention the time it takes to purchase all the products and equipment needed for the job, and the hours spent researching to make sure you’re doing it right. For many people who want to stain their concrete floors, professional help is the way to go. 

Here at The Steam Team, we have expert, dedicated technicians ready for any concrete staining job. They’ll utilize the most effective and powerful equipment to get the job done in a small fraction of the time it would take the average homeowner to do alone. For more information on our concrete staining service and our many other cleaning services, visit The Steam Team website.

Taking a Toll on Tile: What Not to Do When Cleaning Tile

Are you taking a toll on your tile? There are many things we can do that aren’t so great for tile, and we might not know we’re doing them. Below you’ll find a great list of don’ts when it comes to tile care, and we’ll also explain how The Steam Team can help you keep your flooring clean. We are Austin's tile and grout cleaning experts. 

Don’t Use Abrasive Tools

Never use abrasive tools, or anything like steel wool to clean your tile flooring. They easily damage the finishing. Soft mops and sponges are usually all that’s needed!

Don’t Let Stains Sit

Don’t forget to not let stains sit! The longer they sit, the more likely they are to stay.

Be Careful With Your Vacuum

Not all vacuums are suitable for tile flooring. Make sure yours is set to the correct setting at all times. Don’t use a vacuum’s beater bar on tile flooring as it may scratch or dull the finish.

Don’t Forget to Sweep and Mop

It’s not too difficult to frequently sweep and mop your tile floors, and it does wonders at preventing damage to both the tile and grout. Lightly sweep on the daily, and mop once a week; as long as you don’t have intense foot traffic, you should be good to go!

Don’t Forget Your Door Mats!

Catch that dirt before it has an opportunity to reach your tile! Place doormats at all entrances to your home, as most dirt that enters the home does so through our shoes. Doormats are extremely helpful in keeping your flooring clean- we just don’t think about it all the time!

We hope you aren’t making these mistakes, but if you are, at least now you know what to do! Follow these guidelines and your tile will continue to sparkle! And don’t forget- The Steam Team is always on your side. We know that it’s easy to neglect tile floors because they’re so difficult to clean, so leave the job to us. We’ll take expert care of your tile and grout!