Sometimes our busy lives get in the way of keeping our homes in tip-top shape. And while our mothers used to keep floors so clean you could eat off of them, the reality is that sometimes we are just happy to not have dust bunnies in every corner.
Sometimes, keeping one’s home shiny and clean is easy enough with a little bit of elbow grease, a free afternoon, and plenty of products with shiny, bald men on the labels. But unfortunately, there are also times when no matter how much time you have, you just can’t get a surface clean. That’s when its necessary to call in the pros. Expert Robert Alverado of Orbit Cleaning, LLC in Mesa, Arizona explains.
According to Alverado, the most obvious sign that professionals need to handle the job is when sections of your home have sustained damage. While fire and other large disasters can’t be so easily cleaned, people can sometimes discount the importance of cleaning up quickly after water, pet damage, or extensive spills and stains.
“If carpet stays wet more than 24 hours, mold starts to set in and breeds bacteria,” says Alverado. “People can be really sensitive to the mold spores, not to mention the musty smell. It’s important to get those carpets professionally cleaned as soon as possible.”
While stains and spills may seem like they are more time-sensitive, if they are wet and hold moisture, the danger of mold is there as well. “When people try to do it themselves, they can sometimes cause more damage because they use rough products instead of the gentle cleansers or steam cleaners that we use,” Alverado explains.
Another time to call a professional cleaning service is when you need to clean out your ducts. This type of project should not be handled by an amateur, says Alverado, since it is an extensive job that needs to be done properly to be effective. Having clean ducts is important for many reasons. Firstly, it removes airborne contaminates such as bacteria, fungus, mold spores, pet dander and pollen-all of which can contribute to allergy and asthma symptoms.
Cleaning your ducts also helps with energy savings by increasing the efficiency of your HVAC system and therefore helping to reduce heating and cooling costs. Clean ducts also extend the life of your equipment by keeping dirt and debris from accumulating, which can reduce the CFM (cubic feet of air per minute), the most common cause of cracks in heat exchangers. This helps prevent premature breakdowns and aging of your heating and cooling system.
Another reason to call in a professional cleaning service is none other than to deal with pet damage. We all love our dogs, but pet damage like urine and vomit stains can be smelly, lead to mold and mildew, and cause serious stains to your furniture, carpets and upholstery. Pet urine can cause permanent damage to textiles as well as create an unhealthy indoor living environment if not removed promptly. If you rent, these types of messes can cause you to lose your security deposit (not to mention your lunch).
Cleaning up after pets can be time-consuming, but a professional team can come in and treat the affected areas of your home. Best of all, companies like Orbit Cleaning, LLC use gentle treatments and special enzymes that won’t cause further damage.
Knowing when a situation requires a professional is an important part of keeping up the beauty and cleanliness of your home. Alverado says that a general guideline to follow is that if a mess is so severe that it will take you a lot of time to handle, make you use a lot of cleaning products, or require a lot of labor, then you should call in a professional. After all, your time is valuable, but more so than that, your home is one of your greatest investments; and it’s better to spend the money on a professional cleaning service than risk doing more damage on your own.