Nothing ties a room together like an area rug. Whether it sits in a room with hardwood flooring, tile or laminate, area rugs scream elegance. With so many styles and sizes available, rugs are a convenient way to really make that living space pop.

Unfortunately, however, as life happens, so do stains! A spilled glass of wine or one of Fido’s little accidents can seem like a catastrophe, but Cornerstone Chem-Dry can help you get that rug looking like it just came off the rack once again.

Here are a few tips to help keep that rug looking good as new:

Stains
The first thing to remember when a stain happens is to act quickly. Blot stains with a cotton towel to bring up as much of the liquid as possible. Make sure to rub the towel in the direction of the rug’s grain—rubbing in circles or from side-to-side can cause damage to your rug.

Use a professional cleaning solution that won’t damage the fibers of your rug. Area rugs, especially hand-woven rugs, are made with delicate fibers that are prone to wear and tear. Cornerstone Chem-Dry offers a number of cleaning products specially designed to safely dissolve stains without damaging your rug.

Odor
When it comes to pet stains, odors can linger, even long after the stain has been removed. For these types of stains, we recommend using a pet odor remover. At Cornerstone Chem-Dry, we offer an odor remover that works deep into your carpet’s fabric to remove odors, without harming your rug.

When a stain is really bad, it’s time to think about getting your rug professionally treated. Cornerstone Chem-Dry offers professional stain removal, using advanced technologies to lift even the toughest stains.

Long-term Care
It’s important to keep your rug clean in order to maintain your manufacturer’s warranty. Vacuum your rug as part of your regular household cleaning schedule and be sure to keep on top of stains when they occur.

Apply a rug protector to help keep stains from setting and make cleaning easier. Cornerstone Chem-Dry recommends using Chem-Dry PowerGuard, Repel or Wool Protectant.

Rugs should also go in for professional cleaning once each year. Professional cleaning ensures that your rug stays in top shape and lasts a long time, without voiding your warranty.

Cornerstone Chem-Dry offers in-plant area rug cleaning. We know those beautiful rugs can be cumbersome to move around, which is why we offer free pickup and delivery for cleaning. For more information on our current in-plant rug cleaning specials, please give us a call at 877-685-9663.

Fruit juice poured over a carpet strip with Chem-Dry Fabric Protector (left) and without (right), then rinsed off.

Is your carpet protected? Are you sure? We ask customers these questions often. You see, regular traffic and wear of carpets, such as vacuuming, removes the initial protectors placed in carpets and fabrics by manufacturers. With our Chem-Dry Fabric Protector, your fabrics and upholstery can maintain their best look.

The Chem-Dry Fabric Protector forms an invisible barrier against dirt and stains, and because it is water repellent, spills won’t penetrate the fabric. This protection allows for easy clean up with a white cloth or towel.

Over time and with regular wear, factory applied protection for stain resistance can wear off. Cornerstone Chem-Dry can restore the original stain resistance of fabrics and carpets by applying Chem-Dry’s Fabric Power Guard Protector, which will refresh the performance of stain resistant carpets and fabrics, fortifying its ability to resist soil and stain.

Applying Chem-Dry Fabric Protector to your carpets, fabric furniture, and even in your fabric-upholstered cars (yes, cars!) is a great way to save money between deep cleanings. Protecting the fabric greatly extends the life of the carpet or furniture, as well as reduces the frequency of professional deep cleaning.

The benefits of applying Chem-Dry Fabric Protector to your carpets and fabrics include:

• Creates a high-quality shield around each fiber
• Environmentally safe for use around family and pets
• Soil protection for all types of fabrics and carpets
• Repels liquids such as wine, juice, and other staining agents
• Extends the life of your carpet or fabric investment
• Improves the ability to more effectively clean and care for carpeted and fabric surfaces

For more information on how Chem-Dry Fabric Protector can benefit you and your home, along with our new technology in carpet, tile, grout, and specialty leather cleaning processes, please contact us at 877-685-9663. A quick little chat with us can help you better understand what’s best for your particular situation.

P.S. Take a look at our YouTube video below to discover just how effective the Chem-Dry Fabric Protector can be! Truly awesome stuff!

Carpet beetles are those which are known to eat material substances found in your carpet, upholstery, drapes, or other similar items in your home. When adult beetles find their way inside, such as cut flowers being brought in or open doorways or crevices, these eerie little critters can create a huge headache for you—a potential costly one at that!

Carpet beetles can feed on many items in your home, not just carpet! These items can include:

• Wool carpets, rugs or clothing
• Animal skins and furs
• Stuffed animals
• Leather
• Hair
• Silk
• Dried plants

Walk around your home every once in a while and look to see if you find reddish or yellow-brown larvae. Carpet beetles will not only feed on wool or other fibers found in homes, but also feed on the soiled dirt found within dirty carpets and furniture. These destructive pests are known to cause more damage than the infamous closet moths. This is but one of the many reasons for keeping your carpets and upholstered furniture cleaned on a periodic basis.

Vacuuming – Important, but Not Sufficient

It is important to understand that carpet beetles do not feed off of synthetic materials. Don’t be misled by their name. Many believe that it is the carpet itself that carpet beetles feed on, when in fact it is the soils within carpets that make a good meal for the larvae. Having the imbedded grease or remains from basic human existence within your carpets and other materials is most often not visible to the naked eye.

Generally, when most of our customers request carpet cleaning it is usually for aesthetic purposes: getting out the stains. We at Cornerstone Chem-Dry work to build the awareness of the serious effects that may arise from allowing your carpets to build up unseen soils.

What You Can Do

It’s easy. Regularly vacuum and clean your carpet and upholstery to remove the surface soils. You should also have your carpets professionally cleaned by someone—preferably Cornerstone Chem-Dry of course!

We are professional carpet and upholstery cleaners that have the equipment and revolutionary Chem-Dry cleaning process that effectively deep cleans your home where grocery and Home improvement stores-rented equipment does not compare. You get what you pay for, and with us—you get a whole lot more. Oh, not to mention the super speedy dry time!!!

For more information about the cleaning services we office, continue to browse our website. You may also call us anytime at 877–685–9663. At Cornerstone Chem-Dry, we’re your source for a safe, green cleaned home!

For the cat owner wanting to have company who doesn’t find themselves irritatingly sneezing or leaving the owner’s – or cat’s – home with hair stuck on their behind from the couch, keeping cats can be tricky. There are ways to have cats and a clean home all at the same time.

Cat hair has the ability to work up enough static to generate an entire town of fleas. Well, let’s just say that electrostatics is high volume stuff when it comes to cat hair. Then there are the oils that take all that static to a new level. Bottom line: it’s there whether you see it or not.

The first thing you should remember is to routinely vacuum. This should be a common practice for those with carpet in general; however, even if you vacuumed every day, you could never clean the embedded hairs and dander from your carpet and furniture.

The Cornerstone Chem-Dry process deep cleans your carpet and upholstery that regular vacuum units cannot come close to achieving. So, by having a deep clean of hair removal by professionals while pulling the vacuum out there in-between, very few visitors will ever know you have cats. Well, until Mr. Fluffy comes and sits in their lap.

Here are some other tips for a hair-free home:

• Keep items like throw rugs over the places cats tend to lie.
• Brush cats at least once a week to reduce the amount of fur that ends up around you home.
• Feed your cat a healthy diet. It will make a difference you can see and feel in their coat!

For the most part, cleaning cat hair is really quite simple. All of us at Cornerstone Chem-Dry work towards solving the hair hurdle by making available the best quality carpet and upholstery cleaning on the market.  Remember, all you have to do is some regular, routine cleaning in-between our professional deep cleaning process for a cleaner looking and smelling home.

If you would like to alleviate the problems of the wild hair in your home, please contact me, Erika Herman, at 877–685–9663. Ask about the Pet Urinal Removal Treatment System!

Tavertine tile floor before we worked our magic.

For those of you with tile and stone flooring in your home, I can almost bet that at some point you’ve spent some time on your hands and knees trying to clean the stained spots in your tile grout, scrubbing, and scrubbing – and scrubbing. That’s hard work, especially for your knees!

There are many do-it-yourself suggestions out there for cleaning the stains in your grout or getting your tile floor looking its best. Many tile and grout cleaning products can be ineffective—some can even damage or bleach your grout. We offer a few solutions that you can simply and easily apply to obtain like-new tile and grout without the hard work.

• Ensure Clean and Seal Spray – A ready–to–use cleaner/sealer designed to clean and reseal porous tile, stone and grout.
• Tile and Stone Clean & Seal Wipes – Convenient pretreated wipes that are designed to clean and protect porous tile, stone and grout. Ensure Clean and Seal is safe to use on all porous natural stone, man–made tile, and grout.
• Renew Cleaner Concentrate – Use in between professional tile, stone and grout cleaning. A neutral cleaner used for routine maintenance and safe for all stone and tile.
• Radiance Polish – Enhance the sheen of natural stone such as marble, granite, travertine, and limestone with this remarkable stone polisher.

We are also currently running a special for $50.00 off for the cleaning and re-sealing of

Tavertine tile floor after our cleaning process.

your tile and grout floors. So make sure you give us a call and ask about this.

Although your tile floors may be restored to their original beauty by us or our cleaning solutions, it is important to remember a few care tips for the daily maintenance of your floors:

• Clean spills immediately – The porous material of grout causes staining agents to absorb quickly
• Wear sock or slippers – Walking on your floors whether tile, wood or vinyl, is comparative to taking sandpaper and rubbing it on the floor surface. Yes, your shoes act the same as sandpaper while the friction of walking combined with the dirt on the bottom of your shoes scratches the surface causing a dull appearance or even more visible damage.
• Regular cleaning – Our recommendation is to have your tile and grout cleaned every 18 – 36 months

For more quick tips on cleaning your tile and grout floors, or for more information on how Cornerstone Chem-Dry can help you out, give us a shout at 877–685–9663. Ask for me, Erika Herman! Oh, and don’t forget about the $50 off your next tile and grout cleaning services.

There’s Dirty and then There’s Dirt

The primary carrier for dirt in carpets would obviously be our shoes. The soiling brought into carpet by our shoes will tend to differ from the dirt substances brought onto upholstery.

In the studies of the cleaning industry, one of the many aspects is determining water-based and oil-based substances. As we sit and live upon the furniture in our homes, culprits for upholstered contaminants can include:

• Soiling such as shedding skin cells
• Sweat and oils from our skin
• Air-borne and clothing-borne soils
• Dander, etc.

According to What are Fluoro Chemical Protectors and How They Work by Dr. Aziz, PHD Chemist, “[Dirt repelling agents] for carpets are designed more for soil resistance than for water or oil resistance, whereas the ones designed for upholstery emphasize more oil and water repellency”.

Cornerstone Chem-Dry Upholstery Cleaning

Many upholstery cleaning companies in Dallas/Fort Worth often use cleaning agents which can result in leaving a dirt-attracting residue. Our aim at Cornerstone Chem-Dry is to clean your home and leave it with a longer-lasting effect rather than a short-term, “look-good” job with short-term benefits.

Once our professional upholstery cleaning technicians have restored your furniture pieces to their intended beauty, we would like to extend a few tips for keeping your newly-cleaned upholstery in good condition:

• Vacuuming the fabric on a regular basis eliminates heavy build-up and soil becoming embedded
• Clean spills immediately, remembering to blot and never to rub
• Turning and fluffing cushions regularly to avoid clumping or sunken spots
• Smoke outdoors or away from upholstery to limit the staining and yellowing of nicotine tar
• Position furniture away from direct sunlight to cut down on fading and damaging effects
• Use the Cornerstone Chem-Dry fabric protectant for less soil penetration and easier cleaning

We Understand

We at Cornerstone Chem-Dry make ourselves available not only with the top-knowledge in upholstery care, but in locality. Since easy availability is important for us, we would like to extend a special welcome to those who live in Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, and Tarrant Counties.  No matter where you live in North Texas, from Rockwall to South Lake, Cornerstone Chem-Dry can clean and treat your home.

Call us today at 214-367-3938 or 877-685-9663 for more information on our Sofa and Loveseat Cleaning Special for only $150. Plus, ask about some of our professional Chem-Dry cleaning products that can help your furniture looking beautiful longer.

One more thing, yes—we clean and treat leather furniture as well.

Area rugs are generally those specifically selected to suit the shape and colors for just that right spot. After having made the effort for selecting the right rug, do you go the extra mile for the cleaning of your special selection so that your perfect rug maintains its proper place?

Cornerstone Chem-Dry would like to recommend some considerations, since, after all, this is one of the things we do best.

Yes, there are the local grocery store rentals and numerous carpet products available for the do-it-yourself’er. Making the assumption that area rugs differ only in color and style can be a huge disaster! Area rugs come in a vast array of cultural styles, authentic and replicates, weave type, treatment applications, and type of material.

Cultural Styles

To name a few, there are the Sisal from Brazil and Mexico, the Dhurrie from India, the Persian from Iran, and the oriental rugs from the Middle or Far East. While a great majority of area rugs purchased today are oriental rugs, it is important to note that there is also what is referred to as the oriental design rug. They are not made the same even though they look quite similar. Not knowing the difference could mean a mistake in cleaning. Cornerstone Chem-Dry is trained in knowing how to identify these differences so that the proper care may be applied.

Authentic vs. Replicates

Assuming a certain look as a rug type can lead to the same mistakes when dealing with an authentic rug versus a replicate since they are not the same. An authentic rug is made different from a replicated one and knowing whether a natural fiber is used versus a synthetic material could result is a ruined outcome. Some rugs will require a wet solution while others might constitute a dry cleaning method only. The drying time is also relevant. Drying should not exceed 48 hours; therefore, the proper amount of solution is important, otherwise molding may occur.

Weave Type

Cornerstone Chem-Dry’s trained technicians not only look for correct solutions for the cleaning of your area rug, but the proper method in the application process. Different weaving or techniques such as knotting or braiding will also require the proper methods and professional tools for the cleaning of area rugs.

Our Technicians

These are but a few of the considerations vital to the ending result in the cleaning of your area rug. Whether you own an authentic Persian or an Oriental replicate, allowing our professional technicians to make all the decisions for the cleaning process reduces your decision down to a simple call. By having the knowledge of proper area rug cleaning, we can make this a simple and stress free event for you.

If you would like more information on our in-plant area rug cleaning services, please feel free to give me a call at the office at 214-367-3938. We conveniently pick-up and drop-off the rugs, so you don’t have to do any work. Oh, and don’t forget to ask about our cleaning specials!

Tile floors

Grime is why constantly cleaning tile flooring is a must for anyone who wants a space that looks great. One of the most important aspects of tile floor cleaning is sweeping. By taking some time out of your day to sweep, you can often maintain a great looking tile surface with little effort. Sweep your floors frequently to remove any loose dirt and dust. If possible, take off your shoes when inside or keep a pair for house use only. Small rocks and grime brought indoors on the bottoms of shoes can create a big mess and can even scratch tile floors.

Another important part of tile floor cleaning is mopping the floors. Many floor cleaners and even bleach can leave a film on your tile floor’s surface. This can be seen when you view the floor from certain angles or under certain lighting conditions. To avoid this dull residue, only use warm water when mopping and make sure to chance your rinse water regularly. Otherwise, you’ll be rinsing with dirty water—that’s counterproductive! If you want to use a tile cleaner for maximum cleansing, select a product which doesn’t require rinsing, and only use a small amount.

For specific spot cleaning tile floors there are some basic concepts to remember:

• Clean spills right away. Although most tiles are glazed and stain-resistant, grout is porous and can absorb liquids that can lead to stains if not treated.
• Dry small drops and splashes as soon as you make a spill because even clean water can leave marks.
• Spot clean water marks and smears with a damp cloth to wipe the marks away and then dry.
• Keep a scraper handy to carefully remove crayon marks, grease smudges and spilled food. Always be careful to avoid scratching the tile.

Sometimes mopping is not enough to remove tough stains or marks. A residue that is difficult to mop up is especially common after a new tile floor has been installed. Spot cleaning with a mild acid solution and rinsing afterwards can sometimes help remove such residue and other stains. These acid solutions can eat away grout however, so rinse well, and always remember to keep the room ventilated.

For floor grout stains, use a toothbrush to target the problem area. Use a mild acid solution and rinse immediately after. It’s important to note that acid solutions are only good for spot cleaning grout and you CAN NOT use on natural stone (marble, travertine, granite, etc.) You may event contact us as we offer professional-grade tile and stone care products and other professional recommendations on how to properly care for your floor.

Cornerstone Chem-Dry is an industry leader in professional tile and stone care. There are often stains, marks, scratches, and other issues that at home care just cannot treat. We even can reseal your grout to help preserve and extend its life.

1. Cornerstone Chem-Dry is honest in its advertising – there are no hidden fees.  Trust me on this one, you cannot get your carpets cleaned well for $49.  We do a lot of research and mystery shopping on these ads.  First of all, these carpet cleaners will use a cleaner with a high pH which will breakdown the protectant in your carpet immediately.  Second, their carpet cleaning solutions will leave a residue in your carpet which will attract dirt quickly to them so that spots will re-appear within a few weeks.  But most of all, they have hidden charges.  You may see fine print that says “heavily soiled areas may require additional charge” or “ some carpets may require pre-conditioning.” EVERY time we call and shop these cleaners, we are told when we ask (if you don’t ask, they don’t tell you until they are at your home) about heavily soiled carpets, that there will be a 25 cent per square foot additional charge (or $20 per room or similar) for soiled carpets….. what are they there for if it is not to clean your carpets?  There should not be an extra charge for that!  Cornerstone Chem-Dry only charges additional for restorative cleaning – such as pet urine removal, red stains, ink or rust/coffee not just your normal every day spots and spills.   They advertise cheap prices with no intention whatsoever of delivering on this offer. Instead, they use it just to get in the door, where they will use all sorts of hig pressure sales tactics to increase the bill.
2. Chem-Dry is DRIER.  With Chem-Dry, your carpets will be dry in just 1-2 hours, not the 1-2 days it can take with regular steam cleaning. You won’t have to worry about the messy inconvenience of soaking wet carpets.
3. Chem-Dry’s patented process is CLEANER.  Chem-Dry gently deep cleans your carpet without gallons of soapy water or harsh chemicals that other cleaning methods rely on.  We use an all natural, crystal clear carbonation solution that leaves behind no dirt attracting residue.  IN the long run you will actually save money with Cornerstone Chem-Dry because you won’t have to clean your carpets as often.  
4. We have a HEALTHIER process.  Cornerstone Chem-Dry uses a completely safe and non-toxic cleaning solution.  Additionally with Chem-Dry’s fast drying times, there is no chance for mold or mildew to begin growing in the carpet.  Fast drying times mean a healthier home.  Our solution is hypoallergenic and is completely safe for children and pets.
5. Cornerstone Chem-Dry technicians are all highly trained, background checked EMPLOYEES of the company.  We NEVER hire subcontractors therefore we are always in control of our quality.  Our technicians go through an extensive training program so that they can offer our customers the best carpet and uphostery cleaning experience with the utmost professionalism.  They are not just carpet cleaners, they are experts in the industry.
6. Cornerstone Chem-Dry has been in business for over 15 years and has thousands of loyal customers who have returned time and time again over the years to have their carpets cleaned.  We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence in service and it shows by the many referrals we receive from our wonderful customers. We follow  up with EVERY customer to insure they are pleased with the service they received….and if they are not, we go back out to make sure that they are!

You, too can receive an outstanding carpet, upholstery, tile or area rug cleaning experience by choosing Cornerstone Chem-Dry as your cleaner of choice! Mention this blog when you call and receive a FREE can of our Professional Strength Spot remover  with your next cleaning for those in-between spills with your next cleaning appointment!  We look forward to cleaning for you soon!  Give us a call at (972) 690-7272 or e-mail service@co2cleaners.com to book your cleaning appointment.