A good mattress is an investment, and well-taken care of, should last at least 10 years. Since people sleep approximately 8 out of every 24 hours, keeping a mattress fresh and clean is important.

Mattresses absorb moisture from perspiration as we sleep, creating an environment for moulds, pests and dust. A poorly ventilated room may cause build-up of these allergens in furniture and bedding, which can trigger allergic reactions as well as respiratory reactions for people with asthma.

One of the biggest problems is unseen: the occurrence of dust mites in mattresses, pillows, carpets, draperies and furniture. People with allergies are particularly sensitive to the fecal droppings left by these microscopic Acari, a type of arachnid that includes mites and ticks. Dust mites feed on dead skin that sloughs off and settles in the mattress. They occur on every continent and in all climates.

Regular cleaning prevents build-up of moisture and allergens and may also extend the life of the mattress. Experts recommend turning a mattress every six months to even out the wear and prevent sagging. When turning, thoroughly vacuum the top, bottom and sides with a crevice tool along the seams and a brush and upholstery tool over the surfaces. This will remove dust and much of the waste material left by dust mites.

Putting the mattress in the sun allows both heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays to kill bacteria and mould and remove moisture. Bring the mattress back inside before sunset, when the dewpoint rises and moisture may again settle on the mattress.

Dust mites burrow into a mattress deeper than an ordinary vacuum can reach. They rise to the surface for feeding, then burrow back inside. Although freshening bedding can reduce the number of dust mites in mattresses, the best way to eradicate them is by using a professional mattress cleaning service. Professionals use several machines and products that penetrate deep into the mattress to extract both the mites and the wastes they produce.

Specially-made, heavy-duty portable vacuums with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters remove 99.97 percent of all particles greater than 0.3 micron (µ) and remove spores and bacteria to 0.1 µ. To be effective, the air must be drawn through the filtration system so that particulates are trapped before the air is expelled. Household HEPA vacuum cleaners typically leak, allowing air to escape before filtration occurs. Thus, household machines re-release mould, fungi and small particles into the air.

Ultraviolet light is used in medical environments to kill bacteria, fungi and mould. Specifically, UV-C, or shortwave radiation, has been proven to have a germicidal effect. Professional cleaning combines HEPA and deep-penetrating UV-C light to kill mould, bacteria, fungus spores and other micro-organisms. Your mattress will be sanitised and freshened, allowing you to breathe and rest in comfort and health.

We have compiled our top ten DIY tips you can use to improve the life of you hardwood floors and keep them looking beautiful.

1. Research
   Research the proper care for you particular floors and their finish – contact the manufacturer of your hardwood floors for their recommendations on cleaning and care.
2. Vacuum/Sweep Regularly
   Regular vacuuming or sweeping is important to protect your floor from dirt and sand, as their abrasive texture can scratch your hardwood floors when walked on. Try using a soft bristle broom or soft brush attachment on your vacuum.
3. Protect From Sunlight
   Protect from sunlight as UV rays can damage hardwood floors over time, consider using sheer curtains or blinds that can reduce fading and discolouring of your floors.
4. Do Not Drag Heavy Objects
   Never drag furniture across your hardwood floors, always lift and place heavy items carefully to avoid scratches or damage.
5. Use Furniture Pads
   Furniture pads and felt feet beneath furniture items will prevent damage to your hardwood floors.
6. Protect From Traffic
   Use floor mats at entrances and consider carpet runners (with non-skid pads) in high traffic areas.
7. Floor Cleaning Products
   Never use cleaners designed for other surfaces (ie., linoleum, laminate, tiles) on hardwood. Again, follow your manufacturer’s recommendations on what cleaning products will best for your floors.
8. Avoid Heavy and High Heal Shoes
   Some heals can cause dents in your hardwood floors, damaging the surface of your floors and leaving permanent damage.
9. Clean Up Spills Quickly
   Remove spills quickly and dry the area thoroughly. Standing water can damage the polish and even warp a wooden floor.
10. Professional Cleaning
    Many floors require periodic waxing and buffing – contact your manufacturer for recommendations, or call Steamy’s Cleaning & Restoration Services on 1300 881 110 for information or an obligation free quote.

Steamy’s Cleaning and Restoration Services has acquired a hydroxyl generating air purifier, the Odorox BOSS XL3, a patented device that eliminates bad odours and airborne contaminants from indoor environments. If you have had the unfortunate experience of damage to your home or business from fire, flooding or other natural disasters, you will understand why we are so pleased to offer this new service to our customers.

Hydroxyl generators can be used to treat airborne contaminants including bacteria, mould, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odourless gasses. Although we offer several types of effective odour remediation, the Odorox purifier offers additional benefits that systems such as ozone remediation cannot provide. The Odorox purifier does not produce gasses or chemical reactions that will harm you or your property. The molecules penetrate porous surfaces such as fabric, wood and upholstery, neutralising odours.

The Odorox air purifier uses hydroxyls to clean the air, just the way nature does. If you remember high school chemistry, water, or H2O, contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. When ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun hits water vapour, a chemical reaction occurs. One hydrogen atom is released from the water molecule, leaving the remaining hydrogen attached to the oxygen. This molecule, called a hydroxyl, OH, is unstable, with a free electron. The molecule becomes stable by forming a chemical bond with another atom. This happens automatically and naturally outdoors, but does not happen naturally indoors.

ODOROX Hydroxyl Generators replicate this natural processODOROX implements a dual process attack on contaminants.

The Odorox Hydroxyl Generator creates three types of UV light within the machine. As air is blown in, these rays interact with the humidity in the air to create hydroxyls. The contaminants bond to the hydroxyl molecules. This happens naturally and does not create toxins or chemical reactions. The pollutants are neutralized.

This generator can be set up on your site to remove airborne contaminants, mould, smoke and bad odours. The amount of time of remediation required depends on the type and extent of damage and the extent of the area to be treated. We use air movers and air injectors to increase and direct air flow through the generator. We will be glad to provide an assessment for remediation at your site.

ODOROX Boss XL3

Your mattress provides you with a clean and comfortable place to sleep and should be a safe space. The average person sleeps for seven hours a night. Spread that out over the course of a year, and you can expect to spend 2,548 hours on your mattress. This works out to be much more time than we spend sitting on our couch, at our kitchen table, or even in our car.

Considering that we spend so much time on our mattress, it’s important that we make sure it is clean and dust-free to avoid nasty allergies and dust mites. Recent studies have found that up to 60 per cent of dust mites are found living in your bed, which may cause allergies and interfere with your sleep.

Many doctors recommend that the most effective way to reduce symptoms, control and even prevent the development of allergies and asthma is to avoid or minimise exposure to indoor allergens.

An easy way to achieve this is to have your mattress professionally cleaned. After a thorough pre-vacuum, the mattress will be cleaned on all surfaces and deodorised. A special allergy treatment is applied to the mattress surfaces using a fine mist application. The final step of the cleaning process is to place the mattress in a drying position and dry it using a special air mover, a process that usually takes about an hour.

One of the most common complaints with tiled floors is discolouration of the grout between the tiles – meaning the floors never look clean. Grout is a porous substance and easily absorbs grease, dirt and limescale. Spillages such as wine, soft drinks and grease will result in unsightly blemishes. Mould and mildew can also affect the colouring of grout.

The colour of your grouting can affect the look of your tiled surface, even if you don’t realise it. Plain white grout will always look fresh and summery regardless of the colour of your tiles. However dirt and grime absorbed into white grout will be much more visible than darker colours, and so it’s important to get your grouting regularly cleaned.

The process of recolouring grout involves removing all the existing stains and blemishes from the grouting and bleaching out the existing colour before reinjecting new colour back in. After thoroughly cleaning the tiled floor area with a bleach solution and waiting for the grout to dry completely, new colour is reinjected back into the existing grouting. This gives a consistent appearance to the grout and, if done correctly and with an epoxy colourant, will seal the grout to prevent future staining.

Recolouring your grout can add life back into your tiled floors and can leave your floors looking much fresher than even the most thorough of cleans.

There are a number of ways to clean carpets, including dry cleaning and steam cleaning, as well as encapsulation and steam cleaning.  Here at Steamy’s we believe in the merits of steam cleaning (as you may be able to tell by our name). However, we are constantly trying to fight off the common myth that steam cleaning is an inconvenience, as leaves your carpets wet for days after cleaning and unable to walk on.

In fact, steam cleaning provides a much deeper and thorough clean to carpets. After removing all the surface dirt with a dry vacuum and ensuring all the soil is brought to the surface with a rotary brush, steam cleaning involves injecting a hot water/detergent solution into the carpet under pressure. Injecting this solution suspends the soil in the carpet. A web vacuum simultaneously removes the soil and any excess moisture. The carpet may be slightly damp upon completion of a steam cleaning job, but this will dry within a few hours and will ensure a much deeper and more thorough clean than dry cleaning.

While it is true that a technician who is unskilled in steam cleaning may leave your carpet completely wet after a clean, an unskilled technician would complete any job improperly – not just steam cleaning. It is important to remember that you always need to use skilled technicians to clean your carpets.  Here at Steamy’s, all our technicians are trained with nationally and internationally certifications and qualifications and are experts in steam cleaning.