The weather is getting colder, the evenings darker and gifts are gradually being bought. There’s no denying it, the holidays are coming. Whether you’re ready or not, Christmas is around the corner, and so are your festive guests.

The last thing you need at Christmas time is the mother in law pointing out stains on your furniture, or children getting covered in pet hair from the carpet. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time to get everything ready. Keep reading to find out exactly how to get your home guest-ready for Christmas.

Be prepared

Whether your home needs a quick sprucing or a full deep clean, there’s no time like the present to get started. There’s no use in waiting until your family is on the doorstep before realising you’re not ready for them. Take a few trips to the local skip to rid your home of clutter then figure out exactly what needs to be cleaned and get the cleaners booked in.

Start at the top

Before you have the professionals come in to work their magic, you may want to make sure everything else is sparkling. You don’t want freshly cleaned carpets and furniture becoming filthy the minute you grab the duster. Dust and clean all walls, shelves and surfaces, making sure you’ve covered every nook and cranny.

Places to sleep

Gone are the days of the ‘no room at the inn’ as an excuse. You need to be prepared for any number of cousins, kids and unexpected ‘plus ones’. That doesn’t just mean stocking up on turkey and all the trimmings. Some of yours guests will need a place to lay their head at night – and it needs to be clean.

Get all the bedding in the wash, making sure it’s fresh for their arrival and have a quick leather or upholstery clean to keep beds and sofas gleaming.

Looking down

Last but certainly not least, your floors need to be spotless. If your floors are carpeted, now is the time to give them a deep clean. Tile, stone and rugs can also benefit from an annual winter clean. A professional carpet clean will make sure your home is not only looking spotless, but that it’s germ-free and ready for the first round of charades. So, you can enjoy the holiday season without any added stress.

Stains are every householder’s worst nightmare. Wine, coffee, chocolate and ice cream can all cause unsightly marks around your home. But rather than giving up your favourite guilty pleasures, we’re here to tell you how to fix it.

If you’ve spilt it, we can help you clean it up. With our stain removal guide, you’ll always be prepared to tackle even the toughest of stains.

What you’ll need

The first step is building a stain-busting kit. Here are a few essentials you’ll need…

• Absorbent cloth or towel – Preferably white and you’ll probably need a few!
• Surgical spirit (or dry cleaning solution) – You’ll find this at your local chemists
• Ammonia – Household ammonia can be found at most supermarkets
• Detergent – Simply use your favourite washing detergent
• White vinegar – Great to add to solutions for drawing out stubborn stains
• Hydrogen peroxide – A similar effect to bleach, without the destructive nature

Now you’ve assembled your kit, it’s time to get started. Remember, you’ll also benefit from a few empty spray bottles, to fill with your pre-made solutions.

How it works

Depending on the type of stain that needs tackling, you’ll need to approach the situation differently.

Liquids

For spilled liquids, such as wine, coffee, tea or juice, you should start by blotting away as much excess as possible. You can use your absorbent cloth or kitchen paper to soak up the spillage. Then, working from the outside in, using a mixture of white vinegar, detergent and warm water, gently blot the stain, adding more solution as necessary.

Food

As delicious as chocolate and ice cream can be, it is a nightmare for your carpets. When faced with a food stain, you need to scrape up any excess with a blunt knife. Then, using detergent mixed with warm water, work from the outside in, blotting the stain dry. Follow up with an ammonia solution (one teaspoon of ammonia & one cup of warm water) and blot the area dry.

Household materials

Your home is full of items that can be a nightmare for your carpets. The likes of ink and paint can cause unsightly stains around your home. Tackling these stains is easy, if you act fast.

Blotting away excess product is the first step, making sure to not spread the stain. Then, sponge on a detergent solution, softening the dried stains and making it easier to scrape away with a blunt knife.

Need any help?

If you’ve tried everything from our stain removal guide, and they’re still not budging, we can help. Clean & Dry’s professional carpet cleaning service in Rotherham will leave your carpets looking as good as new.

Whether its spilt wine or paint splatters from your latest redecoration, your home will look cleaner, brighter and healthier with our bespoke cleaning service.

Whether it’s a home or commercial property, you want your carpets to stay spick and span. But that can be a bit more challenging when there are numerous carpet care myths flying around. From the right frequency to the effect of cleaning on your carpet, it’s easily to be misled by these myths.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of them – with the all-important truth to clear them away.

1. "Carpet cleaning ruins your carpet"

One of the most common misconceptions is that professional carpet cleaning ruins the appearance of your carpet. The idea behind it? The chemicals supposedly damage the carpet. Fortunately, that’s complete nonsense.

Modern carpet cleaning chemicals are completely safe to use on carpets. Professional cleaners know exactly how to use them and how to protect your carpets in the long run, so you needn’t worry about any damage in your home.

2. "Professional cleaning means I don’t need to vacuum as often"

Some people assume that having their carpet professionally cleaned means they no longer need to vacuum regularly. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. A thorough carpet clean gets deep into your carpet where vacuuming can’t. It refreshes your carpets and gives them a new lease of life.

While the effects of professional cleaning are long-lasting, you should still vacuum on a weekly basis in between deep cleans, to take care of dirt, dust, crumbs and hairs on the surface of the carpet.

3. "You only need to clean your carpet when stains become visible"

If your carpet is stained, it needs cleaning to restore its appearance. But some people see stains as the sole criteria for requiring a deep clean. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

You wouldn’t only shower when your skin becomes visibly dirty – and the same is true for your carpet. Dirt and debris can easily get trampled into the fibres of your carpet, where it settles and spreads. While it’s not always visible, it is unhygienic and needs regular deep cleaning to remove it.

4. "Carpet cleaning makes your carpet dirtier"

Another carpet care myth is that cleaning makes your carpet dirtier. While it seems the most bizarre, this can actually be true if the carpet is not cleaned and dried properly. Leaving carpets moist after cleaning can promote the growth of damp and mould. However, with an effective carpet cleaning process, your carpets will be completely dried, so there’s no need to worry.

5.  "All carpet cleaners are the same"

This is potentially the costliest myth as it could persuade some customers to choose disreputable, inexperienced and ineffective carpet cleaners.  Carpet cleaners and their methods can vary a lot – and so too can the results they provide.

At Clean & Dry, we have over 30 years’ experience in professional carpet cleaning. We use only the best products, choosing the method that’s right for your specific carpets and environment. That’s where the difference lies – and that’s why we have thousands of delighted clients.

Messy pets, accident prone kids and food spillages are just a few things your carpet has to go through. It’s no wonder that stains inevitably occur. But what if you could stop stains in their tracks? Keep reading for 6 ways to prevent carpet stains and stay on top of cleaning in your home…

1. Use a carpet protectant

A great way to prevent future stains on new carpets is to apply a stain-resistant protection treatment. This acts as a helpful barrier and gives your carpet extra protection from dry soiling and accidental spills.

There are separate wool-safe options for use on wool carpets and you can also apply the protection to existing carpets after a thorough deep clean. With a professional carpet protection treatment like Clean & Protect, you can also benefit from a 12-month limited stain protection warranty.

2. Get a head start on cleaning

Prevent stains by vacuuming your carpets before they are visibly dirty. Cleaning as soon as the carpet colour starts to dull is the best way to stay ahead. This is especially important as soft furnishings can contain dust and allergens which are undetectable to the naked eye. Waiting until your carpets are filthy will make it much more difficult to remove stains later on.

3. Maintain a routine

In heavy footfall areas, your carpets will be constantly put to the test. That’s why it’s so important to maintain regular vacuuming to prevent deep rooted stains. It also ensures that dirt doesn’t build up, so your home feels fresh and clean at all times.

4. Use doormats

Whether it’s trekking in mud from the garden or kids running through the house, a great way to prevent stains is to use doormats. This is a place visitors and family can wipe their feet to remove moisture and dirt. So, it doesn’t get trodden on carpets through the house. Another top tip is to ask people to remove their shoes to prevent any mud from trailing into your home.

5. Act fast with spills

As much as you try to prevent stains, accidents do happen. If a spill does occur, the best advice is to act fast and clean it as soon as possible. Leaving spills – whether it’s red wine, coffee or food – can be troublesome later and create tough-to-remove stains.

6. Blot away

So, you’ve spilt something on your carpet? Don’t panic. Acting fast will help, but you also need to make sure you blot away the spillages rather than scrubbing. Scrubbing will only damage the carpet and create an uneven carpet texture.

Need a hand?

If the stains are too tough to tackle alone or just want to refresh your home Clean & Dry can help. Our carpet cleaning services in Rotherham will keep your carpets cleaner and brighter for longer, so you’re always ready for unexpected visitors.

We don't just clean soft furnishings, we also clean Karndean and other hard floors too.

If you have Karndean flooring that's lost its shine we can deep clean and seal it to restore its original appeal. Below is a recent floor we restored.

Call us now for a free no obligation quote and test clean to show you what can be done 01709 257 275...

Make the Holidays fun for your pets too...

Increased visitors, unexpected guests and a change to the normal routine over the hectic holiday season can change a pet’s normal routine and increase their stress level. For a pet that's used to following a regular routine, the holidays can become a very stressful time.
Unfortunately for homeowners, one of the first symptoms of a “stressed-out” pet is often unexpected and an accident indoors. With the potential for the 'expected' spills and stains that come with holiday entertaining, the last thing pet owners want or need is a pet stain to clean up and the potential lingering odour that comes with it.
Here's what we recommend for pet lovers to ensure a joyful and accident-free holiday season with their furry companions:

• Create a safe space for pets away from the crowd that includes toys, their bed and other familiar items like food and a water bowl to help decrease anxiety.
• Stick to a familiar schedule as much as possible and limit the amount of changes pets are exposed to by taking walks and feeding them at the regular times.
• Pet-proof the home by keeping holiday decorations, electrical cords, food, alcoholic beverages, and holiday plants out of reach to avoid stressful trips to the vet.

When accidents do occur, it is vital to act quickly to remove the stains.

Here are some remedies for removing pet urine and odour to preserve both carpets and a home health.
Our 'Pongo' Pet Odour Remover. For improved results over home remedies, try our 'Pongo' product which eliminates fresh pet urine odours and stains at the source.
Professional cleaning. For older or severe pet urine issues, you can contact us to come into your home and provide their revolutionary Pongo deodorising service to eliminate pet urine odours right at the source.

If you need any help or advice just call us...

Call Now and Take Advantage of

our Ever Popular

3 for 2 Offer

on our Clean & Protect Service...

Let us take care of all your soft furnishing cleaning needs before the Spring Cleaning mad rush and you can take advantage of our 3 for 2 offer on our most popular Clean & Protect service.  Just mention "Web Offer" when you call to book.

Have any combination of Carpets, Rugs and/or Upholstery Cleaned & Protected and every third item will be

Cleaned & Protected FREE of charge.

Cutting the price but not the standard!

We may be cutting the price but you have my absolute assurance that we will not be cutting back on our high standards.  ALL our work is fully guaranteed, if you’re not completely satisfied we will put it right or refund your money, NO QUIBBLE!

See Reviews from our Clients...

Where clients have given us permission to display the reviews they leave for us we show them on our website.

The (not so) small print!  All we ask is that we clean the free item(s) at the same time as we clean the other items, the work is done during the daytime, Monday to Saturday and our minimum charge is £100.00 The free item is the smallest or lowest priced items.  Hall, Stairs & landing count as one item.

This offer is available to our residential clients only and obviously no other discounts apply.

This offer is only available for on work booked before 31st May 2016.
So beat the Spring Cleaning rush and don't miss out!  Call us NOW!

Meet our team of Senior Technicians and DFPWATF’s (Dead Friendly People Who Answer The Phone).

When you choose who you want to carry out work in your home or workplace you will definitely want to know a little bit more about their people before you make your choice – and it’s always nice to put a face to a name so you know who will arrive at your door.

You can be reassured that ALL the team have had in-depth CRB/DBS checks completed and all have clean records.  We've been approved to work in HM Prisons, Secure Hospital Units, Banks and several other secure organisations. For your own peace of mind please check any cleaner you contact can make the same assurance.

So here we are, the team at Rotherham Clean & Dry...

Allan Simmons Jnr.

When Allan Jnr left college in 1988 he joined his father in his part-time carpet cleaning business as a shareholding partner.  Allan Jnr. ran the business full time until Allan Sr became full time too in 1989.  Having done 'every job' in the business Allan Jnr looked after all the commercial contract clients and the domestic customer service areas of that business.  Allan Jnr. left that business in March 2016 to start his own business doing specialist stone floor cleaning and restoration, Clean & Dry was formed.  When Allan Jnr's father decided to retire in April 2018 Allan took on the technicians his father had employed to work with him on stone floor restoration.  After some persuasion from them, Allan added carpet cleaning to his service offering at Clean & Dry too.  As the technicians were already fully trained and ready to go they said it would be mad not to.  Allan Jnr will be the one that chases you up if we've not had your questionnaire back, just to make sure everything was okay. He's a strong black coffee drinker. He's also been a keen magician since he was young and performs as a close-up magician in his spare time.  He loves his motorbike and a Sunday ride out.

Mary Simmons
Full details coming soon.

Kevin Waters

Kevin is one of our Senior Technicians and has worked with Allan since the early 90's, I know, he doesn't look old enough does he?  He does most of our domestic quotations so is probably the first person you will meet.  He has a wealth of knowledge and experience so just ask him anything you like.  If he doesn't know you can bet he knows 'a man who does'.  In his spare time he enjoys his motorbike and gardening.  Kevin prefers coffee, white no sugar and chocolate biscuits.

Wayne Quiddington

Another Senior Technician who has worked with Allan for what feels like forever.  Although trained in all areas to the highest levels we look to Wayne as our leather specialist.  The most frequent comment we receive on questionnaires about Wayne is "he never stopped!", that's until the job is done then he prefers Coffee, white no sugar and biscuits to recharge.  In his spare time he's into his football and is an active youth team coach, plays pool and is somewhat of an artist on the quiet (but the other guy's didn't know that until now)

Pete Dorans

A Senior Technician with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  The most frequent comment we receive about Pete is "very conscientious".  While he's great at cleaning carpets and upholstery he dislikes repairing equipment, so 'pulls in a favour' with John if his kit breaks.  Pete has many clients who insist Pete does their cleaning, and some will even wait until he's back from holiday for their cleaning appointment.  Pete's poison is STRONG Tea, white one sugar.  Oh, he's usually the first in very early in the morning, we think it's to make sure his cuppa is made just how he likes it.

John Gillespie

Another Senior Technician who has Allan since the last century!  With probably the thickest training file record in the business, there's not much John doesn't know about carpets, upholstery and stone or hard floor cleaning.  He was also our first technician to be fully qualified in hard and stone floor cleaning and restoration.  With more and more hard floors out there and clients asking us if we cleaned them we thought it was about time we offered the service and had an in-house specialist.  He's not bad at fixing kit either, but woe betides you if you borrow his tools in the workshop and don't put them back. John is a Tea, white with 'half and half' if you have it.

BBC's Rogue Traders exposed what some carpet cleaning companies are up to...

It's a tactic known as 'Bait & Switch' and is now illegal, but there are still companies out there 'at it'.
Here's the clip from the TV programme...

You can be sure we'll not use this tactic and for your Peace of Mind we've been audited by the Which? Consumer Organisation and are one of their Which? Trusted Traders.  Which? audit our pricing practices to ensure we're not using Bait & Switch and that when we say you're getting a discount, it's a genuine discount.

Protect yourself from cowboys - always ask for a cleaners NCCA accreditation...

Established in 1968, the National Carpet Cleaners Association is the only independent UK trade body dedicated to the cleaning of carpets, hard flooring, upholstery, curtains and other soft furnishings. It's nationally recognised by the government, media and the carpet and furnishing  industry as the authoritative source of information and advice on all aspects of the industry.
The principal objective of the NCCA is the establishment and maintenance of minimum standards within the carpet and upholstery cleaning industry, with the dual aim of safeguarding the reputation of the industry and protecting its customers, whether in the domestic or commercial sphere.
Members are required to abide by the Association’s Code of Practice, which covers such specifics as fair pricing, service, complaints procedures, liability and consumer protection, and is designed to ensure customer satisfaction at all times. All members are expected to provide a fair deal for their customers, summed up by the NCCA motto "SERVICE WITH INTEGRITY"
All applicants for membership must have undertaken the NCCA or equivalent course in carpet and upholstery cleaning and reached the required standard in the written test papers which follow. This course offers a thorough grounding in all aspects of the carpet and upholstery craft, and covers theoretical and practical instruction in basic cleaning as well as spot and stain removal. Only after successful completion of this course may the applicant become a fully accredited member of the NCCA and be eligible to add the coveted logo to their company name.
It is important for the health of your family, and your furnishings, that the cleaner you use fully understands which cleaning materials are environmentally friendly, which can trigger allergies in susceptible people, such as asthmatics, and which solvents and cleaning fluids are appropriate to each of the many types of carpets and furnishing fabrics in people's homes today.
The long life of your precious carpets and curtains depends on their being cleaned by an expert. Without regular cleaning, a carpet that could remain fresh and bright for thirty years will be dull and worn after as little as ten years. Which is why investing in expert cleaning makes sound financial sense.
So always look for an NCCA accredited cleaner, and always ask to see evidence of that accreditation before allowing a cleaner to work on your carpets, hard floors or furnishings.  Here's our membership confirmation, click the logo...

Visit the NCCA's Website Here.