Q&A with Your Favorite Janitors

Hello Everyone! We are very excited about this week's newsletter because it is all about some of my favorite people, YOU, our fellow Clean Freaks! Last week we asked you to submit your cleaning questions, and wow, did you deliver! Many of you were interested in similar topics, so we thought we’d tackle the most frequently asked questions first.

This is going to be a regular segment of this newsletter, so we set up a dedicated inbox. Keep your cleaning questions coming to [email protected] and we look forward to answering them in the future.

Let's jump into this week's questions!

Q: "How to clean and remove stains from shower flooring when it has all the anti-slip bumps?" Sam H.

Some surfaces can seem like they were designed to challenge cleaners. Textured surfaces especially make dirt and grime hard to tackle. The anti-slip bumps/texture on a shower floor is a prime example of this. Soap residue, grime, self-tanners, and biologicals (A nice way of saying skin and body oils) can quickly accumulate within the textured floor and over time this residue can start to build up.

A: After cleaning thousands of showers and trying many techniques we have developed a simple process to remove that stubborn buildup. The first item you will need is one of our MVP cleaners, Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser. This cleaner has a creamy consistency that sticks to the dirt and oil allowing them to break down, followed by the gritty texture that gives you the extra cleaning power to scrub it all away. 

The second item you'll need may already be in your cleaning kit; a soft-bristled scrub brush. This brush works hand in hand with the Bar Keeper's cleaner to once again give you the extra scrubbing power you'll need to reach into those textured grooves and bumps of your shower floor.  Just keep in mind that too soft of a brush may not remove the residue and too firm a brush can scratch the surface of the shower. As always, we recommend testing a small area to make sure the brush is effective and at the same time, not causing any damage.

If you have an extra stubborn shower or want to speed up the process we highly suggest a drill brush attachment. 

If you want to see the exact shower cleaning process we use, check out the video here!

Q: "In your experience, are the carpet-cleaning machines that a person can rent at a grocery store worth it? If so, would you have any tips?" Juls B.

A:  Yes, it can be worth it to rent a DIY carpet cleaning machine. In our experience, it's more about the process of carpet cleaning over the specific machine. You'll also want to consider how often you would like to clean your carpets. Depending on your circumstances, it may be wise to invest in a small carpet cleaning machine instead of renting one.  

Here are a few tips to get the most out of any carpet cleaning machine:  

1. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! This will remove the first layer of dirt and debris off your carpet.

2. Use a pump-up sprayer to mix and apply your cleaning solution. Pre-treating the carpet with a sprayer allows time for the soap to break down dirt so it can be easily flushed out.

3. Only put warm water into the carpet cleaning machine. This will ensure that all soap and dirt are flushed out of the carpet and will not leave a sticky and crunchy residue.

If you want to see a step-by-step tutorial check out our video 5 Tips To Clean Your Carpet Like A Pro

PRO TIP! If you do decide to rent a machine, make sure it is clean before you start. Check the brushes or vacuum head for grease, grime, and debris. The last thing you want is to bring someone else's dirt into your home. 

Do you have a good recipe for spot carpet cleaning- no pets and no machine to use? John R.

A. Yes! Here is the recipe for one of our favorite DIY carpet cleaning solution: 

What you will need:

• 1 Cup of Water

• 1/2 tsp Dawn Dish soap

• 2 tbsp 70% Isopropyl Alcohol

• Clean Spray Bottle

• White Rag

Mix water, Dawn Dish soap, and alcohol together. Pour the mixture into the spray bottle. Mist the stain, and gently dab with a white towel. Continue to dab until the spot is gone. Then rinse the carpet with warm water to flush out the soap. Let the carpet air dry or use white towels to soak up excess water.

To see a video making this DIY Cleaner, follow the link here!

PRO TIP! We suggest using a white towel to prevent any dyes from the towel fabric transferring to your carpet fibers. 

Clean Freak Of The Week

Congratulations to Quinn from Illinois on being the Clean Freak Of The Week! They are the winner of the Super Sucker extraction attachment. 

This week we are giving away a set of Drill Brush attachments and a bottle of Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser.

Just subscribe to the Clean Freak Weekly and you are in the running. Keep an eye on your inbox each week to see if you are the next Clean Freak of the Week!

Thanks so much for joining us this week! We'll leave you with a joke that made us laugh from fellow Clean Freak, Kathy B!

Why do cows wear bells?? Because their horns don't work!

Brandon & James

P.S. If you're new here and want to catch up on previous editions of the Clean Freak Weekly you can find them here!

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