This Month's Tip:

For those of you who are currently landlords or simply need to rent your home because you can't sell it.

1.  Require that your property's flooring be cleaned by a licensed professional prior to tenant move-in and immediately after tenant move-out.

2.  If possible, have the traffic areas of the flooring cleaned by a licensed professional at 6 month intervals to avoid irreparable damage.

Why insist on these?  And why should they be done by a licensed professional only?

I have been in condos, small single family houses, and multi-million dollar homes where the former tenants rented a steam cleaner and put bleach through the machine (or some other inappropriate soap or chemical) in order to clean the carpet, vinyl, etc.  To save money, they rent a steam cleaner from the local grocery store or home improvement center.  Then, because they don't know any better, they  use a cleaning product that is not recommended for use on carpet.  Unfortunately, this action saves them money but it damages your property's carpet beyond repair.  If you require your renters to clean the property's flooring, or if you arrange the services yourself, always be sure to use a licensed floor cleaning professional to ensure that the flooring will have the longest life possible.  Protect your investment.