News Archives | Modernistic ®

We’re New In Town!

Posted Friday, April 23rd, 2021

We’re new in town but you may have heard our jingle before! Like most Michiganders, our Michigan made company has felt a magnetic pull to escape to the lakes and woods of northern Michigan forever, and we’re finally here! We are so excited to announce that we are expanding and have moved our headquarters to Traverse City!

The Mod Truck at the Historic State Theatre

With opening our new location in Traverse City, we are excited to bring new job opportunities to the community. Starting at $15 per hour, we are hiring for positions in our Cleaning and Restoration departments and are excited to bring on local talent! Interested in applying? Click here!

Did you see our interview on The Four, on 9 & 10 news. Our CEO & COO, Jill & Rachel, discussed what it’s like to call Traverse City home, new job opportunities & then some.

Lee’s Famous Meat Loaf

Posted Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

Let’s face it. By now, you have probably watched more TV than you thought was possible. You’ve organized, and reorganized, every room and closet in the house. You may have a regular shipment of puzzles and games arriving at your doorstep each week, and if you have kids, you’re probably wondering how in the world you are going to teach them how to do those math sheets you printed off the internet. And more than likely, you have eaten snack, after snack, after snack just to pass the time. We know we have!

Heading into this weekend, we hope that you all are able to find some fun and relaxing things around the house. For our West Michigan owner, Lee Hitow, it will be doing his favorite hobby – cooking! While Lee is a man of many talents, cooking is definitely at the top and we want to share one of his favorite recipes with you! It’s easy to make, most of the ingredients you may already have on hand and more importantly, it’s DELICIOUS! Get the fam together to help make it, or turn it into a cooking competition and see who does it the best. Save the leftovers and make meatloaf sandwiches the next day!

Take a video or picture of the cooking process or the final product and post it to your social media and tag us! We can’t wait to see! Stay safe, stay home, stay healthy!

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef
1/3 cup Minced Onion
¾ cup Italian Bread Crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan
1 Large Egg
½ cup Ketchup
3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F
Mince onion
Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Add all other ingredients to a bowl. Once the onion is cool, add that as well.
Mix ingredients just enough for them to all come together. Be careful not to over mix, but the ingredients should be able to hold together.
Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the meat mixture onto the pan. Form the meat into a loaf shape.
Bake in the oven for approximately 40 mins, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°.
Let meat rest for 15 minutes and then slice and enjoy!

Winners Are Announced, It’s Official!

Posted Tuesday, November 12th, 2019

Drum roll please… all the votes have been counted from our #Modernistic Pumpkin Carving Contest! We would like to thank all the lovely people at Ottawa County Farm Bureau, The Wilson Agency in Lansing, and The Purvis Farm Bureau in Birmingham.

Everyone did an amazing job, and it was impossible to choose. We can’t wait to do this again next year!

Ottawa County - Allendale - Mistelle Serio

Got Skunked?

Posted Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019

For most of the year, skunks tend to stay out of sight and out of mind. But lately you may have noticed an uptick in that incredibly distinct odor that lets you know those little black and white fur balls are nearby.

While skunks have excellent senses of smell and hearing, their eyesight is rather poor. When feeling threatened, spraying musk is often their last resort- a typical reaction when approached by any curious pooch.

Here’s a quick and easy recipe to de-skunk your dog:

1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap
rubber gloves (not needed but we recommend them!)

Check your dog’s eyes to make sure they aren’t red or irritated. If they are, flush with cool water only.
Mix peroxide, baking soda and soap; then thoroughly rub the mixture into Fido’s fur being careful to not get any in his eyes.
Leave for five minutes before rinsing the mixture off and then wash your dog with pet shampoo.

Repeat the process as needed if the scent remains.

Once you’ve got the skunk scent out of your dog, now it’s time to tackle the house. The longer the odor stays, the more difficult it will be to remove because of its ability to absorb into porous materials like carpets, drapes and upholstery.

Opening windows may speed up the process of ridding your home of that scent but our weather in Michigan at this time of year may make that option less than desirable. At Modernistic, we have a simple and quick way to take care of that pesky scent: Thornell Odorcide.

Odorcide is a biodegradable solution that we pair with carpet or upholstery cleaning. It’s safe for both pets and kids (non-toxic) and works by permanently eliminating the odor almost immediately when coming into contact with the source.

If your four-legged family member gets sprayed, don’t just wait for the smell to clear in two or three weeks. Call us as soon as possible and ask for Odorcide!

Is your clothes dryer at risk for a fire?

Posted Monday, September 30th, 2019

One of your home’s most essential necessities may be more dangerous than you think. While your clothes dryer has a lint trap that collects most of the debris from clothes, some of that lint will still travel through the vent system to rest inside your dryer ducts. Being highly combustible, it’s when the lint accumulates that the potential for fire increases greatly.

With over 17,000 house fires caused by clothes dryers each year, the lack of cleaning was responsible for a 34% of those fires, making it the leading cause.

Here are a few tips to help you and your family stay safe:

Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor’s house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they’ve escaped.

Once you’re out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape.

Unblock Exits. Items that block doors and windows in your home could prevent you from escaping in the event of a home fire.

Don’t run the dryer when you’re not home or are asleep. Only use your washer and dryer when someone who knows how to operate them is home and alert.

Avoid using plastic or foil tubing; dryer ducts should always be metal. With the plastic and foil tubing, low points will form in the tubing where lint will collect at the low point, increasing your risk for a dryer vent fire.

Have your dryer vents professionally cleaned regularly. Dryer vents should be inspected and cleaned yearly, but with increased household size and usage, you may want to clean them more frequently.

Call us today or schedule your dryer vent cleaning online with our NADCA certified technicians!

What Is Air Duct Sanitizing, And Why Do I Need It?

Posted Friday, March 29th, 2019

What is air duct sanitizing? While you may know the health and cost benefits of air duct cleaning (like allergy relief and lower energy bills), we’ve found that many people don’t know the benefits of air duct sanitizing. So, what does air duct sanitizing do?

What is it?

Air duct sanitizing is an additional service the certified air duct technicians at Modernistic can provide while cleaning your home. After cleaning the ductwork, while your HVAC system is still hooked up to the air duct truck and under negative air pressure, they apply the sanitizer. The technicians use a fogger to apply the sanitizer and due to the negative air pressure, it coats the entire interior of the duct system. The product has no lingering scent and is safe enough that it is used in hospitals.

How is it different than air duct cleaning?

What’s the difference between a standard air duct cleaning and sanitizing the ducts? A standard air duct cleaning removes any debris from your ductwork such as dirt or drywall dust. The sanitizing adds the disinfecting and deodorization of the ductwork of your home while killing any mold or mildew hiding inside. In addition, it prohibits bacterial, viral, and fungal growth for approximately six months after being applied.

Why should I have my air ducts sanitized?

There are lots of situations where you and family might benefit. If you are moving into a new home, sanitization can make sure that any unknowns from the previous homeowner are taken care of. It can also help during the winter months by minimizing the germs your HVAC system is spreading through your indoor air. Sanitization further assists with removing any triggers for you or your loved ones who suffer from allergies or asthma. Killing any mold or mildew will also help those with weakened immune systems such as a new baby or someone just coming home from the hospital.

How often should you sanitize?

While there is no strict guideline for how often you should sanitize your ductwork if you do suffer from asthma or allergies you might want it done every few years. If you had a flood in your home and moisture got into the duct system it’s a good idea to sanitize. Everyone is different and it depends on each individual’s household needs.

The bottom line.

A healthy home needs air duct sanitizing! All the germs, bacteria, mold, and mildew that you can’t see in your vents is certainly bad for your home’s indoor air (and for you!), which is why we recommend sanitization for every HVAC system we clean. While you may not be able to see what’s hiding in your ducts, it’s well worth getting them sanitized!

Modernistic has been keeping Michigan’s air ducts clean and healthy since 1973! Click or call today to find out more about air duct sanitizing.

Ways to Get Your Kids to Help Organize Their Room

Posted Friday, March 22nd, 2019

If your kids are anything like mine, they are not big fans of organizing. In fact, they will do just about anything to avoid organizing or cleaning their room! Once the room is tidy they always have so much more fun playing in it, and ultimately making it messy again. Now as parents, accepting that your kid’s room will never be TOTALLY clean or STAY totally clean can (hopefully) relieve some of your stress. Some simple tools and planning can really help provide a method to the madness of toys, stuffed animals, kiddo clothes, and painful-to-step-on Legos. With some practical, easy-to-learn organizational techniques (and some deep breathing), you can realize the dream and get your kid to keep their own room organized!

Pickup Time Is Fun Time

If you are struggling to make storage, organization, and cleaning fun, take a tip from Mary Poppins and try to combine it with play! One of my daughter’s favorite games is tea party, which involves getting out all her stuffed animals, toy food, and dishes. When she is done serving tea, she loves to arrange all her toy food and dishes inside of her Fisher Price refrigerator. She has fun doing it and (please don’t tell her this) is actually organizing her room!
All her stuffed animals used to live on her bed which was super cute and cozy. The downside was every night when she got in bed every stuffed animal would go on the floor. Then it would turn into a fight about who picked them up, where did they belong on the bed, how long it took to put them away, everything! We were both tired of it to say the least. Our solution was to get something to store just the stuffed animals in. She choose an enormous pink plastic bucket and ever since we got it that is where her animals have lived. No stress, no fuss, and they are still all within reach of the bed.

Let Them Choose

Letting your child have a say in how they are storing their things makes a huge difference. I let my daughter pick out her container to store her stuffed animals and she even choose a few other organizers for her art supplies and barbies. The fact that she got to make a choice about her room and storage made her feel like such a big kid, she was proud to use them and fill them with her belongings!
Another easy way to make tidying easier for kids is to put it at their level. We use cubbies that are low along the floor so she can have easy access to toys and books. Some of the cubbies have light baskets or boxes so she can easily take out or put back the bins and carry them to wherever she is playing in the house. This helps when it come to clean up time too. Another fun thing is to create labels or use stickers to indicate what is stored in each box. What kid doesn’t love stickers?
When it comes to kids clothes organization is a huge sticking point. Fortunately, there are many many options depending on your child’s messiness levels and space available. Cubbies are great for clothes if your child is better with folding or if your kiddo is still small and not able to reach hangers or higher dresser drawers. Keeping folded clothes in cubbies as opposed to drawers make it easier for children to see their favorite clothing items, which is important for the kids who are learning to pick out their own clothes and dressing themselves. I’m sure you know what it can be like when you pick out the wrong shirt for them!
If you have a closet and if your kid doesn’t mind hanging up clothes (somehow mine LOVE to hang clothes up) that is a great way to store outfits so they are off the ground and visible. If your kiddo is still a toddler, consider having 2 rows of clothes by simply adding another tension rod in the middle of the closet. You can keep their most commonly worn or favorite outfits down below and fancier clothes, seasonal outfits, and clothes that don’t quite fit yet on top. Get a step stool so they can reach both rows of outfits! Having control over their choice of outfit can really make your child feel empowered.

Just Put It Under The Bed

If you have additional items to be stored that do not have to be visible or easily accessible, consider under-the-bed storage. There are so many different options! If you want easily accessible storage, look for drawers that can be pulled out. Many stores carry drawers with options of a cover or no cover, depending on what you are storing. This would be a great idea if your child “cleans their room” by stuffing all their things under the bed.

The biggest hurdle with organizing for your child is getting them to take the reins when it comes to maintaining and organizing their own space. This is usually an ongoing struggle and learning process for both children and parents! Don’t shy away from talking with your child about where they keep their toys and how they keep their toys. Children love making decisions for themselves, so allow this organization journey to be an opportunity for them to make choices about their room and their belongings.

Why Does This Carpet Stain Keep Coming Back?

Posted Friday, March 15th, 2019

We all have that one area. That one spot in the carpet that’s always there. You know the one: a little discoloration, a splotch, a patch, just a little bit different from the rest of the floor. Maybe you’ve even tried to clean it, but, like a winter cold, you just can’t seem to shake it. That carpet stain keeps coming back no matter what you do.

What do you do with carpet spots that just won’t go away? After 4+ decades of cleaning experience, our expert Modtechs have identified the 3 main reasons carpet spots keep reappearing.

Spot vs Stain

There’s one thing we need to clarify first – the difference between a stain and a spot. Colloquially, they’re used interchangeably; we often refer to spots as stains and stains as spots in casual conversation, but did you know they have distinct definitions?
In the professional world of carpet cleaning, a spot is the substance of whatever is on your carpet: a food spot, coffee spot, a dirt spot. The material you can see on your carpet makes a spot, and spots are almost always removable.

A stain, however, is generally more permanent. When carpet gets stained, dyes from the substance (the spot) are transferred into the fibers, changing their color. Sometimes this can be reversed to a degree, but dye transference actively changes the coloring of the fibers – meaning the original color has been altered and makes it very unlikely it will be able to get back to its exact shade.

An easy way to remember the difference is to think about what each one adds:

A spot adds substance
A stain adds color

That’s why we don’t like to call something a stain unless we know for sure that the fibers have been dyed!

1: Betrayed by Over-The-Counter Products

The Problem: If you’ve used an over-the-counter spot cleaner, chances are it worked pretty well – at first, anyway. Many carpet cleaning products available on grocery store shelves contain some kind of soap, which, in theory, sounds like it should be a good thing for your carpet spots.
Unfortunately, the residue that soap-based products leave behind actually ends up collecting more dirt over time! Areas cleaned with soap will inevitably attract new dirt and soil at a much faster rate than the surrounding carpet – which makes it look like the spot is coming back! In reality, it’s a new spot created by soap residue. Gross!
Why does cleaning carpet with soap end up attracting more dirt? Not to get too technical, but soap is made up of molecules that are both hydrophobic (attracts oils) and hydrophilic (attracts water). Having these seemingly opposite molecules is why soap mixes so well with both oil and water, making it very easy to draw up soil (and other substances) from your carpet. Unfortunately, its oil-attracting properties means any leftover residue is going to continue to attract oil, dirt, grease, and other particulate – meaning it gets dirtier faster in that area. Not cool, over-the-counter carpet cleaner!

The Solution: Don’t use over-the-counter carpet cleaning products! They almost always cause more problems down the line. Instead, check out our handy stain solution guide for common household spots. All natural beats all chemical any day!

2: Wickback Effect: Spots Deep in Padding

The Problem: Another common reason for reappearing carpet spots is what we call the wickback effect. We see this a lot in spots with a LOT of substance – large liquid spills and large dog pet spots especially. What happens is that the liquid will soak through the fibers, through the jute backing, and into the padding beneath the carpet.
Since carpet padding is so absorbent, the spot that you can see on the surface of the carpet, much like an iceberg, may be several times larger down in the padding. After a cleaning, as the carpet dries, it wicks up the spot liquid from the saturated padding into the dry carpet, drawing up the substance and making the spot reappear on the surface (sometimes even larger than the original spot!).

The Solution: Prevention! Blot up large liquid spills as soon as possible before they have a chance to soak into the padding. 3M Scotchgard is a fantastic way to help your carpet fibers repel liquid and give you more time to clean up after a spill. If the spill already happened and the pad is saturated: Have a professional deal with it! A truck-mounted hot water extraction machine and an expert Modtech have the power and knowledge to deal with deep-down spots!

3: Fido’s Got a Favorite Area

The Problem: One of the most obvious reasons a carpet spot keeps reappearing is also one of the most frustrating: your pet has chosen a particular area in which to “do its business”. Even though you clean up the mess each and every time (and you can’t see it anymore), your pet continues to go back to the same area. Not fun!

The Solution: The problem is smell. The odor remains, leading Fido to go in the same area time and time again. You need to get rid of the smell! Fortunately, we have a variety of pet-specific odor neutralizers that will dissuade pets from using the same area – and leave your home smelling great again.

Modernistic has been permanently removing carpet spots in Michigan since 1973! When it comes to problem spots you just can’t seem to get rid of, trust the carpet cleaning experts! Call or click today.

Simple & Quick Ways To Make Your Carpet Last As Long As Possible

Posted Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

You just got your carpets cleaned. They look great now but with kids, pets, and life in general you’re concerned they won’t stay that way. After all, flooring is one of your home’s biggest investments. It’s only natural to ask yourself what you can do between professional cleanings to make sure your carpet lasts as long as possible. Luckily, there are a few Simple & Quick steps you can take to make sure you get the most out of your investment!

There are some very easy things you can do to help prolong the life of your carpeting. The first thing is 3M Scotchgard! This is a protectant that can be applied by the professional cleaners right after they clean, and it’s something we recommend for all our customers who want their carpet to last. 3M Scotchgard will help repel liquids (which gives you longer to get it out before the spill sets into the fibers) and also help repel dry soil (which will help prevent wear damage). Many carpet manufacturers actually require protectant after cleanings in order to keep the warranty up to date!

While it’s impossible to keep all the dirt off your carpet there are things you can do every day. Having everyone take their shoes off when they enter your home is a huge step to reduce the influx dirt and wear of your carpet fibers. Have a plastic mat for everyone to set their shoes in. If that isn’t an option, an entry rug right by the entryway will help make sure you and your family aren’t tracking in soil from the outside world.

Another important way to keep your carpet looking fresh is frequent vacuuming. Carpet can hold much more than its own weight in dirt that isn’t visible to the naked eye, and vacuuming is a great way to remove it. There’s no such thing as vacuuming too often! The more you do it the cleaner your carpeting will be – and the longer it will last.

There are also things that can be done every few years to prolong the life of your carpeting. One of them is to get your air ducts cleaned. Your ducts push air all throughout your home, and if they aren’t clean, they are pushing all the dust, soil, debris, and allergens they collect into your home’s indoor air – and eventually, down into your carpeting. Over time, this can create filtration lines – visible lines of worn in dirt along the edges of your walls or under doorways. These lines show where the soil in your home’s air settles into your carpeting. Getting your air ducts cleaned will not only help keep the dirt and dust out of your carpet, it will keep the dirt and dust out of your entire home!

Another way to get the most out of your carpet between cleanings is to rearrange the furniture in high traffic rooms like your living room. No matter how clean your home is eventually your carpet fibers will begin to wear from use. Moving where the chairs and sofas sit will change where the wear is most prevalent.

It’s is a significant home investment, and we all want to make sure our carpet lasts as long as possible. With these easy steps, you can keep your carpet looking great in between professional Modcleans!

Modernistic has been extending the life of Michigan carpets since 1973. Call or click today to see how we can help you protect your flooring investment!

Indoor Games Your Kids Will Love

Posted Friday, February 15th, 2019

We are all looking for some time away from screens. But when our Michigan weather is cold, snowy, wet, or otherwise inclement, it can be tough to find fun things for kids to do; you can only play in the snow for so long before everyone gets too cold! With all the snow days our kids have had recently, it can be tough to find activities to keep them entertained for a full day. Pry the tablets and phones away from your kids (or grandkids) and spend some quality time playing these fun indoor games and activities!

Paper Airplane Race

Use copy paper to fold paper airplanes. Compete to see who can fly their plane the farthest, or give the best air show of loops and twists. You can use tape, paperclips, or other supplies to make your planes more complex. Or, you can use markers and stickers to make them more beautiful!

Plastic Bowling

Use a tennis ball and empty pop bottles to turn your living room or hallway into a bowling alley. You could even decorate one of the pins with markers and give it away as a prize like at a real bowling tournament. Or, when you are finished playing, you could visit the bottle and can return and give the money to the winner!

Wax Paper Skating

Wrap wax paper around the children’s feet and secure with tape or rubber bands. On a hard surface floor, like in the kitchen, tape off a clear area for the “ice rink.” Each child takes turns as figure skater or judge, and performs to music of their choice or scores 1-10, just like at the Olympics.

Animal Charades

Silently act out an animal while others guess. Depending on the ages playing, you can write the animals down or use small pictures. Each player takes turn drawing an animal from the hat and acting it out. For variation, you can use animal sounds instead of silent actions.

Pen and Paper Games

Simple pen and paper games like tic tac toe, hangman, dots and boxes are easy to put together. A homemade version of Scattergories (sometimes called Categories or Alphabet) is simple enough. Take turns picking the category (movies, animals, names, etc.) and write down a word for each letter of the alphabet. Points are given for unique answers. Pictionary takes charades and puts it down on paper (or dry erase board). Connect four can easily be played with paper and pen simply draw a 10×10 grid and take turns drawing Xs and Os. Up to you if you want gravity to apply like in the store-bought version!

Clean Like a Modtech

Grab a toy vacuum or a corn popper push toy and pretend to clean the carpet, just like a Modtech! Have your kids start at one end of the room and work toward the other end, “cleaning” the entire carpet as they go. You can show them or let them figure out the most efficient ways to cover every square inch with their cleaning instrument of choice (of course, it helps if they’ve seen a professional Modcleaning in action!). You can make it a game: whoever finishes their entire room first gets the prize!

Hopefully, with these games in mind, you can find hours of fun with the kids in your home. These games and activities may be old fashioned, but they never go out of style.

Even during the coldest winter weather, Modernistic has been keeping Michigan homes clean and ready to play in since 1973! Call or click today to have an expert Modtech take care of your indoor activity area.