CARPET CLEANING EDMONTON NEWSLETTER
Tips, Tricks and Articles to help keep your carpets and your home more healthy.
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August 2010
My new carpet is already beginning to pack down
Pile packing is caused by the loss of yarn resilience. (Resilience is a yarn quality that causes it to spring back to its original position after having been stepped on and compressed under body weight.) The question: what causes yarn to loose resilience?
Perhaps I should first point out that resilience varies with the yarn type. Nylon and wool have excellent resilience, Polypropylene (Olefin) the poorest, Polyester and acrylic would fall somewhere in between. However because of wear; resilience gradually diminishes and in time pile packing is inevitable; no matter the yarn type.
The answer: lack of proper maintenance will cause the yarn to pack down much sooner than it should.
We live in a very dirty world - a fact we'd do well to remember for both carpet and health reasons. Motor oil, acid, soot, asphalt, industrial gases, pesticides, herbicides, lawn fertilizer, dust and grit - all are commonplace and threaten health.
We carry these pollutants (and a great many others) into our homes on the soles of our shoes. Yet, to these contaminants, we add hair, skin cells, food crumbs, beverage spills, pet accidents, cooking vapors as well as a hoard of residues from a wide range of chemicals inherent in the products we use - cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, deodorizers, air fresheners, polishes - to name but a few.
Obviously there can be many ingredients in the wide variety mentioned above that can cause these substances to stick to carpet yarn. The oil and grease we track indoors from streets and parking lots are among the worst. Once grease and oil have begun to adhere to carpet yarn, the gummy consistency not only attracts still more, but also provides the adhesive for would be vacuum-able soils that get pressed into the tacky substance under foot.
As the accumulating filth increases in both mass and weight, yarn resilience becomes progressively impaired. Eventually, continuous traffic over dirty carpeting will cause the pile to stick flat to the backing. Will cleaning restore yarn resilience?
The more soil permitted to accumulate in carpet and the longer it is permitted to remain packed, the less likely cleaning is to restore yarn resilience. Continued traffic over soiled carpeting destroys resilience. Cleaning can loft the pile; but when traffic resumes the pile will lay down again almost immediately.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
You would be wise to avoid soils as much as possible, since doing so would increase carpet life and beauty while reducing maintenance cost.
1) Don't wear street shoes on your carpeting. 2) Don't consume foodstuffs over it. 3) Keep it vacuumed well, especially in high traffic areas. 4) Don't tolerate house pets that are not house broken. 5) When you clean your carpeting, make sure you employ a trained technician who rinses properly. Cleaning agent left in carpeting can cause pile packing as well - to say nothing of rapid re-soiling.Since eventual soiling is inevitable, you'd also be wise to clean your carpeting when soil first begins to show. Don't let it accumulate. You have two good reasons to keep your carpeting clean: 1) The waste that invades our homes can involve serious health threats, and 2) as the quantity increases, so does the probability of carpet damage.
Remember: Carpet is a textile product just like the clothes in your closet. If it is not maintained properly it will ugly out before it wears out.
A money saving announcement:
For all clients we are offering a 10% cleaning discount for bookings made in July 2010. Simply mention this website offer and we'll gladly deduct 10% off your (pre-GST) invoice. This offer is additional to any other discount offers you may possess.
Spot tip
There is a right way and a wrong way to cleanup accidental spills on your carpet. What you should NOT do is just as important as what you should do.
Step 1:
Remove any solid material with a rounded spoon. Blot up as much of the spill as you can. Don't scrub, scrubbing will only work the spill deeper into the fiber, and may leave a wear mark. Use a white paper towel or white cotton towel to blot. Fold the towel and press it into the spill. Rotate the towel often so a clean surface is always against the carpet. Continue to blot until no more of the spill transfers to the towel.
Step 2:
Cover the blotted area with a fresh white towel. Weight the towel with something that will not transfer color to the carpet or towel. Leave this in place for an hour to remove any remaining spill. Should the carpet remain stained by the spill go to step three.
Step 3:
Spotting the remaining stain in your carpet requires care and patience. You cannot apply most household cleaners to the stain without further damaging the carpet. Many common cleaners contain dyes that will discolor the carpet, or chemicals that will permanently set the stain.
If you run out of our spot cleaner, mix a 1/2 teaspoonful of mild detergent in a liter of lukewarm water. To test the safety of the solution apply several drops to an inconspicuous area and rub gently with a clean white towel. Do not use if any carpet color transfers to the towel, or if the carpet's color changes.
Apply a small amount of solution to the stain and work from the outer edge of the stain to the center. Continue this process (step:1) until the stain is gone or no more color transfers to the white towel. The final step is to gently rinse the area with clear water, then absorb all the remaining moisture with absorbent towels (step:2).
Should a stain persist, contact us for assistance. We may be able to offer further advice by phone, or if necessary, we'll dispatch a technician with a complete spotting kit to remove the stain. You may also wish to download the spotting chart for future use. It's located on our website.
http://www.danscarpet.com/cleaning.htmSoil Filtration Stains
Soil Filtration Stains are those dark lines running along the baseboards, in front of cold air return vents for the furnace, under long hanging drapes, around edges of heat vents, sofa skirts, around plastic chair mats and along dressers or other furniture that does not get moved very often. Soil filtration is caused by air (which contains various soils) being drawn through the nap of carpet or other fabrics. In the process of being drawn through the carpet fibers these airborne contaminants are filtered out as it passes through.
Soil filtration has three major soil components:
Larger soil particles; such as sand, clay, hair, fibers from paper & clothing as well as pollens, dead skin and mold spores.
Very fine particles; such as carbon, soot, smoke, pigments used in inks and fabric dyes; these soils stay airborne for long periods of time until finally being filtered out of the air and into your carpet fibers.
Oily soils; such as car emissions, smog, burnt items (like nicotine and candles), gases from cooking and (the largest contributor of all) our gas fired appliances.
All three of these soil types are filtered out by the carpet's nap however it's the very fine and the oily soil that causes the most problems. Over time the oily soils (gas vapors) dry out forming a resilient film which encases and bonds the very fine particles of soil within the carpet fibers. Once encased the very fine soils act like dye pigment and become fixed to carpet fibers by strong electrical forces.
Additionally airborne molecules composed of oxides of nitrogen or sulfur combine with water vapor (humidity) to form nitric or sulfuric acid. These diluted acids begin to effect dyes used in all fabrics causing a faded appearance which some call fume fading or atmospheric soiling. These acids also add to the overall carpet appearance and further complicate the removal of soil filtration stains.
Aside from open windows or forced air heating/cooling systems there are other air currents that allow soil filtration to appear at the wall edges, under doors and at duct vents. These other air currents are actually created by differences in air pressure; wind/cold/heat acting upon an outside wall of a house can create a vacuum effect inside wall cavities or on different levels of a house.
Soiled air is drawn (by pressure differences between rooms or levels) through the carpet fibers along the baseboard, around furniture and even underneath walls (filtering out the fine and oily soils as it goes). Pin holes in carpet backing created by the carpet installers' knee kicker are also susceptible to air currents. Pin-hole filtration lines are usually away from and perpendicular to the wall.
Doors that are always closed can also create a small vortex between the bottom of the door and the tips of the carpet fibers causing a filtration line to form under the door.
Warmer air on upper levels of a house will create thermal air currents as the warmer air expands; this expanding air volume must go somewhere, usually following the path of least resistance along wall edges, into cold air return vents and down the stair case all the while being filtered through the carpet fibers.
The homes' heating and cooling system is a major contributing factor by itself. No matter how efficient your furnace may be; hydrocarbons are being emitted into the ducts as the natural gas burns. These hydrocarbons are classified as oily soils when it comes to soil filtration stains. “IF” there was no such thing as dust and nothing else was being encased by the oily soils; our filtration lines would be a very light gold color and would hardly be visible in the carpet fibers.
Clogged Filters: In most new homes fresh air for the furnace is drawn in from an outside vent; this fresh air intake has a filter to stop dust and debris from entering the furnace system. When that filter becomes clogged with soil and debris the system can no longer draw the outside air it needs. Thus the furnace pulls air out of the basement rooms (like older furnaces) which creates a negative air system in the basement (vacuum effect) at the same time warm air is being forced up through the ducts which in turn creates a positive air system that increases air flow back to the basement.
This positive air flow (containing the soils previously mentioned) is now also being forced to pass through the carpet gulley, along the baseboards, through wall cavities, down stair cases, through the nap of the carpet located in front of the cold air return vents and any other cracks and crevices that may exist.
Prevention tips:Day to day vacuuming of the wall edges (with a crevice tool) and timely professional cleaning will eliminate or drastically reduce the build up of soil filtration staining. Stop burning scented candles, smoke outside and try using the range hood fan when cooking.
Check all furnace filters for cleanliness and change them on a regular basis; you may also consider HEPA style filters that remove smaller particles. Installing additional filters inside the heat duct registers and cold air return vents will also keep the flow of soil air to a minimum.
However due to the complex chemistry and microscopic size of the particles that cause soil filtration stains it is very difficult (if not impossible) to remove this type of staining from carpet fibers once it has a foothold.
I had no idea this color would show
I had no idea this carpet color would show soil so badly. It was supposed to have been Scotchgarded at the mill. But, within a few months, the high traffic areas look terrible.
The reason books, magazines, newspapers and such are printed on white paper is that black print upon it is easy to read, due the color contrast. The same principle applies to parking lot grease and street grime tracked indoors on light-colored carpeting. On white carpeting, black grease becomes apparent. To understand both the topic problem and the solution in depth, lets begin with the soiling process.
(Note: The above example implies that the solution to offset soil contrast is to install darker carpet : People with carpet of medium or dark color tones often fail to clean their carpeting as frequently as they should, because the degree of soiling is not apparent for lack of color contrast. Keep in mind that all carpeting gets dirty, regardless of color.)
The soiling process:
Soils that first adhere to carpet yarn-including carpet with a protective treatment-is oily or oil based. Some are airborne, coming from cooking vapors and vehicle exhaust pollution. Others are brought indoors on shoe leather-picked up from parking lots, sidewalks, and the garage floor.
At first, the amount of oily soil that sticks to carpet is minuscule, invisible to the naked eye. But, it is enough to serve as a bonding agent for additional quantities that collect still more soil. Thus, the increasing quantity becomes progressively darker and more visible. Of course, soils accumulate faster in traffic lanes and shoe pivot areas, such as at corners in hallways and before sofas and chairs. And, obviously, the more people in the household, the more shoes and the more rapid the soiling rate. Further, the tacky consistency of oily soils collects other soil types as well-especially dust which contains a wide variety of contaminants (organic, inorganic and biological) including huge quantities of abrasive grit.
While the progressive accumulation of tacky, oily soils will cause carpet pile packing-if it isn't cleaned away-the grit content threatens additional damage. You see, grit is a microscopic rock with many sharp, jagged cutting edges. Therefore, walking upon soiled carpeting becomes tantamount to walking on sandpaper. Abrasive grit under body weight or shoe leather grinds gouges and scratches the yarn's polished finish, which, in time, will cause permanent shading, a grayish color-cast in pathways that cleaning cannot remove.
Soil Retardants (Scotchgard):
Soil retardants help to keep carpet cleaner two ways: 1) Liquid spills bead on the carpet surface, making them easier to clean up, and 2) dry soils cannot adhere to so easily. This is not to say that soils cannot adhere to it. Soil retardants slow down the soiling process. In other words, they are an aid, not a solution.
Since soil retardants, being topically applied, coating the yarn, they are subject to wear from soil and foot traffic abrasion as is the yarn itself. For this reason, cleaning your carpeting as soon as soil becomes visible will prolong both the beauty of your carpeting and the efficiency of the protective treatment. You'd be wise to use the hot water extraction (steam cleaning) method. Cleaning methods that employ brushes and do not rinse cleaning agent from carpeting are not recommended. Cleaning agent left in carpeting attributes to rapid re-soiling.
From the date carpeting is installed, when should a soil retardant be reapply?
From home to home, there are too many variables to say. Still, you should know that hot water extraction cleaning does not remove factory-applied soil retardants. However, the longer you delay cleaning, the more abrasive wear to both the soil retardant coating and to carpet yarn. Therefore, timely, proper cleaning is important. Still, since high traffic areas get the most wear, reapplication of the treatment in these areas will be required sooner than others. In most homes, the treatment should probably be reapplied to high traffic areas after one or two years.
This carpet is hardly a year old
Tuft fraying can be caused by friction heat, by some methods of carpet cleaning, and by improper spot removal procedures.
Friction heat: Some people do not lift their feet high enough when they walk; and, as a result, their heels brush the surface of the carpet. Sometimes loose shoes, such as clogs, are the cause. When the foot is lifted, the heel of the shoe drops to drag the floor. The resulting friction weakens the yarn twist, causing tufts tips to fan out or to fray. Still, heal dragging can be the result of carpet construction or, possibly, the padding beneath the carpet.
The deeper the carpet pile, the higher the foot must be raised to prevent heel contact. If the pile depth is higher than a person normally lifts his feet as he walks, heel contact is inevitable. Obviously, in this instance, a carpet with a shallower pile depth (at or below one half inch) would have been a wiser choice.
Still, the same problem can develop when carpeting with a shallower pile depth is installed over a thick pad: The thicker the pad, the more the carpet is compressed under foot and body weight. When the pad is too thick (greater than one-half inch) such becomes tantamount to walking with one foot in a hole, causing the heel of the traveling foot to brush the surface of the carpet.
Carpet cleaning methods that employ brushes: The conventional shampoo method uses a rotary brush, while absorbent particle and dry foam cleaning use reel brushes. The harshness of both brush types can cause tuft fraying, especially when used repeatedly. For this, as well as for reasons of cleaning efficiency, Shaw Industries and some other major carpet manufacturers only recommend the hot water extraction (steam cleaning) method for cleaning carpeting. (Whatever the cleaning method, beware! Many cleaners, either for lack of knowledge or caring, violate proper cleaning procedures, which can easily lead to both carpet and sanitation problems.)
Improper spot removal procedures: Many spots, such as soft drink drippings, can be cleaned away with a water-based cleaning agent, while others require a different cleaning chemical type, such as grease tracked in on the heel of a shoe. It is not uncommon for homeowners to apply the wrong cleaning chemical type. And, when the spot does not come out, they try to make the cleaning agent work by scrubbing harder-a big mistake. One cannot make the wrong cleaning chemical work. Scrubbing harder will only cause tuft fraying.
Mattresses
Most people are not affected by dust mites due largely to the low ambient humidity levels (below 50% RH) in most homes there is generally no significant problems with dust mites or associated allergens, which are attached to their fecal pellets. Increase the level of humidity and you begin to provide ideal conditions for mites to thrive.
You might say I'll just keep the humidity low and there will be no problems! However there's one area often overlooked when dealing with dust mites and excessive humidity.
Our mattresses and pillows are the exception to this low humidity rule. We humans provide mites with a plentiful source of food, (dead skin cells), of which we shed some 300,000 skin cells on any given day.
Since we spend about eight hours in bed, a large amount of these skin cells wind up in the mattress, they sift down through the sheets as we toss and turn. Further, our bodies generate high amounts of humidity and moisture during the night, by means of perspiration, trapped body heat, and of course breathing; an oasis for our nocturnal bed fellows.
While dust mites serve to remove dead skin cells they also cause contamination and allergens in the process. It has been estimated that upwards of 2 million dust mites inhabit the average bed mattress, which produce, on average, 20 fecal pellets each per night...40,000,000 daily. These fecal pellets (although even smaller than our microscopic friends) contain a protein from the stomach of the mite, which causes an allergic reaction when the pellets are inhaled by humans; particularly children and asthmatics.
Now imagine after a few years of neglecting your mattress how much dead skin, dust mites (dead or alive) and fecal pellets have accumulated inside your pillows and mattresses. It's been said that as much as 10% of the weight of a mattress is the accumulation of the above mentioned nastiness.
There are steps that you can take to reduce and control dust mites: vacuum the mattress at least once a month, using a HEPA filter equipped vacuum. Steam clean and sanitize your mattress at least once a year or after steam cleaning it purchase a mite resistant cover for the mattress. This is also a great idea for your pillows also. The best way to vacuum a pillow is by placing it into a plastic bag, insert the vacuum hose and turn on the vacuum.
Bed mattresses are often over looked as an item that requires routine cleaning, let alone bi-monthly vacuuming and steam cleaning; unless of course you have severe allergic reactions or live with an asthmatic. Then of course this type of maintenance is as routine as placing your pillow in the freezer during the daytime hours.
How to Choose New Carpet
Buying new carpeting is a major investment for most people. Yet, for such a "big ticket" item many people don't spend enough time during the selection process and wind up buying a carpet that is not suitable for their lifestyle. They often end up unhappy with the performance of their carpeting, which is one of the major reasons why people often choose alternative floor coverings, such as tile, wood or vinyl.
Often times, consumers are mislead by salespeople, who may push certain brands or styles that they make a higher profit margin from, or are overstocked on. The salesperson's "recommendation" is not always a carpet that will work best for the customer.
When shopping for a new carpet, you need to discover how is the room going to be used? Will it have heavy or light foot traffic? Will the room be the center of activity for family and entertaining? Is there direct access from outside, or is the room away from entrances? Will the carpet receive direct sunlight?
Your budget and life style needs are key elements in selecting a new carpet. A better grade of carpet will give you a longer length of service than one of lesser quality.
Buy the best carpet you can afford for the heavy traffic areas of your home - family room, hallways and stairs. A medium grade is sufficient in rooms with less traffic. Many manufacturers sell different grades of the same color and style, making it easy to use different grades in your home, while maintaining a consistent appearance in all rooms.
When obtaining a cost estimate make sure that the carpet cushion, professional installation, moving of furniture and removal and disposal of your old carpeting is included.
Color selection is a very personal choice however; lighter colors show soil and pathways faster than darker or multi-colored carpets. Carpet texture will also help disguise traffic pathways and soil in your high traffic areas.
The four major types of carpet fiber are:
Nylon: Approximately 65% of all carpets sold are made from Nylon. Nylon is highly recommended because of its wear resistance, ease in cleaning, ability to withstand heavy traffic and hide soil however Nylon is prone to staining and UV fading from long term direct sunlight.
Olefin (polypropylene): Moisture and fade resistant, Olefin is cheaper to manufacture than Nylon. Many Berber style carpets are made from this fiber. Negatives: Lower heat threshold, dragging furniture across it may melt the fibers. Difficult to clean, it is "oil loving" meaning it absorbs oily soils or stains; never install olefin near the kitchen. Olefin does not withstand heavy traffic; as such gray traffic paths appear sooner.
Polyester: Noted for its luxurious, soft feel when used in thick, cut pile textures. Polyester, like Olefin is more difficult to clean than nylon. Polyester fibers also are prone to showing wear in traffic areas prematurely however are less likely to become permanently stained.
New technology has been applied to polyester fibers making it a very good choice for high use areas that may also be prone to spills. These "smart strand" fibers appear to be a better choice than olefin and may (in time) out perform nylon.
Wool: The longest wearing of all carpet fibers; however Wool is also the most expensive and is highly susceptible to permanent staining and damage from alkaline cleaning agents. Great care and expense is required to maintain and professionally clean wool fibers.
Density and fiber twist: Aside from fiber type the two most important factors in carpet performance are density and fiber twist. Carpet quality is categorized by weight per square inch (measured in ounces) therefore the higher the face-weight (density), the better the quality.
Although carpets with a tighter twist provide enhanced durability; they are more prone to nap opposition, corn rowing and pooling problems. That being said the most expensive carpet might not be the best choice for a household filled with kids. In such situations a "plush" pile (less twist) is likely the best choice as opposed to a Saxony pile.
Never cut costs when choosing a carpet pad. A high quality pad will extend the life of your carpet. Make sure that the pad you select is recommended for your style of carpet. If you need any further advice, the best person to contact is likely going to be your certified professional carpet cleaner!
Some of the information in this article was obtained from the Carpet & Rug Institute.
Why is my carpet rippling in every room
Carpeting can be either glued directly to the sub-floor or installed over padding. Either way, ripples can appear. When ripples appear on carpeting that has been glued down, the cause is almost certainly that insufficient glue was applied to the sub-floor. Since the cost of the adhesive is the installer's expense, some apply it too sparingly. The result is that, in time, the carpet detaches and ripples or humps appear.
To understand why ripples appear on carpeting installed over padding, one must understand a bit more about installation procedure: First, tack-strip is nailed to the sub-floor around the perimeter of the room at the baseboards. Next, the pad is laid. Then, the carpet is hooked on the tack-strip along one wall then stretched and hooked on the tack-strip along the opposite and lateral walls. When ripples appear on carpeting so installed, the reason may be attributed 1) to the thickness of the pad, or 2) to improper stretching.
Pad thickness: If the thickness of the pad raises the carpet too much above the level of the tack-strip, the carpet can slip off the strip. Detached, tension is lost and, eventually, ripples appear. One can avoid this problem by selecting a pad that is no thicker than one-half inch.
Stretching carpet: A carpet layer, properly equipped, has two tools for stretching carpeting-a knee-kicker and a power-stretcher. The power-stretcher is an adjustable, tubular device that runs the length of a room. At one end is a pad that braces against the baseboard or wall. At the other, a rectangular device with prongs or teeth that sink through the pile into the carpet backing. The rectangular head stretches the carpet by applying leverage.
A knee-kicker is only about 2.5 feet in length. While its head grips the carpeting with prongs as a power-stretcher does, the opposite end is equipped with a cushion. The carpet is stretched as the layer pounds his knee against the cushion.
However, the rigidity of carpet backing makes it virtually impossible to stretch carpet properly with a knee-kicker in a standard size room. In this instance, the use of a knee-kicker is more to position the carpet than to stretch it. However, in small areas-closets, small bathrooms-where a power stretcher cannot be used, the knee-kicker is used as a stretching tool.
After years of use, carpeting can lose tension simply because the backing has relaxed. However, save for exceptions, if ripples appear within two years of installation (and the under-padding is not too thick) it is most probable that the carpeting was not stretched properly in the first place. In many service industries, profits are of greater concern than quality workmanship; and, so it is with many carpet installers.
How many yards of carpeting an installer lays in a day determines how much he earns - a circumstance that encourages shortcuts and installation flaws. And, a common shortcut is to use a knee-kicker instead of a power-stretcher, because it takes less time. The job goes quicker. Immediately after completion, the carpeting may look great, but, in time, for lack of proper tension, ripples appear.
It may also be that ripples only appear on humid days, which is still indicative of insufficient carpet tension. It's just that the lack of tension is not as great.
Correlation between humidity and rippling: The most common carpet construction consists of two layers of backing material. The carpet pile is attached to the primary backing-the backing one sees in separating the pile. The secondary backing-the backing one sees in turning the carpet face down-adds stability to the structure and is glued to the primary through the use of an adhesive.
Backing adhesive will absorb moisture, even out of the air. And, the absorbed moisture causes the glue to expand. This expansion can cause ripples. If ripples are already apparent, they may appear worse on humid days. If not, they are usually slight.
Rippling after cleaning: Because of moisture absorption by the carpet backing adhesive, it is not uncommon for ripples to appear after hot water extraction cleaning (steam cleaning). However, the service having been performed by a competent professional constitutes no threat to the carpeting. In fact, more and more carpet mills are coming to recommend hot water extraction cleaning only.
If carpeting stays wet too long, according to the Institute of Inspections, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-backing separation can result. Such also fosters the proliferation of bacterial contamination. So, in selecting a professional carpet cleaner, qualification is far more important than price-considering that one�s financial investment and his family's health are both at stake.
Finding The Right Cleaning Company
Too often unsuspecting consumers who are lured by specials find themselves victims of bait-and-switch advertising. They realize, often too late, that these advertised specials have conditions, either written in small print or not stated at all. They are often told that "certain services" cost extra or that a "special procedure" is required.
Bait-and-switch operators are prevalent in many industries, and the carpet cleaning industry is no exception. But, how do you know who is and who is not?
The professional carpet cleaning industry has several trade associations working on this problem. The largest being the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), which certify cleaners who meet prescribed levels of technical proficiency and pledge to operate by a "Code of Ethics." Most other industries have similar associations or trade groups, of which the most reputable companies in that industry are members.
To help educate consumers so they will not become victims of fraudulent practices within an industry, trade associations or certifying boards releases a list of guidelines to consider when selecting a professional. Other indicators of professionalism can include potential customers to ask specifically about:
- Price - If an advertised price sounds too good to be true - it is! Often a company will advertise a low price to get their foot in the door. Low price usually equates to low quality for any product or service. Legitimate business people have legitimate expenses they must cover, including license, taxes, insurance, employee wages and benefits, and quality tools of the trade.
- Quality - Never should the price of a service or product be the sole criterion for selecting that service or product. A price that sounds high may not be a signal of a rip-off, but rather the true cost of quality. In all professions, quality work deserves a quality price.
- Truth in Advertising - Read the fine print in advertised specials to find out exactly what the price includes, and request a firm price before the work begins.
- Training - Professional firms require employees to engage in formal training in a variety of disciplines specific to their industry, and these educational efforts will be ongoing. Ask about the training background of the technicians who will be performing the work.
- Certification - Professional firms require ccertification of technicians or tradesmen through formal schooling, certification organizations or independent training and testing organizations. Ask to see their certificate or wallet card.
- Experience - The years of experience a firm has, combined with formal training programs, contribute significantly to the proficiency of its employees.
- Knowledgeable - Professional firms employ and train technicians who can answer basic questions regarding the product or service at hand.
- References - Consumers should ask for references from previous customers as well as inquire the BBB for membership or a record of complaints.
- Trade Associations - Professional firms are members of trade associations that promote high ethical standards and continuing education. Look for trade logos in advertising.
- Professional Standards - Ask if the service technician if they are operating according to industry standards. Most times these standards are published and available for purchase. Such is the case with professional carpet cleaning.
- Method - Ask the service technician which method will be used and the advantages and disadvantages of this method compared to other methods.
- No Pressure - Technicians must be courteous and willing to take the time to thoroughly explain the process and answer all questions. You should never feel pressured.
There is no single criterion for selecting a service professional. Several combined factors must be considered in the selection decision. With all of this in mind it is still best to ask a friend or neighbor for a referral to someone they trust.
Dan Burk of Dan's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is an IICRC Master Textile Cleaner and Master Restoration Technician. In addition to the IICRC Dan's trade associations are CRI (carpet & rug institute).
The Time Has Come To Look Down
As the cost of fuel increases, so will the price of carpet...Rising fuel costs have made people avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store, and fewer lights in their homes are left burning. But have you considered what's going to happen to the price of carpet?
All synthetic yarns used in carpeting; nylon, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene (Olefin), are byproducts of fossil fuels. Nylon is made from coal; the others from petroleum. So, as the cost of fuel rises, so will the price of carpet, especially when the cost of fuel also impacts shipping charges. It makes economic sense to take very good care of the carpet you've got.
The cost of replacing it is bound to increase more and more as time goes by, which begs the question: Have you looked down lately?
Some months have passed since your last cleaning. Have you examined your carpeted pathways? Are they beginning to look dull and dingy again? If so, then it's time to clean them.
No. It's not necessary to clean what's not dirty. But if we don�t clean what is, the "ugly" can become permanent. Remember: "Walking on soiled carpeting is like walking on sandpaper". The grit scrubs the yarn, causing pathways to become permanently dull. When this has happened, they'll always look like they need cleaning, and no amount of cleaning can clean the dull gray color cast (the wear damage) away.
Controlling House Odors
Odors and their smelly implications
When you return from shopping or from work, and first enter your home, do you notice an odor? If so, you've probably also noticed, after you've been home for a while, that the odor vanishes. The fact is, the odor has not vanished. Your sense of smell has only become desensitized. But what you may not know is that such odors are a clear indication of air pollution in your home that is harmful and should be replaced with fresh air.
What causes offensive house odors? Such odors are caused by a wide variety of substances from cooking vapors to pesticides, from filth tracked indoors on shoe leather to cat litter boxes to cleaning chemical residues, burning candles, hair spray, pet accidents - the list is virtually endless. And while all these odors blend as one, they contain a very broad range of airborne, chemical substances, which we inhale during all our indoor hours. Further, because of air currents and gravity, these same substances accumulate on upholstered furniture, on drapes, and especially on all floors in all rooms.
Have you ever been in the bedroom and smelled food cooking on the kitchen stove? The smell of food cooking is proof that airborne, cooking residues are in the bedroom. And, as central air systems circulate indoor air, it's also proof that air duct systems are coated with the same substances.
So, what can we do about it? 1) At least once a week, open a window in every room to permit fresh air exchange, but don't do it on a windy day. 2) Keep your furnishings clean.
Many substances emit vapors. And as these substances accumulate, more vapors are emitted into the air to be inhaled. And where's the proof of this? One of the most common comments our customers make after cleaning is how fresh things smell. The reason? The contaminants in the carpeting that were polluting the air have been removed! The air is much healthier, and you breathe easier.
How often is normal
How often is normal
We are often asked, "How often should I have my carpets cleaned?" While we often jokingly reply "once a week", the truth is there is no set amount of time. Cleaning frequency really depends on the type of traffic you have on your carpet and how you maintain it. Some people can get by with professional cleanings every couple of years, while other people need their carpets cleaned every 3 months or so.
Appearance alone should not be the determining factor when deciding when to clean the carpet. Today's carpets are engineered from the fiber up to hide soil. In fact, a tan, residential grade Saxony carpet can hide up to a pound of dirt per square foot before it becomes noticeably soiled. Once a carpet reaches this degree of soiling, it is not just in need of maintenance, but restoration as well. Commercial carpeting is often placed on a maintenance program where cleaning is scheduled before it reaches an unacceptable level.
Manufacturers are increasingly requiring that residential carpets be placed on a regular maintenance program as well. Soil, grit and grime in a carpet can work like tiny razor blades, slicing and dicing your carpet fibers, causing them to lose that "new" shimmer and taking years off their life. Carpet that is well maintained will wear longer and is less likely to contribute to indoor air pollution.
Appearance, reduction of potentially unhealthy contamination that may accumulate in the carpet, and manufacturers requirements to maintain your warranty should all be factors that help you decide how often to clean your carpeting.
A "no shoes policy", an application of carpet protectant, frequent thorough vacuuming, and spotting with a residue-free carpet spotter are all excellent ways for you to keep your carpeting vibrant and healthy and extend the length of time between professional cleanings.
Dust isn't just dust
*Studies show that dust from the air filters in the ventilation system contains between 100 and 6,700 bacteria per gram of dust (approximately 2,800 - 190,000 bacteria per ounce of dust), dust from ventilation ducts contains between 50 and 50,000 bacteria per gram of dust (approximately 1,400 to 1,400,000 bacteria per ounce of dust), and the floor dust contains similar numbers of bacteria.
Endotoxins from the cell walls of dead, gram-negative bacteria may be a cause of sick building syndrome symptoms in most people.
Other dust studies show that dust also contains many other biological contaminants such as dust mite and insect excrement. And the bad news on dust doesn't stop there. It has heavy metals in it as well as many organic contaminants; soot, industrial residues, even pesticides.
There's a product on the market now called Swiffer. It's sold in grocery stores. Swiffers are electrostatic towels made for the specific purpose of gathering dust without stirring it into the air, which is what feather dusters do. Electrostatic towels are a handy tool for people with asthma, as well as for those who don't want the ailment. Dust is a definite health threat. If you don't buy Swiffers, use a damp towel to gather dust carefully.
{*Source of the above: http://ergo.human.cornelledu/350DEAfiles/Vent/Biogenic.Particles.htm1}
Value vs. Price
I spend alot of my time finding out what my competitors' do for the money they charge. This year there are well over 100 carpet cleaners in the yellow pages, and many more that are not; as a consumer you are faced with the daunting task of choosing one cleaner over another. So how do you choose? What are the going rates? What should I look for? Who sets the standards? Why are some cleaners better than others? How do I know the difference? Why do some company's charge more, and are they really worth it?
I am sure I have over looked a few questions, but I will answer the most common one as objectively as possible.
Did you know that the #1 customer complaint against all service companies is not showing up on time? Yet almost all carpet cleaners are late.
Note: Dan's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning has never shown up later than the time promised!
Price
Unfortunately price is one of the most common factors used when evaluating a carpet cleaner. I get numerous calls each day from people price shopping for a carpet cleaner. I say unfortunately, because price should rarely enter into the decision of choosing to clean your carpets since there is no such thing as a going rate. There are standards though - the IICRC sets them and following the standards provides you with a better cleaning. www.iicrc.org
Prices will range widely from as little as $100 for your entire house; the difference lies with the services performed and the end results achieved by a specific company. How they go about the whole process is also a factor, including respect for the client's time.
Let me give you an example of a $100 cleaning. A salesman posing as a carpet cleaner arrives at your home (most likely an hour late) then attempts to sell you extra services deodorizer or carpet protection almost the moment they walk into the house. Usually an attempt to charge for spots prior to cleaning is carried out.
The carpet will likely not be pre-sprayed with a professional cleaning agent; generally it is diluted soap that runs through the machine. Some of the less scrupulous cleaners use laundry soap instead of proper cleaning agents. A rapid rinse and extraction is done while the second salesman badgers you with more sales pitching. The whole house will be cleaned in about an hour.
This very rapid cleaning process may achieve two results, (1) a seemingly clean carpet for a very short period of time, due to lack of proper rinsing of soap residue. (2) A very wet carpet that starts to re-soils before it is dry and continues to re-soil due to residue not being rinsed out. Drying usually takes 2 or 3 days and the carpet may start to smell bad. Begrudgingly furniture is moved upon your insistence but protective measures may not be carried out.
Now let's compare to the proper way of cleaning; the way Dan's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning performs the service.
An IICRC certified Master Textile Cleaner arrives, conducts a pre-inspection with you, points out any problems or concerns with the carpet, ascertains information regarding spots or stains, and offers an opinion as to what can be done with them.
The carpet is pre-vacuumed by the technician. Then a Professional, (fiber specific), cleaning agent is pre-sprayed into the carpet and allowed to dwell. This is followed by a thorough (water only) rinsing and extraction with as many dry passes as required to achieve the fastest possible dry time. The goal is to have the carpet dry in hours, not days.
Further spot cleaning, if required should be included with the price however some stain removal may require additional cost. The furniture has been moved, cleaned underneath, blocked or tabbed to protect both carpets & furniture from damage. Typically a carpet protector would be suggested for specific high traffic areas. Cost would be discussed, as well as providing you with the information to allow an informed decision on your part, as to whether or not you need or want a protector. Sales quotas or pressure to buy should not enter into the equation.
A post inspection with you assures that you are satisfied with the work, prior to the technician leaving. Specialty problems, maintenance tips or general spotting information is made available to you.
Presuming all is satisfactory, a no-charge spotting agent and a spotting guide for safe removal is supplied. Re-affirmation of our company's solid guarantee is provided, as well as after cleaning care instructions.
Price aside for a moment which of the above two services is actually worth paying for? Are all the hassles really worth the lower price?
Value
We all make value vs. price decisions every time we shop. A certain item may be inexpensive, but will it perform as well or last as long as a similar but higher priced item? Or will you have to put up with the problems of inferior quality.
I make the same decisions for my business purchases. Which protector or detergent will work best in my client's homes? Will the cleaning be as effective if I use a less expensive product? The whole evaluation process for my company is based upon this... what will provide the best end result in my clients' homes? Cost is never an issue, unless two products perform equally as well.
The value of my decisions shows up within your home! If your carpet dries within hours, stays cleaner longer, has fewer spots and no one badgered you for add-on sales; is that not a valuable company trait worth paying more for?
Peace of Mind
Why pay more? In addition to all of the previously mentioned reasons, next to the cost of your house the carpets are the next most expensive item in a home. Are you willing to risk damages to the carpets or worse yet having to replace ruined carpets due to the mistakes of an inexpensive, untrained cleaner?
Remember those over wet carpets that took 3 days to dry? During that 3 day drying period the warranty on your carpet was voided. Laundry soap and some other cheap chemicals can also void warranties. We won�t even talk about what might be growing under the carpet as a result if this over wet carpet.
Deriving Price
Generally prices are derived by a company's evaluation of operating costs as well as the benefits of its service performance when compared to its competitors. Nothing else should affect this evaluation. Comparing prices of different companies should evoke some questions that need answering. Such as; is the cheaper cleaner using the best detergent for "my" carpet or is it an inexpensive soap? Is he/she properly trained and IICRC certified to ensure that my carpet is not damaged? Can they afford insurance, professional cleaning agents, state of the art equipment?
Let's face it; it costs a lot of money to operate any business in our current economy so a business owner must price their products and services to stay in business. Hoping to make money by charging low price in hopes to get lots of customers is not a solid business plan thus the need for persistent and relentless "hard sell" salesmen to top up the coffers.
Food For Thought
Take a look around your home, why did you shop at Ethan Allen as opposed to Discount Jim's? Why did you insist upon a StainMaster carpet? It certainly wasn't because of the price. More likely it had to do with Quality and performance. Rarely does Value come with a low price. How does that old saying go..."the bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of a low price".
Carpet Warranties
A recent press release from the IICRC announced that Shaw and Mohawk (the two largest carpet manufacturers) have begun altering their carpet warranties by stating: "Effective January 1, 2008 the company will require the use of IICRC Certified Firms for all professional cleaning services."
Additionally cleaning companies must also be compliant with and approved by the CRI/SOA (Carpet & Rug Institute / Seal of Approval) with respect to equipment and cleaning agents used on carpet.
IICRC Certified Firms must meet several stringent criteria that serve to protect the consumer. The firm must have at least one IICRC certified technician on all job sites, must have a business license, must carry general liability insurance, have an approved consumer complaint policy and must adhere to the IICRC code of ethics. All these protect the consumer against unscrupulous operators.
Dan's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is a CRI member and has been an IICRC Certified Firm since its inception and annually maintains all of the requirements set forth by the IICRC and is compliant with the new regulations announced by the carpet mills and the CRI/SOA program.
"We believe our recommendations and requirements will ultimately help consumers enjoy and appreciate our products more fully," says Carey Mitchell, Shaw's director of technical services. "This information reflects years of carpet research and testing and provides a firm foundation for proper maintenance that will enhance and extend a carpet's useful life". To learn more visit www.carpet-rug.com
In a nut shell: If you bought new carpet in 2008 (or after) you must have it cleaned every 12-18 months and you must hire an IICRC certified firm/tech who is also a CRI member otherwise your carpet warranty may be voided.
Ugly Traffic Lanes
Understanding Traffic Lanes and What Can Be Done About Them:
Often, we forget that carpeting is a textile, just like our upholstery, linens and clothing. When we pay $50 for jeans, we are not upset when the seat and knees become threadbare. Why, on the other hand, do we feel that carpet should last a lifetime? After all, it is a fabric, similar to other products made from textiles.
The main reason a carpet shows signs of premature wear is because of improper maintenance. If major traffic lanes were vacuumed more frequently and spots and spills were cleaned properly, carpeting would look better and last longer.
Traffic lanes and patterns are usually caused by the following factors: Traffic lane gray, soiling, matting and wear. We will review each problem, how it is caused and what can be done to prevent it.
Traffic Lane Gray:
Carpets are known to eventually show signs of wear. This wear creates an illusion of soiling, which often causes frustration and misunderstanding between homeowners and carpet care experts. Even though a carpet has been cleaned, it doesn't mean that it will look the same as the rest of the carpet. Wear often causes what is known as traffic lane gray, a condition that has been nicknamed "uglied out".
There is not a lot that a carpet care expert can do with "uglied out". If a 10-year-old carpet is cleaned, you have a clean 10-year-old carpet. Just as a clean pair of old jeans will show wear and discoloration around the knees, a clean old carpet will show signs of wear in the traffic lanes.
Soiling:
The main cause of traffic lane soiling is tracked in soil, dust, airborne pollutants, food and beverages spilled on the carpet.
Soil damages carpeting as well as making it look dirty. The main problem caused by soil is called fiber abrasion. Fiber abrasion is created by dirt particles scratching and scraping the fiber surface. Scratches and scrapes block light reflection causing these areas to look even dirtier and gray. The easiest way to prevent soil from damaging the fiber is to vacuum daily.
Matting:
There comes a point when carpet fibers no longer return to their original shape. As fibers lose their shape, they begin to look twisted, frayed or distorted, causing the carpet to look dirtier and gray. The easiest way to avoid matting is to vacuum and rake the carpet often. Rearranging furniture also helps to prevent traffic lanes and patterns.
Wear:
Wear is a combination of several things. Soil, heavy traffic, loss of fibers, improper vacuuming, improper cleaning and time; all contribute to a worn carpet.
Regular Maintenance:
The best way to prevent excessive wear is to properly maintain your carpet. Vacuum every day if possible. Vacuuming removes loose soil before it becomes embedded in the fiber. Removal of abrasive soils from the carpet helps extend its life.
Do not use any products on your carpet unless advised by a professional cleaner. We provided a carpet spotter that removes most common stains without causing carpet damage or rapid re-soiling.
Have your carpets cleaned at least once a year by. The removal of embedded soils and spots refreshes the appearance of your carpet while ridding the fibers of abrasive materials.
The stain resistant treatment applied by the carpet manufacturer will wear off...especially in the traffic areas. To maintain your warranty, have the stain resistant treatment re-applied each time you have your carpet cleaned.
No Casters
A physical exercise device has been advertised on televisions that employs casters or wheels. And, in the advertisement, the person demonstrating the device rolls it back and forth over carpeting in the exercising process.
Rolling wheels or casters of any type or size (from desk chairs, roller skates to wheelchairs) over carpeting produces a rippling effect in the carpet backing. In time, repeating this practice will cause the backing to separate, ruining the carpeting. When wheels are unavoidable, the carpeting should be not be installed over pad but glued directly to the sub-floor.
Of course, with desk chairs, the problem can be eliminated by simply placing a desk-chair pad between the chair and the carpeting but this option is not without a downside.
Flood Prevention
Generally by mid October, the overnight temperature drops below zero; the lawn mowing is done for another year and most of the yard work has been completed. Alas there is but one last small, but important, chore to do!
Turn off the flow of water to the outside faucets, and then open the valve on the outside to drain the water from the valve. This will prevent freezing. Also check to ensure that there is adequate insulation surrounding the pipe connections at the outside wall, since this is where they usually burst.
This is also a good time to drain the garden hose prior to storage.
Since more and more homes have sump pumps, Fall is also a great time to check and ensure proper operation of the pumps...come Spring it will be too late to avoid a flood.
Since most pumps have automatic float switches, checking operation is easy. Simply raised the float ball and the pump should start to run. Should it not work, unplug the automatic switch adapter and plug the pump cord directly into the wall and lift the float ball again, if the pump runs, replace the auto-switch.
If the pump doesn't run, either the float switch or the pump itself may require replacement. Both of which are available at Revy.
This 10 minute check could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in flood clean up charges come spring.
Sick House
Is Your Home Making Your Family Sick?
Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health, but may not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant effects. The EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 5 times, and on occasion more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because it is estimated that most people spend as much as 80% of their time indoors.
Over the past several decades, our exposure to indoor air pollutants is believed to have increased due to a variety of factors, including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation rates to save energy, the use of synthetic building materials and furnishings, and the use of chemically formulated personal care products, pesticides, and household cleaners.
In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.
Poor indoor air quality is a leading cause of allergies in humans and pets. Allergies are an over reaction of the immune system to foreign substances. This over reaction weakens your immune system, draining your energy and leaving you more susceptible to infectious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria.
Allergic reactions can range from mildly uncomfortable to life threatening, as in a severe asthma attack. Health experts are especially concerned about people with asthma. These people have very sensitive airways that can react to various irritants, making breathing difficult. The estimated number of people with asthma has risen over 59 percent since 1970. The number of related deaths has also increased.
The largest source of indoor air pollution is from the common household dust mite. In February, 1993, John W. Maunder, Ph.D., Director of the Medical Entomology Center at the University of Cambridge, UK, published a paper entitled "Carpets, House Dust Mites and Asthma" in which he states, "There is no longer room for serious doubt about the dominant role of the house dust mite in both the initial induction of asthma and in the subsequent triggering of wheezy attacks".
Asthmatics are not allergic to living mites but to the airborne feces of mites and, to a much lesser extent, to dead mites. Dr. Maunder states that although living mites are difficult to remove from carpet, their feces are readily removed from carpets by proper cleaning. "A carpet regularly cleaned will not and cannot contain enough allergen to affect people. The proper maintenance of carpet completely prevents trouble from that source".
A recent study concludes that carpets may benefit indoor air quality by acting as a filter for indoor air, trapping and holding dust mites, pollutants, and allergens like pollen, pet dander and molds, which play an important role in allergic diseases. The key to maintaining good indoor air quality in a home is to remove these pollutants regularly.
As you can see, regular cleanings are important, not just to maintain the appearance of your carpets, but for hygienic reasons, as well; contaminants in your carpet that need to be removed on a regular basis.
Waiting until your carpet looks dirty is waiting too long. In fact, the EPA recommends having carpets and upholstery cleaned at least twice a year, more often if you have children or pets.
Properly cleaning your entire home can also go a long ways in the battle to control dust mites and other indoor pollutants. You cannot see a dust mite with the naked eye, (dozens of them will fit on the head of a pin) but you can help keep their favorite breeding grounds dry and clean.
Controlling dust is very important. Besides carpeting, dust mites also thrive in upholstered furniture and bedding. Vacuuming will not remove them, but will help to remove their waste by-products and other allergens. Make sure that you use a vacuum cleaner that filters the exhausted air. Get in the habit of vacuuming your carpets and furniture thoroughly, at least a couple of times a week.
Low Price Cleaning
Why does low priced carpet cleaning leave you shortchanged?
Low price carpet cleaning companies survive on two things:
Volume - which means book as many jobs as possible each day, get in and get out fast and hopefully complete all of the days bookings - if they show up on-time or miss a few customers oh well they tried.
Sales - hard sell as many extras as possible before angering the customer - if you don't buy into the extras they clean as fast as possible - maybe the next job will produce a high ticket price! If your cleaner isn't taking the time to pre-treat soiled areas, spot stains, and thoroughly rinse cleaning solutions and dirt from your carpet, then he's a salesman (not a technician) and you're being seriously shortchanged!
Employees: Low price cleaning companies cannot afford to pay wages that attract long term dependable employees. High employee turnover is common, and leads to poor quality work from under-trained employees that couldn't care less if you are satisfied with their work. After all what do you expect for $99.00!!!
Training: Low priced cleaning companies can barely afford to meet payroll and expenses let alone pay thousands of dollars each year to have each employee trained and certified by the IICRC. The IICRC (International Institute of Cleaning & Restoration Certification) is the industry standard for training - you as a consumer should only hire IICRC trained technicians; otherwise you�re being shortchanged.
Poor quality equipment: Low price cleaning companies must survive on slim profit margins. This often leads to equipment that's in disrepair and the use of cheap cleaning chemicals. If your cleaner is not using the finest in equipment and supplies, then you're being shortchanged.
Technology: Low price cleaning companies often don't have the time, money, or manpower to invest in cleaning technology. Carpet cleaning technology is constantly evolving with newer, better & safer products being introduced. If your cleaning company does not belong to trade associations, subscribe to industry journals, take part in seminars and trade shows, then in the end, you're being shortchanged.
Guarantees: We're all familiar with the saying, "a guarantee is only as good as the company behind it". If your cleaning company doesn't have a track record that says they'll be available today, tomorrow, and more importantly next year, to stand behind their work, you're being shortchanged.
Premature Replacement: The number one reason carpets are replaced prematurely is wear caused by inefficient cleaning. Poor cleaning leaves dirt and grit behind to act as an abrasive to carpet fibers. This leads to premature wear patterns and ugly traffic lanes. If you're replacing carpets for these reasons then poor cleaning is costing you many times more than you could ever hope to save by using a low price cleaner!
Carpet Warranties: If you bought new carpet (as of Jan. 2008) you must hire only IICRC technicians to clean your new carpet. Additionally the cleaning company must also abide by the new CRI rules regarding cleaning agents and equipment (equipment and cleaning agents must be tested and approved by the CRI) otherwise your carpet warranty is voided.
In this day & age quality and low price are two entities that rarely come as a pair. This statement could not be truer when it comes to carpet cleaning. Don't get shortchanged by low priced volume cleaning companies.
A wise man once said, "The sweet taste of a low price is gone long before the bitter taste of poor quality".
In the cleaning industry, this is known as the law of life. Simply put, the law of life in cleaning means, you get what you pay for.
Spot Cleaning Blood
Always pre-test the safety of any cleaning solution by applying several drops to an inconspicuous area (closet, under a couch) after 30 seconds rub gently with a clean white towel. Do not proceed if any carpet color transfers to the towel, or if the carpet's color changes. Should color transfer you need professional service.
Step 1: As soon as the injury is dealt with, blot up as much of the blood as you can using (a very absorbent poultice) Kleenex. Allow the Kleenex to absorb the blood at first and then gently blot - don't scrub since blood is heavier than water and will naturally go to the bottom of the carpet by itself. Rotate the Kleenex often so that a clean surface is always against the carpet. Continue to blot until no more blood transfers to the Kleenex. If already dried remove any solid material with a rounded spoon or the edge of a dull knife, vacuum then proceed to step 2.
Step 2: Using cold water only apply a few drops to the blood (this will help to dilute or to re-activate dried blood). Continue blotting the area with Kleenex until all of the (or no further) blood is removable from the carpet. The final step is to apply a fresh layer(s) of paper towel and weigh the towel with something that will not transfer color to the carpet or towel. Leave this in place for 30 minutes to remove any remaining moisture. Should more blood be absorbed by the final layers repeat step 2 until all blood has been successfully removed.
Should the carpet remain stained after repeating step 2, go to step three.
Step 3: Spotting the remaining stain in your carpet requires care and patience. You cannot apply most household cleaners to blood stains as it will most likely set the stain further. You will need more Kleenex and paper towels for this process; as well as several Q-Tips and a bottle of regular 3% household peroxide. (If your carpet is wool DO NOT apply peroxide - call us).
Pour a small amount of peroxide into a dish, dip the Q-Tip into the peroxide and then apply peroxide to the blood with the Q-Tip. The blood will begin to fizz (this is normal), allow fizzing for 10 seconds or so then absorb with a Kleenex. Repeat until all blood has been dissolved by the peroxide.
Step 4: Apply a fresh layer(s) of paper towel and weigh down with something that will not transfer color to the carpet or towel. Leave this in place for 30 minutes to remove any remaining spill/moisture. Should more blood be absorbed by the final layers repeat step 3 and 4 until all blood has been successfully removed.
Step 5: Should the peroxide fail to remove all of the blood (and the area is completely dry) place a few drops of regular (undiluted) white vinegar onto the blood stain and repeat set 2 using vinegar instead of water. What you might be dealing with is the iron and other metal compounds in blood at this stage and acids (like vinegar) will usually remove the remaining stain. This step is most often required when the blood has dried or someone has used hot water or a cleaning agent on the blood. Vinegar is safe to use on your carpet, however it may not be strong enough to deal with all metals in blood.
Should you have a persistent stain please call us for service. We may be able to offer further advice by phone, or if necessary, we'll dispatch a technician with a complete spotting kit to remove the stain. You may also wish to download the spotting chart for future use. It�s located here-> http://www.danscarpet.com/cleaning.htm
Carpet Protectors
The most common question I hear is: Do they work?
We recently cleaned carpet in a home that houses two adults, a teenager, and two dogs. The last time we cleaned their carpets 3M Scotchgard was applied to protect the carpets. It was amazing how easily the soil released itself from their carpet fibers on the last visit.
A carpet protector such as 3M Scotchgard cannot make soil, food or drink hover six inches above the carpet, but it does provide you with the necessary time to clean up a spill before it can become a permanent stain.
Protectors guard against two things - "Soiling" and "Staining". Does that mean that a protected carpet or sofa cannot be stained or become soiled? Of course not; protectors improve the release of spills, soils, and dust.
If coffee or a soda is spilled on a protected area and left unattended to dry, the dyes from these spills will eventually seep through the protector and may stain the fabric; however if the surface is immediately cleaned with an appropriate spotter or by a professional cleaner, the chances are very good that all of the spill will be removed. Dust and soils are easier to remove (from protected carpets) when vacuuming.
Protected fibers essentially have a barrier to lessen the entanglement of abrasive soil within a carpet...thus vacuuming is far more productive. This means you reduce the wear and tear and the abrasive effects of soil within your carpet. Hence, with routine maintenance it will last longer than un-protected carpet.
Are protectors perfect? No
Do they wear off? Yes
Do they need re-application? Yes
Can they increase the life span of carpet and fabrics? Yes
Do they keep your carpets or fabrics from ever getting dirty? NO
The bottom line is that carpet protectors give you an infinitely greater chance of cleaning soil or spills than you would otherwise have without a protector. Almost all new carpets now come with a protector to help prevent staining or premature wear.
Just as you apply wax to your cars' finish to protect it from the elements and keep it looking new so should you protect your carpets' finish by having a protector applied after it has been professionally cleaned. In addition to helping prevent staining, protectors help prevent soils from adhering to fibers which makes your normal vacuuming more productive.
While no protectant is bullet-proof they will allow you a window of time to remove spots and stains. By protecting the fibers from abrasive soils you will be rewarded with a longer over-all carpet life.
The spots were just
The first thing you should understand about carpet constructed of synthetic yarns-nylon, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene (Olefin)-is that they are solidified chemicals. In other words, when you apply cleaning agent to such carpeting, you are literally applying a chemical to a chemical. If a chemical reaction occurs, permanent yarn discoloration may result, which gives us our first rule in safe spot removal: Never use hard surface cleaners or laundry cleaners on carpeting. Use only cleaners designed for carpet. However, if your carpeting is "stain-resist" nylon, even more restrictions apply. What makes "stain-resist" nylon an exception?
Nylon is superior to all other synthetic yarns, save for one respect: It's more susceptible to permanent stains from fugitive, acid dyes. Since most food dyes are acidic, this single weakness can become significant, especially in homes where people consume foodstuffs over carpeting. So, to help control nylon's affinity for acid dyes, some fiber mills apply dye blocker to their nylon goods. Nylon carpeting, so treated, is called "stain-resist" nylon.
What is dye blocker? Dye blocker is a colorless dye applied to nylon for the sole purpose of "plugging" the dye sites-not unlike putting a cork in a bottle-rendering the yarn far less susceptible to discoloration from foreign, acidic dyes. However, dye blocker is prone to yellow when high pH cleaners are applied.
What is pH? pH is a symbol for percent hydrogen. And, the pH scale is a rating system for measuring acid and alkaline strength: The pH scale is numbered from zero to fourteen and is divided in the middle. Seven, the center point, is neutral-neither acid nor alkaline-and is the equivalent of distilled water. A rating that falls below 7 is an acid; above, an alkaline. As the rating descends from neutral 7-6, 5, 4-the stronger the acid becomes, with "zero" being the strongest acid possible. As the rating ascends-8, 9, 10-the stronger the alkaline becomes, with "fourteen" being the strongest alkaline possible.
Because of dye blocker's inclination to yellow when a strong, alkaline cleaner is applied, carpet and fiber mills do not recommend cleaners with a higher pH alkaline rating than 10. Some restrict the pH to 9.5.
How can I know what the pH is? Sometimes the pH is indicated on the container, but often, not. There are no laws requiring cleaning chemical manufacturers to indicate it. Avoid cleaners that don't specify pH strength. They could exceed the limitations.
While there are a few acid cleaners around, most, by far, are alkaline, because alkaline cuts soil more efficiently. Further, when one considers the very wide variety of soils that accumulate in carpeting (to say nothing of quantity) one can well imagine that chemical strength can influence soil cutting efficiency. Some cleaning chemical manufacturers will boost pH to increase efficiency, making the product unsafe for stain-resist nylon.
Can cleaning-agent yellowing be corrected?
Maybe; but there are too many variables to say for sure, for example, some people-even some professional cleaners-use carpet cleaning chemicals irresponsibly, operating in the belief that, if a little is good, a bunch is great! Consequently, they apply an excessive quantity that becomes virtually impossible to retrieve. (Add water, you get suds. Add more water, you get more suds.) When the cause is un-removable, the problem is unsolvable. In this instance, the discoloration is permanent. When a minimal quantity of a strong cleaner has been applied, it may be possible to restore the carpet color if you call Dan's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning.
Carpet or hard-surface flooring?
The answer might surprise you. Many homeowners are learning how expensive shortsightedness can be. However, many others still don't know the whole story: For roughly 10 years, the popularity of hard-surface floors were abounding as carpet sales dropped. However, for the last three years, carpet sales have been on the rise again. Why the turnaround?
The two primary reasons many people went to hard surfaces were:
Ease of maintenance. Sweep it, mop it, and forget it - so they thought. And with hard surfaces, they no longer had to endure the ugly, dirty pathways associated with carpeting.
Once hard surfaces were installed, they no longer had to be concerned with replacing them, at least not for a very long time.
So, the additional expense seemed worth it. However, once they had spent far more money (than carpet) buying stone, ceramic tile, hardwood and other hard surface types, many people found that their insights were not all that insightful: They discovered that:
Hard surface floors accumulate soils just like carpeting. They found that many hard surface types were just as difficult (if not more) to clean than carpet. Simply mopping the floors didn't remove the ugly dirt that had collected in crevices and grout lines.
They now had a noise pollution problem in their homes. Quieter, previously-carpeted rooms suddenly became nosier because hard surfaces didn't absorb sound.
The likelihood of physical injuries from falls was greater, having no carpet and pad, no softness under foot, to fall upon. And they found that there were more falls from coming indoors with damp shoe leather on rainy days. Children and the elderly were injured most commonly.
There were no excessively soiled carpet pathways, however now the soils were distributed equally all over the house.
Indoor air quality had dropped, and allergy problems increased significantly. Air currents created by foot traffic and air handling systems stirred settled dust back into the air, while carpeting did a better job of holding it in place. They found that they couldn't sweep their hard surfaces but had to mop, because sweeping stirred dust into the air.
Due to this; flooring maintenance increased from a weekly vacuum of carpets to a daily need to sweep or swiffer the hard surface flooring. Additionally costs to maintain air ducts and filters also increased.
When it became time to have a professional deal with hard floor cleaning or restoring they also discovered that the costs of such procedures were much higher than maintaining carpeting.
While their hard surfaces endured longer than carpet; when people got bored of the same decor changing out the expensive hard surface flooring was going to be a costly venture. Yes, they could buy new furniture and drapes but these new furnishing somehow didn't look all that new in a room with old floors (that they were tired of looking at but had spent untold thousands more to install or replace compared to carpeting).
In hind-sight it appears that carpeting offers far more advantages than hard surfaces, which explains the increase in carpet sales. Still, it's also obvious that hard or soft there is no final solution to the floor-maintenance problem.
We must accept the fact that whatever covers the floor has to be cleaned and should be cleaned properly. Further, proper maintenance is no job for a "handyman". It requires knowledge, expertise, and caring. We have the knowledge. We have the expertise and we care about your home! Pleasing you is our business purpose. We're here for you.
How Carpet Effects Allergies
Don't Toss 'em They're Awesome! The science of indoor air quality is very interesting and relatively new. In the past, the focus was on the quality of the outside air and the interest was in lowering emissions of all types into the air.
Since we now spend more time indoors - an average of 90% of our time - indoor air quality has become a concern to the EPA, as well as government and private health organizations.
Following the energy-saving efforts of the 70's and 80's, buildings and homes are now much more air-tight, leaving little opportunity for diluting the indoor air with fresh air from outside. Indoor air has thus become more polluted.
But what's the connection between indoor air quality and carpets? In the past, physicians recommended that their asthma and allergy-suffering patients remove carpeting from the home. It was erroneously thought that carpeting exasperated their conditions. Recently, the EPA performed a study of hundreds of homes, schools and office buildings and concluded that the choice of carpeting as a floor covering was actually beneficial in the fight against asthma and allergies. When scientifically tested, the air in the �breathing zone� above carpets was found to contain fewer allergens than the air above hard surfaces.
Carpet tends to collect and hold the allergens out of the air, where they remain, until the carpet is vacuumed or professionally cleaned. In contrast, allergens that settle on hard surface flooring tend to be redistributed to the breathing zone with normal foot traffic or the simple act of running a broom over the flooring surface.
One unfortunate result of the EPA's study is that we now know that many families removed carpeting from their homes in an effort to reduce allergy symptoms, only to find that they gained no improvement in their conditions. Their carpeting was an asset, rather than a detriment, to the quality of their indoor air.
In concluding that carpeting is a benefit to indoor air, the EPA now recommends that carpeting be cleaned at least every 6 months - in most homes - to rid the carpeting of these allergens. A carpet that is not regularly maintained has a reduced ability to collect indoor air pollutants.
Tips for Reducing Indoor Allergens
Following, are some tips for reducing indoor allergens in your home and specifically, in your carpeting - helping you to keep your 'home sweet home' a healthy one for you and your family:
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! This cannot be stressed enough. You should vacuum at least twice a week, more often if you have pets.
Vacuuming helps rid your carpeting of dust, dust mite feces, animal hair and dander, human hair and dead skin, mold spores, dead bugs and abrasive sand and soil. Make sure that you use a vacuum cleaner that has a high efficiency HEPA filtering system and ensure that the brush setting is low enough to agitate the carpet fibers.
Don't sweep your hard surface flooring. Sweeping redistributes allergens into the air. Vacuuming your floors, followed by a damp mop or swiffer, will help keep the air your family breathes cleaner.
Adopt a no shoes policy in your home; this will keep outdoor pollutants from entering the main areas of your home. You may also consider adding an air-scrubber as this machine will continually circulate the air in your home through the air filters, removing airborne particulates. Make sure that you change the filter often. Also consider using high-efficiency HEPA air filters in the furnace and adding filters to the intake and output ducts to further reduce circulation of contaminants.
Follow these simple tips, and not only will you have a healthier home, but your carpeting will last longer also.
Pet stains/odors
Pet Stains and Odors
Although you may not be aware of the odors caused by pets urinating on the carpet right now...come Spring when the temperature and humidity rise you will be!
Due to lower humidity levels during winter months the urine salts present in carpet simply do not have enough moisture to generate bacteria, thus there is little or no odor. The lack of moisture however will soon change with the arrival of warmer temperatures, and so will the odor causing bacteria that are presently dormant.
I'm sure you have tried in vain to clean up areas, but nothing seems to work on the odor problem. There is help! By treating the urine deposits with our specially formulated digester, these nasty urine odor problems will disappear for good.
Finding urine can be a bit tricky since not all carpets actually have the telltale yellow stains. Since most of the urine is located under the carpet this further complicates finding the source of urine odors. I do however have a system designed to find the urine so that it can be treated from the surface of the carpet. An inspection using this system also reveals the magnitude of an existing urine problem so that the appropriate treatment can be employed. For the most part simple injections of the digesters are enough to cure the problem of the odor. In extreme cases the carpet as a whole must be treated or replaced along with the underlay. Each situation is different so individual assessments are required prior to starting any odor treatments.
The stains themselves are also a concern and may involve different remedies or repairs. In a lot of cases the digesters also remove the yellow stain. However since urine can damage carpet and fabric dyes permanently other solutions will have to be considered. One option is re-dying the area.
Our technicians rid carpets of odor causing bacteria and restore a healthy environment. Our process does not temporarily mask pet odors, but removes the contamination, guaranteeing no offensive odors will return.
Now I cannot guarantee that your pet will never pee on the carpet again, but I can guarantee that the treated spot will not emit urine odor any longer. Off gassing urine is a potentially serious health issue, (especially if it is feline urine and there is a pregnant woman in the home), and should be rectified immediately.
http://www.danscarpet.com/cleaning.htmBerbers
Berbers (the truth):
Berber carpets are very popular; this is in part due to the affordability of this type of carpet. The other part is that many carpet retailers are promoting this style of carpet as being tough as nails and that it will wear like iron. Truth be told, it simply is not true.
Olefin (polypropylene) fibers make up the majority of this type of carpet. (A small amount of nylon is used to add fullness).
Olefin fibers are the least resistant to the effects of gritty soils and high traffic and the abrasive properties of soils actually cut and scratch carpet fibers, which leads to matting, crushing, and a grey/dingy appearance in the traffic lanes. This is called shading...it simply means that the cuts and scratches on the fibers are refracting the light into the carpet (as opposed to reflecting light to your eyes), thus creating its own shadow effect. This is also the number one reason that Berber carpets have that worn look, even after six months.
Now for some technical stuff: since olefin is dyed while it is in a liquid state (prior to being extruded into a useable fiber) it is resistant to staining. This method of dyeing solution dyeing) also allows for better color retention. Olefin is also non-absorbent, and extremely resistant to chemicals. Being non-absorbent, olefin carpets are prone to wicking. When spillage occurs on olefin carpets, the liquids pass right through the carpet and into the backings, under pad and sub-floor areas. So when you clean up a spill, it usually reappears once the area has dried. The moisture used to clean up a spill can actually cause old spills to wick to the surface along with any soil that has accumulated under the carpet. This wicking action also occurs when improper professional cleaning (over wetting) is performed, the deep soils, simply wick back to the surface during the drying process. It is easily avoided when a technician takes their time.
I usually advocate cleaning at a lower psi and adding extra dry passes to ensure that wicking does not occur. Berber carpets do require more maintenance due mainly to the trapping effects of the looped pile. Soils and contaminants that are entangled within a loop cannot be vacuumed out easily. Therefore the carpet appears to be some what clean, but the trapped soils are destroying the carpet from the under side of the loops. Increased vacuuming is required, simply to maintain a Berber carpet between professional cleanings. I usually recommend that vacuuming be done from at least two directions, and that traffic lanes be vacuumed slowly. Always use a power-head with a rotating brush.
The best thing you can do is to consider cleaning your high traffic Berber every six months.
Olefin also has a low heat threshold, which means that it will melt at very low temperatures. Simply dragging the sofa across the carpet may be enough to melt the fibers with this small amount of friction. Olefin also has an affinity for oils, so installing olefin near garage entries or kitchen areas is not advisable. The sad thing about olefin is this...because of its low melting point; oil is actually used during the construction phase...the needles used to punch the carpet fibers through the backing material are actually lubricated with oil. This oil is only removed from the expensive Berber carpets, and the less expensive styles do not get complete (if any) rinsing before they are shipped to a retailer. (Hmmm, nothing like adding oil to a fiber that loves oil).
Your best defense...buy nylon carpets. Yes they are available in Berber style, yes they do cost more...but nylon is more resistant to gritty soil abrasion and will last longer. The down side is that they are easily stainable and may loose some color over time, nothing a good protectant cannot overcome.
Allergies/carpet filter
CLEANING YOUR CARPET FILTER! :
My carpet doesn't have a filter, does it? Well not really, but it does function like one. For reasons I'll explain later this filtering is very beneficial. Have you ever thought about what is really being collected, tracked through and spilled into your carpet?
The most common household pollutants are; dirt, dust, pollens, stearic acid, hair, pet dander, asphalt, sand, smoke residues, hydrocarbons, mites, fleas, dead skin, dead mites & fleas, tar, bacteria, foods, drinks, fungus, and sometimes viruses. Quite a few eh! The hydrocarbons come from outdoor pollution and your gas appliances, the stearic acids come from cooking food. How many of these common, everyday pollutants would you say are not in your carpets and upholstery this very minute? Not a pleasant thought is it.
You might say...not my carpets, they look clean. Perhaps, but carpets are designed to hide soil from your eyes, keeping it trapped below the surface, where it does the most harm. Not convinced? Do a little test. Place a new bag inside your vacuum, thoroughly vacuum all of your carpets. When done remove the bag and cut it open and take a look at what was inside your visually clean carpet Now considering that all of this disgusting stuff is in your carpet, and more is being brought in everyday, eventually the carpet will become full. As you walk across your full carpet you re-distribute the dust and pollutants back into the air that you and your family breathe. As a result of being full, your carpets will also begin appear visibly dirty. This visual soil may take upwards of 1 to 2 years before it finally shows itself, by then it has done alot of damage to your carpet, and has contributed greatly to having poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).WHAT CAN BE DONE ?
Well for starters you really should clean your carpets more often. Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer, recommends that you professionally steam clean your carpets every 6 to 12 months, just to maintain the warranty. Comprehensive scientific studies have proven that by simply cleaning your carpets, you will drastically improve the indoor air quality of your home, making it a healthier place to be for you and your family.
Consider this...most of us wear our clothing once and then place it into the laundry for washing, yet our carpets and upholstery go unwashed for as much as 1 to 3 years or more. Can you imagine wearing the same pair of socks for a week, let alone 1 to 3 years? Your carpets subjected to far more pollutants on a daily basis than a pair of socks, yet most of us do not clean their carpet regularly.
View your carpets for what they are, a soft, warm, cozy comfortable pollution filters, that requires regular maintenance and cleaning. Ideally, in addition to frequent vacuuming and spot cleaning, your carpets should be cleaned at least every 12 months. As mentioned at the beginning, the benefits of having a carpet filter in your home will result with less airborne dust and pollutants in your home.
A simple comparison two identical homes, with the same number of family members and traffic patterns, one has carpet throughout and the other has tile and wood floors only. With or without the furnace running, which house would you say has better indoor air quality? If you said the house with tile floors, you'd be incorrect. Why? Without the benefit of a carpet to trap the indoor dust and pollutants, they would re-circulate constantly throughout the house. More so if the furnace was operating. All of these circulating pollutants contaminate the breathable air mass. Sure the tiled house does not have the expense of professional carpet cleaning, but they do have to sweep, vacuum, dust and swiffer every daily to keep up with the dust and pollutants constantly circulating through the house.
Keep up on the dry particulate soil by investing in an efficient vacuum cleaner. Those new Dyson vacuums are very good machines and are affordably priced. They also come with a HEPA filter to capture the very small particles that normally go right through most vacuums and back into the room. By frequently and thoroughly vacuuming your carpets you can remove as much as 70% of the soils and pollutants that exist inside your carpets. The remaining 30% is usually trapped within the fibers or has been bonded to the sticky, wet soils�thus the need for steam cleaning.
The KEY to carpet longevity is through maintenance.
You Are What You Eat!:
Some years ago, a dietician made a comment that became somewhat popularized: "You are what you eat". It seems to me that it would be more accurate to say that our physical condition is the result of what we consume through our mouths, our lungs, and our skin.
Every aspect of our environment impacts us, not just the content of our refrigerators. The problem is, while we may reduce our saturated fat intake, we often don�t think about the toxins in our homes or what they may be doing to us.
Busy with all the demands on our time, we don�t notice that our floors and furniture are accumulating contaminants.
Yes. Contaminant is the right word, because contaminants are what are building up day after day. The problem is that we don't see our soiled furnishings as "contaminated".
News reports say that we spend billions of dollars yearly on healthcare. "The reason that we spend so much on health care is because pollution is coming into our homes but we're not cleaning it out." Says Dr. Berry - a deputy director in the EPA. Dr. Berry also says that we "spend no more than .05% of our income on cleaning".
I know that Dr. Berry is right, because many people who call us for service haven't had their carpets cleaned in years - anywhere from 3 to 6 years, as a matter of fact. Occasionally, we get calls from people who haven't cleaned them in a decade.
I was talking with a professional friend recently, about an experience with one of my clients that explains why many people don't clean nearly as often as they should. A lady had arranged for me to meet her at a pre-owned home she had purchased. "I'd like you to help me evaluate the condition of the carpeting. I don't know if it needs cleaning or not"; she said. As we walked around from room to room, the lady suddenly commented, "I don't think the carpet is too bad, but I still want it cleaned. If it were my dirt, I wouldn't worry about it".
What was she saying? "My dirt is cleaner than your dirt". She clearly had no idea what "my dirt" contains, to say nothing of the health threats in it.
Allergies? This Mite Be An Answer!:
In February, 1993, John W. Maunder, Ph.D., Director of the Medical Entomology Center at the University of Cambridge, UK, published a paper entitled 'Carpets, House Dust Mites and Asthma' in which he states, "There is no longer room for serious doubt about the dominant role of the house dust mite in both the initial induction of asthma and in the subsequent triggering of wheezy attacks".
Asthmatics are not allergic to living mites but to the airborne feces of mites and, to a much lesser extent, to dead mites. Dr. Maunder states that although living mites are difficult to remove from carpet, their feces are readily removed from carpets by proper cleaning. "carpet regularly cleaned will not and cannot contain enough allergen to affect people. The proper maintenance of carpet completely prevents trouble from that source". As you can see, regular cleanings are important; mainly for hygienic reasons. There are contaminates in your carpet that need to be removed on a regular basis. Waiting until your carpet looks dirty is waiting too long!
Carpet protection tips
You can drastically prolong the beauty of your carpeting and greatly improve the healthful quality of your home environment if you:
1) Don't wear dirty, grease-laden, abrasive shoes upon your carpeting.
2) Don't consume foodstuffs over it. Food crumbs and beverage drippings not only increase the soiling rate but also provide food for biological contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses and mold.
3) Don't permit house pets to excrete body waste on your carpet.
4) Keep it vacuumed well, and
5) Have it professionally cleaned by a properly trained technician on a regular basis.
Remember: Carpeting, like clothing, is a textile product that requires proper care. Abusing it will cause permanent, visible damage.
Testimonials
Debbie Laine
" Excellent work, very efficient. I would definitely recommend Dan's Carpet Cleaning to anyone, anytime. I never thought the kitchen carpet would come that clean."
Mrs. Olga Lens
" Very prompt service, very good work Dan has an excellent knowledge of fabrics"
Doreen Gratton (Store Manager)
"Although you charge a little more than other companies, the service you provided was second to none. My carpets have never looked better and you are the only carpet cleaner that has ever shown up on time. From now on you are the only carpet cleaner I will use".
Karen Klak
" Amazing - more expensive but it was definitely worthwhile. The extra care taken to get the job done made for a pleasant cleaning experience. I will happily refer your company".
Carrie Penner
"He did a great job, very thorough. He responded fast and is very friendly and knowledgeable. Dan was very helpful. Why aren't all cleaners like this."
John Smith
"Nice and Clean. Very prompt service. Dan was most accommodating with the short notice we gave him. My carpets look beautiful. "
Wendy Grahl (Business Owner)
" I have been dealing with Dan's since 1997 and have always received excellent service. This knowledgeable, personal service counts the most with me. When we moved into our new home, we called Dan on very short notice, somehow he arrived to save the day."
Monica Murdoch (Dental Hygienist)
" Dan is a wealth of information, he supplied me with tips on how to care for the carpets, hardwood floors and even had suggestions on the best vacuum. In addition to all of this he removed doggy stains that I was sure would be permanent."
Debbie Pearson
" Over-all Dan's does a very thorough job and is always on time. I was glad to see that all of the dog spots and stains were removed. I got what I paid for�an excellent job, thanks Dan."
Doreen Zuk
" Dan's comes at a time that suits me, and is on time and very thorough. The last cleaners we used left a muddy mess, but Dan's effectively cleaned our carpets, the first time."
Sharon Maclean (Publisher)
"My overall opinion is that you are talented, and the work is wonderful! I specifically like the cleaner air after a cleaning. Compared to other cleaners I've had, you're the best."
Colleen Mellott
"I was very impressed by your honest and knowledgeable recommendations for my carpets. Prompt and Professional service is something that I value, in addition to the effective cleaning of my carpets."
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