How to Clean Up a Spill

Step 1

Cover spill with a WHITE napkin or paper towels. DO NOT use colored paper! It might transfer onto the carpet. Be sure to use a THICK stack to absorb as much of the spot as possible.

Step 2

Blot by stepping on the stack of towels. REPEAT THIS PROCESS UNTIL NO TRANSFER TAKES PLACE. Do not rub!!

Step 3

Apply spotting agent. Warning: Do not use over-the-counter spot removers! They can leave a sticky residue that attracts soil and may discolor your textiles. Instead, call us to find out what spotters we recommend.

Step 4

REPEAT steps 1 and 2. If the spot does not come out, do NOT attempt any further action, as you may set the spot and/or damage your textiles. Instead, give us a call. Do not over-wet the spot. Keep blotting until dry to the touch.

Why Spots Return After Your Cleaning?

Have you ever wondered why spots return after having your carpet cleaned? There are two reasons why spots return.

Reason 1: Wicking

Many times, the spot that is being removed has seeped into the backing of the carpet. This is common with pet urine, beverages, and anything spilled in “volume.” The material dries in the backing and in the cushion (pad) of the carpet. When the spot is cleaned, only the material in the “pile” of the carpet is removed. However, moisture is introduced into the backing of the carpet. As the spot dries, the material in the backing of the carpet “wicks” back into the pile of the carpet much like wax into a candlewick.

Even traffic area soil that is embedded can wick back. This is especially common in glued-down carpet that is heavily impacted with soil. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good. When it dries, the spots and traffic area soil come back.

The good news is if a spot actually wicks back, it can be removed. When you spot clean, place a folded white terry cloth towel over the spot just after you clean it while the spot is still moist. Place a heavy object on top of the cloth. Be sure to use a non-porous object that won’t transfer color onto the carpet. For example, a paper book cover could transfer color. Use a brick, a planting pot, or something like that.

When you have our carpet cleaned professionally, be sure to point out spots that have wicked back in the past so they can be treated properly.

Reason 2: Re-soiling

Resoiling is caused by a sticky residue that has been left behind. The residue may be from the spot itself, the cleaner that was used, or both. Some common residue causes are over-the-counter carpet cleaners purchased at the grocery store. Avoid using these cleaners altogether. If you have to use one of these cleaners or you have to use dishwashing detergent, use as little as possible and rinse with water thoroughly.

Other residue causes are oily spots, duct tapes body oils, lotions, and other sticky or oily substances. If the entire oily residue is not removed, it will attract soil as the carpet is walked on. Even quality professional cleaning may not remove all oily residues the first time.

Schedule an appointment with one of our consultants today! 907 349-0911

How Do I Best Care for My Carpet?

There is much discussion in our industry about how often carpeting should be cleaned. Surely you have heard “wait as long as you can before you clean your carpet” or “once you’ve cleaned your carpet, it’s never the same.”

These widely used comments have stemmed from unfortunate encounters with uninformed cleaners who have left the carpet with an overload of detergent residue. The unfortunate consumer has assumed this will happen with all carpet cleaning and resolved to wait until the carpet is in dire straits before cleaning it.

The good news is that properly cleaned carpet will not re-soil quickly and will actually last longer. Why? Because damaging soils are removed with effective carpet cleaning. Soil that is not removed by vacuuming, even though it can rarely be seen by the naked eye, cuts and slices the carpet fibers as the carpet is walked on, breaking down the carpet yarns in the traffic areas. The result is that even with restorative cleaning at that point it will not correct the damage that has been done to the fiber. Not to mention that a carpet that is not cleaned on a regular basis is an unhealthy carpet. Carpet is like a sink. It collects pollens, insecticides, exhaust, and other undesirable substances that get tracked in or blow in from the polluted outdoors. Carpet manufacturers state that a residential carpet should be professionally cleaned at least every 18 to 24 months for best performance. More often if pets and/or children are present and perhaps more often if you are a smoker. The EPA published a guide that suggested regular cleaning frequencies based on the number of occupants and other factors.

In short, a carpet that is maintained on a regular basis will not only last longer but will also provide a healthier indoor environment. Your carpet represents a significant investment. Just like any investment, maintenance is required to get the best return on it. Think about your automobile. You change the oil in your vehicle so the engine will last longer, to avoid costly repairs, and to get top performance from it. The same is true for your carpet, or any floor covering for that matter. By properly maintaining your carpet it will look better, last longer, and contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

Soil is corrosive by nature. It breaks down the fibers of your textiles. Soil that cannot be removed by vacuuming bonds to the carpet; it can then only be removed by professional cleaning. Even though your floors and fabrics may look clean, that doesn’t mean they are clean. Especially if you have pets or children. Soils, pollens, bacteria, asphalt, insecticides and all sorts of invisible enemies are transferred to your furnishings daily. Not to mention the unmentionable: urine or fecal matter (I know that’s yucky!)

Every day “environmental oils” attract abrasive soils. Carpeted traffic areas coming from the kitchen collect cooking oils. Sofa arms collect body oils, and hard surface floors collect film from cleaning agents. The grit then eats away at the surface like sandpaper. The solution is to have your carpets, upholstery, draperies, and hard surface floors cleaned at least every 12 months; more often in high traffic areas.

You have probably heard that cleaning your carpets and floors too often is harmful. This is simply not true IF your floors and fabrics are cleaned according to proper standards. This myth came from uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous cleaners leaving a sticky residue behind, which made the attraction to harmful soils worse instead of better.

Why Didn’t Carpet Protector Work?

If you had carpet protector applied in the past, and it didn’t work, here is why.

Four Mistakes other Cleaners Make in Applying Carpet Protector:

1. Not using high-quality protector.

Discount protectors are not as effective and sometimes void the warranty of the carpet. Use only the highest quality recommended protectors.

2. Not using a dedicated container.

Using the same container for carpet protector and for cleaners can contaminate the carpet protector, making it gummy and ineffective. Our vans have a dedicated container reserved only for carpet protector.

3. Not applying the product properly.

Some cleaners either under-apply or over-apply the protector.

4. Not grooming the carpet.

For the best performance, the product should be groomed into the carpet for maximum penetration. This ensures contact with all surfaces of the carpet yarn and proper distribution and drying. Our company thoroughly grooms the protector into the carpet pile.

What happens if I don’t apply carpet protector?

Five Things for You to Avoid:

 1. More permanent stains.

A great-looking carpet can be ruined by an ugly spot. Unprotected carpet doesn’t repel spillage as well as protected carpet. Being able to remove spots and spills more effectively avoid permanent staining.

2. “Uglied-out” traffic lanes.

Traffic area soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This damaging soil can easily bond to an unprotected carpet. By applying protector, you will increase the life of your carpet dramatically. When you vacuum your protected carpet, the soils will release from the carpet pile much more effectively.

3. Difficult spot removal.

The easier a spot is to remove, the less cleaner you will have to use, the less agitation you will have to use, and the less time it will take. With protected carpet, many spots can be removed easily with just water or the free spot remover we provide you with.

4. Next professional cleaning not effective.

Because of the first three items in the list, not having protector can reduce the effectiveness of your next cleaning. Having protector applied to your carpet will enhance your next cleaning. More soil will be removed the next time your carpeting is professionally cleaned.

5. Costly service calls.

Although you want to call us out to handle any spot you cannot remove immediately, carpet protector helps you remove more spots than you could without protector. You may be able to save a minimum charge by remove the spot yourself.

Here’s the answer to the question of whether to have carpet protector applied: You should always get carpet protector on nylon or wool carpet. Olefin carpet can even benefit the abraded areas. So, make it your goal to always get carpet protector applied when having professional cleaning done.

Should I Use a Carpet Protector?

Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion about capret protectors in our industry. Untrianed and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners give out false information, and in the worst cases, intentionally misrepresent the product.

WARNING: The protector that was in your carpet may be gone, leaving you exposed!

A nylon stain-resistant carpet is made with two protective properties: the first is an acid dye blocker that is basically a clear dye that fills the extra dye sites in a fiber, This helps to keep “foreign” dyes (such as red dye in a beverage) from penetrating the carpet fiber. The second property is called a fluorochemical. Two commonly used fluorochemicals are 3M Scotchgard™ or DuPont™ Teflon®. This treatment helps keep spillage from actually getting to the acid dye blocker, but its biggest job is to resist dry soil.

By resisting dry soil, less soil bonds to the carpet, therefore more dry soil is picked up by your vacuum or cleaning. Making sure that you have a sufficient amount of protector on your carpet will help keep the soil from bonding to the carpet. Once it bonds to the carpet, it acts like sandpaper on your traffic area. Once the traffic area yarns are broken down, there is no way to bring them back to their original state.

Two Primary Ways that Factory Protector is Removed from a Carpet

1. Regular Foot Traffic

Over a period of six months to two years, depending on the traffic, a significant amount of carpet protector can be removed from your traffic areas and needs to be reapplied.

2. High-alkaline Cleaner

Many cleaners use harsh chemicals on the carpet; those chemicals will strip your carpet’s factory protection. If you have had your carpet cleaned in the past, there is a good chance the cleaner removed a significant amount of protector. It needs to be reapplied.

Should you go with dry cleaning vs. steam cleaning?

Is one method better than the other? Are these even the right terms? Well, as usual, these terms only hint at part of the issue at hand. Both “dry” and “steam” are incomplete and inaccurate terms. Neither are technical terms that properly describe carpet cleaning methods.

There are actually four methods of carpet cleaning approved by the lICRC, the world’s most recognized body of certification for carpet and upholstery cleaners.

Method 1

Hot Water Extraction

Otherwise known as “steam cleaning,” hot water extraction is the pro-probably familiar with. Hot water extraction is the process most people are familiar with. Hot water extraction is the correct technical term, not steam cleaning. Actual steam is not used at all. A hot water solution is produced and immediately recovered, creating a “flushing” action on the carpet.

The smallest portable machine rented at the grocery store could be called a “steam cleaner,” but a powerful truck-mounted machine is obviously more capable of doing a thorough cleaning job.

However, the biggest and most important difference is in the person cleaning the carpet. A trained technician will know what pressure to use, what cleaning products to use, and how to get maximum soil removal and maximum spot removal without over-wetting the carpet or leaving sticky residue behind. The horror stories of carpet being wet for days are due to operator error, not because “steam” or hot water extraction caused it.

Hot water extraction applied properly will remove more soil than any other method. Further, anything that has seeped into the backing such as coffee, other beverages or urine can be “flushed out” with hot water extraction. This method can also be used in lightly soiled and maintenance situations as it is very versatile.

Method 2

Absorbent Pad

Also known as bonnet cleaning, this method employs a round pad that spins across the surface of the carpet, absorbing the soil. A solution is applied to the carpet or the pad to aid in releasing soils. This is a method that some may classify “dry cleaning” although water-based products are used in almost all “dry cleaning” systems; therefore, the term dry cleaning is not technical and would not be desired. Absorbent pad cleaning is not a deep-cleaning method. It should only be used to clean lightly soiled carpet and upholstery.

Method 3

Dry Compound

This method uses a powder that has been treated with detergents, water, and solvents. The powder compound is sprinkled on the carpet and a brush with cylindrical brushes is used to work the powder into the carpet pile. The solution in the powder releases the soil. The soil is then absorbed into the absorbent powder. This method should only be used to clean lightly soiled carpet and upholstery, and for maintenance cleaning.

Method 4

Shampoo or Dry Foam

In this method, a shampoo or foam is generated and worked into the carpet with a rotary brush or cylindrical brush machine. The shampoo or foam releases the soil. The soil is then vacuumed with the machine or allowed to dry and removed with a conventional vacuum cleaner. When using shampoo, great care should be taken to avoid leaving a sticky residue on the carpet. This method should only be used to clean lightly soiled carpet and upholstery and for maintenance cleaning.

7 Questions to Help You Choose a Good Carpet Cleaner

Question 1: What kind of reputation do they have?

We always want to get the best work at the best price. However, many companies offer poor quality work and a good price. So, how do you choose a good carpet cleaner with so many options?

When selecting a professional carpet cleaning company you three choices:

• Choose a carpet cleaner that has a low, too-good-to-be-true price

You’ll likely get the worst experience you ever imagined.

• Choose a “commodity” carpet cleaning company.

This is typically a high-volume company that does a lot of mass media advertising. They may not be the lowest, but their prices are “competitive.” The problem is they don’t train their staff very well and they skip vital steps in the cleaning process; that ends up costing YOU in the long run.

• Choose a reputable, experienced, certified carpet cleaning firm.

Choose a cleaning firm that measures up to the seven questions in this book. You will end up with a phenomenal cleaning job AND a pleasant service experience.

 The typical scenario with the first two types is to “bait” you with a low price, then “switch” you to their “dual scrub” or “deep clean” system. They proceed to soak your carpet and leave a soapy residue behind. Good luck getting them back again!

Beware cleaning low-priced carpet cleaning:

 If their price is truly low, you should be concerned about their quality. What are they leaving out? How can they pay their technicians a decent wage and have the best products and equipment at the lowest price?

 They can’t.

 Many companies advertise a low price then charge you more when they get there. Be clear about what is included and what is not.

 These so-called “cleaning” companies also happen to be the ones that don’t educate themselves or their employees. The result is that carpets and fabrics are ruined every day by uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners.

 They are facing soiling conditions they have never seen or heard of due to a lack of education. Or worse, they create a problem on a carpet or fabric, and they have no idea how to fix it. One example is they leave sticky residues in the carpet that cause the carpet or fabric to re-soil rapidly or to discolor.

 Top-notch education is readily available in our industry. There is no excuse for cleaners not to educate themselves (and provide a useful education to their clients). Part of the problem is that they have fallen into the trap of viewing cleaning as a commodity, and they can’t afford to educate themselves. Education is expensive, but ignorance can result in disaster on YOUR carpet!

 Our company invests a great deal in education. Not only do we spend thousands of dollars per year on education, we are heavily involved in our industry, which makes us well-connected with our industry leaders.

 This way, if a unique situation arises in the field, we have experts we a can call on thereby bringing the cutting edge of cleaning technology to you.

 Our industry provides courses in carpet cleaning, repair, fabric cleaning, marble and tile cleaning, area rug cleaning, customer service marketing, management, and other related courses.

 Many of the organizations offer certification programs that involve testing, and ethics requirements. There is a variety of opportunities to stay plugged into; trade publication, websites, bulletin boards, and more.

 We attend every course we can in order to bring you the very best. Many of these courses require travel across the U.S. and can, therefore, be quite costly. However, we believe, as fiber technology changes and as floor coverings become more complex, proper education becomes even more important.

 The bottom line is that you have a tremendous investment in your textiles and flooring systems and it is our duty to know how to best care for them. Understanding cleaning technology at the highest level helps to reduce cleaning residues and creates a healthier indoor environment by eliminating invisible germs and bacteria. It also empowers the cleaner to remove more soil, thereby creating a longer-lasting fabric or floor.

Mystery Shopper Experience Reveals Poor Customer Service and Inadequate Cleaning Systems:

 A reputable consulting firm in the carpet cleaning industry undertook a “mystery shop” of three very visible companies in the carpet cleaning industry. The findings shocked even us!

 The first company

 The first company that was called not only had horrible telephone manners but sent out the rudest, most unprofessional and uninformed crew you could imagine. They acted like they were being bothered the entire time they were there which was a total of 37 minutes! This crew did not pre-vacuum the carpet, didn’t pre-spot it and didn’t groom it.

 Even though the spots were not satisfactorily removed, the crew was unconcerned and unwilling to try harder. Their one-step method doesn’t even come close to meeting minimum standards of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Because the crew just brushed over the carpet with the cleaning tool, the soils returned before the day was even over!

 At the end of the job, our consultant was required to sign a lengthy document even though the company couldn’t clearly state any reasonable guarantee. And the company had stressed their guarantee to secure the job over the telephone.

 To top it off, these idiots never said thank you. Not even a smile the entire time proved that a customer was just another bother in their day. How sad.

The second company

 The second company sounded more promising at first. Their telephone courtesies were somewhat better but not anywhere near what they should be. This company gave us a 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. arrival window. At one O’Clock, the consultant called to check on the arrival time. “Toward the latter,” he was told.

 At 4:10 p.m. he called again. “The crew is still at their previous job They should be about an hour.

 At 5:10, still no crew. Another call revealed they were still at the previous job. When pressed, the operator said, “Well, their previous job went from two rooms to two houses.”

 “Oh, so you took on more work on your previous job and bumped me huh?” the consultant replied.

“Let me get the Operations Manager.”

 The so-called Operations Manager said, “It’s only 5:10!” insinuating they weren’t actually late. They couldn’t give a specific arrival time so our consultant canceled the job. If a company doesn’t care enough to communicate with the client, turn down extra work, and offer alternate arrangements for their clients, they don’t deserve the work, no matter how good they are. If you’re not there, you can’t very well do a good job, now, can you?

The third company

 The third company was better than the first two but was found to be very lacking for a company considered a “top” company. Booking the job was about as average as the other two. Incorrect information and ignorance ran throughout this experience. This company gave a two-hour window for arrival. They called the day before to confirm which was good. The morning of the appointment, they called to confirm the arrival time. Good.

 When the technician arrived, he was very nice. But due to his inexperience, that was not enough to get them more than a “C average.” He didn’t know anything about the carpet, although he claimed to have been around carpet for a long time. He was baffled and it was a basic nylon carpet! This technician pre-vacuumed the carpet, pre-sprayed the traffic area and rinsed. Upon completion, he requested a signature beside several cleaning steps that were not provided. When pressed, we got the tired, old “well I didn’t have it on the truck.’ Duh!

Both companies that actually made it to the job site had cleaning steps on their work order that they were unwilling to do. One step was grooming the carpet. In both cases the step was on the ticket (put there by their operational system to make sure they do it). Both blew it off as unimportant.

 Obviously any company has their bad days or days when employees just don’t want to perform. The scary part about these three companies is that they are very visible companies in the market they serve. The inadequacies and poor attitudes were obviously routine.

 At our company, we are extremely passionate about raising the standard of our industry. We commit to being courteous, to do our very best to show up on time, to educate you, to inform you, and to give your carpet the absolutely most thorough cleaning we possibly can. If we ever fail you on that, we will not only express deep regret and concern but will insist on refunding your money if we can’t satisfy you.