July 2008
How to Get More Carpet Cleaning for Your Dollar

Carpet is the best overall floor covering for your home for many reasons. In previous newsletters we have discussed the various reasons why which include cost, safety, sound absorption, insulation and your health. It is also important to protect this investment by getting the carpets cleaned on a regular basis. By cleaning on a regular basis, you also extend the life of your carpet and reduce the chances of having to spend your hard earned money on carpet replacement! Following are a few tips that help you get more value from your carpet cleaning service for your dollar:

1. Point out every spot you are concerned about. Tell the technician what the spot is. When we know what caused a spot, it is more likely that we can remove it.

2. Prepare your carpet to be cleaned. Remove the furnishings. Remove all breakables from the work area. Vacuum and clean the baseboards before we come.

3. Never be too shy to complain. I want you to rave about me to your friends, so call me with any concerns.

4. Have an open parking space as close as possible to your front door.

5. Sign up for a “Worry-Free” maintenance plan and receive guaranteed savings! Carpet manufacturers recommend our method of carpet cleaning (the truck-mounted hot water extraction system known as “steam cleaning”) be performed every 6 to 12 months to maintain the beauty and life of your investment. Also, one of the biggest things you can do to improve the indoor air quality of your home is to have the carpets cleaned regularly. If you have had your carpets cleaned within the last three months by Kansas Carpet Care and did not set up a 3, 4, 6, 9 or 12 month appointment, you can call our office to set up your next appointment. We will place you on a plan that gives you 10 to 20% off, based upon eligibility – guaranteed! The “Worry-Free” maintenance plan does NOT require that you set up a lengthy contract but gives you discounts for appointments you keep. Plus, you will get the date and premium appointment time you want, no matter how busy we are. We will also send you a postcard 2 to 3 weeks prior to your scheduled service to remind you of the service date and discount you will receive. Call our office TODAY for more information and to start saving!

May 2008 Feature
Water Damage Q&A!

Water is the single most powerful, destructive substance in the indoor environment. In home or office, it ruins carpeting, furniture and fabric, seeps through and under floors, rots wood, actually destroys the structural integrity and the building itself, and even lingering dampness can foster mold, mildew and a plethora of unhealthy microorganism growth.

Be Smart, Call A Specialist - Don’t Risk Your Home, Business And Furnishings With Do-It-Yourself Efforts Or  With Amateurs Who Do Damage Restoration As A “Sideline”...Too much can go wrong. Using improper drying techniques, temperature and humidity controls or equipment can ruin carpets and furniture, leave hidden dampness in place and cause costly secondary water damage, and lead to expensive replacement instead of restoration.

What Does A Water Damage Restoration Specialist Do?

1.  Responds to emergency calls immediately. We answer our phones live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! 2.  Instantly acts to stop the spread of water damage. Water damage spreads in all directions, outward in an ever-widening circle, down through materials, even up by soaking into fabrics. Containment of damage is the most important step to minimizing costs and minimizing the total time required to restore the entire site to its original condition.

3.  Acts quickly to eliminate safety and health hazards. A water damaged environment puts forth a variety of hazards, from electrical fires and slip-‘n-fall injuries to the spread of contagious viruses and disease.

4.  Extracts water, damaged materials and debris safely, economically and efficiently. The last thing you want at a water damage site is “amateur” bumbling around creating more damage while trying to remove goods and materials!

5.  Dries out the entire environment and the materials in the environment, with professional equipment. During the drying process, the site is monitored to maintain a proper balance of temperature and humidity. Proper drying techniques get the job done as quickly as possible without shrinking fabrics, other damage, leaving damp areas, etc.

6.  Restoration, combining comprehensive cleaning, stain and odor removal, fungus eradication, assists with coordinating reconstruction and replacement as needed.

What Happens When Water Damage Occurs?

As just MINUTES tick away on the clock…..the water contamination spreads in all directions. Paper goods, food on cupboard floors, etc. are all ruined as they absorb the moisture. Stains and dyes released from furniture stain carpet.

As HOURS tick away on the clock…..Furniture in direct contact with water soaks up water, swells, cracks, de-laminates and splits. Fabrics and carpets are stained. Sheetrock swells and comes apart. Bacterial-caused odors develop and infest all materials in the environment. Both the costs and complexity of resolving the damage rise as hours tick away.

If DAYS go by without an expert, comprehensive assault on the damage…..door and window casings swell, bow and delaminate. Moisture penetrates into floors and walls, pianos and organs, electronic devices. Metal begins to rust. Mildew and fungus begin growing. Musty and sour odors become permanently integrated with fabric fibers.

What Is “Secondary” Water Damage?

If restoration work is delayed or performed by inadequately trained people, the risk of costly secondary water damage is quite high! Secondary water damage can be hidden to the eye for weeks or months, but can continue to destroy the walls, floors or structural integrity of a building, foster microorganism growth unhealthy for humans and attractive to insects and other pests, and cause many other long-term problems.

Why is Professional Drying & Fast Response So Important?

Most indoor carpet, furniture, building materials such as plywood and drywall, etc. are designed for tolerance of “normal” indoor humidity…40% to 60% relative humidity. A flooded site, however, may have 90% relative humidity for days. Only through use of high velocity air movers, industrial size dehumidifiers and monitoring equipment, properly deployed by knowledgeable professionals, can this humidity be rapidly and safely reduced, substantially reducing damage and need for costly reconstruction or replacements.

March 2008
Has Your Carpet and Upholstery Take A Beating This Winter?

Winter is a difficult time for your carpet and upholstery. Constant traffic and hard use take their toll in excessive wear and tear on your furnishings. Unexpected spills, spots appearing as if by magic, PLUS...living creatures such as dust mites have been living and breeding in your couches, rugs and carpets since Summer. Don’t just take it from me though, here are some important facts you should know about what happens to your home, carpets and upholstery during the winter months:

FACT ONE: Sand brought in from the frigid outdoors is scratching your carpet. Each day I pull pounds and pounds of sandy soil out of the base of clients’carpets. It’s in yours too! Spread the yarns apart and look deep. It’s grinding your expensive yarns into worthless fibers that fill up your vacuum bag. Every moment you wait for cleaning, your carpet wears out faster!

FACT TWO: How do the traffic lanes feel? Oily residues from the street and air are drying to the carpet. Slightly sticky, they grab dirt and lock it on. Soils bond with the carpet through a process called “oxidation,” causing color change, and becoming permanently attached. If you wait too long, you are throwing away the key to unlocking dirt and oil from traffic lanes. The longer you wait between cleaning the more soil becomes permanent. Clean before traffic lanes show up!

FACT THREE: Is the air starting to smell stale? Great news! Pollutants in the air are filtered through your carpet. The carpet traps them so you don’t breathe them over and over. What happens when that trap gets full? Your family starts breathing dust mite debris, pollens, pollutants, fungus, spores, bacteria and a long list of other really gross stuff. Once your carpets natural filtering ability is full, it’s time for a thorough cleaning for your health’s sake.

It’s important to note that the sand, residues from the street and pollutants in the air also filter through your upholstery and mattresses. YUK! I know most everyone spends time on the couch watching college basketball and new releases on DVD in the winter so I’d bet you don’t want to know exactly what we’re inhaling and the damage we’re doing to our upholstery just by sitting down with family and friends!

FACT FOUR: Clean during the Spring and Fall (every six months) and you’ll breathe easier. The fact is, clean your carpets frequently, when traffic lanes first start to appear. They will last longer, look better, and protect your family’s health.

Be sure to check out our current specials to make your home a healthier home during the Spring and Summer months that are just around the corner.

January 2008
Winter IS The Best Time To Clean Your Carpet!

Did you know that cleaning your carpets in the winter will save you from wasting your money and time. It may also help keep your family from getting sick! Do you realize if you are putting off carpet cleaning until spring that it is still 3 MONTHS AWAY! Three months. That’s a long time to let your carpet go if it needs cleaning right now. I’m sure you won’t be putting off regular dusting until spring, those same particles and others also settle on your carpeting.

FYI: Did you know that a dust mite molts several times during its life, producing 200 times its weight in waste and will lay 300 eggs. Each mite produces 40 to 100 feces pellets per day. The mites’ droppings are coated in an enzymatic slimy substance which after drying becomes mixed with other particles forming household dust) Oh, how I dislike the taste of dust mite feces!

Needless to say, there are many other things that can happen to your precious investment by prolonging a needed cleaning. Damaged traffic lanes, spots becoming permanent, delicate fibers breaking down, soil grinding in, the list goes on and on. But regardless, you may wait and clean in the spring, and until now you may not have had much motivation to do otherwise. So, I have decided to help you save your carpet by educating and motivating you about the reasons why to clean your carpets in the winter. Here are the best reasons:

In the winter, appointments are much more readily available. There’s nothing worse than turning a client away because you’re too busy in the spring to accommodate them. Has this happened to you? Have you been one of our clients who had to wait one week? Two weeks? Or more? While in the winter, my techs may be sitting around looking for things to do for a few hours each day. Clean now and avoid the rush!

Contrary to popular beliefs, your carpet stays cleaner longer in the winter. In the spring and summer dusts, pollens, and pollutants are blown into your home through open windows resulting in a poor, unhealthy indoor environment. Your home is contaminated with pollutants and gets shut tight for the winter, trapping everything inside. If you’re not cleaning carpet in the winter, your carpet’s filtering ability is full so you and your family have been breathing polluted air for a long time. Clean carpet in the winter for your health’s sake! Remember: “A Clean Home is a Healthy Home!”

Quicker drying times are another reason to clean you home in the winter time. Opposite of what most would think, the lack of humidity allows moisture to evaporate quickly making your carpet dry slightly faster. Open a window slightly and set the thermostat at 72 degrees and see how fast it dries.

You receive great promotions! Because it is a slower time of year, I have to come up with creative promotions to prompt your phone call and make it worth your while. Be sure to check out these special offers on the current specials page of the website. Just click on the big red button!

November 2007
Steps To Winterizing Your Home Includes Carpet Cleaning, Frozen Pipe Prevention

The signs of the upcoming winter season are here! The leaves are falling from the trees and the temperatures are near freezing at night.

Now is the time we start to think about winterizing our homes. Mainly, we get out the storm windows, make sure the chimney is clear of debris, clear the gutters, and check to make sure that all entryways and windows are air tight. There are a few additional steps that should be taken to winterize your home and protect your carpets during the harsh winter season.

First, our carpets have taken a beating this summer. Constant traffic and hard use take their toll in excessive wear and tear on your furnishings. Unexpected spills and spots appear as if by magic! Plus, all summer long those nasty creeping critters, like dust mites, have had time to live and breed in your carpet. With all the in-and-out traffic, the outdoor pollutants (pollens, bacteria, cigarette smoke, grease, tar and industrial waste) have been carried into your home and deposited in your carpet.

Now is the time to get your carpets cleaned and protected! Please give Laurie a call at the office to book your appointment. Remember, the Holidays are just around the corner and our schedule fills up quickly, so don’t wait to call.. Please look at our Holiday Specials to see if any of the special promotions might work with your carpet and upholstery cleaning needs!

Second, we all too often receive frantic calls in the middle of the night from clients whose pipes have frozen and ruptured. Water is bursting out all over, the floors and walls of their homes are now soggy. We hope this never happens to you, but it does happen to nearly a quarter-million families each year. Here are a few simple steps to take in preparing for winter and in protecting your home from sudden disaster:

Locate and insulate pipes most susceptible to freezing - typically near outer walls and in the attic. Insulation for this purpose is available.

Wrap pipes with heat tape - Be sure to follow instructions precisely since improper usage may cause a fire!

Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located.

Disconnect all garden hoses.

When it is really cold, let water trickle overnight from all faucets, open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate, and make sure your heat is on and set no lower than 55 degrees.

We hope these suggestions will help you.  Happy Holidays!

September 2007
Knowing How To Treat Spots Prevents Stains, Frustration

There’s nothing more frustrating than a big spill or spot on your carpet at the most inopportune time! Worse even is the recurring spot (this is the spot that goes away after your carpets are cleaned, then mysteriously comes back in a few days or over the course of a few months). There are, however, several ways to treat or prevent these spots from becoming stains or popping up after you work on them.

First, as a preventative measure, apply a good carpet protector (like scotchguard). A good carpet protector will repel spots and keep the fibers from absorbing what is spilled, giving you time to remove the spot before it becomes a problem.

Second, use the right spotter. Kansas Carpet Care provides you with a product called Spot-Out with each service that works for many spots that occur at home. This spotter is a low-residue product that does not leave a soapy residue to attract soil or bleach your carpet. The same cannot be said for products like Resolve or Oxy-Clean.

Don’t over-wet the spot! This can make your spot even bigger than it was to start with. Try the Spot-Out on a small area first to be sure it will work before becoming too aggressive.

Never “scrub” the spot. Always pat or twist with your white spotting towel after you have applied the Spot-out.

If the spotter doesn’t make the spot budge, don’t continue. There are some spots, like coffee, tea, ink and grease that require special spotters that should be applied professionally in order to have success and not permanently stain your carpet. A service call is much less expensive than new carpet! Don’t hesitate to make that call.

July 2007
Special Summer Tips

Protect your carpets from the scorching, summer sun! Your carpets are highly susceptible to the bleaching effects of the hot sun. In order to protect your investment, we recommend that you take the following steps:

1. Apply tint to your existing windows that filters the UV rays of the sun. If purchasing new windows, ask for this type of tinting. Tinting film can be purchased at most hardware/home repair stores.

2. Use decorative curtains/panels with white backing to reflect the sunlight.

3. Please use 6 to 8 foot in length throw rugs at all entries to your carpet, especially off of patio areas in the summer. This helps two ways. First, the rug will help protect the underlying carpet from sun bleaching. Rugs are easier and less expensive to replace than carpet if bleaching occurs! Also, it takes 4 full steps to get 95% of the dirt off your shoes so the rug acts as a barrier between you and the carpet and prevents wear.

May 2007
ALLERGY SEASON IN FULL SWING

With allergy season in full swing, it is even more important to think about protecting your indoor air environment and keeping it allergen free.

June marks National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month. According to the AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America), an estimated 50 to 60 million Americans suffer from allergies and 17 million from asthma. Controlling the symptoms begins at home. Many people with these illnesses stay indoors when outdoor air is full of pollen and spores – what they don’t always realize is the dust mites, animal dander, and mold spores can cause problems indoors.

In order to reduce the affects of asthma and allergies, it is important to remove or reduce the source of the allergens that you are exposed to. So what can you do?

1.  Vacuum frequently. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or special double filter bags if possible. 

2.  Prevent or control animal dander. While most people will not get rid of pets to control seasonal allergies, you can keep the pet barred from the bedroom where you spend 1/3 of your time. Animal allergens are sticky, so it is also a good idea to have low pile carpet. You should also cover vents with dense material like cheesecloth.

3.  Control dust mites. Dust mites reproduce at a phenomenal rate. They live in your carpet, your mattresses and pillows, and your upholstery. Furthermore, they are too small to be removed by vacuuming alone. You must keep surfaces in the home clean and uncluttered. Pillows should be washed frequently and/or encased in protective covers. In addition, you should have your carpets, mattresses and upholstery professionally cleaned to extract the dust mites as well as other allergens. Kansas Carpet Care offers these services.

4.  Avoid mold spores. Reduce moisture in the areas of your home that are susceptible by using dehumidifiers. If you sustain water damage from any source, call Kansas Carpet Care to professionally assist you with drying and dehumidifying your home. Mold,  mildew, and other harmful bacteria will start to grow within 24 to 48 hours unless treated. Do-it-yourself methods and residential fans/dehumidifiers are usually inadequate or do not entirely eliminate the problem. 

5.  Clean your air ducts. As a rule of thumb, you should have your air duct system cleaned at least every 3 to 5 years. If your home is new construction, it is also important to have the system cleaned before you move in to eliminate the dust and particles from the construction process.

6.  Remember to control your indoor air quality year round.  What is inside in the Spring is inside in the Fall - unless it is removed!

March 2007
Spring Cleaning Is Just Around The Corner

With Spring just around the corner, we would like to talk about some interesting tidbits about the benefits of having carpets in your home, providing that they are maintained regularly and properly. Ohio State University Entomology Extension says: “one of the most strongly allergenic materials found indoors is house dust, often heavily contaminated with cast skins of house dust mites. Dust mites may be a factor in 50 to 80% of asthmatics, as well as in countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic ailments. One must control house dust mite levels.”

A report from the EPA acknowledges that carpeting and fabrics not cleaned and properly maintained have the potential to cause a variety of health problems. This report goes on to recommend that a family residence with 2 person/non-smokers living in our type of climate have their carpets and upholstery cleaned between every 4-6 months to 1 year. The EPA recommends a family residence with young children be cleaned every 3 months. Why?

Carpeting is thought to act like a sink. Carpeting collects and filters many things from within the indoor environment. Where it was once thought that individuals with allergies or asthma should live in a home with no carpeting or upholstered furniture, it is now known that the carpeting and other fabrics act as a filter, trapping airborne particles the affect the allergic person. This is only true, however, if the carpet and upholstery are kept clean. Once the carpeting becomes full of contaminants, it starts to overflow. If this happens, it’s safer to be in the wilderness than in you own home!

In a recent study, the EPA also found that when a carpet has a wet, deep cleaning (truck mounted hot water extraction), the soil load in the carpet is drastically reduced and a gradual change in the indoor air quality begins to take place. The end result is that deep cleaning of carpets removes allergens and other soils from the air as well as from the carpets making individuals with allergies breath better.

Carpeting is the only floor covering product capable of containing particles and preventing them from becoming airborne. This is a real advantage for allergy prone person. Is it time to clean your carpets?

Be sure to check out the current specials then call our office to schedule your appointment or to let us know if you have any questions.

November 2006
Being Prepared Key To Frozen Pipe Prevention During The Winter Months

All too often during the cold winter months we receive frantic calls in the middle of the night from clients whose pipes have frozen and ruptured. Water is bursting out all over and the floors and walls of their home are now soggy. It may never have happened to you, but it does happen to nearly a quarter-million families each year.

Here are a few simple steps to protect your home from sudden disaster:

Before Cold Weather

• Locate and insulate pipes most susceptible to freezing - typically near outer walls and in the attic. Insulation made for this purpose is available at hardware and home stores like Westlake’s and Home Depot.
• Wrap pipes with heat tape - Be sure to follow instructions precisely since improper usage may cause a fire!
• Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located.
• Disconnect all garden hoses.

When It’s Really Cold

• Let hot and cold water trickle overnight from all faucets near an outer wall.
• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate under a sink near an outer wall.
• Make sure heat is on and set no lower than 55 degrees.

If Pipes Freeze

• Make sure you know how to shut off the water in case pipes burst. This will help minimize damage. Call Kansas Carpet Care Immediately.
• Never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame or torch.
• Be careful of electric shock in areas of standing water.
• Move furniture and belongings out of the areas that are wet as soon as possible.

September 2006
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM FALL RAGWEED ALLERGENS

As most of you already know, August is the month that generally kicks off ragweed allergy season. What you may not know are the facts behind how to reduce the long-lasting effects of ragweed related symptoms.According to specialists, ragweed particles are generally in the outdoor air only until the first hard freeze, but they can live from 4 to 6 months in your home. Just imagine, allergy suffers can be affected from now until after New Year’s!You can reduce the number of particles circulating in your home by taking the following steps:

• Keep your windows closed! It is very tempting to open up when the weather starts to cool down, but until the first hard freeze, allergens are very high.

• Change the filter on you heating and air conditioning unit on a monthly basis. This reduces the dumber of allergens that are recycled through your vent systems. Also, as a rule of thumb, your air duct systems should be cleaned at least every 3 to 5 years. Please call our office if you would like an estimate.

• Have your mattresses cleaned. Allergen particles that circulate throughout your home settle on your bedding and mattresses, causing you to breathe them in while you are sleeping.

• Vacuum frequently using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filtering system. You can even buy inexpensive, HEPA filtering vacuums at Walmart and Target if you don’t already own one.

Have your carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Vacuuming with a HEPA filter vacuum reduces the number of allergens in the air but does not entirely rid you of the pesky particles. The steam cleaning from a truck-mounted system, the only system the Kansas Carpet Care uses, has a more powerful vacuum system and also uses high heat to further eliminate the source.

March 2006
APRIL SHOWERS BRING…FLOODED BASEMENTS?

The Spring rainy season is just around the corner. Unfortunately, it always seems to come in buckets! All too often it overwhelms our sump pumps, window wells and foundations, leaving us with flooded basements and wet belongings.

NOW is the time to check your sump pump to make sure it is functioning correctly. We recommend that your sump pump has a working battery back-up in case of a power loss. Check your foundation for any cracks and your window wells. Check your gutters for anything that could potentially clog them i.e. fallen leaves and branches and have the debris removed.

Also, check with your insurance agent to make sure you have adequate coverage in case you do sustain water damage of any type. You should maintain coverage for sump pump failure (if applicable) and also the maximum sewer back-up cap allowable. Damage from sewer back-ups is typically much more costly due to the hazard posed to clean-up personnel, the structure itself and your belongings.

Did you know that water damage sustained by heavy rain water entering your home through the foundation, window wells and doors is generally not covered by the basic home owner policy? Be sure to check with your agent to see if he/she offers the national flood insurance program that can potentially cover such a loss.

Finally, there are a few important steps to take immediately if you have water damage. First, avoid any hazards. Electrical shock, falling on wet floors, and bacteria in sewer water are all real and common dangers. Second, stop the source. If you haven’t located the source of water, call us immediately and we’ll guide you through this. Third, take immediate action. Call Kansas Carpet Care any time. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day! Finally, begin removing furniture and items from the wet areas or elevate them off the floor. Remove all rugs, as the color will bleed easily onto your carpets. And remember, help is on the way.

July 2005
The Great Debate: To Carpet Or Not To Carpet

In this issue we will discuss the great debate: To carpet or not to carpet your floors. Recent allergy awareness campaigns and home fashion trends have sparked the floor-covering debate for both the home and business environment.

Here’s a summary of the advantage of carpeting, according to Jeff Bishop and Paul Amos, trainers and seminar instructors for our industry:

1.  Safety.  Carpet minimizes slip and fall hazards during humid or rainy weather and in high spill areas. In addition, carpet cushions falls and results in less serious injuries.

2.  Sound Absorption.  Carpet is six to ten times quieter than vinyl composite tile and hardwood flooring.

3.  Insulation. Carpet acts as insulation, creating a warmer indoor environment.

4.  Cost. The initial installation cost of carpet is usually higher,, but the cost of ongoing maintenance is less than with vinyl or wood flooring. A study showed that over the 22-year life of a vinyl floor, carpet was approximately 30 percent less expensive than vinyl. Similar studies have been conducted with tile and hardwood flooring.

5. Aesthetics. Tile, vinyl and hardwood experience more abuse and neglect, resulting in a poor appearance.

6.  Health. Carpet acts as a “sink” to hold pollutants, until they are removed by periodic maintenance (vacuuming) and restorative cleaning.

So there you have it: Carpet is the best all around floor-covering! Home fashion trends will continue to demand both tile and hardwood, but these should help to accent your home or office, not to be the predominate option for your floor-covering.

Be sure to check out the current specials and to call our office if you have any additional questions.

May 2005
The Benefits of Carpet Protector

In this issue, we are discussing the uses and benefits of applying carpet protector after cleaning your carpets. We will also provide a Q&A section concerning the most common questions we get about it.

Do you remember when you first got new carpet? Do you remember the last time you had us clean your carpets? It was a pleasure to see how bright and clean your carpets looked.

Applying a carpet protector each and every time you clean your carpet can extend the life of your carpet and save you the cost and hassle of replacing carpet before you have gotten full usage out of it.

Regular foot traffic removes much of the factory protection from your carpet, leaving your carpet unprotected. This could allow permanent stains or premature wear, and it can cause a lower appearance level.

Carpet protector forms an invisible shield around each fiber.  It repels most liquids, allowing spills to be removed before staining and wicking can occur.

Dirt and stains cling to untreated carpet and quickly become embedded in the fibers. Carpet Protector keeps dirt from sticking to the fibers, making carpets easier to care for.

CARPET PROTECTOR Q&A

1. How often should protectors be applied? Since the biggest enemy of the protectors is abrasion from traffic, and traffic varies with each situation, the general recommendation for re-application is after each cleaning. The same conditions that led to the need for cleaning probably have led to the need to refresh the carpet protection.

2.  What about drying time?  Whenever possible the carpet should not be put back into service until dry to the touch. The length of time will vary depending upon the drying conditions, but is usually only a few hours.

3. What is the difference between the mill applied and after market products? The mill-applied products are formulated for drying in the high temperature ovens found in carpet mills, while the home-applied products are formulated to dry at ambient temperatures.

4. Where can I get carpet protector? While there are “scotchguard” protectors available over the counter, carpet protector must be professionally applied by your carpet cleaner to ensure that the right protector is being used.

For additional information on carpet protector, a keyword search on-line offers many web-links concerning the types and uses of carpet protectors.

Be sure to check out the current specials while visiting our website, and call our office if you have any additional questions.

Remember how Mom always took the throw rugs outside and beat the accumulated dust, dirt, and germs out every spring. You can’t do that with carpeting. Your carpet is crying for your help! Each day I pull pounds and pounds of sandy soil out of the base of clients’ carpets. It’s in yours as well! Spread the yarns apart and look deep. It is grinding your expensive yarns into worthless fibers that fill up your vacuum bags.

With all the cold weather, you have probably been spending more time inside too. Have you noticed the air starting to smell stale? Great news! Pollutants in the air are filtered through your carpet. The carpet traps them so you don’t breath them over and over again. What happens when the trap gets full?  Your family starts breathing dust mite debris, pollens, pollutants, fungus, spores, bacteria and a long list of other really ugly stuff! Once your carpet’s natural filtering ability is full, it’s time for a thorough cleaning for your health’s sake...the more traffic in and out of your home, the more frequently you should clean the carpets.  If you or any family member have allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems, one of the major sources of the problems could be the many chemicals, pollens, fungus, bacteria in the carpets. Our truck mounted cleaning system cleans way down to the base of the carpet leaving your carpet clean and free from unwanted  chemicals and toxins. Did you know that in the average home over two million dust mites feed on dead skin scales, can double their numbers in ten hours and produce ten to twenty pieces of feces a day? That is thirty million pieces of feces added to your home every day! (For example, one tenth of the weight of a two year old pillow, is dust mite feces) YUK!!!

In addition, the pollutants aren’t just accumulating in your carpets. They are also in your air ducts, couches, chairs, loveseats and mattresses.  Double YUK!!!

Start your New Year off right by making your home or business cleaner and healthier! Check out our special promotions for January and February, then call Laurie at the office and she’ll be happy to schedule your carpet or upholstery cleaning appointment!

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