Carpet Cleaning in Athens

Have you ever noticed that only a few days after dusting, you can see dust everywhere, settled on glass table tops and the like? Dust happens. Household dust carries bacteria; dander, mold spores, germs, and friends, pets and even that open window bring in fresh dirt all the time - a lot of settling on your carpet.

Between longer work days, time-consuming commutes, and kids’ activities that keep the calendar full, who has time to worry about cleaning the carpet? Today, we’re spending less time on household tasks, yet we still expect excellent results. Lucky for us, carpet-cleaning products, methods and equipment are improving all the time. Cleaning carpet may seem like more of a chore than dusting the coffee table, but properly cleaning and maintaining your carpet makes all the difference in the world.

Preserving the Life and Beauty of Your Carpet

With their rich colors, textures, and intricate weaves, carpet and rugs can give any room a homelike feel. But the beauty and life of your carpet depends on the care it receives.

Just how long should a well-cared-for carpet last? It’s hard to say. But generally speaking, ten years is given as a guideline for quality carpets that are well-maintained (12.4 years according to DuPont studies.)

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Do you have allergies? Believe it or not, you can keep your carpet. Studies have shown that carpet is better at trapping allergens than hard flooring such as tile or hardwood. How can this be? Particles and allergens fall to the floor (out of the breathing zone) and onto the carpet. The fibers of the carpet trap allergens and particles, reducing their continued circulation in the air. Proper cleaning, and frequent vacuuming with a Hepa-filtered vacuum effectively sucks up the dust in the carpet, locks it in the machine, and keeps it out of the air.

Avoid Premature Replacement

Proper cleaning helps protect your carpet investment and safeguards you from having to replace it before its time – great news because it also keeps carpet out of the local dump!

Maintaining your carpet protects your pocketbook; just keep in mind that spending money to keep your carpet in top shape is a small amount to pay when compared to the cost of replacement

Does it mean anything?

Would you be surprised to learn that most carpet cleaning companies have no formal training? Some are not companies at all - only one person with a van, cleaning equipment and call themselves a company? That they are not required to be licensed? That there are no requirements to have any certification whatsoever?

Is training and certification important? After all, isn’t carpet cleaning a “menial task” that anyone can perform?

Actually, a carpet cleaning professional is working with one of your most valuable assets. Should it be trusted with just anyone? Unfortunately, our industry is full of “rogues” that only care about how much money they can get from you, and nothing about the life of your carpeting. They do not care about the industry in which they work.

Have you ever noticed that in many states, air conditioning companies, plumbers and pest control companies are required to be licensed? Not so for carpet cleaners. Unfortunately for you, and for me, there are many fine people in the carpet cleaning industry that realize that the standard must be raised. Those of us in that process help to police our industry. In order to do this, associations and certification organizations were created.

One such organization is called the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). This organization provides certification courses and exams for the carpet cleaning industry. By attending these courses, carpet cleaners are taught about fiber identification, carpet construction, cleaning chemistry, cleaning methods and professionalism. There are several levels of certification. Certified technician, Journeyman technician and Master Cleaning technician.

So, the question remains - “Does it mean anything?”  Yes, Yes, Yes! It means alot! It means that the certified firm is on the cutting edge of technology and change in our industry. It means that a certified firm knows the right way to apply cleaning procedures and chemistry. It means that the certified firm is working together with other certified firms to raise the standard of carpet cleaning, in general, therefore providing you with a higher quality product.

Considering having your carpets cleaned? Curious as to if the company that is coming to your home is a certified firm? You can check for yourself at www.iicrc.org

“Have you ever tried cleaning a spot on your carpet or rug only to make it worse?”

Using the wrong product or the wrong technique can actually damage your carpet or rug. Follow these simple instructions for best results. Please keep in mind that some spots require professional care.

STEP 1: Cover spill with 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 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 are recommended.

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 706-769-1444

Do not over-wet the spot. Keep blotting until dry to the touch. You may then repeat all steps.

3 STEP CLEANING PLAN:

STEP 1.     VACUUM FREQUENTLY

STEP 2.     CLEAN MOST FREQUENTLY USED AREAS MORE OFTEN

STEP 3.     PERIODIC PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

         Periodic professional cleaning of the overall carpet is recommended. The frequency of overall cleaning may vary depending on the level and type of traffic and the conditions to which your carpet is exposed. This may range from as little as 6 months to 24 months between cleanings. Please note that a  claim canot be filed on a carpet over two years old without proof of professional cleaning. If  the carpet has not been cleaned within 24 months, your warranty will be voided. Please refer to the applicable warranty for more detail.

We support industry standard procedures for cleaning stain resistant carpet. The only method we recommend is hot water extraction (often referred to as steam cleaning although no steam is actually generated) utlilizing cleaning products which are non-cationic and have a pH less than 10. Carpet cleaning equipment and products used as spotters, pre-sprays, and in-tank solutions must have certification through the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval Program.

Warning: Non-approved cleaning products and topical treatments, applied by you or by a professional carpet cleaner, will void your warranty.

©2007 Shaw Industries Group, Inc.                             2007- Warranty

It may come as a surprise that something as simple as regular vacuuming can also have the largest impact on the cleanliness of your home and the air you breathe. Removing loose soil while it remains on the carpet surface prevents dirt from being tramped down into the carpet pile. Pile is the visible wear surface of carpet, consisting of yarn tufts in loop and/or cut configuration. Pile crush occurs when those tufts become matted by foot traffic. You can help prevent pile crush with proper vacuuming.

HOW TO VACUUM

   On carpet, use slow, repetitive front-to-back motions in an overlapping sequence. A quick once over doesn’t do much. But don’t press down or make too many passes over the same spot. Instead, move slightly to the left or right about every four strokes. This method removes soil well and also provides an attractive end product- a fresh, no-footprints pattern, if you will.     

 Tips                                Here are some procedures that can make vacuuming easier:              

•  When vacuuming, don’t ignore those corners and crevices where dust builds up – you know, those gray areas around the perimeters of rooms.           
•  Don’t forget to check your vacuum bags. When bags (or containters are half full to two-thirds full, remove and replace or                 empty them.           
• In closets, store shoes off the floor in specially designed closet organizers to make vacuuming easier.            
• Keep two vacuum cleaners in a two-story house, one upstairs and one down. To clean stairs themselves, work top down. A                hand-held vacuum may do this job more easily than other models.

FOR MORE HELPFUL TIPS VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.carpetcleaningathens.com 

Carpet Cleaning is just like exercise! If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will see great results and feel better for it. And understanding the right way to clean carpet will help you save time by doing it correctly the first time with products that do the job right from the start. Not only will Seal of Approval Cleaning Products help keep your carpet looking great, they can also help meet the warranty requirements of the carpet manufacturer. Below are three simple steps to keeping your carpet clean and looking great:

1. Vacuum at the right frequency with CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) approved vacuum. You can find these listed on their website at www.carpet-rug.org
2. Clean spots and spills quickly with products that do not damage the carpet or cause it to resoil more quickly.
3. Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.

 *Information provided by CRI - The Carpet & Rug Institute.

 Arbor Day was established by J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City, Nebraska in 1872. He and his wife moved from Detroit, Michigan to the Nebraska Territory in 1854, where he was the editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper. His influence as a journalist led to his involvement in politics, and he became a promoter of the settlement of Nebraska. The lack of trees, however, was an obstacle.

  The Great Plains had been described as the “Great American Desert.” The tallgrass prairie that covered much of Nebraska at that time could provide rich farmland, but without wood for building houses or for fuel to heat homes, few found it convenient to settle there. Even the allotment of free land by the Homestead Act failed to entice sufficient numbers of families to relocate to Nebraska.

  Morton first proposed Arbor Day as a tree-planting holiday in 1872 at a meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1874, prizes were offered to counties and to individuals for properly planting the largest number of trees. It was claimed that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on that day.

With their rich colors, textures and intricate weaves, carpet and rugs can give any room a homelike feel. But the beauty and life of your carpet depends on the care it receives.

Just how long should a well-cared-for carpet last? It’s hard to say. Believe it or not, you can find some 100-plus-year-old Oriental rugs still in use. But generally speaking, ten years is given as a guideline for quality carpets that are well-maintained (12.4 years according to DuPont studies.) Use manufacturers’ warranties as a guide to how long you can anitipcate a particular carpet to last. And look at those warranties carefully-large carpet manufacturers are tying their new carpet warranties to proper cleaning and maintenance with industry approved products.

1. CHECK THE WARRANTY. Copies of specific warranties on your carpet purchase may be available from your carpet retailer. Stain resist warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years. ALL STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE REGULAR CLEANING AND IMMEDIATE SPOT REMOVAL.
2. VACUUM, VACUUM, VACUUM! It is said that the three most important rules for maintaining carpet are vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum your carpet often.  Once or twice a week at least. Vacuuming removes the sharp soil that can cut and slice the fiber causing premature wear. Much of this soil is not visible to the eye. Remove any loose particles such as loose food, leaves, pieces of dried mud, bugs, etc. as these can cause a spot on the carpet. If you are in need advice about your vacuum or in the market for a new unit contact Clean Home Vacuums, Inc. at 2000 W. Broad St, Athens.
3. REMOVE SPOTS IMMEDIATELY. Spots that are not immediately removed can turn into permanent stains very easily. Always use a spot cleaner that is recommended by the carpet manufacturer or trained, certified professional cleaner! Many “over the counter” spotters leave too much soap residue that leaves a sticky residue behind that will make your spots return!
4. HAVE YOUR CARPET PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED. Professional cleaning by a professional, certified firm should be done at least every 12 months according to DuPont and major carpet manufacturers. Heavy traffic areas may need it more often. Manufacturers warranties require professional cleaning at least every 18 - 24 months to retain texture retention warranties. Rule of thumb: Clean your carpet before it looks visibly soiled.
5. HAVE CARPET PROTECTOR RE-APPLIED. the sil resistor that is built into stain resistant nylon carpet is removed with regular foot traffic and harsh cleaners. to keep your carpet cleaner longer, have a protector reapplied each time you have your carpet professionally cleaned.

Would you drive your car for 100,000 miles without changing the oil? O course you wouldn’t. To keep your engine in good working order, you change the oil and do a tune up once in a while, right? Your automobile is a significant purchase and you want to maintain that investment.

Your carpet is the same way.  If fact, your flooring in general represents a significant investment and needs to be maintained properly. What are the warranty requirements? How often should your carpet be cleaned? What are some of the things you avoid?

Give our office a call to find out the best way to care for your flooring investments…(706) 769-1444