Only the wealthy people could afford to use carpets in their homes before because it was believed that cleaning and maintaining a carpet is hard because it was quite expensive. But, when carpet manufacturers introduced cheaper carpets and when people learned the proper carpet cleaning how tos, the carpet industry was never the same.
Knowing your carpet
Selecting a carpet goes beyond mere color and design. It is not also about the brand or quantity you are going to buy. It is about suiting your needs, its quality, and its maintenance.
A carpet specialist will advise you to always check on important features like moisture barrier, a backing system that provides effective moisture barrier guards against bacterial growth and odors. Another feature to look for is the dimensional stability that minimizes growth or shrinkage of the carpet tile with changes in temperature and humidity. This feature also reduces curving, seam separation, ripples, peaks, and cupping. It also makes installation easier and less cost in floor maintenance.
Others also include indoor air quality program and low flammability that comply with local health and safety standards. Flames do not spread quickly through corridors, so people can exit buildings safely. It also keeps dangerous smoke emissions at low level.
How do you clean a carpet?
The luxurious carpets from this collection are perfect for your home and your money’s worth, inspired by timeless, classical patterns, ethnic or modern designs with stylish combination of colors. Even if some can truly afford to buy a dozen–they choose not to because they are not aware of the dos and donts in obtaining a carpet.
Basically, one of the reasons why carpets are seldom seen in most homes is that they see maintaining it a hard chore. But, it should not be if you familiarize yourself with the proper carpet cleaning how tos.
1. Carpet care through vacuuming. Cleaning the carpet using a vacuum cleaner is the best way to ensure that it is cleared thoroughly. When cleaning carpet through vacuuming, the two most important aspects involved should be frequency and good equipment. Thorough and frequent vacuuming at least three times a week prevents dry soils from accumulating below the surface of the carpet where they are far more difficult to clean. A vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush can make the carpet pile loosen dry soil such as feet marks, dirt, dust, and spills.
2. Carpet cleaning by removing spills and dirt. Aside from vacuuming, it is a must to clean your carpets on a regularly stains from food, beverages and the like. You may seek for the services of professional carpet cleaners or you can find remedy for them through using the proper cleaning agents for stain removal like detergent, ammonia, and vinegar solution as well as solvents, rust removers, and absorbent cleaners. The following are the type of treatment needed for each type of stain:
- Cold water for coffee, alcohol beverages, bleach, blood, tea, urine, ink, or fruit juice.
- Detergent solution or carpet shampoo solution for creams, mustards, latex paints, chocolates, eggs, salad dressing, or vomit.
- Solvent for cooking oils, butter, floor wax, lipstick, rust, soot, and tar.
- Chilled aerosol for candle wax and chewing gums.
- Warm water for softdrinks, milk, gravy, sauces, or ketchup.
- Clear nail polish remover for nail polish stains.
- Alcohol, methylated spirits, or mineral turpentines for oil paints.
- Absorbent powder such as salt and talc for wines.
Aside from these carpet cleaning how tos
, you can prevent further damage to the carpet by prevention using doormats or rugs.
Posted February 5th, 2009
by admin
The lowest maintenance and most durable carpet is level loop (often called Berber). The loop construction provides 4x the surface of wear, hence its durability. It doesnt show tracking at all and now comes in patterns and colors for every taste. Keep your carpet neutral and consistent throughout for greatest flexibility and resale. Use color in rugs; they are personal and move with you, while carpet doesntHigh twist cut pile, also known as frieze, is considered trackless– that is it doesnt show vacuum and foot prints as easily as a regular cut pile. Qualities vary.
Velvet plush cut pile, while certainly the softest underfoot, shows every mark, foot print, pet paw print, and vacuum track. It is very formal in nature and maintenance intensive.
Believe it or not shag carpet is back! Fun in a contemporary environment, but watch the depth, it isnt rakeable anymore and can still swallow pet turtles.
RugsRugs are appropriate for every room and over wall to wall, not just hardwood. They will anchor a furniture grouping and add interest and softness. They are truly artwork for the floor.
For size, the rule of thumb is that it should have all your furniture on it (such as a 9×12 in a family room) or all your furniture off it, (such as a 6×9 in the same room) the obvious exception being a coffee table or ottoman. Try to avoid the furniture resting half on/half off. Most dining rooms require at least an 8×10 rug to avoid the chairs falling off.
Smaller rugs make great accents, and you arent paying to cover them up with furniture! Be careful though, substituting a 4×6 for a 6×9 will leave you looking like you have a postage stamp on the floor.
Rugs can also make a significant impact on acoustics in rooms with lots of windows and vaulted ceilings. They can even be changed seasonally for a mood shift!RunnersRunners are an important consideration not just for aesthetics but for safety and acoustics value. On stairs noise is often amplified, and a runner will muffle the traffic sounds. In hallways, runners serve to breakup a tunnel like effect with pattern and warmth.
Rug PadsBe sure to buy the proper pad for your rugs. Pads extend the life of the rug, as well as protecting the floor beneath it.
For hardwood and tile floors youll want a superloc pad which has a rubberized backing on one side, and a thick jute/felt pad on the other. Do not use the waffle type pads, they can leave marks requiring refinishing on hardwood, and the superloc will even out any tile variance. For vinyl floors, a waffle pad or other slim line pad is acceptable.
On carpet a miracle hold pad or a sticky back pad is recommended. This pad has adhesive on both sides, one to adhere to the carpet, the other to stick to the rug, preventing the age old challenge of creep in the rug, and giving an extra layer of protective backing to prevent any bleed through of colors from rug to carpet.
Stain GuardMost reputable rug dealers will offer a stain guarding program. Some offer it free of charge with every purchase. Forcefield is the name brand of choice. It doesnt actually prevent stains, no stain guard does, it does give you considerable extra time to clean up, as it provides a protective shield on the surface forcing any spillage to bead up rather than be absorbed.
Posted October 26th, 2008
by admin
There are various types of carpet cleaning machines that are available in the market. Both new and used machines can easily be bought in the showrooms and on the internet. Carpet cleaning machines for home use as well as professional use are available. With advancement in technology, they prices for them have also become more affordable.
The dry carpet cleaning machines use the technique of dry cleaning. A dry cleaning agent is spread on the carpet. The carpet is then vacuumed and the dirt is sucked away. This leaves the carpet clean and dry. The carpet can also be used almost immediately. Since it’s a less cumbersome method, this method is used more frequently than the wet method.
The wet carpet cleaning machines use a cleaning solution that is injected into the rugs and the carpets. The dirt attaches itself to the cleaning solution, which is then sucked back. This leaves the carpet clean. The carpet remains wet and has to be left to dry before it can be used. Usually the carpet can be used after 4 hours. These machines are known as the steam machines. Care must be taken so that the carpet is not soaking wet, else the carpet can get spoiled.
In public places where the rate of footfall is very high such as shopping malls, the carpet cleaning machines use the dry system of cleaning. The machine has circular motion vacuum tank. This tank can clean and suck away contaminants, dirt and soil. Its lightweight but can withstand long working hours and a lot of filth.
For reaching far away places and in nooks and crannies, the carpet cleaning machines that work efficiently are the canister type vacuum cleaners. They can be used in homes and commercial establishments on carpeted staircases, huge carpeted hallways and even on wooden floors.
Then there are truck mounted carpet cleaning machines. There are various companies which produce these carpet cleaning machines. They can pump water at 1000 psi on the carpet. However they normally operate at 300-400 psi. The high pressure water cleans the carpet thoroughly but doesn’t harm the carpet. The water is heated at usually 190-240 degrees F when applied to the carpets. The high temperature helps to cut the soil, dirt, grease and other contaminants. However the water that comes out of the nozzle is sprayed at 150 degrees F or less. Thereby the carpet materials aren’t harmed. This system is also known thermo rinse steam cleaning technique.
There are many models that are available in the market. The carpet cleaning machines that are truck mounted come in two variants. The first variant is known as slide in truck mount. This machine can be mounted onto any vehicle and draws its power from its own engine. While the second variant is known as van powered truck mount. This machine draws its power from the vehicle engine.
These machines have become very popular in the last few years as they provide superb cleaning for the carpets which other carpet cleaning machines can’t provide.
Posted October 25th, 2008
by admin
Before, carpets signify the status symbol of an individual or a clan. Since times are changing, middle-class individuals can now afford to use carpets to embellish their homes. But, to be able to maintain the beauty of this precious floor covering, owners should familiarize themselves with practical carpet cleaning tips.
Carpets are end results of the latest technological advancements in the carpet manufacturing process. Some of them are prepared from the yarn to manual or machine tufting of the yarn into the heavy canvas that requires a combination of patience, skill, and precision.
Today, there are so many target markets of carpeting such as residential areas, commercial spaces, hospitals, health care establishments, corporate offices, and educational institutions because they need carpets to polish their receiving areas and attract as many people as possible.
Easy steps to clean a carpet
Carpets definitely add a dash of elegance and order inside the house. It can turn an ordinary receiving area into a cozy ambiance. It can also make a plain, boring room into an intimate setting.
The common notion that carpets are hard to clean and maintain are as false as believing that there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. The following are just some of the carpet cleaning tips you can follow to maintain your carpet as good as new.
Tip number 1: Use the power of vacuum. This is the most effective way of cleaning a carpet without too much hassle. By vacuuming you carpet as frequent as possible, you can clean it thoroughly and avoid dirt to accumulate in it.
Tip number 2: Rake it. To clean the carpet thoroughly, try to rake it before using a vacuum cleaner on it. By using a rake, you can loosen up the accumulated dirt such as pet hairs. Raking is proven to be an effective aid to vacuuming because you can pile up the larger pieces of dirt before you vacuum the finer ones.
Tip number 3: Remove stains and spills ASAP! You should get rid of spills and stains as soon as possible. But, dont do it by rubbing the carpet’s stained or spill area with just anything because it will only create white spot on it. You should use a reliable cleaning agent to avoid ruining the carpet’s surface. Spilled liquids should be blot up with a clean and soft towel while solids should be immediately scraped using a blunt palette knife or a spoon to avoid tearing it.
Tip number 5: Only use mild spotters. This is to avoid the carpet to be ruined by harsh chemicals with destructive ingredients.
Tip number 6: Avoid from digging or brushing the spots. Familiarize yourself with the proper processes of scraping solid and accumulated dirt on the carpet. Proper cleaning procedure a spot should start from the outline toward the middle of the spotted area before tamp it with a blunt tool or a soft cloth.
Tip number 7: Keep the use of cleaning agents such as spotters, detergents, or shampoos to a minimum. By doing this, you can avoid your carpet from accumulating particles from those cleaning agents.
Tip number 8: Never leave your carpet soaked in water for a long time. Overwet carpets result to brownouts, shrinkage, and various adhesion difficulties.
Tip number 9: Residuals accumulated in the carpet should be extracted. Regular residual extraction can wash away the dirt, accumulated detergent residues, and life forms thriving in your carpet.
Tip number 10: Coating a carpet’s dirt or spots should be prohibited. Doing this will only make the remaining residue harder to remove the nest time you try on other carpet cleaning tips.
Posted August 10th, 2008
by admin
Too many service professionals believe and rely on the common adage “50% of success is just showing up.”
In fact, they seem to act that, “If half of my success is just showing up, I don’t really have to do anything and will get by just fine.”
You may be thinking that’s totally insane! But what else could they be thinking? For, here are the 10 reasons why people distrust, hate, and avoid in-home service professionals like the bubonic plague:
REASON #1: THEY DON’T RETURN PHONE CALLS–well, hey. Maybe that’s even too generous. Half the time you can’t even get someone to answer the phone. You’ll find that only 90% of service business don’t even answer their business phone. Most rely purely on voice mail or answering machines to take your calls. And you’ll be lucky if ANY of those even return your call!
Just a few weeks ago I was in need of a new lawn mowing service. I called EVERY lawn mowing service in the yellow pages. I got an answering machine for every phone number except one. On each answering machine, I left the message that I need weekly lawn service for my home and to call me to set up a time or let me know if they needed to see the place first.
Did I get a call back? NO. Not one of them called me back and it’s been over two weeks.
And then, the one that I did get a “live” person–you know how that went? I called the number and got a “hello?” I thought maybe I had the wrong number. So, I asked if this was such and such business. The lady acted like she never heard of it. I double checked the phone number with her and it was the right number. I apologized and told her I was calling from the yellow pages and that they had the wrong number listed.
“Oh.” She said. “He be back soon.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. Needless to say, I didn’t invite them out to my home. But any other service that would have just CALLED ME BACK would have gotten my business. That’s a shame.
So, I decided to my service industry: carpet cleaning. I started down the list of 98 carpet cleaners in my area–after 20 answering machines. I just gave up.
Why should anyone put with that? And for those that do finally call you back, why should they be PAID for such rude, inconsiderate, selfish, “I-Know-You-Need-Me-So-I’ll-Call-You-If-And-When-I-Feel-Like-It” attitude?
REASON #2: THEY DON’T SHOW UP ON TIME
When’s the last time you had a service professional show up on time? After all, aren’t you the one that re-arranged your whole schedule–had to take off work, have someone else pick up the kids from school, or whatever–just so you could have the “honor” of having them show up at your home when it’s convenient for them?
After all, that’s how they act. Like it’s somehow a privilege for you to have their service; rather than how it should be–a privilege for THEM to be serving YOU.
But, again, I’ve been too generous. It’s hard to even GET an exact appointment time for someone to show up on time.
Don’t you just love it when you call someone for service, and they say, “O.K. We’ll be there between 1-5 p.m. on Tuesday.” Geez, like you have nothing to do but take a whole unpaid day off just to get your stuff taken care of?
My cable company–which happens to be the ONLY cable company in Anchorage–told me this when I needed service for a repair that was a problem with THEIR cable box in my home: “The tech will be there between 10a.m.-5p.m., so you’ll need to be there when he arrives or you’ll have to reschedule your appt.” So, on the day appointed–I had to run to the store real quick. A 10 minute trip. I even called the cable company to let them know that I would be back in 20 min. Still, I returned home to find a tag on my door that I had missed service and to call to reschedule. I WAS TICKED!
For all the money you pay, why should you have to but up with that?
REASON #3: THEY DON’T SHOW UP AT ALL
I’m sure that exact thing has happened to you more times that you can count on your finger and toes–even if you have four sets of each.
Nothing is more aggravating than to go through all you have to just to be home for the appointment–and they never show up!!
I bet this one has happened to you like it has me. You buy new carpet. You schedule with the installer for Tuesday–sometime during the day mind you, no specific time–and he never shows up.
So you call at the end of Tuesday. After 5 tries, you finally get to him on his cell phone. “Oh,” he explains. “This job took me much longer than I expected and I’ll be there tomorrow for sure.” No apology. No specific time for the next day.
What, are you supposed to give your two weeks notice at work just to have service done?
REASON #4: THEY SHOW UP LOOKING LIKE A ‘JUST RELEASED’ PRISON INMATE
Let’s face it. Most women end up scheduling service appointments because they tend to take care of the stuff in the home. But the man is present at the appointment 99% of the time. Why? Because most service professionals look gnarly and untrustworthy. Women just don’t feel safe being alone in their home with them.
And since so many professionals show up looking like felons, TWO people have to take off work. The woman so she can show what she wants done and make sure it gets done to her satisfaction; and the man to act as the most advanced “protection” and “anti-scam” technology.
Again, why should you have to PAY someone to look and act like that in YOUR home?
REASON #5: THEY DON’T DO A GOOD JOB
Now you can take away all your extra finger and toes and you probably can’t even fill up your fingers with professionals that actually do a Good job. What about EXCELLENT work? No. We have to put up with less than good. Barely passable work.
What happened to taking pride in work? What happened to honesty and integrity? Apparently it’s becoming a thing of the past.
Service Professionals do such a poor job at their work that they can’t offer a guarantee of any kind. They’d go broke if they did that. They simply do a poor job, feeding on your necessity; forcing you to move on to someone else and “hope” for better next time.
REASON #6: THEY LEAVE A MESS
You know, like the painter that doesn’t bring a drop cloth, gets paint on your carpet, takes your money, and leaves…
The plumber that fixes the leaky pipe in your crawl space, comes out, tracks mud and dirt on your carpet, takes your money and leaves…
The cable installer that walks with shoes on in your home, drills a hole in your wall, goes back outside to hook things up, comes back inside, leaves sheetrock and dirt on your carpet, takes your money, and leaves.
Maybe they must think their mess magically disappears or something. No. Obviously they expect you to clean up after them or they’d clean up themselves, right?
You shouldn’t have to pay for a service and then clean up their mess. But it happens over and over.
REASON #7: THEY PLAY LOUD MUSIC, CUSS, AND MAKE A LOT OF NOISE
How someone can do that in your home is beyond me.
It’s YOUR home, and maybe you’ve even got small children. But they act like your stuff is theirs or that your not even around.
Cleaners are especially guilty of this. Sure. I like to have music playing when I’m working; but what gives them the right to turn on your stereo–with or without asking–while working in your home?
They are there as a paid employee to provide a service and leave. Not to be provided with every comfort that belongs to you.
And what about your children? How dare someone use filthy language or off-color jokes that will poison the minds of the ones you so carefully molding? They should be kicked out of your home.
And, how many times have you been on YOUR phone in YOUR home but can’t hear because of the worker’s noise or the cleaner turning on the vacuum right next to you? Really. That’s just too much.
REASON #8: THEY ARE UNPROFESSIONAL AND CAN’T COMMUNICATE
They’re called “service professionals” because they’re supposed to be professional. B
ut they aren’t. Maybe that’s why we call them “workers”–just using the word “professional” in regards to them degrades the term.
To deserve the honor of “professional”, one should be clean-cut, polite, competent, credentialed, and literate.
You may wonder if you know any “professionals” at all? Obviously most service workers don’t look the part; and to add insult to injury, they can’t talk it either.
They can’t talk in terms you understand
They can’t even repeat the concerns you express
They can’t tell you what to expect from their service
They don’t know the meaning of everyday words you use
You can’t expect anything satisfactory from someone who can’t even communicate on a rudimentary level.
REASON #9: THEY SMOKE AND SMELL OF SMOKE
If you smoke, then this probably doesn’t bother you. And so it may be news to you that most of us DON’T smoke and can’t stand to have it blown in our face or even smell it on your clothes.
And not only that, but those of us who DON’T smoke avoid it for our health. And breathing your 2nd hand smoke is downright UNHEALTHY–so we don’t want to be around it.
Really, I personally think this should be the #1 reason why service professionals are avoided like the bubonic plague. Because tobacco smoke kills you–just not as quickly.
REASON #10: THEY USE ‘BAIT AND SWITCH’ SALES TACTICS
Or sleezy ones, or dis-honest ones…whatever you want to call it.
“Bait and Switch” is probably the most common one. You know. The promise of one price–even from an estimate or coupon–and then being told the price will be higher because of…whatever.
Like the carpet cleaning coupon you get for $9.95 a room. You clean 3 rooms, expecting a bill of $29.85; but you are handed one for $480.23.
“What’s the deal?” you ask.
And then you get the run-around that the $9.95 a room was only for rooms under 25 square feet and only for rooms that were cleaned with the basic process. And since all your rooms were over 25 square feet, and since all your rooms required more than the basic process, your rooms were cleaned at the rate of $1.25 per square foot.
CONCLUSION:
It’s a wonder at all that their is an industry for service professionals. There probably only is due to the public need for it.
But what if you were provided with a simple tool that let you avoid the service industry, you’d grab it, wouldn’t you?
Well, you have the opportunity to avoid the carpet cleaning industry. You don’t have to give any carpet cleaner the opportunity to pull even one of the these 10 on you when you clean your carpet yourself!
Visit http://www.cleanmyowncarpet.com right now!
Posted August 7th, 2008
by admin