Fabric Protection that Really Works

DID YOU KNOW that one of the best ‘feel good’ experiences you can enjoy is having freshly-cleaned carpet or furniture?

And one of the most frustrating experiences you won’t enjoy is when, within just a few days, something like red wine, coffee or tea is spilled on that freshly-cleaned carpet or furniture.

This is not good!

So you feverishly apply all kinds of household cleaning products and scrub in desperation. That spot does look a little better but it is still there. You have an important appointment so you give up. When coming home a few hours later… it has grown! (This is another mystery and you might want to ask your carpet cleaning pro why this happens.)

All of this drama could have been avoided if you had asked for fabric protection when you had your carpet or furniture cleaned. You know, like Scotchgard or Teflon or some of the other products available to consumers.

Yes, fabric protection does cost a little bit more but … it’s worth it!

How does it work?

Fabric protection is quite a mystery to many, but basically what it does is act as a kind of invisible shield that repels most substances that are spilled.

You might compare this to waxing a car. You are providing protection to your paint job by applying an invisible shield, and you know it is working because you can see water beading up on the surface.

Carpet and furniture fabrics need the same type of protection.

Besides the obvious immediate benefit of cleaning up fresh spills, you can rest assured that a protected carpet or piece of furniture is going to last longer because when something is clean, it performs better and increases the lifetime of the fabric.

This doesn't mean you can skip regular cleaning. Anything that is dirty will wear out prematurely. Fabric protection enhances a good cleaning. It’s an added step that you want for your carpet and furniture in your home.

So you want peace of mind? The next time you have your carpet or furniture cleaned, ask for protection. You will like it … and so will your carpet and furniture.

See more information on fabric protection, including Scotchgard, Deodorizing & Sanitizing

How To Get Better Results with Do-it-Yourself Carpet Cleaning

Cleaning everything properly can be hard work, but as I mentioned in our previous post (Carpet Cleaning – Making the Right Choice), it certainly will pay off in many ways!

If you’re committed to the savings and the work, let’s go over some prep work and other things you’ll need to be aware of when planning do it yourself carpet cleaning.

• First, the obvious. You’ll want to thoroughly vacuum your rooms beforehand. It’s important to remember that steam cleaning your carpets is most effective when your floors are already free of dirt and grime.
• Take your time, be thorough, and move furniture around to get the harder to reach areas. You won’t win prizes just for nice vacuum lines in your carpet, and this isn’t a race. Just be sure it’s good and clean.
• When you go to pick up your carpet cleaner, make absolutely sure (and I can’t stress this enough) that you read and follow the instructions exactly. Failure to thoroughly read your cleaning machine instructions can not only damage the machine (for which you are responsible) but can permanently damage your carpets. Some people seem to think that adding “just a bit higher concentration” of cleaning fluids will make it even better. Not a good idea. The concentration of solution is already worked out for you, be sure to follow it and you’ll be fine.
• Be sure to move slow and take your time. You don’t want to rush this process, or you’ll have wasted your time. Keep in mind that you’ll be able to see the “tracks” you’re making so you can be diligent about covering every inch. And you can be firm, so don’t be afraid to apply some pressure.
• The next step? Getting that water out of your carpet. Go over the floors a second time with the suction vacuum only. Go slow and apply some pressure to insure your rug cleaner is flush with the carpet and getting the maximum effect of the extractor. If you go too fast, you’ll make the mistake of not getting as much water out of the carpet as you could, leaving you worse than before.

“But my carpets are really dirty!” That’s fine, you’ll still be okay. Just don’t add more cleaner! You can clean the same area again, but using extra cleaning solution is a rookie mistake that can cause costly damage to on your flooring.

Cleaner Homes ... Cleaner Carpets: The Importance of Drying time

One of the signs of an amateur carpet cleaning company or of doing it yourself (I hear about it all too often) is that you or your carpet cleaning service calls the job done before doing everything possible to extract as much moisture as possible and insure that the carpet is dry before normal use.

An over-wet carpet can lead to severe problems! But they are avoidable as long as you take some simple steps. For that, you’ll need fans if you have them. Anything you can do to help get air flowing and removing moisture from the room is good, so be sure to get fans ahead of time so they're ready when you need them, and open the windows as long as it's not raining out.

So you did it, and I’ll bet they look great, right? It wasn’t so hard right? (Maybe just time consuming.)

How To Prepare For A Professional Carpet Cleaning

How to Help Us Help You Save Money

Okay ... you've accepted the fact that a professional steam cleaning company has the equipment, know-how and experience to do a faster and better job than you could ever hope to do yourself.

But how can you save money when using a professional carpet cleaning service?

By helping your carpet cleaner to be more efficient by doing whatever you can to help minimize the time they spend.

What follows is a list of things you can do to help your upholstery and carpet cleaning company get in and get the job done as quickly as possible.

• Make a note of any stains or problem areas that you will need to point out to us when we arrive. This is a good time to see if additional areas need cleaning too. It is cheaper for you to add these areas while we're there than it is to return to clean them later.
• Pick up any toys or clothes from the floor.
• Any small pieces of furniture such as dining room chairs, magazine racks, etc. that you can remove from the carpet to be cleaned will shorten processing time and return the carpet to normal use sooner.
• Move lamps or other breakables in rooms we’re cleaning.
• For your pets peace of mind, please put them in a safe place where our cleaning will not disturb them.
• Like most steam cleaning companies, we do not move heavy and expensive furniture such as china cabinets, book shelves and entertainment centers, as well as antique and fragile furniture.
  
  If you require carpet underneath this type of furniture to be cleaned, you have 2 options:
  • Either you will need to remove this furniture from the room before we arrive.
  • OR we can hand clean around the base of these items, or even underneath, if there is sufficient room available.
  
  Having a plan for such items and discussing your needs and preferences with us before our preliminary inspection can help save a lot of time!
• You can also save on your carpet cleaning by vacuuming all areas to be cleaned.
  
  If you need to move furniture out to vacuum underneath, please place it back exactly where it belongs so as not to cover the traffic area next to, or in front of the furniture that needs to be cleaned. We need to clearly identify high traffic areas during the pre-inspection and that is not possible if you have moved the furniture onto that area. As long as the furniture does not fall into the heavy and expensive class of items previously discussed, we will be happy to move it, clean under it, and then replace it. Also we pre-spray the traffic ways first then move furniture onto that area, this gives the cleaning agents more time to do its work and help insure optimum results!
• Please leave  plastic “tabs” and “blocks” under your furniture for 24 hours after cleaning.
• If possible, leave the parking spot closest to your front door open so that we can more easily get our equipment into the house.
• If you need to cancel or move your appointment, please try to give us at least 48 hours notice so that we may refill your appointment time. Most importantly, if there is anything we can do to make this experience a better one for you, please let us know.

As mentioned previously, having a clear plan and discussing it with us before our preliminary inspection can insure we are all "on the same page", so that everything gets done to your satisfaction.

And anything you can do move furniture out of the way, pre-vacuum, or perform any of the other tips mentioned above will help us do a better job more quickly ... and save you money!

In our next post, we'll provide some tips on getting better results with Do-it-Yourself carpet cleaning.

Hiring a Professional Carpet Cleaner vs. DIY Carpet Cleaning

There are pros and cons to both cleaning your carpets yourself, as well as hiring a professional carpet cleaner.

Do-it-yourself carpet cleaning is definitely less expensive, but it is also more time consuming and hard to achieve the same results as a professional company who offers top carpet cleaners, equipment and experience.

Hiring a professional will certainly cost more, but again, a company with a solid history will get the job done in a fraction of the time, with better results and WITHOUT the possibility of damaging your carpet, upholstery or floors.

Hiring a Professional Steam Cleaning Company

 

So while there are advantages to cleaning your own carpets and upholstery, unless you’re a CPA, chances are you don’t do your own taxes. And if you’re not a lawyer, you wouldn’t represent yourself in court either.

So it goes with carpet and upholstery cleaning. A professional carpet cleaner is going to have access to stronger cleaners, professional-grade equipment, far more experience, and a better eye for getting the job done right.

But, just like with other professionals and the services they offer, not all carpet cleaning companies are created equal.

It’s not hard to find a company advertising to clean your carpets in almost any bulk mailer or online “coupon” saver site. You know the kinds, Groupon, Living Social and so on.

And that’s fine.

But you should be aware of companies that use a “bait and switch” tactic by promising to clean a room for “just $10” or some such deal. The lowest priced doesn’t always mean you’ll get the lowest service, but often it means they’re not telling you everything you need to know to make the right decisions.

That’s fine if you’re willing to pay a little more once they get there, providing they have more services and add-ons to help you. But just be aware that low costs often mean one of two things: either they’re going to do the “base cleaning” not really getting you the results you were hoping for, or they’re a bigger company that services “one-and-done” operations and work with more unskilled labor.

So how do you choose?

You want to make sure they’ve been in business for a number of years and have plenty of good reviews about them with nothing to hide. With the internet these days, that shouldn’t be too hard to find out. Just look around about what others are saying about them.

You’ll learn a lot by reviewing the experiences of others. And if they don’t have many reviews? Be sure to talk to the company and ask lots of questions. They should be approachable, amenable and happy to take their time with you if they want your business.

You also want to be careful with a company that’s “too big”. Why? Because while they may be professionally run at the corporate level, they may have a labor force working

Are they a faceless enitity? Can you talk to the person in charge? I make sure that my customers know who I am. I hide nothing, and am happy to explain the process and be there for any questions they have about their particular situations.

In fact, you’ll see my “mugshot” ON THE "Why Steam Plus?" page of our website (http://steampluscarpetandfloors.com) when you look for carpet cleaners in Madison WI. Yep, that’s me, and that’s who will show up at your door to take care of all the important work for your carpets. I take pride in my work and I hope it shows.

The Benefits of Professional Carpet Cleaning Equipment

Another advantage of hiring a professional carpet cleaner is the quality of our equipment. A good company has a truck-mounted cleaner, but not all do. You should also make sure to ask if they’re using older equipment, which can wear down and not have the same power as the newer high-tech steam cleaning equipment.

Scotch Guard is considered one of the top, “no-nonsense” highest quality cleaners. Anything else is imitation, and may not do the job half as well either. So be sure to ask. Sure it cuts costs if they don’t (always for the business, not always for you), but it also cuts down on the quality of the carpet cleaning you will receive as well.

On Your Way to Carpets Like New Again

There are obviously a lot of factors to consider when choosing to clean your precious upholstery and carpets. Whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you, regular maintenance is required for the longevity and health of both.

Cleaning carpets is not always glamorous, but the results are. See it for yourself and schedule a rental or hire someone today. You’ll love how it’s feels beneath your feet, and the new look you’ve been wanting back again.

I hope this has been a help to you. If you have any questions, or you want to speak with someone in the Madison WI area, give me a call at 608-333-1415 and we’ll make an appointment to make YOUR carpets and upholstery look like new again!

Watch for our next post on How to Prepare for a Professional Carpet Cleaning, and learn what you can do to minimize your cost AND maximize your results!

Carpet Cleaning – Making the Right Choice

If you’re like most people, you’re usually on some kind of carpeting throughout your day. But when it comes to the carpet in your home, it’s easy to fall short of the best care for your flooring.

We love our cars, our patios, our gardens and more, but we seldom appreciate taking care and concern of our carpeting as it may seem trivial. Yet a good deep cleaning can play a huge role in the comfort of your home, as well as the health and quality of life for you, others living with you and anyone who visits.

That’s a pretty big claim to make, but it’s true.

Think about it for a moment. It’s almost everywhere you walk, after all, it can be the most economical choice to cover your floors. Yet that doesn’t mean it’s not an important investment. So shouldn’t you take interest in the well-being of your floors and carpets? Of course you should! A healthy carpet makes a healthy home. Not to mention it can make a home truly look and feel like new again.

And that’s the thing. With proper care and upkeep the life and look of your carpets will go a long way.

And people will notice.

When you have guests over, you’re usually quick to do a final “go-over” with the vacuum, right? But what about those unsightly stains you think are permanent? Is there anything you can do about them?

Carpet Stains are a different problem to tackle.

While many stains can be taken care of so you never see them again, preventative carpet care is always the best for your carpet and home. Proper maintenance of your carpeting will add longevity and years of that “new look” despite the challenges of pet stains, odors and playful young children.

Think about this for a moment. When you have carpets that are discolored from heavy foot traffic, even if only slightly, that can “shrink” a room and cause it to appear smaller.

People don’t often think about it, but your flooring represents your home from the ground up (literally). Visitors to your home (or business) may notice furniture placement, décor, the view and so on. But they always “feel” the look of your carpets.

Always.

“Can clean carpets really make that much of a difference? Is it really that important?”

Sure it is. Think about how good it feels to wash your car. If you’re like most people, then you do it less than you should and only realize how much a difference it makes once you exit the washer. Then you notice how much of a difference it makes—and you feel proud. And rightly so!

Plus it’s better for your car. And so it is with your carpets.

Vacuum Cleaning Your Carpets At Home

“But I do take care of my carpets…I vacuum every week!”

And that’s good. In fact, for higher traffic areas it wouldn’t hurt to do it twice a week. You see, vacuuming on a schedule like that is essential.

Vacuuming your carpets removes “crumbs” of dirt and soil that always manage to find their way in. And in time, it will damage your carpets. Vacuuming keeps up with it by removing the grit and dirt that sneaks in and keeps it at tolerable levels. But that’s mostly for dirt, soil and so on.

When you have kids or pets, or both, you know just what else can color your carpets. And unless you have multi-colored, patchy carpets (you never know), it’s going to show up—a lot.

The Difference Between “Grime” And “Stains”

Loose particles that rest, or sit “easily” on top of your carpets can usually be vacuumed and suctioned up. We’ll just call that grime. But what about other matter like grease? Oils? Mom’s makeup a dog’s mess? Food stains? It’s only natural with time.

Even dirt and common foot traffic can get embedded in the fibers of your carpet, no matter how careful you are. This can reduce the quality, and lead to shorter life carpet life spans.

So what do you do?

When you want to get serious about heavier use and tougher stains so you can feel truly fresh carpet beneath your toes and delight in the sharpness and vividness of your carpets—like when you first moved in—you’ll want to move on to “wet cleaning” methods.

These are cleaning techniques used by most commercial carpet cleaners (but not all). You’ll also find that smaller, more portable steam cleaning units are available for rental and private purchase.

Done right, this can do wonders for your carpets life, vitality and feel. Simply put—it can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of your home or business.

And if you’ve never done it before (shame on you, but it’s never too late!) you’ll immediately want to invite everyone you know over to see how amazing your home looks. After all, when you have a shiny new car, don’t you like to leave it parked outside in the driveway on a nice day so your neighbors can see it instead of keeping it in the garage?

When it comes to having clean home with beautiful carpets you're proud of, you have two options: You can do it yourself (DIY), or hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner to do it for you.

It is always easy to find someone willing to clean your carpets for you. Even in a small town there are plenty of choices. And in bigger cities like Madison WI, where I live, the number of choices increases dramatically.

But can they guarantee professional results? All the more reason to do your research before you call!

In our next posts, we'll look at the pros and cons of Do It Yourself Carpet Cleaning versus Hiring a Professional Carpet Cleaner.