Filtration Soil, Where & How It Accumulates & Tips To Prevent It

By |March 22nd, 2016|

Filtration soil is the dark grey lines that appear on the carpet along the baseboards and around furnishings. It can also accumulate under interior doors that remain closed for a long period of time.

Filtration soil accumulates in these areas due to positive and negative airflow. The large open areas of your home is the area of positive airflow, the smaller areas is where the negative airflow is, along baseboards, around door jams and under closed doors. Because these areas have a negative airflow it creates a vacuum where airborne particulates will accumulate and overtime with humidity these soils will begin moisten and penetrate into the fiber. Once this happens it can be difficult to remove, so the easiest way to deal with this is to prevent it from happening.

Here are some useful tips.

  • Make sure your air ducts are clean, if there is dust in the air ducts it will end up in the air of your home and ultimately end up in the areas of negative airflow, along baseboards, around your furnishings and under closed door.
  • If you are experiencing this in your home then get your air ducts cleaned.
  • Next you will need to change the filter in your air system occasionally. If you would like to purchase an electrostatic air filter that will never need to be replaced then please contact me and I can drop or ship one to you.
  • The next thing to help prevent this soil is to use the crevice tool with your vacuum and vacuum these areas well as this will help to prevent filtration soil from accumulating and penetrating into the fibers in these areas.

    Now that the prevention of filtration soil has been talked about, I would like to give you a tip on how to clean them.

  • If you start to see a few areas that are turning that grey color then get your Dawn dish soap and mix in two drops to a cup of water. This mixture is diluted enough as to leave no residue and is safe to use. wet the cloth and gently rub into the grey soil, then follow up with a dry cloth, don’t use aggressive agitation.

    If you should have any questions about filtration soil then please feel free to call or email me at anytime.

Comments Off on Filtration Soil, Where & How It Accumulates & Tips To Prevent It

Pet Urine Deodorizing

By |March 3rd, 2016|

Pet urine is one of the most damaging stains that can occur to your carpet. If left un-treated it can cause bleach stains, and in time can cause delamination of the carpets backing. Topical treatments are ineffective. Here are some helpful guidelines for you to follow.
Purchase a 2 1/2 gallon wet/dry shop vac. Read the directions before using, you will have to take out the filter inside first. If you find a wet pet stain, take the shop vac. and extract out as much pet urine as possible, next mix an ounce of white distilled vinegar into two cups of water, pour in a circular fashion around the stain and and towards the center to condense the stain. Do not pour directly into the stain as this will cause the stain to migrate outwards and leave a ring. Now take the shop vac. and extract out the water/vinegar solution. Repeat if needed. If the stain is dry then leave the vinegar and water solution set for twelve hours then extract out. repeat if needed.

Comments Off on Pet Urine Deodorizing

21 Steps To Successful Carpet Cleaning

By |September 9th, 2015|

  1. INTRODUCTION, give a card to the client, and acquire cleaning history.
  2. PRE-WALKTHROUGH, during this time we will gather information on all client areas of concern.
  3. FIBER IDENTIFICATION, to determine proper cleaning products for your fiber type.
  4. SPOT AND STAIN IDENTIFICATION, most spots are removed with the basic cleaning products, exceptions will be coffee and soda spills, wine, Kool-Aid and, rust stains and various other stains. These are considered difficult stains and they will be identified and removed before the actual cleaning begins. Please note that additional charges may be applied to some of these difficult stains.
  5. FURNITURE MOVING, We will move couches, luvseats, recliners dining tables and coffee tables.
  6. PRESENT PRICING OPTIONS, We will measure the square footage of the areas to be cleaned. Pricing options will be with or without stainguard.
  7. SAFTY CHECKLIST AND OTHER CONCERNS, At this time we will make sure that all indoor pets are secured, we will inform the client that the carpets will be preconditioned, we will let the client understand that they are free to walk through as we are working but to be very careful when stepping of the wet carpet and onto a hard surface to avoid slipping.
  8. LAY OUT FLOOR PROTECTION FOR HARDWOOD FLOORS.
  9. PUT CORNER GUARDS ON ALL DOOR JAMS AND CORNERS.
  10. PUT PROTECTIVE BLOCKS UNDER ALL MOVED FURTURE.
  11. REMOVE DRY PARTICULATE SOIL WITH HEPA VACUUM.
  12. PRE-CONDITION THE CARPET WITH APPRORIATE PRECONDTIONER FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CARPET’S FIBER TYPE.
  13. AGITATE PRE-CONDITIONER INTO ALL TRAFFIC AREAS AND ALLOW FOR ADDIQUIT DWELL TIME.
  14. MOVE FURNITURE AS NEEDED.
  15. EXTRACT WITH NEUTRALIZING RINSE- Very important, this neutralizing rinse returns the carpet back to a neutral pH leaving your carpet free of any residue.
  16. FINISH SPOT REMOVAL IF NEEDED.
  17. APPLY PROTECTIVE COATING IF ACCEPTED BY CLIENT.
  18. GROOM AND INSPECT CARPET.
  19. FINAL WALKTHROUGH WITH CLIENT.
  20. MOP AND CLEAN UP OUR WAY OUT.
  21. COURTESY CALL WITHIN 2 DAYS AFTER CLEANING TO ASURE CLIENT OVER ALL SATISFACTION.
Comments Off on 21 Steps To Successful Carpet Cleaning

How To Remove Red Wine Stains

By |May 19th, 2015|

You will need a wet/dry shop vac and a quart of club soda.

Use the vac to remove the excess wine. Next, pour the club soda in a circular motion starting at the outside of the stain and spiral towards the center of the stain, then take the shop vac and extract the club soda. Repeat if necessary.

Comments Off on How To Remove Red Wine Stains

Common Carpet Cleaning Scams

By |May 19th, 2015|

Sadly carpet cleaning scams have been around for quite some time.

They all look about the same – a low price is offered and then the salesman shows up. This video will show you the most common scams and we will show you even more in months to come. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.

 

Comments Off on Common Carpet Cleaning Scams

Joe Meets An Industry Giant, Kenway Mead…

By |April 21st, 2015|

Joe Higens has always worked toward furthering his education.

In the beginning of 2010, Joe began taking the necessary classes to gain the highest level of certification in his field, that of Master Textile Cleaner, which he completed mid 2012. This certification is earned through an organization called the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Since 1972, the IICRC has served as an independent, non-profit certification body, dedicated to setting and promoting high standards and ethics and to advance communication and technical proficiency within the inspection, cleaning and restoration service industry. The IICRC currently represents more than 5,700 Certified Firms and 54,000 Certified Technicians in 22 countries. The IICRC, with participation from the entire industry, sets standards for inspection, cleaning and disaster restoration.

Mead2At the beginning of 2013, Joe was well on his way to acquiring yet another important certification – that of Senior Carpet Inspector. That’s when he met a man named Kenway Mead. It just so happens that Mr. Mead is one of the founding members of the IICRC and had fairly recently moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. Now, not only was Kenway Mead a founding member, but he was for a number of years the group’s Executive Administrator and a driving force behind the IICRC’s growth and standing within the industry. Kenway Mead is in fact so revered in the industry that yearly, the individual, company or group that has displayed vision, leadership and tireless energy on behalf
of the cleaning and restoration industry on a regional, national or international level is awarded the Kenway Mead Leadership Award. Truly one of the highest awards the industry bestows.

So the magic in this story is to imagine Joe, who has been working to achieve his certification, to get a call from one of his industry’s true champions. There is the honor and opportunity in the meeting, and then to receive high praise and a letter of recommendation, well that’s the story… .

Here’s Kenway Mead’s letter of recommendation…

Mead3

Comments Off on Joe Meets An Industry Giant, Kenway Mead…