Q: I vacuum regularly and we’re careful with spills. Why do I need the carpets cleaned? A: Great! Regular vacuuming is one of the best things you can do for your carpet. Don’t forget to use the hose end or a small tool to vacuum the outer edge of any carpeted stairs you may have. The soil really gets impacted in this area from traffic and most people just vacuum the top of the tread area. Eventually however, vacuuming will not be enough to maintain the carpet. The problem is that over time, an oily film builds on the carpet. This can come from pollution, moisture and cooking oils in the air, perspiration from bare feet, etc. Another big source of oily film is pets; they have oily coats and they sweat from their feet (I know, I have three large dogs!). Now it’s not that this oily film in itself looks dirty, but what happens is that all the dust and dirt we all have sticks to the oil and therefore to the carpet. At this point, your vacuum can no longer remove it and you must have it cleaned to remove the oil and dirt. The good news is that the cleaning method and products that we use are the very best at removing the oily film and soil.
Q: How often should I have my carpets cleaned? A: Well, I would like to give you two answers here. First, I must tell you that you should have it professionally cleaned at least every 12 to 24 months. One reason I say this is that most carpet manufacturers require this to maintain the warranty on your carpet. They do this because soil and grit in the carpet is the major cause of carpet damage and wear. The soil and grit are abrasive on the fibers, causing them to become rough and then mat together. If left longer, the abrasion will even cut the carpet fibers causing them to fall out. The abrasion can also wear off any stain guard treatments that have been applied, causing the carpet to soil even faster and absorb more stains. The second thing is, warranty or not, it just makes good sense to have your carpet last longer and be healthier for your family. You wouldn’t wear the same shirt for a year without cleaning it, would you? Having said all that, some people are exceptionally clean, as there are rooms that they rarely use or have no warranty. For them, my best answer is to have the carpet cleaned when it starts to look a little dull. The problem is that it can be hard to tell. One way to tell this is to compare the look of the carpet in a traffic area to that under a piece of furniture, or to a piece of unused carpet that you may have left over. When you start to see a bit of a difference, that is when it is time to clean. If you have come to a point where you say to yourself, “This carpet is filthy, and I’ve got to get it cleaned,” this is usually an indication that you waited a bit too long. We can still do a great job, but by then you may have some carpet damage.
Q: How long will the carpet take to dry? A: It depends on many factors. Generally, carpets are dry in 45 minutes or less/. However, if they are very thick piled or if we have to go over them several times to get them cleaned, they may take longer. Carpets in basements, especially damp basements, may take a little longer, as well.
Q: Why do you recommend area rugs be cleaned in your shop? A: For one thing they go through a more extensive process when done in-shop. When in the shop, we are able to flip them upside down and use a special machine called a rug beater. This machine uses a rotating drum with special belts that vibrate the carpet to dislodge the damaging grit, while it vacuums the back. “We Beat The Dirt Every Time.” This of course can’t be done in the home. Then, after a surface vacuuming, we clean the rug much in the same way we do in-home and handwash any fringe. The second advantage is that we have a proper dry room where area rugs are hung to dry. This allows them to dry faster and air out. This is especially important for fine wool rugs. Note: Although we will clean synthetic area rugs in-home if you wish, we strongly recommend that wool rugs be done in-shop.
Q: Can I drop my rugs off to be cleaned? A: Certainly. We just ask that you make an appointment. Most of our work is done in-home and there is not always someone in the shop (We don’t want you to drop by and find no one there).
Q: If I have my rug cleaned, will all the stains come out? A: If you know what the stains are from, we could give you a better answer. Unfortunately, there are several substances that will damage and permanently stain a carpet. Even treated carpets are not totally impervious to all stains. A lot depends on what the carpet itself is made of, if it’s been stain treated, how long the stain has been there, etc. The good news is that when we clean a carpet or area rug, we do not charge extra to try everything we have to remove the stain. But no one can guarantee that all stains will come out. As a basic rule of thumb, stains and spots that simply look like dark areas on the carpet are likely to come out. The problem is usually with areas that are lighter than the rest of the carpet, indicating a colour loss or areas that have a colour change, for example beige to red. That doesn’t mean they won’t come out, just that they are more problematic. Note: Depending on certain conditions, as a last resort, it may be possible for us to patch a permanently damaged area with a new piece of carpet.
Q: Why does my year-old carpet seem so matted and dull? A: Do you live in a new subdivision? The reason I ask is that often the carpet that is installed in a new home is “builders’ quality.” Basically, a builder wanting to keep the cost of a new home low for his customer, will go to a carpet supplier and say I have 20 or so new homes—how cheap can you supply carpet or what is your bid? The supplier, wanting the sale, will spec a lower quality carpet. There is nothing wrong with that. That’s just the way it often gets done. The fact is that any carpet looks good when new. The problem is that less expensive carpets are made less dense and from less expensive fibers. These lower quality carpets tend to mat more readily and can attract oils much more than higher quality carpets, causing them to get dull and dirty faster. This has the effect of making people think that carpet in general is bad, when in fact they may just have a lower quality carpet. The other thing is if you moved in while there is still construction in the area, there is likely a lot of dirt in the air that may be coming in and getting on the carpet.
Q: Is it a good idea to use mats to protect the carpet? A: Yes and no. The problem with mats placed on the carpet is that people put them in high traffic areas, thinking that at some point they will remove the mat and have great looking carpet underneath. But what usually happens is that the carpet all around the mat gets worn or faded and the dirt falls off the mat, leaving a ring around it. So if you remove the mat, the area underneath is so distinctly different that you end up having to leave the mat there, so nothing is gained. The only time that mats placed on the carpet may have some value is when they are placed where you may have sudden damage, like from sparks in front of a fireplace or cigarette burns near a smoker’s chair, etc. In any event, never place mats with a black rubberized backing on another rug as it may stain it. Having said that, mats placed before the entrance to carpeted areas are a great idea. They can absorb dirt before it is tracked onto the carpet.
Q:
Your quote for cleaning is higher than others. Why? A: Because we do a better job. Sorry, I guess that deserves a better explanation. A lot of people look at carpet or upholstery cleaning as if it were a product. What I mean by that is if you were to see a product such as a toaster at one store, and then go to another store and find the same exact toaster for $10.00 less, you could buy it knowing you got a deal; it’s the same thing that you are buying. However, when you “buy” carpet cleaning, you are buying a service, not an end product, and those services and results can be vastly different. We have no problem with people charging less. We believe that in general, you get what you pay for. We actually feel that if some company is willing to charge, for example, half of what we charge and then does half as good a job, we think that is fair and you got what you paid for. The difference from us is that we have always specialized in superior cleaning for “fussy” customers.
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