Carpet Cleaning And Maintenance Tips

Five Reasons For Routine Vacuuming As A Part Of The Maintenace Of Your Carpet

The first critical component in maintenance and cleaning of carpets is routine vacuuming coupled with rapid response to spots and spills. Carpet serves as a collection point for everything that is tracked in or settles out of the air. A carpet's qualities such as sound absorption, slip resistance and soil-trapping ability make it the most desirable floor covering for most building applications. The nature of the carpet structure along with the properties associated with soiling make dry vacuuming very important.

Five Facts About Particulate or Fibrous Soil:

• Makes up 74% to 79% of soil present in carpet according to industry analysis.
• Due to gravity this soil is generally found in the lower third of the yarns and requires brush/agitator action to be removed effectively.
• The larger particles will be retained by tangling of fibers which is created during the crimping process.
• The smaller particles which are present may be retained by a number of different physical properties or forces

1. a) Cracks and/or crevices engineered into the fiber surface will act as a trap for some of these soils.
2. b)  Some will be adhered by oily residues (cohesive films) which are present on the fiber/yarn service.
3. c)  The smallest particles will be attached by electro-static attraction (Vanderwal's forces).

• These soils are removed most easily when they are dry!

Ultimately, however, even the best carpet must be thoroughly and professionally cleaned on a regular basis in order to increase its longevity and to maintain its soil capturing abilities.

How Often Should I Clean My Carpets?

This is a commonly asked question.  I found a website from the IICRC that gives a good description.  A simple chart for carpet maintenance is listed below.  For this chart, and answers to other carpet care questions follow this IICRC FAQ Sheet Link.

Residential Carpet Cleaning Frequency Chart

So, why should you use a Cleaning Professional?

• Regular professional cleaning is as important to your carpet as having a trained mechanic perform routine maintenance on your car. What vacuuming and spot cleaning miss, extraction cleaning can fix.
• Extractors that you can purchase for home use are for cleaning spots and spills and are designed to remove surface soil only. Although your carpet may look better after an interim cleaning, the embedded soil remains. 
• Even some units that get listed as deep cleaning systems cannot match the cleaning achieved by a powerful truck-mounted unit, simply because they do not have the vacuum pressure to pull out the soil deeply embedded in the carpet and the high end steam heat to clean properly.   
• Periodic deep cleaning , sometimes called restorative cleaning, is still recommended.

How does Super Bee's System Rate?

• The Carpet and Rug Institute has run independent testing on various cleaning systems to determine their effectiveness and then rates them according to their Seal of Approval Program. 
• The section of testing that rated the deep cleaning systems gave the system used by Super Bee a gold rating. 
• Deep Cleaning System refers to the combination of that extraction machine, in Super Bee's case a truck-mounted Prochem unit called an Everest 650, a high end pre-cleaning concentrate Ultrapac Pre-Treat LVC and a high-tech rinse cleaner solution called All Fiber Rinse. These products must be applied in the recommended concentration and used according to a set procedure. Even though these products are environmentally sensitive, they are not considered Green Products.
• We also offer a Green alternative for those who wish to use a strictly Green Rated Product.  Axiom Clean Prespray is  biodegradable, phosphate free and VOC compliant.  Its complimentary rinse product is Axiom Clean Free Rinse for commercial carpet and upholstery.  It  meets or exceeds Green Seal and EPA's DfE program guidelines and is biodegradable, phosphate free and VOC compliant. For use as an extraction rinse for wool and synthetic carpet and water cleanable upholstery.
• And for cleaning in restaurants and in heavily soiled carpets we recommend Power Burst which is a is a super-strength pre-conditioner that puts more cleaning power on the carpet and removes heavy soils fast. Ultra-concentrated alkaline formula bursts through heavy grease and grime. New enzyme technology in this prespray is effective at high pH and high temperatures.

So, how should you go about selecting a carpet cleaning professional?

It is important to hire the right professional cleaners with the right equipment, training and experience. The right professional can remove all the dirt, address stains and spills in the carpet, and can also restore the color and beauty of commercial carpet, while improving overall indoor environmental quality in the building as well.

Questions to ask your cleaning professional:

• How long have you been in business?
• What formal training is required for the company’s management and cleaning technician?
• Do you use environmentally friendly cleaning products?
• Do you vacuum before deep cleaning the carpet? (All professional cleaners should vacuum before they deep clean the carpet. This critical first step makes a huge difference in the result)  (Note: We have found that most customers have pre-vacuumed their own carpet in preparation for our deep steam cleaning.  If however you want Super Bee to pre-vacuum your carpet, please indicate this when setting up an appointment as this will require more time and will effect the end cost).
• Do you use Seal of Approval cleaning solutions and equipment? 

Super Bee Seeks The Best Training Available

 A company can have all the right equipment and the right system and still not be able to get the job done properly.  It surprises some people when I describe the training I have taken in order to be a Journeyman Textile Cleaner.  There is an impression "out there" that carpet cleaning is as simple as getting a carpet wet and removing it with a wand attached to a vacuum machine.  There is much more involved in proper carpet cleaning technique which includes chemistry, physics and time.  Of course good old fashioned hard work and elbow grease is necessary, but all the grunt work in the world will not achieve the desired results if not performed correctly.

As a premier carpet cleaning company we believe that you must provide quality workmanship and courteous service.  This is more than a slogan for us.  It comes straight from the heart and is based on our belief in valuing people. This gets reflected in the way we do business. 

For example, you may ask, "Have we ever had to do a call back because something didn't turn out"?  Absolutely!  "How did you handle it"?  First of all we encourage people to call us if "they have any question or concern".  Those of you we have served know that these are my parting words. Those of you who have had the occasion to take me up on the offer know that I mean it.  The people who have called me back feel a little awkward at first because they don't want to bother me, or because they aren't sure how they will be received.  They are pleased and surprised when we return with a smile and a thank you for calling back and promptly take care of their concerns. 

We also believe in offering good value at fair prices for the work we provide.  We know that you work hard for your money and that when you lay out an expense to get cleaning done, you want the satisfaction of a job well done.

Key points to consider during the cleaning process:

• Show the cleaning professional any problem areas and spots that need special attention.
• To prevent voiding warranties, contact the carpet manufacturer before allowing additional treatment, such as reapplying stain treatments or antistatic treatment’s
• Wait for the carpet to dry completely before walking on it or moving the furniture back into the room. If you replace the furniture too quickly, rust or stains from paint or finishes could harm the carpet permanently.
• Make sure you select a cleaning professional with certification from an industry recognized organization.

Super Bee has been serving the Community of Camrose & East Central Alberta since 1980!