FAQ - A-1 Cleaning Service, LLC.

November 6, 2013December 15, 2013

Myths About Carpet Steam Cleaning Revealed

Myths about your carpet cleaning and the facts of steam cleaning.

Have you carpets seen better days? Do you need to contact a company like A to Z Carpet Cleaning? Or are you hesitant to look into professional cleaning companies?

Most misconceptions about steam cleaning for carpets and upholstery originate from inexperienced cleaners failing to extract all the water and therefore leaving the carpets soaking wet. If you need Carpet Cleaning in rancho santa margarita then rest assured, the professionals know that extracting the excess moisture from the carpets is one of the most important steps to cleaning them.

Myth: ” Well the carpet doesn’t look dirty, so it doesn’t really need to be cleaned.”
Fact: Many carpets can hide dirt, so even if your carpet looks clean, there may be abrasive soil particles wearing at your carpets. This can cause loss of fiber protection or color and other permanent damage.

Myth: “I’m so worried that water from steam cleaning will ruin my carpets, and cause mildew”
Fact: Carpet manufacturers actually recommend hot water extraction, or ‘steam cleaning’, as their preferred method of carpet cleaning. When steam cleaning is done right, the water left from the steam is not enough to actually do harm. Another issue is that many cleaning companies use high-residual detergents that remains in carpets long after the cleaning is done. This actually attracts soil, which makes your carpets dirty faster.

Myth: “Carpet cleaning is really cheap”
Fact: You shouldn’t select a cleaning company solely based on price. Lots of companies will advertise a low price to hook a customer and then sell them ineffective goods at high prices or give them low quality service. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Myth: “I was told to wait as long as possible before cleaning my carpets, because they will never look the same again or I will have to clean them very often.”
Fact: Manufacturers recommend getting your carpets cleaned every 12 to 18 months by professionals (like those that do carpet cleaning in Lexington, to name one example). If you wait too long, it may result in permanent damage that no cleaner will be able to fix. Finding that happy medium between your wallet and your carpets is important, so maybe throw a rug down in high traffic areas to take the brunt of it.

Myth: “Using water to clean my carpets can cause it to mold, split seams, or shrink.”
Fact: This can only happen if the cleaner leaves the carpets extremely wet. Modern steam cleaning equipment is specifically designed to remove all excess moisture and leave only what the carpet fiber itself will absorb. A professional carpet steam cleaning company will properly use this equipment so the water doesn’t even touch the carpet backing, padding, or the floor underneath.

Myth: “My carpet/upholstery is white, so it has to be dry cleaned.”
Fact: A lot of people think that anything white has to be dry cleaned. This is, for the most part, untrue. A professional in any field will test the fabric and know what he or she is doing, use the proper method of cleaning to remove the maximum amount of soil and residue and will do so without harming the upholstery fabric or carpeting.

I hope this article was helpful. For more useful information about carpets check out some of our other articles, like Worst Carpet Messes for Parents or the Hot Spots on your Carpet

April 30, 2013December 15, 2013

Guest Blog from Tiffany Olson – So Many Carpets!

You walk on carpet all the time. Between your office and home, you might even spend 100% of your non-travel hours on top of carpet in one form or another, office carpets especially under your desk and living room carpets in front of your sofa or favourite chair, these are both places where your feet spend a majority of the time when you’re in those rooms. Carpets are a standard indoor floor-covering, primarily due to their low cost, functionality and how easy it is to get carpet repairs should they get damaged. But have you ever evaluated the various types of carpets available? If you’ve ever built a home or installed new carpet, then of course, the answer is yes… unless you went with hardwood. But not everyone can be that awesome, so many people haven’t the slightest of clues when it comes to carpet variety – varieties of carpets as diverse as the techniques used to clean them. But don’t worry! We’re here to give you the 411 on carpet varieties. If any of the types of carpet in this article catches your eye, talk to your local carpet installation company Austin to see if they have it in stock.

1) Plush Carpet
In the cut-pile category, Plush carpet is the most versatile. It can be used for many different decorative purposes. Its textured surface does wonders for hiding foot and vacuum imprints. The texture holds well between cleanings and the casual look can easily enhance the look of almost any room. It’s a popular choice and fantastic all-purpose carpet.

2) Saxony Carpet
The Saxony carpet has a more refined, luxurious look and feel to it. It is the carpet of choice for more traditional interior designs, adding a certain elegance to the decor of any room. Saxony carpet is very commonly used for both living and dining rooms.

3) Berber Loop Pile Carpet
The Berber Loop Pile carpet uses a rugged loop surface to offer a thick wooly feel. The uneven surface gives the carpet an almost handmade feel, creating a pleasantly warm atmosphere in the room. Berber carpet is highly durable so it is perfect for families with pets or young children as well as office or business spaces. The subtlety of the patterns makes it a versatile choice, and the texture conveniently obscures foot and vacuum imprints.

4) Loop Carpet
Another versatile carpet, Loop carpet blends extremely well with a wide variety of interior designs. This carpet tops the list in durability and is engineered specifically to accommodate high-traffic areas. The textured surface allows for subtle highlights, and a wide range of color options can allow Loop carpet to be used for a wide variety of purposes.

5) Cut Loop Carpet
This unique carpet style blends loop pile with cut pile, creating a very unique look that holds well between vacuumings. The style results in an almost multi-colored look, hiding stains well and enhancing your floor surface. Cut Loop carpet looks great in both soft and bold color tones.

6) Frieze Carpet
Frieze carpet combines the look of Cut Berber with the feel of Plush. A variety of colors can be used to elegantly enhance a room, and the subtle changes in color inherent in the carpet style do wonders for hiding stray dirt in between cleanings.

Surprised that there are so many carpet styles? There are actually many more! And the carpet cleaning techniques change for every single one. These are just six basic carpet varieties to get you started, but hopefully you now have a better understanding of carpets than you did before reading this article.

Author Bio
Tiffany Olson is a blogger from Redding, CA. She writes for small, local businesses in order for them to increase their online presence. This article was written on behalf of Heidemann Cleaning, who specialize in carpet cleaning in Redding.

Twice as Nice Carpets | Heidmann Cleaning

September 19, 2012December 15, 2013

Carpet Steam Cleaning Facts

Why is residential and commercial steam cleaning the superior, safest, and preferred method of carpet cleaning, and how does it compare to other methods?

What is external extraction?

“Hot Water Extraction”, or “Steam Cleaning”, the Extraction cleaning procedures are what nearly all carpet manufacturers in addition to carpet fiber manufacturers recommend as cleaning method for soiled floor coverings.
This method is frequently called “steam” cleaning due to the fine spray of water used to force dirt out of the carpet which is sucked up by the vacuum slot of the carpet steam cleaner immediately in front of the spray. This is the only cleaning method classified as “deep cleaning”. All the others are considered “light surface cleaning” because they are incapable of removing soil deep in the pile. Other methods leave large amounts of cleaning agent in the carpet after cleaning.

The process consists of spraying a solution of water and detergent into the carpet pile and recovering the water and soil with a powerful vacuum into a holding tank. This is done from our truck-mounted unit outside the home with only the hose and floor tool brought inside. Truck-mounted systems usually are more powerful than portable units and do a much better cleaning job and get the carpet dry more quickly.

How long will it take my carpets to dry?

Normally between 4 and 8 hours. It all depends on what type of carpet you have, the humidity, air flow, and level of soiling.

What do I need to do before the technician arrives at my house?

Please have all furniture (couches, tables, chairs, beds, ottomans, etc.) moved off of the flooring you wish to have cleaned. Our technician will only help move furnite within reason.

Are there any risks to my health?

NO!

The truck-mounted system is preferred because the dirty air and humidity are exhausted outside rather than re-circulated around the house. Furthermore, if you happen to suffer from indoor allergens, getting your carpets professionally steam-cleaned can actually help benefit allergy sufferers. More often than not, thing such as dust, dust mites, pet dander and other allergy-prone factors that get trapped in carpets, especially if their thick or plus. Unfortunately, most vacuum or consumer-brand carpet cleaners don’t manage to get down far enough down to where allergens may be lurking, which is where steam cleaning can truly help. While products like raved-over handheld vacuums can be valuable in keeping carpets relatively clean, there are some dirts that can only be prevented through professional carpet steam cleaning.

How does steam clean differ from shampooing my carpets?

The theory in the shampoo method is to generate a lot of foam in the carpet, allow this foam to dry, have the resulting residue attract the soil, and vacuum up the residue and soil the next day. The problem is that they dry to a soft, sticky residue which will cause re-soiling. Because of the re-soiling problem, carpet shampoos will frequently also has an anti-re-soiling additive such as a resin to reduce this re-soiling tendency.

It really all depends on the type of job you need doing – for different reasons, it may be better to choose a small and quiet vacuum cleaner. For flats especially, you don’t want to keep your next-door neighbour awake with a big vacuum cleaner, and so the smaller version is probably the way to go!

Foam shampoos are actually very poor detergents and simply bury the dirt, they frequently also contain high levels of optical brighteners which take invisible ultraviolet light and convert it to visible light, thus making the carpet appear cleaner and brighter than it really is, for a while. It will eventually give the carpet a yellow cast and the yellow cannot be removed.
The Rotary Shampoo method can damage the carpet, especially cut pile (which is what most residential carpet is).

How does steam clean differ from ‘dry cleaning’ or ‘carbonated cleaning’?

This method is sometimes called “chem-dry”, “bonnet method”, or “dry cleaning”, which is a misnomer, since water is used. This method for carpet maintenance consists of the use of a rotary or oscillating brush adapted with a stiff brush or drive block designed to drive wet, damp or dry pads. The carpet can be sprayed with the cleaning solution and/or the pads can be soaked in the cleaning solution and squeezed lightly before placing the pad under the driving brush.
The maintenance brochure published by the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, Shaw Industries, suggests not using this method, especially on cut pile, due to pile distortion and fiber damage. This method has very limited capability for soil removal and leaves much of the detergent in the pile since it employs no real extraction. As a result, rapid re-soiling often occurs. Another disadvantage is that the spinning bonnet may distort the fibers of cut pile carpet, fuzzing the pile and leaving distinct swirl marks.
Sometimes, carbonated water is used to (in theory) give better soil suspension and bring down the pH. Check with your carpet manufacturer because many leading carpet mills recommend against this method of cleaning. Make sure you review your warrenty information, as bonnet method may void the warrenty of your carpet.

Can you get the pet odors out of my carpet?

Pet odor is a very common problem that could be much more complex than on the first impression, you can find Odor Removing Products for pets online to help the removal process as well if required for your pet. Pet urine can easily soak through the backing of the carpet into the padding underneath. In more severe cases the urine can penetrate into the sub-floor beneath the padding. This creates a problem that is multi-layered. The urine also provides for the growth of bacteria. This in turn contributes to a worsening of the odor problem and can contribute to permanent color loss of the carpet fiber. To eliminate this problem, the urine must be removed or neutralized from each of the layers affected. If the contamination is limited to only the face yarn of the carpet then the cleaning itself may effectively remove the odor. In more severe cases a urine neutralizer may be applied. If a urine neutralizer fails to work its magic, it could be a wise call to seek help from professional carpet cleaning services, who could provide you with effective and deep cleaning of your carpet.

In the most severe cases though, replacement of the carpet padding, treatment of the underside of the carpet, and the sub-floor may be required. Even replacement of the carpet, however, can not guarantee complete removal of the odor. So while we can try, it is not guaranteed, it all depends on the degree to which your carpet is contaminated.

September 16, 2012June 23, 2014

How Often Should You Get Your Carpets Cleaned?

Determine how often you should get your carpets cleaned with a few simple questions.

A question I’m commonly asked when talking about professional carpet cleaning is “how often?” Many manufacturers recommend that you get your carpets cleaned every 12-18 months. Places with high traffic, however, should consider getting them cleaned every 6 months. Here are a few helpful questions to ask yourself when you’re deciding if you carpets need cleaned.

Do you have any pets? How many? We all love our pets, but we also know how messy they can be at times. Pets shed their hair and have oils on their skin that can get into your carpeting. They don’t know anything about using a napkin when eating or wiping their feet of mud when coming into the house. When you have a lot of pets, you will need to clean pet stains from your carpets more often.
How often do you vacuum? Vacuuming twice a week is what most manufacturers suggest. Just remember that the better care you give your carpet between professional cleanings, the less often you’ll need to get your carpets cleaned. It’s also important to consider the quality of the vacuum you’re using. The Shark APEX upright vacuum is one of the best shark vacuums I found. Generally, Shark vacuums are well regarded and highly recommended, but you can choose any brand that you prefer. If you are after a Shark, you can look here to see if there are any savings to be had at Target. Just remember though, if it’s a cheap vacuum then it won’t be as effective as a higher-end vacuum. You can check best carpet vacuums here if you’re wanting a better vacuum.
Do you or your family suffer from allergies? A clean carpet can drastically reduce the allergens in the air, leaving it fresh smelling and making it easier to breathe. Depending on where you live, you may need to get your carpets cleaned 2-3 times year.
How many people live in the house? Does anyone wear shoes inside? This should come as no surprise, but walking around inside with your shoes on gets your carpets dirty a lot faster. More foot traffic also develops wear patterns on soiled carpet. Wearing socks or indoor-only slippers is the best way to preserve your carpets, as going barefoot can leave the oils on your skin in your carpet fiber.
What does your warranty require? Many people aren’t aware that your manufacturer requires this to keep your warranty form being voided.

You can see by just these few questions that the base question of “how often” can vary greatly between homes. As for the actual cleaning process, most carpet manufacturers recommend hot water extraction aka steam cleaning over a chemical process. This is because chemical or “dry” based cleaning uses large amounts of chemicals to make your carpet look nice. Not only does it leave chemical residue in your carpet that is not safe for kids or pets, but it doesn’t even remove pollutants or allergens.

With “steam cleaning,” the temperature and pressure of the water do most of the work, with little chemical used per gallon of water. The chemicals that are used are mild and biodegradable detergents that help to dissolve the dirt in the water, which is extracted before it can make its way down into the padding.

If you liked this post, check out some of our other blog posts like Worst Carpet Messes for Parents or Feeling Better With Cleaner Carpets.