Carpet Protectant Continued… so you can make an informed decision about caring for your home and office carpets!

Two Primary Ways That Factory Protector is Removed from a Carpet

1. Regular foot traffic.
Over a period of six months to two years, depending on the traffic, a significant amount of protector can be removed from your traffic areas and needs to be reapplied.

2. High-alkaline cleaner.
Many cleaners use harsh chemicals on the carpet; those chemicals will strip your carpet’s factory protection. If you have had your carpet cleaned in the past, there is a good chance the cleaner removed a significant amount of protector. It needs to be reapplied.

If You Had Carpet Protector Applied in the Past and It “Didn’t Work,” Here’s Why

Four Mistakes Other Cleaners Make In Applying Protector…

1. Not using high-quality protector. Discount protectors are not as effective and sometimes void the warranty of the carpet. Use only the highest quality, recommended protectors.

2. Not using a dedicated container. Using the same container for carpet protector and for cleaners can contaminate the carpet protector, making it gummy and ineffective. Our vans have a dedicated container reserved ONLY for carpet protector.

3. Not applying the product properly. Some cleaners either under-apply or over-apply the protector.

4. Not grooming the carpet. For the best performance, the product should be groomed into the carpet for maximum penetration. This ensures contact with all surfaces of the carpet yarn and proper distribution and drying. Our company thoroughly grooms the protector into the carpet pile.

By the Numbers: Summer Vacations
• Just over 45 percent of Americans take a summer
vacation each year.
• The average American travels about 560 miles round trip
on their vacation each summer.
• About 91 percent of summer vacations are made in personal
vehicles, and only 7 percent are taken by air travel.
• The top travel destinations are Florida (19 percent), California (15
percent), New York (10 percent), and North Carolina (9 percent).
• The beach is visited by 45 percent of travelers in the summer, making it
the most popular type of destination each year.

Source: Equation Research, Harris Interactive

Time to get technical.

There’s a lot to learn about carpet cleaning, and we’re here to share some of our wisdom. Inquiring minds want to know this: “Should I Have Carpet Protector Applied?”

Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion about carpet protectors in our industry. Untrained and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners give out false information, and in the worst cases, intentionally misrepresent the product.

WARNING: The protector that was in your carpet may be GONE, leaving you EXPOSED!

A nylon stain-resistant carpet is made with two protective properties: The first is an acid dye blocker that is basically a clear dye that fills the extra dye sites in a fiber. This helps to keep “foreign” dyes (such as red dye in a beverage) from penetrating the carpet fiber. The second property is called a fluorochemical. Two commonly used fluorochemicals are 3M Scotchgard™ or DuPont™ Teflon®. This treatment helps keep spillage from actually getting to the acid dye blocker, but its biggest job is to resist dry soil.

By resisting dry soil, less soil bonds to the carpet, therefore more dry soil is picked up by your vacuum or cleaning. Making sure that you have a sufficient amount of protector on your carpet will help keep the soil from bonding to the carpet. Once it bonds to the carpet, it acts like sandpaper on your traffic area. Once the traffic area yarns are broken down, there is no way to bring them back to their original state.

Fiber protection has come along way since the 1950″s!  Ask us about MicroSeal a penetrating fiber protection.  Can be applied to wool, silk, suede, smooth leather, cotton……… any thing fibrous!

Are We There Yet?

If you are planning a road trip this summer, you are probably searching for ideas to help pass the time for your kids.  Take these activities and ideas along with those swimsuits and shorts.

Find It Games

Before you go, write the letters of the alphabet on index cards. During your trip, deal them out to everyone. Search for words starting with those letters on billboards, or simply things out the window starting with those letters. The first one to go through all his cards is the winner.
I’m Going on a Picnic
The first player says, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…” He or she then names a thing to bring that starts with the letter A, like apples or artichokes. The next person repeats what the first person said, but adds a B word. For example, he or she might say, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples and broccoli.” This continues, with each person adding a word starting with the next letter of the alphabet until someone forgets the items. When that happens, that player is out. The last player to be able to recite all the items on the list wins. To add variety, you can play subsequent rounds going to different places, like the beach or to a campground.
License Plates Games
Start by joining together to name all the states in the U.S. This can be harder than it seems. Keep this list handy and every time a license plate from that state is spotted, mark it off. Try to complete your list before your trip is over. Finding Alaska and Hawaii will be extra special.

Category Games
Pick a category. For example, you might choose cities, presidents, flowers, sports, or movie stars. Each player has ten seconds to name something that
fits into that category. Continue playing until only one player is left. That person picks the category for the next round.
Never Ending Story
The first person begins this game by saying, “Once upon a time. . .” and then adding a sentence. The next person continues the story by adding a sentence or two. This can continue as long as you like.

Any carpet cleaning service company you plan to hire should be able to answer all your questions. So ask away! We recommend this series of questions to gauge the experience and expertise of your prospective hire:
Questions about the Company

1. Do you have recent references? (Are they referred by seasoned professionals?)

2. How long have you been in business? (If they just started, find out more about their training, guarantee, and references.)

3. Are you certified by the IICRC? (Many cleaners don’t even know what this is!)

4. Do you offer a 100% money back guarantee? (Ask how that is determined.)

5. Do you use subcontractors or employees? (If they don’t use employees, don’t hire them.)

6. Do you do background checks on employees? (If they don’t, don’t hire them.)

7. Do you have liability insurance? (They need to have coverage in case they break something in your home.)

8. Do you have a 100% satisfaction guarantee? (If the carpet has a wick back, our company will come back and re-clean it for you.)

Our company obviously measures up to all of these questions.

We feel that the more educated you are, the better experience you can get from any service company you use.

Firework Viewing Safety

The National Council of Fireworks Safety recommends public fireworks displays as a safe alternative to using fireworks yourself. Although you are not handling and lighting the fireworks, there are some safety precautions you should take when attending a public display.

Spectators should obey all show personnel and respect all safety barriers set up in the area. The best viewing locations are a quarter of a mile or more away. Attempting to get close to the firing area with the hopes of seeing a better show will actually decrease your chance of enjoying the action.

Although it is rare, occasionally a firework component may fall to the ground without exploding. These materials should never be touched. If you come across any firework or portion of one, notify law enforcement or fire personnel immediately.

If you are headed out to a fireworks show and think your dog might enjoy it too, think again. Pets have very sensitive ears and the noise from a fireworks display can be quite uncomfortable for them. They will be much happier safe at home.
Finally, don’t bring your own fireworks to a public display. Sparklers, fountains, and other items are dangerous when handled and detonated when a crowd is present. You’ll find plenty of excitement by just watching the show.

Ask your prospective cleaning services this: How much should I pay for carpet cleaning?

Money is tight everywhere, but sometimes you don’t want to be a cheapskate, especially when it comes to services like carpet cleaning. You’ve made a large investment to get your carpet installed. Take the necessary steps to maintain it. Ask your prospective cleaning services this: How much should I pay for carpet cleaning?

Professional, certified carpet cleaning provided by a reputable, experienced, and well-trained cleaning firm is not cheap. But it is an investment that pays great dividends. Two common ways of pricing in the carpet cleaning industry are by the square foot or by the room. In either case, there are questions you want to ask…

Cleaning Questions…

1. What method do you use? (Hot water extraction is the most thorough system.)

2. Do you pre-vacuum the carpet? (Removing dry soil just before cleaning is vitally important.)

3. Do you pre-spot urine and other spots? (This is a very important procedure for many spots.)

4. Do you pre-condition the carpet? (This loosens the soil so they don’t have to blast it out.)

5. Do you pre-groom the carpet? (This further loosens the soil before extraction.)

6. Do you neutralize the carpet? (This balances the pH, leaving the carpet softer and avoiding leaving a sticky residue.)

7. Do you post-groom the carpet? (This promotes faster drying, reveals any faint spots that may not have been thoroughly removed, and allows the carpet pile to dry in the right position.)

8. Do you use air movers to speed dry the carpet? (The faster the carpet dries, the sooner you can use it, and the fewer issues you have after the cleaning.)

9. Is all spot cleaning included in the price? (This is a biggie!)

10. Is pet odor treatment included in the price? (Be very clear on this.)

11. Do you give a free bottle of spot remover? (Our company provides a lifetime refill.)

12. Do you give a free pair of booties? (This helps occupants avoid re-soiling the carpet after cleaning.)

Laugh Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure

The findings of a study presented at the American Heart Association meeting in Atlanta in March revealed that listening to your favorite tunesor hearing a good joke could have as much effect on your blood pressure as cutting salt in your diet or losing ten pounds.
In the study, a group of people participated in bimonthly sessions that focused on music and laughter.  Their systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of five to six points after three months. A control group showed no change in that time period.  Even a small drop in blood pressure can make a significant difference.  A drop of just five points is linked to a ten percent lower risk of death from heart attack or stroke.
Of course, music and laughter alone are not sufficient to treat high blood pressure. But for anyone looking for a way to increase their overall health, it is important to remember this mind-heart connection. It is a natural way to improve health and could eventually lead to a reduction in medication.

What Kind of Guarantee Do You Have?

Any reputable carpet cleaning will back its services with a strong guarantee policy. So be sure to ask your prospective cleaning service this: “What Kind of Guarantee Do You Have?”

The goal of every great service company is to do the right thing every time. But the real strength of a service company is how they handle things when you feel that you didn’t get what you paid for.

A quality carpet cleaning company should guarantee their work. If you ask the average carpet cleaning technician what their guarantee is, they will usually look confused. They might even ask “what do you mean?” This actually happened in a mystery shopping experience during a “mystery shop” a very reputable consulting firm in the cleaning industry did.

Once the cleaning job was supposedly finished, the technician presented the invoice that had a FULL PAGE contract on the back. The consultant asked, “Do you want me to read this whole thing?” “That’s up to you, sir,” the technician replied. (By the way, the technician wanted the mystery shopper to sign off on steps the technician didn’t even do. He made excuses why each step wasn’t needed.)

The mystery shopper continued, “Can you tell me what your guarantee is?” “What do you mean?” “For example, what happens if my spots come back?” “Then we come back.” “And if they come back again?” “We come back again.” “Do I ever get my money back if you can’t completely remove them?” Now, prepare yourself for his response! True story: “Naw sir, those are your spots”!

You’ve got to be kidding me! And this cleaning company had a well-known name in the cleaning industry! The problem with this particular company is their residential carpet cleaning department had become something they no longer put any effort into. They obviously sent the most uncaring crew they could find to do the residential cleaning job.

This is what we are facing out there. So, always ask what the guarantee is and what it includes.

Our company offers a 100% money back guarantee on carpet cleaning jobs.

Our guarantee is simply this: If you aren’t absolutely thrilled with the service experience you receive from us, we will rush back to your location at no charge and no obligation. If you are still “unimpressed,” we will refund 100% of your investment.