What Causes Those Mysterious Dark Lines?

The dark grayish or black discolorations that occur in carpet around the perimeter of rooms and in the doorways of some houses can be a source of embarrassment and frustration. Our customers rely on us not only to clean their carpets, but also to educate them about how to maintain their carpet. Before we explain what these mysterious dark lines are, we’ll talk about what they are not.

Contrary to what you may think, it has absolutely nothing to do with accumulated dust from poor housekeeping. It is not a defect in carpet. And although some believe it to be mold, it is not. Even pest control companies have been wrongly accused of causing these unsightly lines with their treatments. So what IS it? It’s filtration soiling.

Although it can happen in any home, filtration soiling is most common in homes that have forced air HVAC (heating,  ventilation and air conditioning) systems. At certain locations in the carpet, air is being forced through the fibers by pressure and temperature differentials. The carpet fibers act as a filter, trapping pollutants that are in the air.

Some of these pollutants are the product of combustion and contain carbon. Common sources are automobile exhaust, industrial air pollution, tobacco smoke, and even natural gas or oil furnaces. This carbon, combined with oily residues from cooking and other sources, adheres to the carpet with very powerful electrostatic and chemical bonds.

The particles themselves are extremely small and very difficult to remove. The best course of action is prevention. Here are a few tips to prevent gray edges appearing on your carpet:

• Make sure that any means of combustion in your home including gas or oil heating systems, cooking appliances and water heaters are operating properly. Incomplete combustion caused by improperly functioning appliances contains higher levels of carbon. This can cause rapid soiling.
• Have heat exchangers, flues and chimneys checked by an HVAC professional for leaks or improper function.
• If you like to burn candles, limit how often you use the heavily scented ones. The oils used in these candles do notburn completely adding to the pollutants in the air, accelerating filtration soiling.
• Install high quality air filters in your heating and air system. This may require modifications to the system. Check with a qualified HVAC contractor.
• Consider using air purifiers, especially if smokers are present in the home. Tobacco smoke produces among the most difficult residues to remove.
• When using a fireplace or wood stove, ensure that there is adequate fresh air entry so as to create enough of an updraft for the fireplace. Otherwise some of the smoke may get into the air and contribute to soil filtration. You may need to open a window a little. Don’t turn on ceiling fans in areas where you have a fireplace burning. Air currents may pull smoke into the living space.

Hansen Steam Way uses specialized cleaning agents and techniques to treat soil filtration lines. Although complete  removal of the discoloration may not be possible, we can usually improve the appearance. Of course, prevention is always your best line of defense.

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.

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.

ASK about MicroSeal, Permanent fiber and fabric protector.

www.MicroSealWorld.com

How to Improve Your Credit Rating

You’ve run into it if you’ve ever applied for a car loan.  It is essential information if you ever apply for a mortgage loan. Your credit rating is a very important key to your financial future. What if your credit isn’t so great? There are some  ways to improve your credit rating.

– Open and use a checking and savings account in your own name.

– Pay all your bills on time and use a personal check.

– Obtain a credit card, but keep your balance low.

– Remain at your place of employment for two years or longer.

– Avoid bankruptcies, tax liens, collections, and any bounced checks.

– Check your credit report annually and dispute any incorrect information.

Beware of credit repair clinics. They will often charge you for services that you can do yourself for free, and they cannot guarantee results.  Re-establishing your credit doesn’t happen overnight. But remember, the longer you practice good credit habits, the better your credit will be.

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 have an on-time guarantee? (What’s your reward if they don’t show up on time?)

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

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

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

9. Do you have a re-soiling guarantee? (If the carpet doesn’t stay as clean as you think it should, 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.

Pets and Your Heart

Animals can find a special place in your heart. According to current research, they may also do your heart some good. Animals in the home offer some surprising health benefits. Researchers at the American Animal Hospital Association have found that pets improve the human condition, giving their owners lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels. Pet owners also have lower levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides in comparison to non-pet owners.  Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have also found that Medicare patients who owned pets had fewer medical care visits than those who did not.

Pets also can have an effect on your mental health. People who have pets feel less loneliness and depression than those  who do not. Pets offer more opportunities for outdoor activities and socialization, and they encourage you to get more exercise. They can improve your mood and reduce stress as well.

So if you have been considering welcoming an animal into your home, you can feel good about not only caring for your  pet, but about the benefits you will have as well. In fact, according to Dr. Edward Creagan, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, getting a pet is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways of living a longer and healthier life. Having a pet isn’t for everyone, as there is additional work and responsibility from pet ownership. But for most people, the benefits of having a pet outweighs the drawbacks.

Getting Ready for Spring Exercise

Many people spend most of the winter indoors, getting relatively little exercise. When warmer weather hits, everyone is ready to get up and outside to enjoy physical activity. With this comes increases in injuries during the spring months, when those who were sedentary during the winter jump right into strenuous outdoor exercise.

The key to preventing these types of injuries is to increase flexibility before engaging in exercise that requires extended ranges of motion. Gradually reestablish your routine, adding a new activity or more time to your workout each day. Warm up properly by stretching all of your  muscles, reducing your chance of injury. You should also inspect your workout gear for excess wear and tear, especially shoes. If your shoes are worn or lacking in good support, you’ll want to replace those before  you begin a new exercise regimen.

Finally, don’t be surprised if, even with proper  stretching and equipment, you are sore after resuming  your exercise routine. Ease into your workout and stop if you begin to feel pain. Let sore and tired   muscles rest before pushing them to their limits again.

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.)

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.

Why do We Clean in Spring?
Have you ever wondered why we are annually seized by a sudden urge to air out the house, banish dust, organize closets, clean out cabinets, scrub floors, wash windows and organize our garages, attics and basements? It turns out there are biological, social and psychological reasons for the spring cleaning ritual… and that’s a good thing.

Biological Reasons
During winter, days are shorter and melatonin production (the hormone that produces drowsiness and enables us to fall asleep) is increased, making us want to relax and sleep more. Our mood tends to be more subdued and energy levels are lower. Housekeeping habits may slip. We spend more time indoors. Added indoor activities, coupled with the fact that we tend to keep doors and windows closed result in soil and contaminant build-up.

Then, the first day of spring comes in late March. When it arrives most of us are ready for the renewed energy and freshness that spring brings. Days get progressively longer and nights are shorter. The additional daylight suppresses production of melatonin. The more daylight we are exposed to, the less melatonin we produce and the more alert, energetic and active we feel.

Emotional Reasons
Once the winter doldrums pass, we become more aware of the less-thanideal condition of our surroundings. The energy and optimism of spring prompts us to improve our environment. It’s easier to be enthusiastic about cleaning and organizing in the springtime. You feel a sense of accomplishment upon completing a task. Your self-esteem increases.  Endorphins are released into your body, increasing your sense of wellbeing.

In addition, you feel pride of ownership when your home is clean and organized, further improving your mood. Few  things make you feel more positive than living in a home that is clean, fresh and neatly organized.

Historical Reasons
The history of early America also provides a basis for the spring cleaning custom. In the winter, fireplaces, oil lamps and wood stoves created a fine layer of oily soot, ashes and dust on floors, walls, ceilings, rugs and windows. As temperatures increased and days got longer, use of these heat and light sources decreased.

Spring was the perfect time to fling open windows and doors and clean everything. Rugs were beaten and aired out. Walls, ceilings and floors were swept and scrubbed. It’s a tradition.

Logical Reasons
Spring has always been a time of change. Americans tend to have two distinct wardrobes: one for warm weather and one for cool weather. Since closet space is limited, we often clean and organize closets this time of year.

The type of work and play activities change, so we put away winter toys and tools and get out the ones for warmer weather. Now we need to clean out and organize our garages, basements and attics. An organized home is more efficient, resulting in less wasted time and frustration.

Health Reasons
A clean home is a healthy home. Cleaning is the process of removing soils and contaminants from an environment or material.  This results in better indoor air quality, a reduction of microbial growth and the added benefit that your carpet and other furnishings will last longer.

All of these biological, psychological and social reasons mean that we are basically hard-wired for spring cleaning.  However, it is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the things you want to clean and organize. Don’t try to do it all by yourself. Call Hansen Steam Way to help you with the big jobs.  Hansen Steam Way is the smart choice to clean your carpets, upholstery and more. You’ll spend less time feeling the joy of cleaning and more time enjoying the feeling of clean.