Detect-a-Leak Week

Detect-a-Leak Week is held annually every May. This is the perfect time to give your home a once over, checking for leaks that may be costing you money. Even a small leak can add up to hundreds of dollars a year, and could damage surrounding fixtures, cabinets, or floors.

One of the biggest culprits is the toilet. You often can’t tell if your toilet is leaking simply by examining it. Place a few drops of food coloring, just enough to slightly color the water, in the main tank.  Let it sit for several hours, then check the toilet bowl. If you see the color in the bowl, you have a leaky toilet and it needs to be repaired.

Check for dripping faucets, pipes, and connections by examining all plumbing in your home. Use a lightweight cloth to wipe around each connection. If your cloth becomes wet, you have leaky plumbing that needs to be repaired.

Don’t forget to stop those leaks that you can control. Turn faucets off all the way, and don’t let water run when you brush your teeth. Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket. Instead of throwing items such as tissues in the toilet and flushing, use a small wastebasket in your bathroom instead.

Easy Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Carpet: Part 2!

4. Remove Spots Immediately

Spots that are not immediately removed can turn into permanent stains very easily. When a carpet is new, or has sufficient protector on it, plain tap water will remove many spots. However, for those spots you can’t remove easily with water, you must use a spot cleaner. Select a spot cleaner recommended by the carpet manufacturer or by your trained, certified professional cleaner. Most spot removers purchased over the counter leave too much soap residue and can cause yellowing. Avoid using foam carpet cleaners or any product not made specifically for carpet.

Apply spot cleaner sparingly to white terry cloth and gently massage the spot, causing it to transfer into the cloth. Never pour spot cleaner directly on carpet. If the product you are using seems to cause the spot to re-soil over a few-week period, discontinue use. For any spot that you are not able to remove, and for pet urine or feces, call your professional cleaner immediately.

5. Have Carpet Protector Reapplied

Residential nylon stain resistant carpets are treated with stain resist properties and soil resistors known as Dupont Teflon or 3M Scotchgard™. After a period of two to three years, some of the soil resistor wears off. At that point you should consider having a professional carpet cleaner reapply the protector after professional cleaning. The soil resistor will help soil slide off the carpet more easily when vacuuming, spots will be easier to remove, and professional cleaning will be more effective.

Unprotected carpet soils faster, doesn’t last as long, and is prone to permanent staining.

What Causes “New Carpet Smell” and is it Harmful?

Smell is the most primitive of the five senses. The fragrances of food enhance our sense  of taste. Pleasant scents create a feeling of calm and contentment, while unpleasant ones may be a cause for alarm. Unfamiliar odors can create anxiety, especially when the source is unknown.

The nose knows, as they say. But what about “new carpet smell?” For many, this odor is welcome as we enter a carpet store or have new carpet installed in our own homes. It smells like a new beginning. But is this smell hazardous?
Volatile Organic Compounds
The unmistakable odor produced by new carpet is caused by a volatile organic  compound or VOC. Volatile simply means it evaporates readily at normal temperatures. This volatility makes it easy for us to smell. VOC’s are present in many new man-made building materials including sheet vinyl floorcovering, wall coverings, floor finishes, adhesives and paint. VOCs are what create “new car smell”, “new carpet  smell” and the smell that you probably don’t enjoy so much after you paint a room.

There are many different types of VOCs but the one related to new carpet odor is  4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH), a by-product of the synthetic latex binders used to hold the carpet backing together. Although new carpet does produce this volatile organic
compound, emissions from carpet as measured during EPA studies ranked among the lowest overall contributors to indoor air quality issues. Most of the VOCs present in carpet dissipate within 24-48 hours after installation.  Ventilation during and after  carpet installation helps to reduce that length of time.

EPA Testing
Several years ago, as the EPA was renovating its Washington DC headquarters, some  employees complained that odor from the new carpet was making them sick with a variety of symptoms including respiratory irritation, headaches and general malaise. The EPA enlisted help from carpet and latex manufacturers to investigate the complaints.

Following laboratory testing and extensive government agency review, no connection  between 4-PCH and any kind of adverse human health outcome could be established. As a result, the EPA describes 4-PCH as an“unremarkable chemical.”

Many people have the belief that “new carpet odor” is caused by formaldehyde used in the production of carpet. Research conducted by the School of Textile Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology dispelled this widely held myth. Current industry standards are in place so that all new carpet produced is monitored for this chemical.  Formaldehyde has not been used in the production of carpet in the United States for decades.

Latex Issues
What about people who are allergic to latex? The latex used in modern carpet is  synthetic and not linked with the allergic reactions caused by proteins found in natural latex. All of the materials used in the manufacture of carpeting are primarily the same harmless materials found in clothing, furniture and bedding. Nylon, polypropylene, polyester and wool constitute the majority of the components found in carpet.

The conclusion is that there is no evidence that new carpet odor is a cause for alarm.  However, since odors can create different reactions in individuals, it makes sense to address any complaints to prevent discomfort. As mentioned earlier, ventilating the structure during and after installation is the best way to reduce the buildup of 4-PCH in the indoor environment.

Easy Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Carpet: Part 1!

1. Check the Warranty

Copies of specific warranties from your carpet purchase may be available from your carpet retailer. Stain resist warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years. ALL STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE REGULAR CLEANING AND IMMEDIATE SPOT REMOVAL.

2. Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!

It is said that the three most important rules for maintaining carpet are vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum your carpet often; once or twice a week at least. Vacuuming removes the sharp soil that can cut and slice the fiber, causing premature wear. Much of this soil is not visible to the eye. Remove any loose particles such as food, leaves, pieces of crayon, and bugs, as these items can cause a spot on the carpet. Be sure to use a quality vacuum cleaner that is well maintained. If you have any questions about what type of vacuum is best, please ask us.

3. Have Your Carpet Professionally Cleaned Often

Most people don’t clean their carpet often enough, perhaps due to the cost or the hassle factor, or because they do not realize how important regular professional cleaning can be. For example, if your traffic areas are visibly soiled, you have already waited too long! Traffic area soil is somewhat oily and bonds to the carpet fibers, eventually staining the carpet. Once this has taken place, even though professional cleaning will make it look much better, the traffic pattern will still be visible. In addition, traffic area soil is sharp—like sandpaper—and it abrades the carpet fibers. To keep this to a minimum, clean your traffic areas before they look visibly soiled.

Golf Preparedness

With spring just around the corner, many of us are gearing up for the golfing season. Before you head back out on the course, take time to review some basic preparation steps to ensure that you have a day free of injuries or strains.

Remember to warm up before teeing off. Walk for several minutes, swinging your arms to warm up those muscles. After your muscles are beginning to warm up, do some stretches, concentrating on the muscles that you will use most during your game. Stretch your arms and back, as well as your shoulders and legs. To protect your feet from injury and fatigue, make sure that your golf shoes are properly fitted and are comfortable at all times during your walk on

Your carpet represents a significant investment. Just like any investment, maintenance is required to get the best return on it. Think about your automobile. You change the oil in your vehicle so the engine will last longer, to avoid costly repairs, and to get top performance from it. The same is true for your carpet, or any floor covering for that matter. By properly maintaining your carpet it will look better, last longer, and contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

Soil is corrosive by nature. It breaks down the fibers of your textiles. Soil that cannot be removed by vacuuming bonds to the carpet; it can then only be removed by professional cleaning. Even though your floors and fabrics may look clean, that doesn’t mean they are clean. Especially if you have pets and children. Soils, pollens, bacteria, asphalt, insecticides, and all sorts of invisible enemies are transferred to your furnishings daily. Not to mention the unmentionable: urine or fecal matter. (I know that’s yucky!)

Every day “environmental oils” attract abrasive soils: Carpeted traffic areas coming out of the kitchen collect cooking oils. Sofa arms collect body oils, and hard surface floors collect film from cleaning agents. The grit then eats away at the surface like sand paper.

The solution is to have your carpets, upholstery, draperies, and hard surface floors cleaned at least every 12 months; more often in high traffic areas.

You have probably heard that cleaning your carpets and floors too often is harmful. This is simply not true IF your floors and fabrics are cleaned according to proper standards. This myth came from uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous cleaners leaving a sticky residue behind, which made the attraction to harmful soils worse instead of better.

An effective carpet cleaning company will give its customers the best advice it knows to keep their carpets refreshed and attractive for months (years?) on end.  So don’t be shy to ask your prospective cleaning service this: “How Do I Best Care for My Carpet?”

 There is much discussion in our industry about how often carpeting should be cleaned. Surely you have heard “wait as long as you can before you clean your carpet” or “once you’ve cleaned your carpet, it’s never the same.”

These widely used comments have stemmed from unfortunate encounters with uninformed cleaners who have left the carpet with an overload of detergent residue. The unfortunate consumer has assumed this will happen with all carpet cleaning and resolved to wait until the carpet is in dire straits before cleaning it.

The good news is that a properly-cleaned carpet will not re-soil quickly and will actually last longer. Why? Because damaging soils are removed with effective carpet cleaning. Soil that is not removed by vacuuming, even though it can rarely be seen by the naked eye, cuts and slices the carpet fibers as the carpet is walked on, breaking down the carpet yarns in the traffic areas. The result is that even with restorative cleaning at that point, it will not correct the damage that has been done to the fiber. Not to mention that a carpet that is not cleaned on a regular basis is an unhealthy carpet. Carpet is like a sink. It collects pollens, insecticides, exhaust, and other undesirable substances that get tracked in or blown in from the polluted outdoors. Carpet manufacturers state that a residential carpet should be professionally cleaned at least every 18 to 24 months for best performance. More often if pets and/or children are present and perhaps more often if you are a smoker. The EPA published a guide that suggested regular cleaning frequencies based on number of occupants and other factors.

In short, a carpet that is maintained on a regular basis will not only last longer but will also provide a healthier indoor environment.

Those Doggone Allergies

Just like humans, dogs can develop allergies. If your dog often gets fits of coughing or sneezing, skin problems, or seems generally uncomfortable, he may be suffering from an allergic reaction.

Symptoms of allergies in dogs include itchy, red or scabbed skin, increased scratching, runny eyes, sneezing, coughing, snoring, and constant licking. Just like humans, dogs can be allergic to pollen and mold, dust, cigarette smoke, cleaning products, prescription drugs, fabrics, and food.

If food is the suspected allergen, pinning down the culprit can take some work. A food allergy in a dog usually results in itchy skin, ear infections, and gastrointestinal problems. Your vet can work with you to use an elimination diet to identify the specific allergens. If you and your vet cannot figure out what is causing these symptoms, your dog may need further testing using an intradermal skin test similar to the one used on humans.

If you suspect an allergy, the first line of defense is to remove the aggravating substance from your dog’s environment.  Irritated skin can be treated with topical medications. Practice good flea control and keep your home’s environment clean and as free from dust and mold as possible.  Weekly bathing can help remove allergens from your dog’s coat. If food is the problem, then your vet can recommend a diet free from any identified allergens.

If those steps don’t completely eliminate the symptoms, your vet may consider prescribing medication to help. There are allergy injections and some medications that have been shown to be useful. Check with your vet to find out all the options available to you and your dog.

Conquering Cataracts

By the age of 70, over half of all Americans will develop cataracts.  In fact, the older you are, the more likely it is that you will not escape cataracts. There are effective treatments for cataracts, including surgery. Not only can this type of surgery remove cloudy lenses, it can also improve vision for those who are near- or far-sighted.

A surprising benefit of cataract surgery is a lessened risk of breaking a hip in a fall. A study of Medicare patients showed that patients who had cataract surgery had a significant reduction in the number of hip fractures, with a 16 percent decrease in this type of injury.Vision loss is a major factor in seniors’ risk of falling, and a reduction in visual sharpness and depth perception can lead to a loss of balance, stability, and mobility.

Many people believe that they are “too old” to receive cataract surgery. But researchers have found that you can never be too old. In fact, they found the greatest benefit in terms of reduced hip injury was in patients over 80 years of age.

Cataract correction is more than just improving vision. It should be considered part of a comprehensive approach to better health and overall well-being.

“So what happens if I don’t apply carpet protector?” you might ask.  When you apply carpet proctor, you’ll avoid five key carpet problems:

More permanent stains.

A great-looking carpet can be ruined by an ugly spot. Unprotected carpet doesn’t repel spillage as well as protected carpet. Being able to remove spots and spills more effectively, avoids permanent staining.

“Uglied-out” traffic lanes.

Traffic area soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This damaging soil can easily bond to an unprotected carpet. By applying protector, you will increase the life of your carpet dramatically. When you vacuum your protected carpet, the soils will release from the carpet pile much more effectively.

Difficult spot removal.

The easier a spot is to remove, the less cleaner you will have to use, the less agitation you will have to use, and the less time it will take. With a protected carpet, many spots can be removed easily with just water or the free spot remover we provide you with.

Next professional cleaning not as effective.

Because of the first three items in this list, not having protector can reduce the effectiveness of your next cleaning. Having protector applied to your carpet will enhance your next cleaning. More soil will be removed the next time your carpeting is professionally cleaned.

Costly service calls.

Although you want to call us out to handle any spot you cannot remove immediately, carpet protector helps you remove more spots than you could without protector. You may be able to save a minimum charge by removing the spot yourself.

Here’s the answer to the question of whether to have carpet protector applied: You should always get carpet protector on nylon or wool carpet. Olefin carpet can even benefit in the abraded areas. So, make it your goal to always get carpet protector applied when having professional cleaning done.