Controlling Odors

There are many reasons you could have odors in your home or office. They could come from things such as cooking, pets, a plumbing leak, smoking, and many more. Getting rid of these odors sometimes can be a challenge. However, there are a couple things to remember when trying to get rid of odors.

The most important rule of odor removal is to first remove the "source" of the odor. For example, I received a call several years ago to clean up some dog poop in a home. On the phone with the customer I was under the impression the "pile" had already been removed. However, when I arrived the pile had not been removed and there was cans of different kinds of cleaners and air freshener around the pile. I was then quickly reminded of the first rule of odor control, to remove the source. Unfortunately, for me though this was a big dog and I needed a shovel. Not something we usually carry on the carpet cleaning truck.

Sometimes removing lingering odors after the source is removed can be tricky, but the best place to start is at the source and go from there.

How to Choose a Carpet Cleaning Company… without getting ripped off

Do you need your carpet cleaned but you don’t know how to choose a carpet cleaning company? Before you hire a cleaner ask them a series of questions and see how well they fair. They may not be perfect but they should fair pretty well if they are reputable.

What kind of training does the company have for its technicians?
A reputable firm should require that employees receive training certification from organizations such as the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and participate in continuing education programs that is separate from their “in house” training.

Does the company give free in-home written estimates before the job is performed?

A free in-home written estimate will let you know exactly how much you are going to spend before you call and make an appointment.

How many years has the company been in business under the same name?

A company that has been in business for years has to be doing something right, or else no one would call them back

What does a basic cleaning include?

A basic cleaning should include the pre-spot, additional spot removal, furniture moving, and cleaning of the carpet. You may then choose to pay extra for the carpet protector, spot dyeing, or repairs.

What type of cleaning method will be used?
The most preferred cleaning method by carpet manufacturers is hot water extraction or as some people call it “steam cleaning”.

What is your guarantee?
A reputable company will offer some sort of guarantee — usually they will come back once to try and rectify the problem and if that does not satisfy the customer they will refund their money.

What should I do before the cleaner arrives?

Before they arrive you should have all your breakable objects out of the way. Then the technicians should move around your furniture, clean under it, and set it back where it belongs on top of small pieces of Styrofoam or plastic tabs.

Lastly, ask your friends, relatives, and neighbors who they use and trust. This is probably the best way to find the perfect company for your needs.

IICRC Board Votes to Return to Original Name

IICRC Board Votes to Return to Original name
Keeps cleantrust as the consumer-facing service mark

VANCOUVER, WA (February 17, 2012) - The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) announced today that the Board of Directors has voted to return the formal name of the organization to the IICRC, keeping cleantrust as the service mark of the organization. The full details surrounding the transition will be announced at the Certification Council on April 22, 2012.

“We’ve heard the feedback from registrants over the past few months and considered many options,” said IICRC Chairman Darrell Paulson. “Ultimately, the board has decided to use the IICRC as the main brand and use the cleantrust as a service mark. This allows us to honor the 40-year history of our organization, while also working to gain more awareness with end-users. We are still working through all of the details and we thank the inspection, cleaning and restoration community for their patience during this process.”

The IICRC will retain the use of the updated logo, which represents the strength and breadth of the organization. The shape reflects a globe, symbolizing the IICRC’s international status. And like the organization, the logo is made up of many different parts that are working together in a unified pattern, depicting an organization that is deep in knowledge.

“Together, this powerful brand combination of IICRC and the cleantrust, will enable us to constantly work towards our mission of identifying and promoting an international standard of care that establishes and maintains the health, safety and welfare of the built environment,” said Paulson.

Updated materials with the new IICRC logo and an updated design will gradually rollout in the coming months, including ID cards, brochures, introductory video and a new website.

iPad3 and KindleFire to be given away at Lake Houston Business Expo

We'll be there and we hope to see all of you there too.  

iPad3 and KindleFire to be given away at Lake Houston Business Expo

Blogging Your Way to More Business - Feature Article - ICS: Cleaning Specialist

Blogging Your Way to More Business - Feature Article - ICS: Cleaning Specialist

This is a friend of mine in the carpet cleaning industry. He is a great writer, marketer, and carpet cleaning business owner.

www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
www.prodrying.com

Getting Paid by Guest Columnist John Howell of Grogan Clean Care Nacogdoches, Texas

When we think about work we have to think about how to express to the customer the cost of the services in question, how to give them an invoice once the work is done and how we expect to get paid.

The best way that I have come up with to actually talk to a customer is to offer to come look over the job in person for FREE. I know this may be hard to swallow at first, but customers who really are interested in letting you do the work for them are not just price shopping, they want to meet you and ask you questions to see if they even want you to come near their home.

Once the work is agreed upon it is important to let your customer know if there are any changes in the price different than the estimate and your expectation of the completed job. The only thing I can say here is to under promise and to over deliver.

Give an invoice as soon after the work is completed as possible. This does two things: it makes you and your customer go over the invoice immediately and you are less likely to forget the details of the job or even worse add work that you didn’t do. This might seem easy, but when the work is on and it’s from job to job to job for 8 hours a day even for a week trying to remember something you did on Monday on Friday is harder than you might think.

Collecting. It’s almost unbearable to think about. That is why “payment is due when services are rendered” signs are made. No one likes to hassle anyone for money especially when it’s been 3 months and you can barely remember the job anymore. Stay on top of receivables and those awkward phone conversations won’t be needed.

Pearson Carpet Care Receives Angie's List Award

Humble, TX - Pearson Carpet Care has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

“Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. Angie's List is where consumers share their ratings and reviews on the local companies they hire. Members of Angie's List also check the list's more than 500 categories for highly rated companies before they hire. Company ratings are based strictly on feedback from members of Angie's List. Companies cannot pay to be on the list, nor can they put themselves on the list. Angie's List currently has more than 1 million members in 124major cities across the U.S.

Pearson Carpet Care is located in Humble, TX and specializes in cleaning rugs from all over the world, whether hand-woven or machine made. Pearson Carpet Care also does carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning and offers 24 hour emergency water extraction. Visit our website www.pearsoncarpetcare.com or call the world headquarters at 281-548-7200.

Rug Cleaning - The First Step

The most important part of rug cleaning is removing as much dry soil from the rug as possible before the cleaning actually begins. Here is a video of a rug we picked up to clean because the customer was not happy with the previous cleaner just 3 weeks before. The previous cleaner tried to clean it at the customers house in their driveway and did not even try to remove the dry soil. Don't let this happen to you. Bring your rugs to Pearson Carpet Care the first time.



http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
http://www.prodrying.com

February Newsletter - How to choose a Vacuum Cleaner

The Newsletter below is about how to choose a vacuum cleaner. It also includes a few tips on how to keep the one you got in good working condition. Vacuum cleaners can affect the indoor air quality when not functioning properly.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Newsletter-from-Pearson-Carpet-Care.html?soid=1108504812581&aid=qeJRUvO6IeM

www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
www.prodrying.com

Another Company's Drying vs. Pearson Carpet Care

So I got a call from an adjuster to meet him at a house that had a water loss 6 days ago. The loss started in the second floor bathroom. The toilet tank cracked in a 9 year old 3400 sf house and affected 3/4 of the house. The insured called someone they knew to dry it. The company brought out two dehumidifiers (only one was an LGR) and two fans. They cut out some plywood decking on the second floor, drilled holes in the plywood other places and had no moisture meters, even though it says water restoration on their van. They also had a yellow fan that had nails in the handle and one poked me pretty good is the only reason I noticed it. I am now drying the house with my equipment (4 dehus. and 19 fans) and so the other company came to pick up their equipment today. I asked the guy about why there were nails in the fans, he said so they could tack down the carpet when they put the fan under it. I still can't believe people dry (or attempt to dry) this way. Also he had a standard refrigerant on the job and the grains in the house were 42 so it wasn't working but he didn't know that. It was so low grains inside today because outside it is 15 grains today in Houston but to cold to dry with the windows open. Here is a slide show of the job. The red phoenix fans and phoenix dehus. are mine. The other equipment belonged to the other company.

http://www.prodrying.com
http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com

New Welcome Page

Check out our new welcome page on facebook.

http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
http://www.prodrying.com

Pearson Carpet Care
525 N. Houston Ave.
Humble, TX 77338
281-548-7200

Rug Pad will extend the life our your rug

Christmas 2011 has brought many rugs to our rug cleaning plant. However, one of the things some people over look in the care of their rugs is the importance of rug pad. Here is a list of some of the reasons a rug pad is important.

1. Reduces wear.
2. Makes vacuuming easier.
3. Helps in reducing the impact of foot traffic across the rug, thus

increasing the life of the rug.

4. Helps keep your area rug laying flat and prevents the rug from moving.
5. Rug pad can also give you good non-slip protection on hard surface floors.

6. It can cushion the feel of a flat-weave rug.

Note: Never use tape or adhesive to secure your rug to the floor. This can cause damage to the rug and the floor.

Lastly, when you take your rugs in for cleaning don't forget about the pad. You shouldn't put down a clean rug over dirty pad. Either have your rug pad washed with your rug or simply buy new rug pad.

For more information on rug cleaning in the Houston area go to http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com/ Also visit our other site for all your dehumidification needs http://www.prodrying.com

Water Damage and Your Carpet

When you have a water damage in your home there are so many questions most people have. So many things can get wet in your home from your sheetrock, baseboards, door jambs, cabinets, and of course your flooring. However, most people are only concerned about the carpet because it is something that you can see that is wet and most of the time you can't see when cabinets and walls are wet.

One of the first questions usually asked is, “What about my carpet?” With advancements in technology in recent years we are able to dry the carpet and pad in place. It is usually dry before the structure of the house is dry. To do this the water must have come from a fresh water supply line and we need to get to it within 24 hours in most cases. We have been drying the carpet and pad in place without pulling up the carpet at all now since 2003 and still we are one of the only companies in the City of Houston that is able to do this.

There are many advantages to being able to have the carpet and pad dried in place.

Less disruption to your life and home after drying is complete.
Cost is less than removing, disposing, and replacing pad.
Moving furniture is minimized.
No damage to carpet like happens when it is pulled up to remove the pad.
No damage to carpet from air movers being put under the carpet to dry it and them causing the carpet to slap against the tack strip and fray the edges.

Since carpet and pad are one of the most porous things in a structure and are generally the first things to get wet, then if you have the right equipment they should be one of the first things dry in the structure. As a water restoration professional, if I couldn't dry one of the most porous things in a structure how would I be able to dry something not so porous like walls, cabinets, or a wood floor. However, many water restoration companies are still using technology developed in the 1970's and will tell you that it is not possible to dry carpet and pad in place. This is simply not true and could cost you more time and money when using one of those companies.

Kevin Pearson is a Master Cleaning Technician with The Clean Trust and has been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1992. Kevin is presently working on a committee to rewrite the carpet inspector standards in our industry and has previously served on the carpet cleaning standards revision committee. He also serves on two other committees at The Clean Trust and is on the Board of Directors of The Clean Trust since 2011 and on the Board of Directors of the Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance since 2004. For information Call Pearson Carpet Care at 281-548-7200 or visit our website at http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com.

Feel free to check out our drying equipment site at http://www.prodrying.com

How much soil can a wool rug hold?

Here is a video showing that a square foot of carpet or wool rug can hold one pound of dirt. In our rug cleaning plant we routinely run into rugs that have pounds and pounds of dry soil in them that needs to be removed before cleaning can occur. Even though this video is done with nylon carpet a wool rug will hold just as much dry soil and still look clean. If you would like to know more about our oriental rug cleaning plant in Houston, Texas visit our website at http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com/

One Insurance Company Wanting me to Charge Them More

This article really has nothing to do with rug cleaning at all, but since our company does a lot of water damage I thought somebody might find it interesting.

http://ezinearticles.com/?One-Particular-Insurance-Company-Wants-Me-to-Charge-Them-More-and-They-Dont-Realize-It&id=2618381

For more information about Pearson Carpet Care go to http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com or our drying equipment sales company at http://www.prodrying.com

Snag in a Berber? What do I do?

If you get a run in your berber carpet, don’t just trim it. You will leave a very noticeable line where you can see the backing of your carpet. Instead try this simple solution.

Take a hot glue gun with clear glue and add a small drop of glue on the backing of the carpet where the loop of the berber was originally attached.  You should still be able to see some of the glue from the manufacturer on the spot where you will need to add the hot glue.  Then take a paperclip so not to get hot glue on your finger and press the carpet yarn into the backing of the carpet.  Repeat this process all the way down the run until it is all re-attached. Use the adjacent carpet yarn still attached from the factory as a guide for spacing and height.

If you are nervous about doing this then practice several times without using the glue, until you feel comfortable doing it.  Also, remember that a small amount of glue is all that is required and make sure not to get it on any surrounding fibers.   If you don't have a hot glue gun you can also use Elmer's Gorilla Glue.  I have used both in the past and either works well. If you do it right, it should be very hard to tell you repaired it unless you know where it is.

Rug Cleaning Done Right

Have you ever had a carpet cleaner that wanted to clean a rug in your home or office at the same time they were cleaning your carpet?  Seems like a good idea, initially.  However, there are some real good reasons why you should never have a carpet cleaner, clean a rug in your home or office.

While your favorite carpet cleaner might do a wonderful job cleaning your carpet, they simply can not clean a rug properly with the same chemicals and equipment used to clean your carpet. Chemicals made for cleaning synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting could damage a natural fiber rug. A professional rug cleaner will use chemicals that are safe for wool or other natural fibers. It would be impractical to bring the rug dusting and washing equipment that is necessary to properly clean a rug into a home environment. Also, many times it is necessary to test the colors in a rug for 24 hours to make sure they are stable. When cleaning a rug it is nearly impossible to remove pet odors from any rug without a full immersion cleaning. This can only be done in a rug cleaning plant. A wet wool rug could then take up to 24 hours to dry in a controlled environment. After the rug is cleaned and dried then the fringe will need to be cleaned and a final grooming done on the rug before it can go back to the customer.

If a rug is going to be stored for any length of time, it should be cleaned first. Never roll up and store a dirty rug. Rugs should be stored in a climate controlled environment and be wrapped in plain brown paper or in Tyvek. Never wrap a rug in plastic. Since wool can hold 30% of its weight in water and still feel dry to the touch, wrapping a rug in plastic would not allow the rug to breath. So condensation could form in the plastic and cause the rug to mold or dry rot.

It is also not a good idea to ever set a potted plant on top of a wool rug. This can cause permanent damage to a rug by over watering the plant or just by the humidity that is absorbed into the rug from the potted plant. This can result in color loss, mold, or dry rot.

About Kevin: Kevin Pearson is a Master Cleaning Technician with The Clean Trust and has been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1992. Kevin was elected to the Board of Directors of The Clean Trust in 2011 and presently working on a committee to rewrite the carpet inspector standards in our industry and has previously served on the carpet cleaning standards revision committee. He also serves on two other committees at The Clean Trust and is on the Board of Directors of the Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance. He has also been featured on Fox News in Houston. For more information Call Pearson Carpet Care at 281-548-7200 or visit our website http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com

Clean it and Go! by: Kevin Pearson - Clean it and Go!

Looking for spot cleaning tips on carpet and rugs. This book has great tips for consumers on how to take care of their carpet and rugs. It is only 12.95 with free shipping.

Clean it and Go! by: Kevin Pearson - Clean it and Go!


http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
http://www.prodrying.com

Pearson Carpet Care Newsletter - November 2011

Here's where you can find the November Newsletter for Pearson Carpet Care

http://campaigns.ratepoint.com/campaigns/a16b20b1b414f6bdf37b1c5830b333c0

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Another funny rug video

This is the follow-up to Roscoe's Rug Emporium which can be found in the October 2011 section of the blog.