Pearson_Carpet_Care_Rick.wmv

This is amazing.  People from all over the world know about our rug cleaning plant.

The Drying Log: Insurance companies could save millions with one c...

The Drying Log: Insurance companies could save millions with one c...: For years I have been talking about how insurance companies could save a lot of money.  Usually they try to do this at the cost of contracto...

The Drying Log: Special Limited Time Offer - FREE Air Mover ProDry...

The Drying Log: Special Limited Time Offer - FREE Air Mover ProDry...: This is a great offer.  If you are in the market for dehumidifiers right now then you can't pass this offer up.  FREE Air Mover with the pur...

Should I Seal My Tile and Grout

Having been in the tile and grout cleaning business since 1992, one of the more common questions I get is, "Should I seal my tile and grout after cleaning"?  Sometimes its a new installation and the question is still the same.  Sealing your tile and grout provides a layer of protection against spills, stains and water penetration into your grout joints. 

New grout requires a curing time of 72 hours before applying a sealer, so the grout will be dry before applying. After cleaning the tile and grout, you will only need to wait a few hours before sealing.  When sealing, it is important to know what you are sealing.  Do you have ceramic tile, porcelain tile, or a natural stone.  Depending on your tiles you could need different types of sealer.  With a ceramic or porcelain tile you will not be concerned about sealing those tiles, just the grout.  Those tiles would not be very porous and so you would just want a grout sealer.  On a natural stone such as limestone, travertine, marble, or granite you would need to seal the tile and the grout and would need a sealer for that particular stone. 

When choosing a sealer there are many choices, but generally the better ones are found at specialty stores and not a big box store.  I would look for one that will not leave a haze on ceramic or porcelain if a little bit gets on the tile while applying.  A lot of sealers come with an applicator bottle where you just run the applicator down the grout lines.  However, this can be very tedious work.  I would suggest looking for some sealers that are applied with an aerosol can.  You can actually stand up with these sealers while applying and the length of time to apply them is drastically less.

It should also be noted that once you seal your tile and grout it doesn't mean that it is sealed forever.  You should reapply the sealer every year or two to keep your protection up.  Sealers will wear off with time, cleaning, spills,etc.  This way you can enjoy your tile and grout for years to come.

Rug Cleaning after a fire

It is truly an unpleasant and unwanted situation if you have a fire in your home.  Everything can be lost very quickly.  A customer of ours had this happen recently.  He was then told that all of his 30+ hand made rugs were ruined.  Yes they were wet and covered in debris but most of them did not actually catch on fire.
Luckily, our customer did not listen to his original advice and called to ask about our rug cleaning services.  These rugs cleaned up beautifully and will be able to be used and enjoyed for years to come.
So if we can clean a bunch of rugs with soot all over them imagine what we can do for your rugs.

Below is pictures of the rug being cleaned in our oriental rug cleaning plant.

Rug Cleaning Houston

Cleaning rugs after a fire

Oriental rug cleaning

Get the Rug Cleaners Houston App for Android

All Android users can now have the Pearson Carpet Care app on their phone.  This is a great way to have us handy when you need us.  Just search for rug cleaners houston in the android market.  The app will take you to our website.

www.pearsoncarpetcare.com

www.prodrying.com

Choosing A Vacuum Cleaner

Are you in the market for a vacuum cleaner? Since vacuuming can remove 70% of all the dry soil in carpet, then choosing a good vacuum cleaner is essential for day to day maintenance in between professional carpet cleanings.  With the proper choice this vacuum could last you for years.  Here is a few suggestions of things to look for and research to do before you buy that new vacuum.

When choosing a vacuum for your home it is important to look for an upright, dual-motor vacuum. One motor for the vacuum suction and one for the brush roller. This way the power of one motor is not split amongst two jobs.  Next the vacuum needs to have a high-efficiency filtration system.  This way the dry soil you vacuum out will not be blown back through the area.  For stairs, a backpack or canister vacuum would be better suited for this job. Although an upright vacuum with a hose and attachments could also be used for stairs.

A great place to start looking for a vacuum cleaner is the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Seal of Approval list. The vacuums listed here have been tested by an independent, certified laboratory and have met minimum standards for cleaning efficiency. This should help you further narrow down your choices.  Then you might need to go a retailer that will carry many of the vacuums on the CRI list.  This way you can try them and see how easy they are to use.

Once you have choosen your vacuum cleaner it is important to keep it in good working order so that when you use it, it is actually working.  Periodically you should clean the brush roller and make sure it is free of debris. You should also check to see that the belt is in good condition.  Also never let the bag or canister get more than 3/4 full.  If that does happen, the efficiency of the vacuum is greatly reduced. If your vacuum has a hose attachment, then make sure there are no obstructions in the hose.  Doing a few minutes of maintenance periodically will keep your vacuum looking and running like new for years.

Kevin Pearson is a Master Cleaning Technician #19267 with the IICRC and has been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1992. He is on the Board of Directors of the IICRC and the Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance. For information Call Pearson Carpet Care at 281-548-7200 or visit our website at www.pearsoncarpetcare.com.

What is the black line at my baseboards?

One of the most common issues we deal with as professional carpet cleaners is an issue called "filter fading" or "filtration soiling." Filter fading or filtration soiling is the name given to the accumulation of carpet soil found along the edges of wall to wall carpet, as well as under some doors and furniture. It is formed by air movement through the carpet at these different locations. Your carpet acts like a filter and traps the soil from the air. Over time these soils can solidify, permanently staining the carpet. In some cases these soils can oxidize (bleach) the color from the carpet. We see this happen at the base of walls, on stair cases, around furniture, and under doors that stay closed alot. Some houses seem to be more prone to it then other houses. While it is more noticeable on light colored carpet it can still occur on a darker colored carpet, it just may be less noticeable.

It can also be found around walls that are common to a return air plenum. If this is the case and you look inside the return air behind the filter and you see studs here is what you do. Take some sheetrock or plywood and cover the studs on the walls. Then take some caulking and seal all the joints well. This will force all the air coming in the return to go through the filter. Now you can clean the carpet around the walls and it should not occur again in this area.

Complete removal can be difficult or impossible if the problem has been occurring over a long period of time. However, if it is caught early enough it can usually be removed by a reputable carpet cleaning company. The bad news is that a cleaning may take care of it now but unless you correct what is causing it to occur then it will come back.

The best thing to do to minimize this is to vacuum these areas often and have your carpet cleaned often. This is the best way to stay on top of it. If you are replacing your carpet with new carpet and do not want to have the same issues, then after the old carpet is removed you can caulk the area between the subfloor and the bottom of the wall. This will prevent air from being pulled through the carpet fibers up into the wall. Then the soil will not accumulate there. However, it will not prevent it from occuring under doors or furniture.

Kevin Pearson is a Master Cleaning Technician #19267 with the IICRC and has been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1992. Kevin has worked on the committee that rewrote the carpet cleaning standards and the standard for carpet inspectors. He also serves on two other committees at the IICRC and is on the Board of Directors of the IICRC and the Professional Cleaning and Restoration Alliance. For information Call Pearson Carpet Care at 281-548-7200 or visit our website at www.pearsoncarpetcare.com.

Healthy Air and Clean Carpet

Did you know that there are several studies out that show that a clean carpet is better for you if you have allergies and other breathing conditions than a hard surface floor?

Here's why. A clean carpet can trap dust, dirt, and pollutants in the fibers and prevent them from kicking kicked up into your breathing zone. This is a good reason to have your carpets maintained properly. Proper maintainence of your carpet includes vacuuming and periodic carpet cleaning.

Vacuuming is probably the single best thing you can do to extend the life of your carpet. Since 70% of all soil in carpet is dry soil, vacuuming your carpet regularly will remove that soil and keep it from scratching your carpet fibers. Periodically, though it is recommending by all the major carpet manufacturers to have your carpet cleaned by a trained and certified technician. These two things help keep the carpet clean and will allow the carpet to be able to filter out dust, dirt, and other allergens that would not be able to be filtered out by a hard surface floor.