Carpet Cleaning and Allergy Control

Clean carpet traps dust, pet dander, allergens, and other fine particulates out of the air we breathe.  This means what falls on the carpet tends to stay trapped in the carpet until it is removed through either vacuuming or extraction carpet cleaning.  Hard surface floors, such as tile and wood allow dust and allergens to re-circulate into the breathing zone easily.  However, properly maintained carpet actually contributes to improved air quality.  Properly maintaining carpets includes vacuuming thoroughly and having your carpet cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning company periodically.   Independent testing compared the distribution of airborne particulates associated with normal activities on hard and soft flooring surfaces.  A 2002 study by the Professional Testing Laboratory Inc. in Dalton, GA., shows that walking on hard surface floors disturbs more particles than walking on a carpeted surface will.  The carpet surfaces trapped more particles so that walking disturbs fewer particles, resulting is less dust in the breathing zone of children and adults.  In addition to trapping airborne particulates, carpet can insulate, absorb sound, and help prevent slips, falls, and other injuries that are typical on hard surface floors.  A summary of this study can be found on the Carpet and Rug Instittute's (CRI) website.  So keep this in mind, if carpets are dirty, not only will they not trap dust, dirt, and other allergens properly, they won't last as long as carpet that is properly maintained with a professional carpet cleaning company.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

. 

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.

Carpet Freshening Powders

Having your carpet professionally cleaned can save you money versus trying to do it yourself. Think of it like this, by the time you rent a carpet extractor and factor in a dollar amount for your time and the fact that you may not know the chemistry involved in removing certain spots and stains, it could be a lot cheaper to let a professional clean your carpet properly rather than risk setting a stain or damaging the carpet. There is also a big difference in equipment from a small electric do-it-yourself machine to a van-powered carpet cleaning machine with a trained technician running it.


Professional cleaners use similar methods to home cleaning, but they should have the knowledge, equipment, training, and experience necessary to do a more thorough job of removing embedded soil. When selecting a cleaning service, look for an IICRC certified firm and an IICRC certified technician. Ask reputable carpet retailers in your area who they recommend. Friends and family that have used a particular cleaning service before may also be able to give you a good referral. Stay clear of cleaners offering ridiculously low advertised rates. Many times you will never get the low price or you will get a cleaner that will leave your carpet wet for days and might make it worse than it was before they arrived.

When the cleaner arrives at your home for the cleaning, it is a good idea to point out any spots and stains or areas that you would like to receive extra attention. Professional cleaners will have many different spot removers on their truck and should be able to remove lots of different types of spots. They should give you a firm price before they begin the work and you should not pay until you are satisfied with the job. Some cleaners might even give you a demonstration in the worst area before they begin with no further obligation. If you have never used the company before this would help ease your mind as to the quality of work they were going to do.

Regular and thorough vacuuming can remove over 70% of all dry soil that is in the carpet fibers, thus keeping their appearance good and extending their life. For the most soil removal use an upright vacuum cleaner with a beater bar. Most carpeted areas in a home need to be vacuumed once a week, maybe more. Vacuum using several slow strokes over the same area then go over the same area from different angles. When carpet is not vacuumed regularly, the dry soil from shoes, crumbs, etc. may stay on the surface of the carpet for a short time before working their way down into the carpet where it can scratch and abrade the carpet fibers.

Room size rugs should always be sent to a specialty rug cleaning plant. An area or oriental rug should not be cleaned in your home. Rugs can be expensive and sometimes delicate, so it's important to have them maintained properly to protect your investment. To clean a rug properly involves many steps and specialized equipment that can not be transported to your home. A professional rug cleaner will check for dye stability of the colors in the rug and advise you as to any issues they foresee before cleaning the rug. They might also offer a discount if you bring your rug to them for cleaning rather than them picking the rug up.

Did you know that a rug can hold nearly a pound of dry dirt per square foot and still look clean. An 8x10 rug could hold nearly 80 pounds of dry dirt. So, to check and see whether or not your rug is dirty, pick up a corner of the rug and while holding it with one hand, hit the back of the rug sharply with the other hand. If a cloud of dirt flies out of the pile, the rug is dirty and needs to be cleaned. You could also take a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar and with the rug face down on a hard surface turn on the vacuum and leave it in one spot for 8-10 seconds. Then flip back the rug and if there is some dirt on the floor beneath it then it is time to clean the rug.

A professional rug cleaner can also dry a rug thoroughly after cleaning. A wool rug can hold 30% of its weight in water and still feel dry to the touch so it is important to make sure the rug is dry before putting it back down on a wood floor.

So think twice before deciding to clean your carpet or rugs yourself. There are many tools and tricks professional cleaners know that will result in your carpet or rugs being cleaner and lasting longer than if you did the cleaning yourself.

Tea Washed Oriental Rugs

Tea Washed Oriental Rugs


Oriental Rugs sell better when they look older so for over 100 years the trade has tried a wide range of tricks to “age” rugs. One trick popular at the turn of the 21st century was Tea Wash. New rugs were stained with tea or henna to dull the brashness of a new rug making it appear older to the untrained eye. There is no consistent formula for tea wash but at first it was usually tea or henna. Both tea and henna are more stains than dyes since neither is particularly colorfast.

The dye instability led to some problems for Rug Cleaners. When washed these rugs would often lose color. Particularly when treated for stains or traffic lanes color loss was inconsistent giving the rug a splotchy look. This of course left untreated would cause customers to complain that the Rug Washer ruined their rug,

The Tea Wash problem is aggravated by a shift in the market. Dealers faced with used rugs with color loss or damage particularly from urine stains would Tea Wash the rugs to hide the damage. On cleaning previously hidden stains and areas of color loss could once again become very noticeable. The customer would often think the old damage was new and a result of the cleaning.

Because the tea wash could be applied to a new rug in perfect condition or to an older rug with varying degrees of damage Rug washers are faced with a difficult task in the pre-inspection of rugs entering their plant. Cleaners need to look for an overall brown or red brown stain. Customers should be informed that the stain may lighten in the cleaning process and restaining may be necessary. The cleaner should look for areas of old staining or damage that the tea wash may be hiding and inform the customer of the preexisting condition.

Once the rug is cleaned by whatever method is appropriate then the cleaner can assess the condition of the tea wash. If it has lightened or if there is inconsistent color then the cleaner should apply tea wash. Stable long lasting tea washes can be obtained at most suppliers. Success with tea wash involves educating yourself as well as educating and informing your customers.

Barry O’Connell is an independent scholar who has studied Oriental Rugs in the United States as well as Iran and the Middle East. O’Connell is best known for his websites including http://www.spongobongo.com/ and http://www.persiancarpetguide.com/

Roscoe's Rug Emporium

This video always cracks me up and since it is about rugs, its perfect for my blog.  After you watch the video make sure to visit our website. http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com/

http://youtu.be/T0q1i2mqMgs

Allergy sufferers and carpet

Have you ever said, "I am going to get rid of this carpet because I have allergies." The whole time thinking that the carpet in your home was contributing to your allergy symptoms.

Did you know that there have been several studies showing that carpet in your home, will trap allergens and keep them out of your breathing zone better than a hard surface floor? One study in particular done in Sweden shows that while carpet sales went from 40% of all floor coverings sold in 1975 to just 2% in 1992, allergies did not improve. In fact, reported allergic reactions rose dramatically from less than 1 million people in 1975 to more than 3 million in 1992.

The study along with others can be found at the Carpet and Rug Institute's website.