Four costly misconceptions about upholstery cleaning

For the next few weeks I'm going blog about misconceptions regarding upholstery cleaning. Many people often forget that having their upholstery cleaned is just as important as having their carpets cleaned.

But my furniture doesn't look dirty!
Oh but it is....

And now here’s misconception #1:

“You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your upholstery.”

That’s not true. Soiling can accumulate rather quickly on upholstery through use. It’s transferred to the fabric from clothing, body perspiration and items placed on it, such as newspaper, food and drinks. Dust also settles on upholstery, along with airborne soils containing cooking fats or cigarette smoke. Many of these soils are tacky and will hold the dust to the fabric. In fact, the closer your upholstery is to the kitchen, the tackier the dust becomes and thus more harmful to the fabric.

Combine that with the exposure of pet dander, dust mite accumulation and every day use, consumer groups therefore recommend cleaning at least every 12-24 months. If cleaning is postponed any length of time, fabric and colors can begin to dull, and the original appearance becomes more difficult to restore, shortening the life of the upholstery considerably.

After Cleaning Carpet Care

Being that this is our first post of the new year, I thought I'd start out with some after care carpet cleaning tips.

After our Service Technicians have cleaned your carpet, these simple precautions should be observed.

• On the day of cleaning, minimize outside traffic to prevent premature resoiling.
• Remember walking from cleaned carpets onto any hard surfaces can be very slippery!
• To avoid stains or rust spots, please do not remove any furniture pads or blocks our technicians may have placed under furniture for at least 24 hrs.
• Do not replace small furniture or area rugs on cleaned areas for 24 hours.
• You may vacuum after at least 24 hours.
• If carpet protection was applied after cleaning usual drying time may be lengthened. However, you have made the best choice in maintaining your carpet!
  

The EPA highly recommends our rinse and extraction method with hot water using truckmounted equipment for the healthiest indoor environment. The downside? Carpet drying time may vary from as little as one hour under ideal conditions to as much as 12 hours. The drying time can vary widely due to the density and construction of your carpet, and other factors such as the previous condition of your carpet and outside weather.

To speed drying time, we recommend:

1. Increase air circulation (turn on ceiling fans) and if the outside is dry crack open a window or two (a couple of inches).
2. During hot weather, turn your air conditioner on to 69 or 70 degrees.
3. If the weather is cold, turn the heater on to at least 70 degrees.