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.

Removing fruit punch, red wine, grape juice, decaf coffee, mustard & related stains

Eek! I can't believe its been so long since I posted. It's been a busy month--lots of end of the year stuff to deal with as well as things I've been putting off. (bad me) Anywho, here are some more stain removal tips.

Removing fruit punch, red wine, grape juice, decaf coffee, mustard & related stains

1. Use a general purpose spotter - (e.g., Perky Spotter®, R2X Stain and Soil Remover by Shaw Industries®, Spot Shot®, Arm & Hammer™ Odor and Stain Remover for Carpet, Mohawk Floorcare Essentials Carpet Spot Remover®, Spot Chomp®, etc.)
   
   
2. Agitate (tap, rub gently, or distribute chemical evenly), then blot. Continue blotting until the stain no longer transfers to your cloth, or until the stain disappears.
   
   
3. If needed, reapply cleaning chemical evenly, agitate, then blot again until the stain no longer transfers to your cloth or the stain disappears.
   
   
4. Rinse with warm water or flush with a personal extractor (such as a carpet cleaning machine with water-only rinse setting).
   
   
5. Dry the spot with a hair dryer or fan.
   
   
6. If stain remains, or if color is lost, call Pro Steamer at 623-0993. If you don't live in the Roswell, NM area, contact your nearest IICRC-Certified professional.

Removing general soil, food spots, ketchup, candy, coffee, tea, cola spills & related stains

It's that time of year when many have lots of guests in their home...and most likely spots and spills. So here are some easy spot removing tips to get your carpet looking the way it should. These are just three of the most common stains we come across when cleaning carpets.

Vomit

1. SCRAPE off excess material.
2. COVER with BROWN PAPER.
3. APPLY WARM IRON until material is absorbed. Be sure paper is large enough to cover the stained area. Take care never to touch the Iron to the carpet as the fiber may melt.
4. CHANGE PAPER or ROTATE to clean area and
   Repeat until all material is absorbed.

Urine- Dry

1. SCRAPE or BLOT up excess spill.
2. APPLY DETERGENT - use damp towel.
3. BLOT - don’t rub.
4. APPLY AMMONIA – use damp towel.
5. APPLY White Vinegar (undiluted)- use damp towel
6. BLOT – don’t rub.
7. WATER – apply with damp sponge.
8. BLOT – finish with weighted pad of towels.

Coffee

Use above method. If it doesn't work try this:

1. SCRAPE or BLOT up excess spill.
2. APPLY DETERGENT SOLUTION – use damp towels, leave 3-5 minutes.
3. BLOT – don’t rub
4. APPLY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION – let stand 20 to 30 minutes under a weighted pad of clean, dry, white paper towels.
5. REPEAT application of Hydrogen Peroxide and dry under weighted pad until removal is complete.
6. APPLY WHITE VINEGAR (undiluted) – use damp towels
7. BLOT – finish with weighted pad of towels.

Please note that hydrogen peroxide may cause discoloration of carpet so test in a non conspicous area before using it on the stain.

Next week I'll post more stain removal tips!

Keep a Healthy Indoor Environment

As much as 90 percent of our time is spent inside, especially during colder weather. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the air inside homes is two to five times more polluted than the outside air. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) recommends the following tips to help maintain a healthy indoor environment for you and your family:

• Maintain a humidity level below 60 percent. Higher humidity creates an environment for mold growth and produces allergens.
• Vacuum frequently. Carpet and furnishings can hold dust and particle soil, mold spores and other allergens.
• Have furnishings cleaned professionally once per year by an IICRC-certified firm to ensure the use of proper extraction procedures, to make certain that soil is not just redistributed, but removed.

To locate an IICRC-certified inspection, cleaning or restoration professional, visit www.certifiedcleaners.org or call (800) 835- 4624. If you live in Roswell, NM or the surrounding areas, visit www.pro-steamer.com or call our toll-free consumer awareness hotline at 1- (888) - 509-3974