Content
Q) How often should l have my carpets cleaned?
Q) How long will it take for my carpets to dry?
Q) Can you remove all types of stains from carpets?
A) No, but we do have a high success rate with stain removal. Most stains fall into 3 types; oil based, water based and food based. We carry a wide range of stain removers for all situations. Using the right product increases the success rate. Prompt action also helps although we know this is not always possible. Man-made fibres have less absorbency than natural fibres and therefore resist stains better.
If you have a spillage...
Don't automatically reach for the stain remover. (See Blog Post) The key to successful stain removal is to act fast, especially with red wine, fruit juice, tea and coffee and definitely if it is a wool carpet. Mop up what you can with old towels, rags paper towels or what ever you have to hand. If you have a wet and dry vacuum cleaner all the better.
Now dilute the remaining stain with water and try not to over-wet the carpet. Mop up as before. (If the carpet has a hessian or jute backing, then you will only make the situation worse as over-wetting will cause browning. This is because the colour of the jute will wick up through the carpet. You may not notice the browning for a couple of hours as it takes time for the jute to wick up through the fibres.)
Now if the stain is gone, well done. If not then you need to get professional help. Do not let the stain dry out. You can do this be placing a damp cloth or towel over the affected area until help arrives. Feel free to gives us a call anytime in an emergency and we'll come to your assistance if we can.
Please Note: We cannot guarantee to remove 100% of all stains, fresh or not. No one can, but swift action will help us to help you.
Image Above: Some of the carpet stain removers we carry in the van.
Q) What are the risks of DIY carpet cleaning?
or "Should I trust my husband to clean our carpets?"
A) The most common problems caused by do it yourself carpet cleaning are;
- carpet browning (wicking) - carpet shrinkage - carpets turning musty - carpets taking too long to dry -
Ultimately, all these problems are all caused by over-wetting the carpet. This is usually caused by a combination of a lack of pre-treatment, over rigorous cleaning by the DIY enthusiast and a hired carpet cleaning machine that is not man enough for the job.
In terms of professional carpet cleaning machines these little machines for hire have only a single vacuum motor, which means that the vacuum does not remove enough water from the carpet. Also because these hire machines do not have an internal water heater, the water goes down cold and so it takes longer to evaporate.
- varnish or rust stains caused by furniture -
The other mistake often made, and I see it frequently, is that furniture has been put back on a carpet, unprotected, before it is dry. That's alright if the furniture has plastic feet, but if the furniture has varnished legs or metal feet, then you could end up with rust marks or varnish marks. These are very difficult to remove are more often than not leave permanent marks. All you need to do is put some tin foil or plastic bags under the feet and that will protect the carpet while it dries.
Just one more thing
If you do hire a carpet cleaning machine, be aware that not only are they under powered and don't have a water heater, they also do not have a powerful spray for penetrating and rinsing the carpet. Their tank capacity is also very small (about 4 litres) so you will be forever emptying out the dirty water and filling up with clean water.
Why not call us to do the job properly, without risk? For one room it does not cost much more than hiring a machine with the detergents and the stain removers which you have to buy and we do all the hard work for you. I mean, why wouldn't you?
It also saves you two trips to the hire shop! Go on, you know it makes sense.
Q) Is there a stain protector that can be applied to my carpets and upholstery?
Q) I get asthma because I'm allergic to dust mites. Is there anything you can do to help?
A) Yes! The same product that we use to treat against pet fleas also treats against dust mites. However, it's probably not the dust mites you are allergic too. It is the dust mite excrement that is the problem. The dried excrement gets in to air that you breath or you may breath it in from you pillow or bedding. As the dried excrement enters your lungs, the moistness releases the digestive enzymes and for asthma suffers, can cause inflammation of the lungs, causing breathing difficulties. Not only can we steam clean the areas, we can also treat with Allergy Shield by Actiguard. And you know what else? We can advise you, free of charge, about what other steps you can take to minimise your exposure.
Q) Somethings eating my carpets! Can you help?
Image Above: Carpet Beetle Damage
Carpet beetles usually prefer the to live near the skirting boards. This is where you will see most of the damage, but this room also had damage in the middle of the room too!
Q) Can you treat against pet fleas?
A) Yes! Many landlords and letting agents now insist that if you are leaving a property and you have kept a pet such as a cat or a dog, then you have to have the carpets treated against fleas. We can steam clean these carpets which will kill almost any infestation living in the surface of a carpet. We can then treat with Allergy Shield by Actiguard which will remain active even after it has dried. Allergy Shield is effective against fleas and dust mites and many other things. And the best thing is that it is not even a pesticide, so it is safe for children and pets alike.
I run a nursery or play school. How often should I have the rugs and carpets cleaned?
Government guidelines say twice or three times a year, depending upon the local authority. We would suggest at the end of each term. The rugs and carpet not only need to be cleaned, they also need to be sanitised to kill germs and reduce infections. Nobody wants a poorly child.
We have a steam box which we attach to our carpet cleaning machine to increase the water temperature to 80 degrees plus and then treat with a sanitiser just for good measure. This reduces the risk of E coli and other infections which could affect you or school.
