CARPET CLEANING MYTHS
Carpet Cleaning Myth #1: You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.
No. Dirt is an abrasive – like sandpaper. Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers. This wears on your carpet, just as if you walked with sandpaper, causing it to wear out faster. Vacuuming helps, but by itself, it’s simply not enough. The longer you wait to have your carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to it.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #2: The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.
No. Air contains pollutants like pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust -- and hundreds of other chemicals. When you and your family members come into your home, those pollutants are carried in and will end up in your carpet. Dust Mites gather and grow in carpet fibers and if you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems – one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet. You should have your carpets cleaned about once a year.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #3: One method of carpet cleaning is as good as another.
No. The best method to use is called Encapsulation Cleaning. We clean with a foam shampoo that is environmentally friendly and leaves no residue on your carpet to attract dirt. Hot water extraction is done with a truck mounted system that heats the water to a high temperature and shoots the hot soapy water into the carpet at high pressure. This method does not include vacuuming so the dirt turns into mud....then the machine uses suction to draw the mud out of the carpet. Injecting hot soapy water into your carpet at high pressure forces it into the backing and padding of your carpet. This will de-laminate the glue that holds the carpet together and the pad acts like a big sponge....absorbing and holding moisture under your carpet for days.....which can lead to mold and mildew that you won't even know is there.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #4: Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly.
Not true. Many companies own hot-water cleaners - - but a large number of employees don’t know how to use them correctly. This is why it’s important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully. We only use highly trained technicians who understand your carpet and how to clean it best. Many carpet cleaners use detergents that are animal fat or oil based and they leave a residue on your carpet that attracts dirt....working in favor of the company and not the consumer. This residue accumulates with each cleaning.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #5: The Company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.
Here are two points to consider when hiring a carpet cleaner:
Point #1 - The price you see advertised may not be the price you pay.
Some carpet cleaners advertise room cleaning at a reduced price, then pressure you into paying a lot more once they get inside your home...some carpet cleaners may even break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics. We offer pricing on the phone and hold to that pricing when we come out to clean for you. We want you to enjoy the carpet cleaning experience and not have to worry about being pressured. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need.
Point #2 - Some "cheap" carpet cleaners may be damaging your carpet.
We've even heard of carpet cleaners who rent cleaners and pull them out of their car trunk do do your cleaning. The practice of thrift begins with the purchase of value.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #6: Removing carpet from your home improves health of folks with allergy & asthma problems
Health professionals sometimes recommend that allergy and asthma patients remove carpet from their homes. But those recommendations are generally based on faulty assumptions. In fact, clean, dry, well-maintained carpet actually improves air quality.
Carpet acts as a trap for airborne particles grounded through natural gravity.
Professional Testing Labs studied the distribution of airborne dust associated with normal activities on hard and soft flooring surfaces. Their findings showed that walking on hard surfaces disturbed more particles. These particles became airborne and entered the breathing zone. In contrast, carpeted surfaces trapped more particles so that walking disturbed fewer particles. Result: less dust in the breathing zone over carpeted floors.
Carpet Cleaning Myth #7: uncarpeted floors may seem easier and cheaper to clean than carpet.
After all, mopping seems to be all that is needed. Actually, non carpeted floors require more time and chemicals for routine maintenance. These include: waxing; stripping; washing; drying time; polishing/buffing, etc.
Soft surfaces are also less expensive and less time consuming to maintain than hard surfaces, according to A Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Floor Coverings in School Facilities, published by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), March 2002. Cleaning carpet instead of hard surfaces can reduce material costs by 49% and labor costs by 64%. In addition to helping suppress allergy and asthma reactions, carpet also gives subtle quality of life advantages in homes and public settings. For example, carpeted floors ease foot and leg fatigue. Carpet also reduces the number of slip-and-fall injuries, compared to hard surfaces.
Something new about dog urine & odors
You should avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will permanently set the odor and the stain by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers. You should also avoid using cleaning chemicals, especially those with strong odors, such as ammonia or vinegar. From your pet’s perspective, these don’t effectively eliminate or cover the urine odor and may actually encourage your pet’s inclination to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area. Ask our carpet cleaning technicians about "Bad Dog" for those really bad dog issues.
Your carpet and rugs act as a “filter” in your home for your indoor air. Their fibers “grab” particulates and contaminants and hold them. But like any filter, it needs to be cleaned because when it gets full it cannot grab anything else … and every time you step on a “full” filter you release contaminants back into the air.
Cleaning your carpet is key to a healthy indoor environment, and the EPA’s guidelines for cleaning very from every four months to every eighteen depending on the number of people and pets in the home, as well as other concerns from allergic sensitivities to how dusty the air is in your neighborhood to whether anyone in the home smokes. A true carpet cleaning professional can evaluate your particular needs and, with the right equipment and cleaning solutions, fulfill those needs for you and your family.
We are your professional carpet cleaner, using a greener method of cleaning that is good for you and your family and helps save you money because your carpet stays cleaner longer. We are bonded, insured and offer a guarantee when we work for you. Our carpet cleaning technicians show up on time and wear uniforms so you know that you are working with professionals. We have cleaned over 30,000 Residential and Commercial Customers since 1995 and have zero complaints with the Northwest Ohio & Southwest Michigan Better Business Bureau.
Thank you very much for reviewing this consumer message. Once again if you have further questions or would like to schedule a carpet cleaning appointment with Kwik Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, then call at 419-389-RUGS(7847).