Saturday, September 6, 2008
The UBS Clean Care Blog: Carpet Cleaning: “YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF CLEANING YOUR CARPET AS LONG AS POSSIBLE”
The UBS Clean Care Blog: Carpet Cleaning: “YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF CLEANING YOUR CARPET AS LONG AS POSSIBLE”
Friday, July 25, 2008
ONCE YOU CLEAN A CARPET, IT WILL GET DIRTIER FASTER
CARPET CLEANING MYTHS EXPOSED!
I noticed that when I clean a new shirt, it loses some of that crispness it had when it was new. So, now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't clean it for a while... you know, just keep wearing it until I finally lose all of my friends. .. just kidding.
Or, what I could do is WASH it and just restore the body with sizing. The choice is much the same with carpet except for a few differences. We deal with mostly synthetic fibers in carpet and repeated professional cleaning in itself does not make it attract soil.
What DOES cause a carpet to resoil rapidly is the leftover cleaning residues from an inept carpet cleaner. It attracts soil like a magnet as we walk across it.
Here's the deal: Hot water extraction performed by a competent, certified professional actually refreshes the texture of a carpet. When periodic cleaning is combined with the proper application of a carpet protector, the result is extended life and beauty for your carpet.
Our powerful vacuum combined with soft water technology assures you that no residue is left behind after we clean your carpet.
I noticed that when I clean a new shirt, it loses some of that crispness it had when it was new. So, now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't clean it for a while... you know, just keep wearing it until I finally lose all of my friends. .. just kidding.
Or, what I could do is WASH it and just restore the body with sizing. The choice is much the same with carpet except for a few differences. We deal with mostly synthetic fibers in carpet and repeated professional cleaning in itself does not make it attract soil.
What DOES cause a carpet to resoil rapidly is the leftover cleaning residues from an inept carpet cleaner. It attracts soil like a magnet as we walk across it.
Here's the deal: Hot water extraction performed by a competent, certified professional actually refreshes the texture of a carpet. When periodic cleaning is combined with the proper application of a carpet protector, the result is extended life and beauty for your carpet.
Our powerful vacuum combined with soft water technology assures you that no residue is left behind after we clean your carpet.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
“YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF CLEANING YOUR CARPET AS LONG AS POSSIBLE”
CARPET CLEANING MYTHS EXPOSED!
If I had dollar for every time someone told me this, I’d own an island in the Caribbean... with my name on it… St. David.
The reason this myth has held on for so long is because people think it will get dirty faster after cleaning. If your last carpet cleaner left a ton of residue behind (and most do), well then, yeah... it's going resoil really fast.
But as you know, UBS Clean Care rinses your carpet completely with high pressure, 240 degree soft water for a pure rinse — absolutely no cleaning residues are left behind so there are no resoiling issues.
And here's something else to ponder.
The single most important motive for cleaning your carpet should be NOT for appearance. It should be cleaned frequently for health reasons. That’s right. How clean your carpet is has a direct bearing on how healthy your home is.
Now there's food for thought.
So. How often do YOU have your carpet cleaned?
If I had dollar for every time someone told me this, I’d own an island in the Caribbean... with my name on it… St. David.
The reason this myth has held on for so long is because people think it will get dirty faster after cleaning. If your last carpet cleaner left a ton of residue behind (and most do), well then, yeah... it's going resoil really fast.
But as you know, UBS Clean Care rinses your carpet completely with high pressure, 240 degree soft water for a pure rinse — absolutely no cleaning residues are left behind so there are no resoiling issues.
And here's something else to ponder.
The single most important motive for cleaning your carpet should be NOT for appearance. It should be cleaned frequently for health reasons. That’s right. How clean your carpet is has a direct bearing on how healthy your home is.
Now there's food for thought.
So. How often do YOU have your carpet cleaned?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
“ALL CARPET CLEANERS ARE THE SAME… AREN’T THEY?”
CARPET CLEANING MYTHS EXPOSED!
Here are three questions you need to ask any carpet cleaner before they set foot in your home:
1. Are you IICRC certified? This is important for many reasons. Here are two: First, the carpet mills now REQUIRE that you have your carpet cleaned at least every 12 - 24 months and that it’s cleaned by an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Inspection certified technician. Second, your carpet cleaner being certified means he really knows what he is doing and that you will get professionally cleaned carpeting and upholstery.
2. Do you guarantee your work? If he cannot offer a 100% No-Risk Guarantee, then what does HE have to lose by taking your job? Absolutely nothing. You, on the other hand, can be left with a big mess after he leaves (i.e. a residue-laden wet-for-days carpet that will look worse.
3. Will you inspect my carpet and give me an iron-clad price BEFORE you clean? Most don’t want to bother doing a pre-inspection. Since they don’t guarantee their work, seeing what they have to clean ahead of time isn’t a big issue for them.
If they cannot answer ‘yes’ to these questions - HOMEOWNER BEWARE!
Here are three questions you need to ask any carpet cleaner before they set foot in your home:
1. Are you IICRC certified? This is important for many reasons. Here are two: First, the carpet mills now REQUIRE that you have your carpet cleaned at least every 12 - 24 months and that it’s cleaned by an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Inspection certified technician. Second, your carpet cleaner being certified means he really knows what he is doing and that you will get professionally cleaned carpeting and upholstery.
2. Do you guarantee your work? If he cannot offer a 100% No-Risk Guarantee, then what does HE have to lose by taking your job? Absolutely nothing. You, on the other hand, can be left with a big mess after he leaves (i.e. a residue-laden wet-for-days carpet that will look worse.
3. Will you inspect my carpet and give me an iron-clad price BEFORE you clean? Most don’t want to bother doing a pre-inspection. Since they don’t guarantee their work, seeing what they have to clean ahead of time isn’t a big issue for them.
If they cannot answer ‘yes’ to these questions - HOMEOWNER BEWARE!
Friday, June 20, 2008
“HOT WATER EXTRACTION CLEANING SHRINKS CARPETS”
CARPET CLEANING MYTHS EXPOSED!
Nope. Just another fairy tale.
Within the last fifteen years, the carpet manufacturing industry has made a unified change in tufting carpet, not in jute, but into a woven plastic known as polypropylene.
Now, using this as a primary backing in carpet and adding poly as a secondary backing, we have carpet fibers that are entirely synthetic. None of these are shrinkable!
Not even the most inept “splash ‘n dash” guy can shrink carpet - although there’s a bunch of other trouble they can cause!
There is one exception. The only way cleaning can cause shrinking is to over wet a woven carpet or jute backed carpet.
If this happens to these types of carpet, it’s the fault of the technician, NOT the method used to clean the carpet. A certified cleaning technician will know the difference!
Nope. Just another fairy tale.
Within the last fifteen years, the carpet manufacturing industry has made a unified change in tufting carpet, not in jute, but into a woven plastic known as polypropylene.
Now, using this as a primary backing in carpet and adding poly as a secondary backing, we have carpet fibers that are entirely synthetic. None of these are shrinkable!
Not even the most inept “splash ‘n dash” guy can shrink carpet - although there’s a bunch of other trouble they can cause!
There is one exception. The only way cleaning can cause shrinking is to over wet a woven carpet or jute backed carpet.
If this happens to these types of carpet, it’s the fault of the technician, NOT the method used to clean the carpet. A certified cleaning technician will know the difference!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
“I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU JUST REPLACED THE CARPET WHEN IT GOT TOO DIRTY”
CARPET CLEANING MYTHS EXPOSED!
I thought this was one of the more unusual carpet cleaning myths, but I have had several people tell me this.
It’s never occurred to them that their carpet can be cleaned. They say they had thought about getting it cleaned, but it just never happened. So as the years roll by and the spots and the soil accumulate… everyone sorta gets used to looking at it.
Part of the reason for this misconception is the homeowner thinks that their carpet is so dirty, it can’t be cleaned.
And if you used the ‘Splash-N-Dash’ guys, that would probably be true! They just don’t provide the TLC the carpet needs to get it looking almost new again.
Honestly, there have been very few carpet evaluations where our professional verdict was ‘rip it out and replace it.’
So the moral of the story? First: DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! Clean at least every year. And second: Be sure that you call us at least 7 -10 days in advance so we can get you scheduled.
I thought this was one of the more unusual carpet cleaning myths, but I have had several people tell me this.
It’s never occurred to them that their carpet can be cleaned. They say they had thought about getting it cleaned, but it just never happened. So as the years roll by and the spots and the soil accumulate… everyone sorta gets used to looking at it.
Part of the reason for this misconception is the homeowner thinks that their carpet is so dirty, it can’t be cleaned.
And if you used the ‘Splash-N-Dash’ guys, that would probably be true! They just don’t provide the TLC the carpet needs to get it looking almost new again.
Honestly, there have been very few carpet evaluations where our professional verdict was ‘rip it out and replace it.’
So the moral of the story? First: DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! Clean at least every year. And second: Be sure that you call us at least 7 -10 days in advance so we can get you scheduled.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
“Do You Use Water or Powder?” – A True Story
I received a call recently from a lady that left a message for me, simply giving me her phone number to call back. I had looked up her phone number and so was able to call her by name when I returned the call.
By the way, our company cleans carpeting.
After she answered, I told her who I was and she immediately got to the point: “I have just one question for you.” I said, “Fire away Mrs. H.”
“Do you use water or powder?” I hoped she was talking about carpet cleaning. I replied, “We use hot water extraction to…” I never got to finish my sentence. “Not interested” was all she said as she was hanging up.
Well.
Older folks can sometimes be somewhat abrupt on the phone, although I haven’t had anyone hang up on me in mid-sentence for a long time.
The point of this little story? A lot of people still have prejudices and misconceptions about “steam” or hot water extraction carpet cleaning.
I think it’s safe to assume that Mrs. H sure did.
Why is that? There are three basic reasons people think hot water extraction is bad for their carpet:
1. A previous bad experience with a splash-n-dash carpet cleaner that left the carpet way too wet.
2. A previous bad experience with a carpet cleaning bozo that left the carpet way too wet AND used too much cleaning chemical, causing rapid resoiling.
3. They heard that you should wait as long as possible to get it cleaned because… (See Reasons 1 and 2).
There are a lot of guys out there that clean carpeting on side to make beer money for weekends. They are not professionals and have (and continue to) muddy the reputation of companies that are professional and dead serious about giving you the best job possible.
And for the record: Every major carpet mill requires that you use hot water extraction to clean their carpeting. They also expect you to use a certified cleaner (See IICRC.org). Not following these requirements will void a big chunk of your warranty with them.
Too bad Mrs. H never gave me a chance to tell her all of this.
Unfortunately urban legends die hard. I doubt that she would have been convinced.
By the way, our company cleans carpeting.
After she answered, I told her who I was and she immediately got to the point: “I have just one question for you.” I said, “Fire away Mrs. H.”
“Do you use water or powder?” I hoped she was talking about carpet cleaning. I replied, “We use hot water extraction to…” I never got to finish my sentence. “Not interested” was all she said as she was hanging up.
Well.
Older folks can sometimes be somewhat abrupt on the phone, although I haven’t had anyone hang up on me in mid-sentence for a long time.
The point of this little story? A lot of people still have prejudices and misconceptions about “steam” or hot water extraction carpet cleaning.
I think it’s safe to assume that Mrs. H sure did.
Why is that? There are three basic reasons people think hot water extraction is bad for their carpet:
1. A previous bad experience with a splash-n-dash carpet cleaner that left the carpet way too wet.
2. A previous bad experience with a carpet cleaning bozo that left the carpet way too wet AND used too much cleaning chemical, causing rapid resoiling.
3. They heard that you should wait as long as possible to get it cleaned because… (See Reasons 1 and 2).
There are a lot of guys out there that clean carpeting on side to make beer money for weekends. They are not professionals and have (and continue to) muddy the reputation of companies that are professional and dead serious about giving you the best job possible.
And for the record: Every major carpet mill requires that you use hot water extraction to clean their carpeting. They also expect you to use a certified cleaner (See IICRC.org). Not following these requirements will void a big chunk of your warranty with them.
Too bad Mrs. H never gave me a chance to tell her all of this.
Unfortunately urban legends die hard. I doubt that she would have been convinced.
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