FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions,Health Care Issues, Common Mistakes People Make, and Carpet Care Tips
Q: How do you clean carpets?
A: Short answer: We pre-treat stains, pre-spray carpets, and using van-mount steam cleaning equipment, we flush and extract soil using the Rotovac extraction tool.
Q: Are the chemicals you use safe for pets and kids?
A: Absolutely. We only use products manufactured and approved for cleaning carpets. We always rinse the chemicals from the carpet during the cleaning process.
A. The first step is always to blot up as much as the urine as possible. Using an appropriate chemical is very important -- only use chemicals made for urine odor and stain removal. Carrs and Fred Meyer carry a product called ‘Pets and Kids.’ Walmart has a product called ‘Odorcide.’ These chemicals work pretty well. Odorcide can be found in the section with plug-in air fresheners. ‘Nature’s Miracle’ is a good product, but you need to follow the directions exactly. If you have ever put down a disinfectant in that area, you can’t use an enzyme like ‘Nature’s Miracle.’ Whichever chemical you use, you need to saturate the carpet with the chemical. Follow directions! Cats tend to urinate repeatedly in the same area. The pad and floor underneath will have urine in them. Call us to get further information about this condition. We can instruct you how to deal with this.
Q. How do you treat ‘Koolaid’ or dye stains?
A. We use the heat transfer method. Using a special chemical, we transfer the red into a white towel by using a steam iron. We do charge extra for this process.
You can do this yourself by calling a carpet cleaning supply store and asking for red dye remover. Interlink Supplies carries the best product called ‘Red Relief.’ You use the same process that we do. You can call us and ask how to do this. If you were to have us come to clean your carpets, we would let you use some of our chemical and our iron to work on these spots yourself, if you wish. Please call ahead and talk to Michael, the owner, first so we could make sure you can do this properly.
Q. How do you treat heavily-soiled traffic areas?
A. Our policy with traffic areas is to first discuss the situation with the customer. We pre-spray the area, rake in the pre-spray, allow proper dwell time for the pre-spray, and then clean area very thoroughly. If the area does not clean up well, we will repeat this process. If we still are not happy, we will ask you to look at the area and if you desire, we will clean it one more time. This way you know that we have done all we could for this area.
Q: What is that dark line that runs along the walls in my home?
A: This is called soil infiltration, caused by minute dust in the air blowing through your home. This dust is flowing under the walls saturating the carpet from beneath.
A. If you have any flooding, you need to act immediately. The first step is to call us, no matter what time it is, and we will advise you on what needs to be done. There are different categories of water damage, depending on where the water came from. Sewage water is treated much differently from fresh water. The carpets and pad must be dry within 36 hours or there will be mildew or mold problems.
The Water Claw is one of the tools we use to remove standing water.
After calling us, the first step is getting the standing water out of the carpets and pad. Most of the time, the pad will need to be removed. We will treat the carpets to help keep them from developing mildew and to kill any bacteria in the carpets. Fans will be needed to dry the carpets as quickly as possible. When carpets are dry, pad will be installed and carpets re-laid. We will then thoroughly clean carpets.
Q. How do you remove water stains?
A. Water stains are usually easily eliminated by using an acidic solution. We clean the carpets then apply a 4 pH solution. In most cases, we will then rinse out this solution. There is an extra charge for large water stains.
Q. How do you charge?
A. We charge by the area. Prices. Our minimum price is for the first three rooms, then we charge separately for each room or area. Any area larger than 14 feet by 14 feet is counted as two areas. Any hallway longer than 6 feet is considered an area. A set of stairs is considered an area.
Urine odor elimination is charged at $85 per hour, plus cost of chemical. Additional labor costs are as follows:
~ Water damage labor is charged at $85 per hour plus chemicals and materials.
~ Fan rental is charged at $20 per day.
~ Dehumidifier is charged at $75 per day.
~ Ozone machine is $75 the first day and $20 each additional day.
~ Black light inspection is $85.
~ In situations where there is an extraordinary number of stains, we may charge extra for treatment. Cost is $85 per hour plus cost of chemicals. This is something we would discuss when you make the appointment.
~ A large-volume stain that has gone through the pad might need to be completely flushed from carpet and pad. We have a special tool that allows us to do that without pulling the carpet. We do charge $85 per hour for this process. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes for each of these spots.
We try not to charge extra for stains. We will always talk to you about the conditions and what needs to be done. Our main goal is to be effective in our cleaning efforts. Sometimes this takes extra processes and chemicals. Our next goal is to be cost-effective for you. We will only do what needs to be done.
Q. How long does it take to clean carpets?
A. It depends on the condition of your carpets, but as a general rule it takes a little over an hour to clean the first three areas. Each additional area takes about 15 minutes. Our high-tech equipment and chemicals help us clean quickly and thoroughly.
Q: How long does it take for the carpets to dry?
A. This depends on many factors: how thick the carpet is, how soiled it is, airflow in the home, and humidity. In most cases carpets will be dry in two to eight hours.
We move big couches, chairs and dining room tables from side to side. We do not move beds, dressers, china cabinets, entertainment centers, or these types of items. We ask you get all smaller items off of areas to be cleaned.
We could move some of these big items but we would need to charge more money. We charge moderate prices and believe in cleaning only the areas that need to be cleaned. If you need to have large items moved, you will need to discuss this with us when you call us.
Q. Do you clean area rugs?
A. Lightly-soiled area rugs without odor problems can be cleaned in your home. We charge between $15 and $30 for each area rug. Heavily-soiled area rugs or rugs with odor problems should be brought to our shop. We will discuss prices on these rugs.
Q. How do you treat natural fiber carpets, rugs and upholstery?
A. Wool and cotton are treated much differently than synthetic fibers. We use neutral cleaning solutions. We have to be careful not to cause a condition called cellulose browning. This is caused by cleaning a natural fiber with a solution with too high a pH level or if the fibers remain wet for too long. After we clean with neutral cleaners, we dry the fibers are quickly as we can.
Health Care Issues
Dust mites: Dust mites can be a health concern for young children and individuals who have respiratory problems, and carpet cleaning is a great way to help control the problem. However, there are other steps that can be taken along with carpet cleaning to reduce a possible dust mite problem. Frequent vacuuming with a good quality vacuum cleaner with a Hepa filter and keeping your home’s ductwork clean are the most important factors in controlling dust and dust mites. We recommend the Oreck Hepa filter vacuum cleaner. If you have further questions about dust mites, call us and we can provide links to more information regarding the health concerns and control of dust mites.
Mold:
Mold remediation is a complex process. I would not recommend you do this yourself without properly educating yourself on the process and securing the proper tools and chemicals.
Bacteria: If you have untreated urine in your carpets, there will be unhealthy bacteria in your carpets. Urine should be treated and removed from the carpets immediately.
Common Mistakes People Make
Infrequent vacuuming: Depending on your environment, carpets should be vacuumed every one to three days, and at least once per week in all rooms. This eliminates the problems of soil saturation in traffic areas, and controls dust and dust mites. One of the problems caused by people not vacuuming often enough is small sand particles damaging the roots of the carpet fibers in heavy traffic areas, causing them to wear out much faster than the rest of the carpet.
Using improper chemicals to spot clean carpets: Use only products made for cleaning carpets, and follow the directions. On occasion we are faced with a stain that normally we can remove easily but we find our customer has set the stain by using the improper product. If you have a stain problem, call us and we will help you determine the proper product to use, free of charge.
Carpet Care Tips
Vacuum frequently! Use a beater-bar type of vacuum with a hepa filter. We recommend the Oreck Hepa vacuum cleaner. Always vacuum edges along the walls.
Always use proper spotting products.
Always treat urine spots with proper chemicals, after immediately removing as much urine as possible.
Bathe your dog on a regular basis. Put a small rug at the entrance to the house or where the dog comes and goes.
Mop your kitchen floor often.
Always replace the carpet pad when replacing carpets. The better quality the pad, the longer your carpets will last. Stains and odors in the old pad can transfer into new carpets.
It is generally recommended to clean your carpets at least once per year. Carpets should be cleaned according to your situation. If you have dirt and soil outside the home, and kids and pets inside, carpet cleaning every six months is a good idea. If you home is low traffic with no dust problem and you vacuum well, then you can wait two or even three years between carpet cleanings. Be aware, however, that for most carpets the warranty for the stain guard protection states that the carpet must be cleaned once per year by professional steam cleaning for the warranty to remain valid.