Carpet Cure Carpet Cleaning

Professional Carpet Cleaning from "Nice Folks with a Mean Clean"

Tag: carpet cleaning

  • Can Robot Vacuums Handle Large Spaces?

    How Effective Are Robot Vacuums for Cleaning Churches?

    Robot vacuums have revolutionized the way we clean our homes and are becoming increasingly popular in commercial spaces, including churches. If you’ve ever wondered whether these automated helpers can handle the unique challenges of cleaning a church, you’re not alone. Here’s an in-depth look at how well a robot vacuum can manage such a task.

    Can a Robot Vacuum Clean a Church?

    A robot vacuum can clean a small church space, but there are several factors to consider to ensure it’s up to the task. Not all robot vacuums are created equal, and their efficiency can vary based on the following:

    Floor Type:  Robot vacuums can handle various floor types including hardwood, tile, and low-pile carpets. If your church has a mix of these surfaces, most models will perform well. However, for less common floor types, check the vacuum’s specifications to ensure compatibility.

    Church Size:  The size of your church plays a critical role. Smaller spaces are generally no problem for most robot vacuums, but larger churches require models with larger dust bins and longer battery life. For big areas, opt for a vacuum with significant storage capacity and the ability to resume cleaning after recharging.

    Advanced Features:  High-end robot vacuums come equipped with sensors to detect obstacles, navigate around them, and clean under furniture like pews. Choosing a model with these advanced features ensures a thorough clean without causing damage or missing spots.

    Factors Affecting Cleaning Efficiency

    • Battery Capacity
      • The battery life of your robot vacuum is crucial. Models with a battery life of 90 to 120 minutes can typically cover up to 1,000 square feet on a single charge. For larger churches, consider vacuums with 4,000 mAh batteries to avoid frequent recharges.
    • Bin Capacity
      • Most robot vacuums have bins smaller than 0.5 liters. For large or particularly dirty areas, you’ll need a model with a larger bin capacity or a self-emptying feature to prevent interruptions during cleaning.

    Tips for Using a Robot Vacuum in Churches

    • Clear Hazards
      • Remove small objects and potential obstructions to prevent damage to the vacuum and ensure an uninterrupted cleaning process.
    • Mop If Necessary
      • If the floor is wet, mop it before using the vacuum unless it has a mopping feature.
    • Prepare Your Vacuum
      • Ensure the vacuum is fully charged, and the bin is empty before starting. Make sure the docking station is accessible for recharging if needed.
    • Monitor the Cleaning Process
      • Stay nearby to manage bin emptying and battery recharging if your vacuum does not have self-emptying or recharge and resume features.

    Robot vacuums cannot effectively clean large church spaces containing obstacles such as chairs or pews. They can, however, clean smaller open areas provided you choose the right model with adequate battery life, bin capacity, and advanced features. By considering the specific needs of your church, you can find a robot vacuum that ensures a thorough and hassle-free clean.

  • Carpet Stains that Can Be Removed


    Often times when professional carpet cleaners are called upon to take care of stains or spots in carpets the first question will inevitably be “can you get it out”? If the first response out of the tech’s mouth is a resounding “yes”, then you might want to look into hiring someone else. The truth of the matter is not all stains are removable. We always have a “let’s take a look at it and if it can be removed” mindset. If it can be removed, we have what it takes to get it out”.

    Sugar and oil-based stains.

    Most dark colored, brown or black, spots are sugar or oil based. These can be removed 90% of the time. Stains in this category include colas, tea, coffee, and non-red juices. With cola stains, a traffic lane cleaner is usually the way to go and will take care of the problem almost always. Tea and coffee are sometimes a little more difficult and may require an acid rinse in conjunction with the traffic lane cleaner. Juices like apple or orange are relatively easy to get out. The problems occur when you get into the red juices such as grape or cranberry, especially on light carpets. Red juices fall into the red dye category and sometimes the only way to get those out is a heat transfer dye process. This process is usually reserved as a last resort and even then there are no guarantees.

    Body fluids.

    So what about stains such as blood, vomit, and urine? Well these, like all stains, need to be addressed quickly. The sooner you get them removed the better. The trick with blood is to not clean it with hot water or alkaline cleaning products. You might think you’re helping the carpet tech out by trying to remove some of the stains yourself but these treatments will actually set the blood into the carpet. Your best bet is to leave it to the professional. Vomit and urine are similar in that they are removed through a process. And it is very important to get urine up as soon as possible. The longer it stays the more it will continue to deteriorate the carpet. These types of spots are usually removed by utilizing a pre-treatment that breaks down the stain. Then the spot is thoroughly extracted. These steps will be repeated as necessary and afterwards, an enzyme is sprayed that will continue to break the spot down.

    Mystery stains.

    Sometimes you can get stains through no fault of your own. These would include stains from yellowing, water rings, and filtration soiling. Yellowing is one of those stains that can either be easily neutralized or impossible to remove. It is very common and can be treated with citric acid or an acid rinse. Water rings are also sometimes hit or miss. They are treated with traffic lane cleaner or an acid rinse. Filtration soiling is usually found in hallways near air conditioning units or where the carpet meets the baseboards. These are black lines that are caused by the carpet “filtering” soil. Getting rid of these stains requires using a special spotter and manually scrubbing the area with a towel. Due to the extra labor involved, this process may cost a bit more than you would like.

    Remove it FAST!

    The bottom line is that there are no guarantees with spot removal. What seems like an easy to remove stain could prove terribly difficult, and vice versa. But SPEED is your friend. Remove spots and stains FAST and you’ll have better luck in removal.

  • How Can Spots on Carpet Keep Coming Back?

    “They’re Baaack!”

    Have you ever wondered why spots return after having your carpet cleaned?  There are two main reasons that spots return?

    Reason # 1: Wicking. Many times, the spot that is being removed has seeped into the backing of the carpet. This is common with pet urine, beverages, and anything that is spilled in “volume” which then dries in the backing and the cushion (pad) of the carpet. When the spot is cleaned, only the material in the “pile” of the carpet is removed. However, if the base of carpet fiber (tufts) are exposed to moisture during the cleaning process, then as the spot dries, the material that is in the backing of the carpet “wicks” back into the pile of the carpet much like a candle wick.
    Even traffic area soil that is embedded can wick back. This is especially common in glue down carpet that is heavily impacted with soil. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good. When it dries, the spots and traffic area soiling reappear.


    The good news is that if a spot actually wicks back, it can be removed. When spot cleaning yourself, place a folded white terry cloth towel over the spot just after you clean it while the spot is still moist. Place a heavy object on top of the cloth. Be sure to use something non porous that won’t transfer color onto the carpet (like a paper book cover, brick, or something like that).
    When you have your carpet cleaned professionally, be sure to point out spots that have wicked back in the past, so they can be treated properly.

    Reason # 2: Re-soiling. Re-soiling is caused by a sticky residue that has been left behind. The residue may be from the spot itself, the cleaner that was used, or both and attracts soil and dust from the air circulating in the home or office and foot traffic. Some common residue causes are over-the-counter carpet cleaners purchased at the grocery store. Avoid using these cleaners all together. If you have to use one of these cleaners, or you have to use dish washing detergent, use as little as possible and rinse with water thoroughly.
    Other residue causes would be oily spots. Duct tape residue, body oils, lotions, etc. If all the oily residue is not removed, it will attract soil as the carpet is walked on. Even quality professional cleaning may not remove all oily residue the first time.

    SPECIAL NOTE: Cheap carpet cleaners use cheap products that are loaded with optical brighteners. Optical brighteners create an illusion of clean that causes the soil or spot to appear to be removed. The spot is still there. The soil is still there. Optical brighteners create a film that reflects light so that the carpet looks incredibly clean. It’s an optical illusion.
    A stark illustration of this can be seen at a flea market or home show. Someone will be demonstrating a miracle cleaner on a small rug. The rug is saturated with motor oil. The salesman then scoops off just the foam of the miracle cleaner and presto, the motor oil is gone! This is physically impossible. Notice that the salesman has several bright lights shining on the demo rug to create the illusion.

  • 5 Expensive Reasons to Avoid the Cheapest Carpet Cleaners

    The old saying goes “good things aren’t cheap and cheap things aren’t good.”  Well, there is alot of truth in that old saying.  People have learned this over the years.  What happens when you buy the cheapest car you can find?  It may look good on the outside but it lacks reliability and ultimately has a high cost in repair bills! 

    Often times the cheapest or “lowest priced” service company will end up having the “highest costs” to you over the long run.  Let me illustrate.  Here are 5 expensive(high costs) reasons the cheapest(low priced) carpet cleaners should be avoided.

    1.  Low priced carpet cleaners cut out anything that is not required.  Did you know that the carpet cleaning industry isn’t regulated?  You don’t have to have any certifications or insurance to become a “professional” carpet cleaner.  Because of this, our industry gets filled with uneducated and sometimes downright unscrupulous cleaners.  The lowest price cleaner is not going to have the money to acquire or keep up their education in this field.  They’ll also avoid paying for things like liability insurance or worker comp insurance.  This leaves you as the consumer vulnerable and liable if anything goes wrong. 
    2. Cheap cleaners often can’t afford to maintain their equipment.  Do you want a service company that can’t fix things that go wrong with their equipment?  Mechanical things do break down if not maintained so what happens when the equipment isn’t working properly?  Your carpet can be ruined in a worst case scenario but at the very least your risks are having a carpet that can’t be properly rinsed and extracted resulting in over-wet carpet often filled with a soil attracting residue.
    3. Cheap cleaners can’t afford good quality help.  Being the lowest priced company means you definitely can’t pay good wages.  This results in high turnover when better opportunities come their way.  Background checks are expensive and therefore often left out.  How important is it that you know who you are inviting into your home?
    4. Low priced cleaners buy the lowest priced tools and cleaning products.  Our industry is filled with very good high quality expensive cleaning products but it is equally filled with products that aren’t worth the jug they are stored in.  Do you want the best cleaning products or the cheapest being used on your expensive flooring?  Often times, a cheap cleaner may over dilute their cleaning products to make them last longer.  We see this alot with carpet protectors.  Many customers feel that carpet protectors like Scotchgard don’t work because they had a poor experience with it in the past.  I’ll tell you they DO work if they are diluted properly and applied from a dedicated application container.
    5. The lowest priced service companies typically go out of business within the first few years.  Most small business don’t succeed.  In fact I think the number is around 80% that fail within the first 5 years.  Running a small business is already hard enough.  If you are the lowest priced company then you simply can’t keep up with your expenses to operate the business.  Many close down and go do something else.

    There is one notable exception to where a low priced carpet cleaning company will succeed for a while longer than expected.  That is when they employ bait and switch tactics.  This is where a low price is used to get you to hire them and then once they are inside your home they find creative ways to increase the bill and even tack on hidden charges to get the price up to where they needed to be in the first place.  This is dishonest and a black eye in our industry.  You can avoid these bait and switch cleaners by asking the right questions during your initial interview with the service provider.  We have posted a video about this on the home page of this website..http://www.carpetcleanersmacon.com

    For help in hiring a professional service company follow these guidelines…..http://mycarpetcure.com/how-to-select-a-carpet-cleaning-company/

     

  • Which Carpet Cleaning Process is Right for Me?

    Which carpet cleaning process is right for me?

    With carpet cleaning, who decides what collection or sequence of steps work the best together to achieve optimal results?  Does “Mr. Carpet Cleaner” just make it up as he goes?  (well, yea often that is the case).  Is there an organization that has tested all the different cleaning processes on all the different fibers to determine what is best suited for each fabric and soiling condition?

    Yes, There is! Fortunately for you, the consumer, such an organization does exist.  It exists to protect you from uneducated, sometimes unethical cleaners who learn how to clean via YouTube, facebook or the the “school of hard knocks.”  This organization is called the IICRC (Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification).

    One of the great advantages of choosing a cleaning firm that is certified by the IICRC is the education in advanced chemistry and cleaning techniques that get applied to your job. The carpet manufacturing industry is constantly changing and the implementation of their improvements require certified professional cleaning firms to continue their education in order to understand how to properly clean today’s modern textiles. Unfortunately, our industry is not regulated and cleaning firms are not required to be certified in order to operate. As a result, our industry gets filled with untrained, uneducated “carpet cleaners” trying to make a living. To help insure your protection against uncertified (and generally under-priced) cleaning operations, the world’s leading carpet manufactures, Shaw and Mohawk, implemented a warranty policy in January of 2008 that requires consumers to have their carpet cleaned by an IICRC firm, utilizing the Hot Water Extraction cleaning method, in order to maintain their carpet warranty. You can see how important it is that you never choose a cleaning firm without current IICRC certification. I also must mention that the IICRC is the nation’s most recognized body of certification. It is independent and non-profit. The IICRC has no hidden motive or agenda, does not own any schools or employ instructors, and does not promote specific product brands. It approves schools and instructors that meet the criteria established by the IICRC and also serves as a consumer referral source for Certified Firms and Inspectors. Please visit www.IICRC.org or www.CertifiedCleaners.org for more information.

    Once you are confident in the education and experience of the professional cleaning firm you have chosen, you want to have an understanding of cleaning processes available to you and how they may or may not meet your needs. The cleaning methods that are approved by the IICRC are:

    Absorbent Compound • Dry Foam • Absorbent Pad (bonnet cleaning) • Shampoo
    Encapsulation • Hot Water Extraction

    Each method has a set of guidelines for proper use. Results of each cleaning method primarily depend on the soiling condition of the carpet and the complete employment of the guidelines set up for that particular method. All of these methods are appropriate for regular maintenance cleaning for your carpet. However, when it comes to the need for restorative cleaning for your carpet some of these methods will not meet your needs.

    Carpet Cure is experienced in each cleaning method and familiar with all types of soiling conditions. Based on our experience, we have chosen two of the approved methods as our primary cleaning process when cleaning inside the home. They are Hot Water Extraction (as required by Shaw and Mohawk), and Encapsulation. Dry Foam and Shampoo cleaning methods are sometimes used for specialty cleaning such as fine fabrics, upholstery and Oriental rugs.

    So, the next question you must ask when deciding which process you may prefer is….Do you need Maintenance Cleaning or Restorative Cleaning?

    Maintenance Cleaning: The process used for overall maintenance cleaning should adhere to the 5 basic principles of cleaning: dry soil removal, soil suspension, soil extraction, grooming, drying. If your carpet is in overall good shape, then a maintenance style carpet cleaning utilizing the Hot Water Extraction method is generally what we recommend to our clients. This ensures that unwanted soiling is removed which is key to enjoying your carpets appearance and getting the most “mileage” out of your carpet. General maintenance cleaning should be performed every 6 to 18 months depending on foot traffic and soiling conditions. Carpet protector should be applied after every cleaning to ensure that your carpet continues to repel dirt and spills. Your carpets protective finish is one of the key elements that determine how long your carpet will last and how well it will clean up each time.

    Restorative Cleaning: The process used for restorative cleaning will adhere to the 5 basic principles of cleaning but in a much more aggressive manner. Restorative carpet cleaning processes will often combine one or more approved cleaning methods so that your carpet is not further damaged during cleaning. That’s right, you don’t just add more cleaning solution or scrub it harder.  We have seen many carpets permanently damaged from an inexperienced cleaner trying to restore it without the proper knowledge and tools.  Since there is generally a greater concentration of accumulated soiling in these situations, agitation is used to a large degree to make the pre vacuuming more effective and to assist with soil suspension. Additional cleaning solutions are often needed as well. A water miscible solvent is used for unwanted substances that are not water soluble. An oxidizer is often used on certain fiber types to give greater natural deodorization and to help emulsify finer soils that are trapped in the abrasions and imperfections of the fibers. Oxidizing is also preferred when dealing with pet stains. Restorative carpet cleaning should be performed if your carpet has a high degree of visible soiling, has not been cleaned in over 2 years, if you have pet stain and odor concerns, or if you are trying to sell your house. We often have clients that simply want us to the do the best we can do. Our restorative cleaning process goes WAY beyond what other cleaners even think about doing. If your carpet cleans up well then you should definitely have carpet protector re-applied immediately following the cleaning.

    Our cleaning technician will be able to evaluate your soiling condition and prescribe an appropriate cleaning method and process for you. This will be done by gaining an understanding of your carpets age, fiber type, soiling condition, wear, amount of time since your last cleaning, the current state of your carpets protective finish and your overall motivation or purpose for this cleaning.

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  • Back to School Carpet Cleaning for Macon

    school rug

    Carpets are cleaned and ready!

    It’s that time again!  School is starting back for Macon and Warner Robins Ga.  The carpets have been cleaned and ready for this years students.  Here is a photo of one of the many school themed rugs brought into our rug cleaning facility this summer.  This teacher cares about our students and the environment they are in everyday.  Thank you to all our teachers for investing in the leaders of tomorrow!