What Kind of Carpet is the Best Carpet?

Well, it totally depends on what room you’re installing it in and what goes on in that room. We’re going to provide you a little information here on six different rooms in a home, each having its own activity level, and which type of carpet would be best.

Bedrooms

For determining the type of carpet in a bedroom, it is definitely going to depend on who uses that bedroom. If it is your master bedroom or a guest room, it probably won’t have the same amount of foot traffic as your kid’s bedrooms do. Even teenagers have more going on in their room and need a more durable carpet.

In your master bedroom, a nice plush or soft texture will work fine. If you’re on a tight budget, go with a soft polyester type of carpet.  For your kid's bedroom, you have more foot traffic and a bigger chance of spills (even with the house rule of no drink or food in the bedroom, it will happen). So, go with a carpet that is stain resistant like a nylon or polyester carpet fiber.

Don’t go with solid colors if you have any fear of the slightest crumb or lint showing up because it will. Go with a multi-color heather or multi-color tweed, they won’t show those small bits.  Or, go with a pattern and any soil or spills will blend right in.

Living Room

What is your personal taste? What is your lifestyle like? These are the main factors when it comes to choosing carpet in this room. A busy family, especially with children and/or pets, will use the living room more than any other carpeted room. You want a carpet that is stain resistant and odor treated. Also, think about your furniture and how heavy it is. Now, if you are carpeting a formal living room that isn’t used except on rare occasions, then you have more options such as a classic cut pile or a sophisticated cut, maybe even a loop pattern.

Family Room

The family room is the most active of all homes if it isn’t the living room. You, your spouse, your kids and all their friends and all the pets gather here day in, day out, year round. You definitely want carpet that is soil and stain resistant that will stand up to all that foot traffic. A dense texture or a loop pile carpet is great for this type of room and in a multi-color pattern.

Dining Room

You need a carpet in this room that is inherently stain resistance. You’ll dine in here.  Therefore, spills will happen even to the most graceful person. A solution-dyed nylon carpet or a nylon that comes with advanced stain resist properties, is great for this room, as well. Choose a carpet that is anti-microbial for spill protection.

Hallways and Stairs

The hallways and the stairs are usually very high foot traffic areas in most homes, but they aren’t really active areas other than the foot traffic. So, a dense, low pile carpet will work fine because they are most resilient in fiber and nylon products. The most used areas of the stairway, at the very top landing and the very bottom landing, and where the most stress happens. A carpet that is low profile and is extremely dense will have a long life.

Basement

If you’re carpeting your basement, then you’re planning on using it. How you will be using it will be key in determining the type of carpet to get here. If it is going to be used as a family room or game room, follow the notes above. If you’re going to be using this for an office, then most likely, you won’t have the same amount of activity and foot traffic and go with a lesser expensive carpet. No matter what type of carpeting you get here, get a good padding because you are going to be on the very bottom cement foundation in this room.

The Charisma of Carpet Fiber

Have you ever given any thought to the bolts and nuts of carpeting? You know, the stuff it’s made from? Carpet is made from fiber and the technologies involved in carpet manufacturing continue to change and develop when it comes to performance.

Even though the longest history in carpet is wool carpet, the carpet made from nylon fiber has been around for several decades.  In the 1950s, it became high fashion for homes across America. There was experimenting with carpet just as there were other things through the 60s and 70s. There was the bout of round fibers and triangular fibers, and then the manufacturers finally landed on a rounded trilobal fiber that offer the best for performance as well as soil-hiding.

What you may not realize is there are two types of nylon.  There is a Nylon 6.6 and there is a Nylon 6, both of which are normally used in carpet manufacturing. Nylon can be died in a stunning range of color harmonies and a luxuriousness that still offers excellent abrasion resistance, durability, resiliency, and texture retention. The homeowner that purchases nylon carpeting will benefit from its great resistance to soil and stains. 

Then we have polyester carpeting. This type of carpeting has found a niche in commercial carpeting.  It has a great versatility in styles and an amazing range of colorations, both of which lends to its the popularity. Also, when it comes to price competition, it is just as attractive as the others on the market. 

There is a mix of reviews when it comes to polyester carpeting. The luxurious hand and unbelievable face weights make polyester carpet a strong draw.  Because it is a heftier weighted carpet, they are extremely well priced.  They are inherent and have a permanent stain fade resistance and have a great clean-ability about them.

Let us not forget about wool carpeting, too. There is a unique status about wool carpeting that puts it in a league of its own.  It is an all-natural fiber that gives a luxury feel and look as well as great performance on the floor. It offers great color options, it is high bulk, and a naturally soft feel that is inherently flame-retardant.

Tips to Bust Your Anxieties About the Holidays and Pet Stains

The holidays are active and busy with a lot of action around the house and all of that can disrupt not just the family’s routine, but your pet’s routine, too. The disruption of routines can be stressful for everyone, including your pet.

Unfortunately,a pet that is “stressed-out” may begin having accidents inside, no matter how well trained they are. If your home is the go-to place for holiday entertainment, the last thing that you want to worry with is pet accidents and the stains left behind. Fortunately for you, we have some tips for you to help with those accidents so that you can go ahead and enjoy your holidays.

Set up a “safe space” for your pet that will be away from your guests. Place their bed, a toy, food and water.

As much as possible, keep to your regular schedule with their feedings and walks.

Make sure the holiday décor is out of your pet’s reach, as well as alcohol, food and holiday plants.

When your pet does have an accident, clean it up as quickly as possible. The less time it is on your carpet, the less chance of leaving a stain behind. Once the holidays are over, schedule an appointment with a professional carpet cleaning service to get the stain cleaned out deep down in the fibers.

Make Your Next New Vacuum Cleaner an Anti-Allergy One

One of the best ways to minimize allergy issues in your home is to have your carpets professionally cleaned.  However, it isn’t cost effective to have that service daily and going with a quarterly or bi-yearly schedule isn’t enough. Regular vacuuming with your household vacuum isn’t going to get all the allergens, either.

So, you next best option is to buy an anti-allergy vacuum cleaner that you can use daily. In addition to the other anti-allergy things you have in your home, this will minimize the amount of allergens in your home in between your appointments with a professional carpet cleaner.

How to Choose an Anti-Allergy Vacuum Cleaner

Today, more than half of the people living in America suffer from allergies, asthma,or other types of breathing problems. Dust mites, pet dander and ragweed are the most common causes with the dust mites and pet dander being on the inside of their homes and the ragweed an outside allergen.

You can keep the allergies in your home at bay with a vacuum cleaner that is anti-allergen by way of anHEPA filter. With daily cleaning using a vacuum with this type of filter, you can greatly reduce the amount of allergens in your home’s air.

What you should look for in purchasing an anti-allergy vacuum cleaner will depend greatly on your budget. There are several quality cleaners on the market that can fit any budget. Let’s take a look at the feathers you need to look for:

The HEPA Filter

HEPA is an acronym for high-efficiency particulate air. This type of filter traps small dander, debris and dust particles. The vacuum cleaners that are not equipped with a HEPA filter simply circulate those allergy causing particles back in the air, whereas the HEPA filter traps them and then stores the pesky particles.  

Anti-Allergen Seals

A special technology that works with HEPA filters is anti-allergen seals. This seal keeps the canister tightly locked so that the debris, dust and other particles are trapped.

A Strong Suction

An important part of a vacuum cleaner’s working is the suction. The stronger the suction, the better it can lift the allergens deep inside the carpet. Choose a vacuum cleaner that has suction controls which allow the vacuum more power.

What are the Differences Between Hot Water Extraction and Steam Cleaning?

It may not seem like there’s a difference to you, but to an expert in the carpet cleaning industry, there is a big difference between hot water extraction and steam cleaning your carpets. There is a difference in the water temperature for starters and there is a difference with the cleaning solutions that are used.

What this means to you is how you should treat that stain and we’re going to explain the differences to you here:

Fundamental

The temperature of the water used in the two processes is the primary difference. When steam cleaning your carpet, you actually use steam. This means that the temperature of the water has gotten high enough that it transformed into gas. When this process is done to clean carpeting, rinsing is not as effective.
The hot water extraction method requires hot water only. Just how hot though? Hot enough that the carpeting is cleaned deep and effectively. However, it doesn’t get so hot that it changes its matter, such as changing to gas.

USES

Using the hot water extraction method is the most recommended method by the majority of carpet manufacturers. This is because the risk of shrinkage of the natural fibers of carpet is prevented when cleaned with the hot water extraction method. This is the same philosophy with upholstery, too. Steam cleaning your carpets and upholstery can actually make many stains permanent. When cleaning carpets and upholstery made from synthetic materials, the higher heat of steam cleaning is best.

DIY

For those who are looking to save a few dollars and rent carpet cleaning machines from a retailer, proceed with caution.  Why?  If you are not experienced at handling this equipment or if the equipment is faulty, you may end up with soaked carpet full of detergents. And, if the area you’ve cleaned has poor ventilation, you have the risk of mold growth.

Paint on the Carpet? American Cleaning & Restoration to the Rescue!

You used this summer to get some new paint on the walls and freshened up the place. Now, as you’re getting the winter clothes and coats pulled out, you noticed your daughter spilled some paint while doing her room.

Well accidents happen and all is not a catastrophe. The process of how to get that paint stain up will depend on a few things:

• Type of paint
• Color of paint
• How long it has been there
• Type of carpet

So, let’s take a look at a few different solutions and see which one best fits your situation:

Any and All Paint

No matter any of the 4 things we listed above, any and all types of paint spills, you need to act fast! Letting is sit will make a permanent part of your carpeting. So, stop the spill from spreading and surround it with cloths or paper towels to absorb it and blot as much as possible of the paint. DO NOT RUB! Before you begin in with harsh chemicals or cleaning solutions, you need to do a test patch on the carpet where it can’t be seen. If a little bit of the paint does dry in the meantime, you can trim that out with a razor blade or scissors.

ACRYLIC

Apply liberal amounts of glycerin to the paint stain and then blot. The leftover residue can be removed with rubbing alcohol and then you should go over what is left of the stain using a clean sponge with a mild detergent and clear water. Then vacuum the spot dry.

OIL-BASED

Acting quick is the only option here since oil based paints will permanently stain when left too long. You are going to need mineral oil or turpentine to remove this paint stain from your carpet. But if has already dried, turpentine is your best bet. Apply the turpentine to paint stain then with paper towels blot it up. Next, using rubbing alcohol, blot the area to remove any chemical residue that may be left behind. Then using a mild detergent with clear water, and a clean sponge, clean what is left.

LATEX

After blotting up as much as possible, mix a teaspoon of neutral detergent with 1 cup of warm water for a cleaning solution. Now, apply this mixture to the stain and again blot as much as possible. Keep repeating the method until you have removed the stain.

WATER-BASED

After blotting as much paint as you can, keep blotting while pouring water or vinegar on the spot. When you have blotted as much up as possible, add a mild detergent while blotting and rinse with water. Be careful not to add too much water and spread the paint.

Winter is Coming! Scotchgard Your Carpets Now!

It has been a long hot summer and now Old Man Winter is coming soon. And, he is bringing ice, rain and snow along with mud and slush. Now is the time to get you carpets and upholstered furniture protected with Scotchguarding.

What exactly is Scotchguarding? Well, this process is applied to your carpet and upholstered furniture for protection against spills and it will also protect your carpet from all that mud and slush that winter weather will bring. It keeps dirt, grime and that nasty slushy mud from getting attached to the fibers of the carpet by sealing it.

It is always best to apply Scotchguard after you have had them cleaned, of course. If you apply this
protective layer while dirty, you’ll seal in the dirt, grim and slushy mud which will make your carpet and furniture look dirty and dull.

Scotchguard Protects From Stains

When there are spills on carpet or upholstered furniture that has been Scotchguarded, it keeps it from staining and will lengthen the life of your floors and furniture. This in turn is a money saver because you won’t need to replace these things too soon. It also makes keeping your home clean, which saves you time because it makes cleaning much easier and faster.

How to Clean Your Tile Floors Before Your Next Professional Cleaning

Cleaning your tile floors doesn’t have to take all day folks. Nor do you have to have a professional in every time you want them sparkling clean (although we wouldn’t mind coming once a week for you!). So, we are going to share some easy tips to do yourself:

1: Groutbrush

The biggest things that can make tile floors look dirty are the grout lines. When you do just a basic mopping, you aren’t getting down in there where the dirt and grime build up.  Purchase a groutbrush at any big box home store and with a cleaner made for grout, get those grout lines clean! It goes quicker than you may think.

2: Sweep

Before you mop your tile floor, always sweep first. If you don’t, the dirt and grim just get pushed off in those grout lines and packed down.

3: Water

After you mop your tile floors, soak up any excess water so that it doesn’t soak into the grout lines. This will make them look dirty and dull which will make your whole floor look dirty and dull.

4: Bedtime

When you clean your tile floors, make it the last thing you do just before you got to bed. This allows them to dry without foot traffic tracking across them. This is especially so if you have kids or pets in the house.

This is what you can do every day, weekly or as needed depending on the traffic in your house. Once a month to every three months, call a professional to do a deep steam cleaning and keep those tile floors looking great.

Is Padding Really Necessary With Carpeting?

When you buy new carpet, no doubt you have some sticker-shock and try to cut back where you can.  Too often people are making a great investment with quality carpet but don’t buy new padding to go with it.  If they are replacing carpet, they just use the existing padding. As well, if they are buying new carpet, many people believe it is thick enough on its own.

Both of those are the wrong way to look at carpet padding. The varieties of carpet padding to choose from can depend on what kind of floor the carpet is going over and what carpet style you choose. There are many benefits to having carpet padding installed with your carpet.

Longevity is Increased: Carpet padding can increase the life-span of your carpet. It protects the backing and binding by absorbing all of the impact of all the foot traffic. It also allows air flow to the vacuum cleaner to increase the suction of the cleaner. With a better suction, more dirt, debris and dust is removed.

Insulation is Increased: Carpet padding will make the room feel warmer in the winter by providing extra insulation. It can also keep cooler air inside as well during the hot months.

Keeps the Carpet in Place: Carpet padding will grip to the hard floor surface and keep the carpet still, which means less bunching and wrinkling.

Make Carpets Cushioned and Softer: Carpet padding provides another layer of padding to your carpet and absorbs any impact your floors may take. It also makes it feel softer when walking on it barefoot.

5 Steps to Get Your House Winter-Ready

A lot of people dive into spring with “spring cleaning” but what about diving into winter with “winter cleaning”?  It is something that we should all think about because after all, we are going to be locked up inside for several months, right? So, may as well get a good clean start and here are 5 steps to help you get your home ready for winter:

The Furnace

With central air/heat units, you should be changing the filter every 30 days anyway, but if you only have central heat, you may not think about it during the summer.  Change it out now so that you have a clean, fresh filter in place before the cold snap hits. Check the furnace over as well making sure it is clear of any dirt, dust or grime that has collected during the spring and summer months. Vacuum up any dust bunnies underneath, those are a fire hazard.

Deep Clean the Floors

You’ve had the kids and their friends in and out all summer long, there is probably more dirt and sand tracked in than the beach has now! Get your carpets professionally deep cleaned now and get all that out of the fibers and deeper. Then have the hardwood and tile floors cleaned, too.

Dust From Top to Bottom

Get all that summer dusty haze cleaned out, including your ceiling fans and above the door frames and window frames. Pull the books and knick knacks off the shelves and dust, then dust the items as you put them back.  Getting all this dust out now will make your home smell better and be healthier.

You Can See Clearly Now

Get the windows cleaned on the outside and clean the insides, too. When that sun does come out during the winter, you want to see it and enjoy it right? A mixture of vinegar and water is great for the inside and is eco-friendly and safe.

The Kitchen Ceiling

If you had kids home all summer while you worked, you can bet there was more than one accident in the kitchen. If you haven’t looked up in a while, there is a good chance the ceiling has some splatters that need to be cleaned off. And while you’re at it, wipe down the cabinets, counters and walls, too.

What Does Carpet Stretching Do?

You have carpet in your home for the beauty and comfort it provides. When properly installed, it can last you for many years. Sometimes though, no matter how well carpeting has been installed, it can become lumpy and wrinkled. When this happens, have a professional carpeting service company check it out, they may recommend carpet stretching.

Things a carpet professional will look at are the depth and if there is any damage such as cuts to the base structure. Depending on the severity of the cuts or damage, they will advise if stretching will help. Using a knee kicker or a power stretcher, the technician will pull and stretch the carpeting from the middle to the edges. As they get it pulled tight they will re-tack the carpet to the tack strips along the edges.

Once they have completed this process, working around the entire room, all the bumps, lumps and wrinkles that were there are gone.  You can once again move your furniture where you want it and not where it hides waded up carpeting.

Water Damage Restoration is Important to Your Health and Structure

In regards to water damage, the old saying “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” is not correct. When a home has suffered water damage, microscopic organisms begin to build and grow, forming mildew and mold. It will grow behind the walls, in the ceiling and under the flooring.

After your home or office has been flooded by any number of reasons, the services of a professional water restoration specialist is needed. They will come in and take a survey of the area affected by the flood as well as any adjacent areas. They will document what has been affected by the water damage and provide their recommendations on what should be done.

A professional water restoration service dries out the structure as well as carpet, curtains, furniture and other belongings if they have not determined they are a total loss. They then sanitize those areas and deodorize it all.

A professional water restoration company will have equipment such as air movers and air scrubbers, and dehumidifiers. They will have a wood floor drying system as well as equipment and a process to dry the sub flooring. This process can take up to a week depending on the size of the area that was affected. The drying process is monitored by the team and equipment moved as needed for the best effect.

When water damage restoration isn’t done properly, the mildew and mold will grow and spread. It will damage the wood and other materials, making the structure weak. It also puts out bacteria and germs that when breathed in can make animals and humans sick.

Keep Those Baby Wipes On The Changing Table!

Today, most parents are using moistened wipes, which are a great tool. They are great for not just diaper changing, but cleaning faces and hands, too. As such, many parents leave the box of wipes in the den or living room and may have one in every room.

Carpet Renovations advises you to be careful where you lay them down, though. The cleaning chemicals that baby wipes are soaked in not only clean your baby, but they will damage your leather sofa. The chemicals that are contained in these wipes may be gentle on your baby’s skin, but they are not leather furniture’s best friend.

With the combination of Benzyl and Cetearyl alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Citrate and Hydroxide as well as various acids and other ingredients, is it any wonder? The alcohol content in the solvent breaks down the lacquer finish which is a protectant of your leather sofa’s color.

Once the surface of your leather sofa is broken, it is vulnerable to any “attack” such as drink, food, soil and sweat. Even the dye used in jeans can be damaging to your leather sofa.  So, while it may be tempting to grab those wipes to clean a spill on the sofa, think again.

Carpet Cleaning and Insurance

Everyone knows how important insurance is, right? That’s why you have auto insurance, health insurance and homeowners insurance. You also make sure that any contractor that does work in your home has insurance, too. Or, at least you ask them if they do.

Then, when the carpet cleaning company finishes your job, you notice a tear in the sofa or the carpet has come loose in a corner. You call the office where you made the appointment and file a complaint. They tell you they’ll turn it over to their insurance company.

Their insurance calls you and you find out that their business insurance policy will only cover the carpet repair. So now what? If you’re lucky, that really good deal you got on full house carpet cleaning will be with a reputable company who is honest and will pay to repair or replace your sofa.  You know deep down this is probably not going to happen, though.

For this instance we’ve described, it’s hard to say how to handle it or what will come of it all. For anyone that has not experienced anything like this, they’re things to do going forward to make sure that doesn’t happen.

A reputable carpet cleaning company will be glad to show you proof of insurance upon arrival. Take a look at this insurance to make sure you are going to be covered. You want to see what is called ‘'double insurance' policy. This means that their insurance isn’t just Liability Coverage, but they also have Treatments Risk Coverage.  That second part of the insurance provides coverage that protects anything that is damaged while the company is doing the carpet cleaning.

Winter is Coming to a Close – Get Those Mattresses Cleaned

Most people don’t realize that their mattress needs to be cleaned from time to time. We buy them, sleep on them for years, sometimes many, many years and then buy a new one. By having a professional clean them from time to time, though, you can get a lot more mileage from your mattress and be healthier, too.

Those allergies, headaches and other illnesses can be linked to your bed. Regardless of mattress covers and changing the sheets, your mattress will still collect dust mites. Those dust mites leave feces behind and you’re breathing those in while you sleep. By having a deep cleaning of your mattress, you will eliminate those pests and the nasty bacteria and germs they leave behind.

It is no doubt that after a winter like the one we’ve had this year, those dust mites have bedded down into your mattresses. We’ve been closed in day and night for months and they have, too. So, as winter comes to an end, schedule a deep cleaning service for all the mattresses in your home, now. You’ll be surprised how much better you’ll breath and sleep and possibly ease those springtime allergies, too.

Is Your Living Room Carpet Outlined Along The Walls?

Have you noticed dark lines along the edges of your carpet at the walls? Those are what here at American Cleaning & Restoration call filtration lines. Your home's carpet is much like a filtration system that collects dead skin flakes, dust, pollen, etc. What your air system doesn't catch, settles in the carpet as well as on the counters, drape and furniture.

Even what your HVAC system catches will eventually be broken into smaller particles and blown out, landing on the carpet, counter, drapes and furniture. This is one of the many reasons you need to change that air filter on a regular basis.

Air is forced into your home in different areas then settles on the floor into cracks or crevices. Most likely, your home's walls aren't sealed at the floor, most aren't. Then when the air is pushed in, it filters to the lowest point and leaves super fine particles behind that bond into the carpet fibers.

Even homes with radiant floor heat or other means of cooling and heating experience this. Each time doors or windows are closed and opened, there are changes in the pressure or the room causing this filtration process. All that stuff in the air lands and works its way to the edge of every room creating those dark lines.

American Cleaning & Restoration can clean your carpet and remove those dark lines. This will not only make your carpet and room look better, but make your home healthier and smell better as well.  Start your New Year off right and give us a call today to schedule a professional carpet cleaning.

After You Schedule Your Carpet Cleaning, Get Ready For Us!

The holidays are over, the kids are back in school and you're back at work. Now is the time to get your carpets cleaned by a professionals like American Cleaning & Restoration. You are ready to get those winter stains out and your house smelling fresh again. After you call us and schedule that appointment, there are a few things you may want to do before we arrive.

Start by vacuuming as thoroughly as possible. This will help our technicians be able to do the best job possible if you have the top layer of dirt out. Next, note all the areas that need special attention, such as
specific stains, we will need to do pretreat those stains first.

We recommend that you schedule your carpet cleaning appointment when you won't be home or can leave. We are bonded and insured, so you won't need to worry about safety and security with us. Many of our clients leave a key and lock code for us, or meet us there and leave after we have arrived.

By following these few suggestions, you'll get the most of your carpet cleaning budget, which will give
you a pleasant experience.