When it Comes to Cleaning Carpet, is Thicker Carpet Harder?

If you’re considering buying new carpet, we want to talk to you about the type of carpeting to buy, or not buy. The quality and the thickness are two things to consider when buying new carpet. The carpet was so different during the 70’s and up into the early 90’s, particularly from the manufacturing perspective. Like, first of all, there were no cheap options. Even the low to mid-grade carpeting was expensive.

From a carpet cleaning company’s perspective, the majority of carpet back then was what we like to refer to as “Pea Soup.” You know, that murky, thick carpeting that was so hard to clean. Sadly, some of it looked like pea soup, too – YUCK!

For a professional carpet cleaning, the carpet then was akin to pushing our carpet cleaning wand through a pool of thick mud. Extracting that deep down nasty contamination is not easy with that pea soup thickness. It can be done, but it isn’t easy and sure isn’t quick.

Our technicians will have to work slow and steady to flush thoroughly out the fibers and give you the awesome results you expect and want. In addition to slow and steady, the tech will have to purge the contamination and in order to penetrate the carpeting, they will have to increase the solution pressure, too. Next, they will have to do more vacuuming to stay even with the amount of solution.

So, what does all this mean to you? The carpet cleaning will be more expensive. So, when you call around to get quotes on carpet cleaning, ask what PSI they use. They will probably ask what type of carpeting you have and how thick it is. Be upfront and tell them and be sure they are using enough to get your carpeting cleaned.

What can Wetness do to Your Home?

Simply because your home isn’t on the coastline or near a body of water like a creek, lake, or river, doesn’t mean you’ll never experience a flood of some type. Anyone can have a bathtub or sink overflow, a washing machine overflow or even a water heater burst.

When any of that happens, it is important to get it cleaned up and dried out as fast as possible. Flooding of any type can lead to destruction and will ruin everything it comes in contact with, especially the furniture and the walls, the carpeting, and carpet padding.

When water is left to stand, it seeps into baseboards and up the walls. It will weaken your home’s structure. If the flooding is happening on an upper floor or the attic, there is the risk of the ceiling getting water-logged and spreading debris, dust, and insulation all into the lower level living space.

To minimize the damage to your home’s interior and your personal items, it is important to eliminate all the humidity and moisture immediately. Any equipment that generates heat like computers and televisions will increase the humidity, making mold and mildew grow faster.

Once mold and mildew form, severe respiratory problems are likely with the allergens that are produced. Family members will be prone to rashes, red eyes, and runny noses as well as sneezing. Anyone with breathing problems like asthma will suffer.

If you experience any flooding in your home, don’t hesitate and call a professional company that can remove the water and dry your home out quickly. The sooner you act, the better for your home’s structure and everyone inside.

What’s so Great About Saltillo Tile?

One of the biggest things going in home décor right now is Saltillo tiles. They come from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico and are a terra-cotta type tile that has been around for years. Just take a walk down any small street in Mexico and you will see it in use all over the place.

The tiles are made of a clay and then sun dried before being placed in a kiln to be fired. They come in various colors of oranges, reds and yellows. As well, they come in various shapes which will give any home décor a touch of Spanish styling. It is a highly porous material that absorbs liquids with ease.

Because they do not have a surface glaze, this type of terra-cotta tiles is different from the average ceramic tiles. Saltillo tiles have the tendency to be hard to install and as such, any flooring specialist will recommend having it installed by a professional.

These tiles are environmentally friendly and great during the winter because they feel warmer. Yet during the summer months, they are cool on the feet. Saltillo tiles are fairly easy to clean, which is great for a busy family household! You can clean them with a quick mopping, sweeping, or vacuuming.

Is Your Carpet to “Dye” For Kind of Carpet?

The flooring is usually the first thing that catches your eye when you walk into a home. Your guests will scrutinize your home by the way the floor looks. When it comes to covering up that flooring, it is by far, the largest surface area. It is also the one thing that everyone will have contact with all day, every day.

The color of carpet will fade over time. It will begin to look dingy and look worn no matter how well you keep it clean or have professional cleaning service done. If the color of your carpeting has begun to discolor and fade, or it is stained beyond getting clean again, or maybe you’re just simply tired of the color, but it is still in good shape, then consider refurbishing it instead of replacing it.

Regular cleaning and vacuuming can make your carpeting look old even when it’s not that old. If your carpeting is nylon or wool, then dyeing it is an effective way to refurbish it. It is also much more economical than replacing it. Dyeing your carpet can give it a new look and extend the lifespan as well as help you change the décor of the room.

If your carpeting is made of the following materials, it cannot be dyed: 

• Acrylic
• Polyester
• Polypropylene

If you’re considering dyeing your carpeting, consult with a professional company that dyes carpeting. They can look at your carpet and advise you if it is dye able as well as offer non-toxic, odor-free solutions.

Water is Healthy for a lot of Things, but Furniture Isn’t one of Them

Yes, water is a healthy thing to consume … for humans, but when it comes to your furniture, plain old water can ruin your upholstered furniture. This includes hot steaming water, too. Plain water applied to a man-made fabric like Rayon comes from wood pulp and is almost all cellulose.

This fabric is on furniture everywhere you look today and it is a beautiful fabric and feels wonderful, but when water comes into contact with it, those fibers that make it feel and look so good will swell up and they stay that way, even after the furniture has dried.

That swollen area is visible from a distance, too. What is worse, you can’t do a thing about it. No matter what, that spot will always be a lighter color and until it becomes really dirty or you wet the rest of the piece in water, it is there to stay.

When it comes to cleaning that viscose fiber (Rayon) furniture, it weakens by as much as 40% when it gets wet. Of course, there really isn’t any upholstery furniture that can tolerate getting wet repeatedly. So, what do you do with viscose covered furniture that needs cleaning?

First of all, you call a professional for the best results. They will have the proper equipment to clean your furniture without causing damage to the fabric. Even if you splurge on a rental steam unit, not knowing the right pressure to apply, you can soak areas on your furniture and leave those swollen spots behind.

Is Your Carpet Experiencing Phenolic Yellowing?

What an odd word – phenolic – and then you add “yellowing” to it and it sounds absolutely horrible. What is it and should you be afraid of this unusual name? It is common but yet it is unusual, too. This is when your carpeting or rugs has suffered from what professional carpet cleaners call “off gassing.”

First thing you should know is not to confuse this with the original carpet color being retained while a rug was laid on top of it. This phenolic yellowing can happen on any carpet color because of the BHT (butylhydroxytoluene), a preservative that is used within the carpet. This is especially true for tufted carpet with latex and the underlay.

When you place a rug on your carpeting, it is the same as sealing in air which causes the carpet not to “breathe.”  As such, this trapped air contains the chemical that usually floats out into the atmosphere and instead, it causes a reaction that discolors the fibers.

However, not all carpet has a tufted pile, which means it doesn’t have BHT that still experiences phenolic yellowing, and then the rug may be the problem with a secondary backed latex glued backing. Instead of air being trapped in the carpet, the “off gassing” isn’t able to escape out of the rug, thus the phenolic yellowing.

My Carpet has Pile Reversal Shading! What is That?

Any cut pile carpeting can experience Permanent Pile Reversal Shading. The phenomenon occurrence is random and largely unexplained. Some people will refer to it as pooling, puddling or watermarking. When cut pile carpeting has ‘shaded', it has darker or lighter areas within the carpet pile. This deviation is triggered by the reflection of light from carpeting pile tufts that lay in various directions.

When you see Permanent Pile Reversal Shading, it will look much like suede or velvet that has been brushed. However, when it comes to carpeting, that change in appearance will be permanent and that of course impacts the carpet’s appearance. So, before you buy carpet again, be sure to consider the chances of this occurring with a cut pile carpet.

What is Shading?

This is a general term that can often be used incorrectly, such as describing an amount of carpet characteristics which aren’t even related to Permanent Pile Reversal Shading. Here we offer you the explanations of some commonly used terms. It will explain the terms that not Permanent Pile Reversal Shading.

Pooling, Puddling, and Watermarking: These are terms that are used when describing areas that are dark or light in the carpet which may look like water spills. This is a permanent look and is Permanent Pile Reversal Shading.

Footmarking: These are localized marks on the carpeting pile and are usually caused by normal foot traffic that includes dragging or scuffing. This is a temporary look and can disappear with brushing or vacuuming the pile in the normal direction.

Tracking: This describes the crushing or flattening of carpeting pile in areas with heavy foot traffic. Tracking can appear in all types of carpets, depending on the foot traffic patterns.

What do Experts Know About Permanent Pile Reversal Shading?

There has been much extensive development and research in the industry to minimize the shading, but the predictability of this characteristic is not possible. Here is the general consensus that has been determined:

• Any cut pile carpet or rug, even bonded, hand knotted, handmade, knitted, tufted or woven.
• All carpet blends and fibers are subject to shading.
• Carpeting will not wear out any sooner because of shading.