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.

Things to Know About New Carpet

Buying new carpet is an intense thing to go through. It’s one of the most expensive additional investments you'll do to an already expensive investment, your home. You want to choose the right color, the right fiber and select a construction of carpet that will bode well with your home's traffic.

However, when the big day comes to have it installed, there are some issues American Cleaning & Restoration believes you should be aware of that come along with new carpeting:

It Will Shed 

New carpet sheds, usually for about the first year. You will find balls of fluff here and there in the air or balled up on the floor. This is normal and with regular vacuuming, it will minimize the amount of shedding. If you notice a tuft of carpet growing, use sharp scissors and cut it off. Do not pull the tuft!

Buckling, Rippling and Wrinkling 

When improperly installed, carpeting may buckle, ripple or wrinkle. Should you notice this, call the carpet installer immediately to have it corrected. They will most likely have a power stretcher come out to correct the problem. Before they leave, check the carpeting for any defects.

Crushing 

Normal wear and tear and foot traffic as well as heavy furniture will begin to crush carpet fibers and this is normal. Some grades of carpet will crush easier and quicker than others. Frequent vacuuming of the heavy traffic areas will help keep it fluffed up and on a regular basis, move the heavy furniture just a few inches. You can also purchase froth blocks and protecting tabs.

Loss of Color 

The sunlight and cleaning chemicals will eventual fade or yellow carpeting. Avoid using harsh chemicals and use window shades to minimize the sunlight will keep your carpet looking bright and vibrant.

Marks and Stains 

No matter how careful you may be, what type of protectant you use, stains can happen. To keep your carpet in good condition, stains should be treated immediately. Services of a professional carpet cleaning service such American Cleaning & Restoration are always your best bet when the stain is deep as well as regular cleaning.

Is Your Home's Carpet In Style For 2015?

After all the Christmas gifts are unwrapped, put away and the New Year’s Eve party has settled, it may be time to take a look at your home's carpeting. If those days when you get home and kick off your shoes  to walk on plush, soft carpeting isn't happening any more, it could be wore out.

American Cleaning & Restoration offers you the following bits of information for the carpet choices and
styles that are expected in 2015:

1. According to those designers on television shows, 2015 will see a shift in carpeting going with a layered color with soft texture. Why the layered color and pattern with texture? It hides soil!

2. The colors for 2015 are going to be neutral in grays and taupe, not just for carpeting but furniture, paint and window treatments. The “pop of color” will be blues and teals to give a room energy along with emerald, lime, and moss greens.  The eco-friendly and the natural look are going to be in for 2015.

3. Home fashion magazines are telling us that vivid carpet will be what you want to give a room a huge impact. Natural flooring will be going with deep tones like charcoal and chocolate brown in 2015 while
offset with neutral colors like warm creams and cool gray. Brighten up the hallways with brighter colors
like blue, lilac, plum and reds.

4. Always safe no matter what year is black, sand and white, they are the basic go-to colors and work
well with other colors for that accent.

Cheap Carpet Cleaning: Pay Once Then Pay Again?

It’s that time of year where we start cutting corners to stretch the budget through the holidays. However, some of those cutting corners actually cost us more money. There are something’s that going with the cheapest price doesn't get us the results that we want, especially when it comes to carpet cleaning. This includes even going with a national company that has an outstanding reputation.

The old saying “You get what you pay for” couldn't be truer than it is with carpet cleaning services. Those cheap carpet cleaning offers you see on television or coupons you get in the mail are cheap for a reason. What makes it cheaper can be a number of reasons. From a team of fly-by-night technicians to using cheap cleaning products, if any product at all, to the moving of the furniture not included. A low, low price for 'carpet cleaning' doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get the best carpet cleaning job.

So after you take one of the $99 whole house carpet cleaning deals, what usually happens? You're not happy. Well first of all, you found out that they are only going to clean the visible carpet. If you want the carpet cleaned from wall-to-wall, you better have the furniture out of the way. Then the dirt and stains seem to come back within just a few days, sometimes hours.

You call the company, they tell you to read the agreement / receipt and you find out that you have nothing to stand up to them. So you call a ‘professional’ carpet cleaning company for a 'proper' carpet cleaning job, like what we do here at American Cleaning & Restoration. While we'll make you a good deal, it most likely will be higher than the original carpet cleaning you got, but, it will be done right and we stand behind our work.

Are Those Stain Protectors Worth Their Cost?

The carpeting you put in your home is one of the most expensive investments you'll ever make. So you want it to stay bright, clean and last forever. The salesperson encourages you to upgrade with a protection of Guardsman, Scotchgard, Stainguard, Teflon or some other name.

Before you agree to that upgrade, you wonder are you really getting something extra that works. American Cleaning & Restoration would like to educate you on those carpet protectors. When we know how something works, we have a better understanding if we need it or even want it.

Carpet Protectors such as those listed above adhere to the carpet's fiber. It’s like a hard shell that isn't hard. Once the molecules that have adhered are completely dried, spilled liquids actually will bead up instead of soaking through the fibers. This allows you time to blot and dry the spill before it has time to soak into the fibers of your carpet.

Keep in mind though, any protector, regardless the brand you choose, can only do so much for so long. After a while, it does start breaking down. There are also something’s that can get spilled and go right
through the protector, especially hot liquids.

With your first appointment for a carpet cleaning with American Cleaning & Restoration, our technicians will talk to you about the protection you currently have, how old it is and discuss having it recoated.

Who Has Professional Carpet Cleaning Performed Daily?

As much as we would like the business here at American Cleaning & Restoration, we know it is just isn't practical to have your home's carpet professionally cleaned every day. For those of you who have pets though, you may think that's what you need sometimes.

To help you minimize the amount of cleaning you have to yourself and keep it all looking and smelling good between our visits, we offer the following suggestions for a home with pets:

Regular Vacuuming

Before you got Sparky the cat, may be you could get away with this chore like every other week. Now though, with a furry four legged family member, to keep your home looking good and smelling fresh, you'll need to vacuum twice a week at the very least. The more pets, the more vacuuming. The hairier the pet, the more vacuuming.

Frequent Bathing

Not you, your pet. By keeping the cat and dog clean, you'll keep your house cleaner and longer. Frequent bathing keeps the hair balls to a minimum and that not only keeps the floor clean, but the drapes and furniture too.

Stain-resistant Fabrics

Once you have brought a pet into the family, gone are the days of chintz or silk covered furniture. You want to get something that is odor resistant, stain resistant like Krypton. Leather is another good choice because it is durable and easy to clean. Or maybe go with Ultra-suede which is machine-washable, durable and feels good to the touch too.

Keep Bedding Washable

You can pretty much bet that with a pet in bed with you, accidents will happen like cat barfing. Make sure you have a good mattress cover and pad and cotton bed sheets that are patterned to better hide that pet hair and pet stains. Wash the bedspreads, comforter or duvet frequently.

Wall-to-wall Carpet Is a No-No

Nothing absorbs odor more than carpet. It also holds pet hair. Choose flooring that is pet friendly.

Not All Tiles Are Same When It Comes To Flooring

American Carpet & Restoration technicians are asked by customers if they were to replace the carpeting in the homes with tile, which type of tile is the best choice? We aren't in the business of recommending flooring materials, but we can offer you some information that may help you choose:

Stain-Resistant Porcelain

This is probably the most popular choice for kitchens simply because it is tough. Meaning it can take drops and spills and still look great. Whatever color you go with, get a grout color that is darker so that it will hide those stains.

Durable Slate-Look Porcelain

This is a strong tile and perfect for the laundry room or the mudroom. This tile has an indistinguishable look and resist moisture. It can take the muddy boots as well as the vibrating washing machine and still look good.

Small Mosaic Tiles

Great for a small area like a guest bath because they are small and they are great in moisture-prone areas.

Vinyl Tile

A heavy tile, you need to be cautious where you're installing this tile. Best when used in a basement room because it is the lowest point of the house, so the weight won't matter.

Oversized Travertine Tile

This is really popular in the Southwest, especially in ranch-style homes where hot is hot when it comes to weather. Why? Because it is a cool substance and feels good on the feet. For a home with radiant heat, this is the perfect flooring.

Stone-Like Porcelain

A great tile for the wine cellar because it won't stain permanently every time a little wine is spilled. This tile gives you Old World charm and looks while tough against chips and resisting moisture.

Natural Stone Tiles

Probably the best tile because it is all natural and can hold up to the outdoor elements, making it great for the kitchen and perfect for around the pool. Because grout is man-made and this area of the country has erratic temperature swings, it will need the grout replaced ever so often.

Slip-Resistant Slate

The entry to your home often takes the most traffic. This is the perfect tile because it is slip-resistance and the muddy, wet foot prints are hidden.