Articles

Published on August 24, 2015
It’s not only possible, in some cases it’s a great idea to clean just the dirty areas, rather than the entire room. For some customers, all of the carpet in the home could use a good cleaning, however, sometimes the carpet looks good overall with the exception of certain areas due to isolated spots or high traffic areas.

Some people live with unsightly traffic areas, and/or spots, because they don’t feel that the whole carpet needs to be cleaned. At Integrity Clean, we have found that carpet will often look better (all of the time), and will last longer, if the high traffic areas are cleaned when they need it, rather than putting it off until the whole room/house needs to be done.

We have come to realize, since there are often certain areas of carpet that get walked on hundreds of times more frequently than others, it can make sense to clean those areas more frequently.

This idea is not always beneficial or practical, every situation is different. With smaller rooms for instance, it will often make sense to clean the entire room, rather than trying to separate the high traffic areas for more frequent cleaning.

Be aware that some professional carpet cleaning companies may not be willing to clean just the affected/dirty areas and/or their pricing structure may not allow for that, so you will need to check with the company you use for carpet cleaning services. At Integrity Clean, we gladly offer the option of cleaning just the high traffic areas. We also offer spot cleaning as well, if and when customers only have a few spots that need attention.

Published on April 28, 2015 Let’s face it, dust and allergens are a natural part of the outdoor environment. Unless you live in a bubble (and I’m guessing you don’t), they will inevitably end up indoors! Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the amount of dust and allergens in your home. Here are a few suggestions to consider: Vacuum the carpet and/or floors in your home regularly, at least once a week. Occasionally vacuum all upholstered furniture throughout the home. This not only helps remove dust and allergens from the home, but it is also one of the most important tips to prolong the life of the furniture as well. A thorough vacuuming once a year is much better than not at all, however every 3-6 months would be even better. From time to time vacuum underneath larger furniture as much as possible. Whether you have carpet or hard surface floors, dust will begin to accumulate underneath and behind most furniture. Moving the larger furniture once or twice a year will make quite a difference in keeping the house cleaner overall. Moving larger furniture is not an easy task, however a couple of people could probably team up and get the job done within a reasonable amount of time. Vacuum fabric curtains, drapes, blinds, cornices, and valances. If they are machine washable, wash them from time to time. If you have overhead ledges in your home, vacuum those at least once or twice a year as well. Wipe shoes before coming in from outside. I recommend the use of an absorbent-type door mat or rug, rather than plastic, wicker, or straw. An absorbent material (such as carpet) will help absorb and remove other types of soil and greasy oils in addition to dust and allergens. Use a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter. HEPA filters will stop tiny particles (as small as 3 microns) from reentering the air as you are vacuuming. You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money on a vacuum cleaner, just focus on one that has a HEPA filter. Consider taking shoes off before entering the home. This will not only reduce the amount of dust and allergens that are brought in, it will also help reduce the amount of bacteria, toxins, pollution, pesticides, and animal excrement that is brought it as well. Have your carpet and area rugs cleaned from time to time by Integrity Clean or by another company that provides professional carpet cleaning services. For the purpose of removing dust and allergens, I strongly recommend a carpet and upholstery cleaning company that offers either “hot water extraction” or “steam cleaning”. Change your HVAC (furnace) filter regularly. Consider the use of hypoallergenic casings or zip-on dust mite covers for your mattresses and pillows. Look for traces of mold or water leaks under sinks in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room. Small amounts of mold can effect air quality and they can also become a bigger problem if the source of water has not been stopped. Repair small leaks and remove any mold that is present.

Published on March 20, 2015
Over the past 30 plus years that I’ve been in the professional carpet cleaning industry the most common question that I am asked is, “How often should I have my carpets cleaned?”

Some carpet cleaning companies will answer by saying, “once a year”, or “every 12-18 months”. But that makes about as much sense to me as telling someone that they should wash a pair of jeans once a month! What if you wear them twice a week?? What if you wear them twice a year??

Here are a number of things that I recommend that you keep in mind:

If you have a new carpet warrantee that you want to keep in effect, you’ll want to read the warrantee and follow its recommendations. Most warrantees require professional carpet cleaning (usually with a hot water extraction) every 12 or 18 months.

If you do NOT have a warrantee that you are concerned with, I recommend that you have your carpet cleaned when it begins to look dirty. That will vary greatly from one consumer to another depending on a number of factors such as the number of adults, the number of children, how many animals, etc.

You do NOT need to have all of the areas/rooms done at the same frequency. You may need to have some areas/rooms cleaned as frequently as every six months to a year, while other areas may not need to be cleaned but every 3-5 years. In some cases, where a small portions of large rooms are used a lot more than the rest of the rooms, it may even make sense to clean the heavily used traffic areas more frequently than the rest of the rooms.

Carpet cleaning removes soil that you can see, however it also removes soils that you CANNOT see such as pet dander, allergens, bacteria, viruses, body oils and other things that can contribute to odor and unsanitary conditions. For that reason you may want to consider professional carpet cleaning in all areas, from time to time, regardless of how the carpet looks.

Some people are concerned that having the carpet cleaned will damage the carpet or cause it to soil rapidly. When carpets are cleaned properly, by a reputable carpet cleaning professional, the cleaning will not only keep the carpet looking better, it will also help prolong the life of the carpet. Technically, cleaning carpet may cause some slight wear on a miniscule level, the same way washing clothes may cause some wear, however walking on carpet and wearing clothes causes much more wear than the cleaning. Prolonging the cleaning only make things worse in the long run.

Published on February 15, 2015
Simple Spot Cleaning Solutions

Spills and spots on carpet seem to be inevitable, especially in households with pets and kids. Spots are best treated immediately, so it can be helpful to keep some basic household items on hand to deal with carpet emergencies.

The first rule of spot cleaning is to blot, rather than rub, the spot. Keeping some inexpensive white utility towels on hand is key, because colored rags or towels may transfer color onto carpet when spot cleaning. In addition to towels, you’ll want to be sure you have four simple items in the house: a mild liquid detergent, white vinegar, club soda, and a spray bottle. You probably have these items on hand already, but here are some tips on how you can use the magic of these common products to quickly deal with spots and stains.

Remember to apply a small amount of the cleaning solution on a hidden area of the carpet to test for colorfastness. The recommended cleaning solution (described below) will not typically have an adverse reaction to most carpets, but you should test to be sure.

If your carpet has been treated with a protector, you may have time to act quickly and simply blot a liquid spill with towels, if it beads up and stays on the surface. If a stain remains behind after blotting, or if the spill has already penetrated the carpet fibers, try these spotting solutions:

A simple solution that works on many fresh spills and spots is made from:
• 1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Mild Liquid Detergent
• 1 Quart Warm Water
• (Mix the Above Ingredients in a Spray Bottle)

When you have a liquid spill such as soda, coffee, or an alcoholic beverage, first blot as much of the liquid up as quickly as possible with paper towels, or one of your clean white towels (recommended). Apply the cleaning solution by spraying some onto the spot, then blot with a clean dry white towel. An effective way of blotting that often works well is to place the towel over the treated area and then stand on the towel for a few seconds. If some of the stain transfers to the towel, blot again with a clean portion of the towel. Repeat the entire process as necessary, and then blot dry when the spot is gone. Remember: Do NOT rub!

For chocolate or mud, use the same cleaning solution. For chocolate, gently lift as much of the chocolate from the carpet using your fingers or a butter knife as soon as possible. Apply the cleaning solution, and follow the instructions listed above. When mud is tracked onto your carpet, you actually want to let the mud dry for easier removal with a brush or vacuum. Then, if a stain remains, follow the above cleaning procedure.

If a happy party guest spills red wine on your carpet, don’t panic! And don’t use colored party napkins to blot the stain – grab your white towels or paper towels instead. Blot as much of the wine up as possible, and then apply club soda to any remaining stain. The carbonation may help lift the stain from the carpet fibers. Blot and repeat if necessary.

Treating spills when they occur is the best way to minimize damage to your carpet and save on professional cleanings. However, if you run into problems with any stain, don’t hesitate to call a professional for advice or evaluation of your problem area. Integrity Clean offers spot cleaning services for customers who just want help removing an accidental spill or dog accident.

If homeowners who are prone to frequent spills and spots, Integrity Clean suggest that you consider purchasing a spotting machine. You can purchase them in many department stores for around $100-$150.

If you have any questions about the tips listed above, or if you have any other questions about do-it-yourself spot cleaning, feel free to give Integrity Clean a call!