News for Your Carpet

Apr
04
2015

Flooring Commandments

Not to get all biblical on you, but we firmly believe these guidelines sure, call them Commandments - should be reviewed by every homeowner who wants to keep their home’s carpeting and flooring as wonderful looking as they day it was installed.

  1. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. Most of the wear of carpeting is caused by dirt. Oily soils attract more oily soil and frequent vacuuming will reduce soil buildup.
  2. Get at stains quickly, 99% of all stains can be removed by one cleaning agent or another if they are cleaned in the first few days. The longer a stain chemically reacts with the carpet the harder it will be to remove it.
  3. Test carpet before scrubbing, extracting or spotting. All carpets are different. Some carpets are very sensitive to acid type cleaners and will lose their color quickly. Other carpet dyes are sensitive to harsh alkalis.
  4. Use appropriate spotters starting with the mildest. Do not use harsh spotting agents unless absolutely necessary and always neutralize high alkaline or high acid cleaners after use.
  5. Never dig or brush spots. The proper procedure is to scrape the spot towards the middle and then tamp the spot into the white towel or cloth using a brush or other tamping devices. A meat tenderizer makes a great tamping tool.
  6. Do not overuse detergents, shampoos or spotters. Too much detergent will result in residual left in the carpet that even thorough vacuuming may not remove.
  7. Do not overwet carpet. Our carpet detergents are chemically active enough so they do not need a tremendous amount of wetting. Over-wetting can cause brownout, carpet shrinkage, adhesion problems and all other kinds of nightmares.
  8. Extract residual if possible. Rotary scrubbing will clean the carpet fibers the best by encapsulating dirt and detergent residue, which powders off the carpet. Periodic extraction will flush out this dirt and other organisms deep in the carpet.
  9. Never “coat” a dirty or spotty carpet. After scrubbing or extracting a dirty carpet, if you are not satisfied with the results, do not apply a coat of carpet protector as this will result in “gluing in the dirt” making it harder to remove it the next time. Either re-scrub or extract the carpet or leave the carpet until the next cleaning cycle before you coat.
  10. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. It is so important it deserves two recommendations. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly.

FacebookLike Us on Facebook

How to Select a Professional Cleaning Firm

Don’t be victimized by uninformed, uneducated or downright unscrupulous cleaners!

Exclusive Cleaning Tips and Special Offers

Enter your email address below to sign up for our newsletter where you will receive exclusive cleaning tips as well as other special offers! Offer valid for new customers only.

What Others Say

Ivy and Ernie VanGorder of Van's Carpet Cleaning are the best! We've used their service for both carpet and upholstery cleaning for four years. Their attention to detail is top notch and their follow-up calls to guarantee our satisfaction is an outstanding feature of their service. Their concern for what's going on in our lives is much appreciated, such as the passing of beloved pets and all that comes with a new puppy.


Ernie is extremely knowledgeable and we have sought his advice on ways to maintain our carpet but also what might be a good replacement carpet when the time comes. I have recommended them and will continue to sing their praises.
Bless you Ivy and Ernie!!!

Joy K. -- The Villages Fl

We are in possession of a Chinese needlepoint done on silk that was given to my husband's parents in l938 by husband's father's brother, Uncle Richard, who was a missionary priest with the Passionist Fathers. He served in China from 1935 until he became a prisoner when China fell to communism and was imprisoned for seven years before his release. Over the years, this needlepoint (16" w x 48" long and framed) suffered what appeared to be rather severe water damage running about 15 inches from the top down. This piece had been made especially for Uncle Richard and was something that my husband has loved since he was a small boy. We contacted Vans Carpet Cleaning and they made an appointment to stop just to look at it. With no promise...Ernie took it with him and promised there would be no charge if it could not be cleaned. WELL....Ernie just brought it back to us and it looks WONDERFUL!!! I cried...my husband was speechless!! Ernie tried very hard as he knew the story. I asked him how long it took and he told us three house with Q-tips!!! The cost $149.99 plus $50.00 to preserve it to prevent any future damage. We would have paid so much more!! And we smile every day as we look at it proudly hanging!! THANK YOU VANS CARPET CLEANING!!!

Marilyn and John White

We really liked having our questions answered. You took our questions seriously and gave thorough answers.
We liked your sense of humor. Thanks.

Jerry and Lova Jones, Wildwood Fl

I just had Van’s stretch carpet, clean carpet, and clean upholstery. GREAT job! Starting with the initial visit, very professional and helpful. Even helped me decide what I didn’t need to do! Appreciated the honest assessment and guidance. Thank you!

Customer

I can't thank Vans enough for all they did for me during an emergency situation. They were fantastic! I recommend Vans to everyone!

Kathleen C. -- DeLand, FL