A New Rug Cleaning Pit, A Trip To Cornwall, And Refitting Our Hydramaster Machine

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A New Rug Cleaning Pit, A Trip To Cornwall, And Refitting Our Hydramaster Carpet Cleaning Machine (At Last!)

Thursday, 6:00 a.m.

September 22, 2016

I’m writing this post at the crack of dawn from our rug cleaning spa in Bridgend – today is the day that the builders commence work building our new rug cleaning pit.

Rug Cleaning Pit

Often, when we’re needing to clean a particularly dusty or urine contaminated rug, the best results are only possible by fully submerging the rug in clean water.

We’ve previously used all manner of temporary constructions using PVC piping and pond lining. They worked very well but were not time efficient as we were always having to re-position and extract surplus water and soil from the lining after cleaning a rug.

So we decided to bite the bullet and have a permanent bespoke rug pit built from scratch with good drainage.

It’ll make all the difference and enable us to increase productivity and improve our rug cleaning turnaround times.

Last Friday Dave made the long trek to see Craig at Carpet Cleaners World in Cornwall to get our Hydramaster Boxxer 423s carpet cleaning machine refitted.

Previous readers may remember we had our van and machine stolen in July. Luckily the van was recovered with our Hydramaster intact (although our Ford Transit was minus its engine and gearbox!)

I was over the moon to finally get our primary machine back up and running.

The last couple of months have been our busiest yet and even though we’re now up to 4 full time technicians, I seem to be starting earlier and finishing later than ever (I’m obviously doing something wrong!)

No day is ever the same in this business and we often find ourselves working on everything from stone flooring, to carpets, upholstery, leather and Oriental rugs all within a 12 hour period.

Here’s a before and after photo from one of our carpet cleans this week:

Anyway, it’s time for me to head out and get to my first job of the day – applying stain protection to a newly delivered suite.

Have you have a great day!

P.S. Huge thanks to Tony Stewart of Adchem Carpet Cleanse for lending us his truckmount machine over the last couple of months, meaning we were still able to run at full capacity.

P.P.S. If you’re a carpet cleaner reading this post, I can’t recommend John and Lynn Kelly at Restormate highly enough. They’re always super helpful and have saved my bacon on many occasions! 

 

 

Autumn: The Most Important Time Of Year to Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned

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Autumn: The Most Important Time Of Year to Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned

Although spring is the time of year most often associated with household tasks and cleaning, the Autumn months are when the most thorough cleaning should be organised.

This is because Autumn is a time when allergies increase due to an increase in carpet dust mites and harmful bacteria.

Autumn Carpet Cleaning

Here’s what Dr Lisa Ackerley, a professor of environmental health at the University of Salford has to say:

“A perfect indoor storm of falling night-time temperatures, central heating being turned up and closed windows having inadequate vacuuming means that autumn is “the perfect time for carpets to house potentially harmful microbes and dust mite allergens.”

There’s no doubt that as the long cold days draw in, it’s tempting to close all your windows 24 hours a day and crank up the central heating.

But this only makes the problem worse. Reducing ventilation will increase moisture in your home’s atmosphere and provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, dust mites and other such allergens.

To manage and minimise the problem, Dr Ackerley recommends using a powerful vacuum cleaner and carrying out a thorough, deep Autumn clean, while ventilating your home when convenient.

“Skin flakes, dust, dirt, food crumbs and anything that has come in the house from pets and shoes gets trapped in the carpet and other soft furnishings. With that in mind, thorough vacuuming is essential to minimise health risks. In my view, doing this at this time of the year is far more important that the traditional spring clean, which has far less importance from a health perspective.”

Indeed, investing in and using a powerful vacuum will certainly help remove pet dander, hairs and dead dust mites. But in order to completely remove these troublesome allergens, a deep professional carpet clean is essential at this time of year.

We use a powerful Hydramaster truckmount carpet cleaning machine that offers high temperature steam cleaning and effectively removes dust mites from your carpets.

For a free quotation for your Autumn carpet clean, call us on 0800 028 2788 or 07530 532208

 

 

7 Carpet Cleaning Secrets (As Used By The Pros)

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7 Carpet Cleaning Secrets (As Used By The Pros)

If you’ve read any of our previous articles, you’ll probably be aware of the value of regular professional carpet cleaning in prolonging the lifespan of your carpets.

But how do you maintain the appearance and condition of your carpets in between professional cleans? And how do you tackle spillages and stains?

Here’s how we recommend you deal with stains and keep your carpets looking like new.

1. Blot Stains – Don’t Scrub Or Rub

If you need to tackle a spillage, simply blot the spill or stain from the outside-in using a clean cloth or paper towel. Don’t be tempted to scrub or agitate the stain as this can damage the carpet fibres and cause the stain to spread to the surrounding area.

2. Never Use A Shop Bought Stain Remover

Without mentioning any particular brands, we see the damage these products cause every week. Not only are they usually ineffective, they also often cause irreparable  damage to carpets to carpets and fabrics.

If unsure, just use plain cold water, a mild vinegar solution, or ask us for a bottle of our safe professional stain remover. Avoid any stain removal product sold in high street stores and supermarkets.

3. Easily Remove Wax Using Heat

Many of our customers have the odd candle wax spill here and there. And at first attempt, it can appear impossible to remove without pulling a bunch of fibres out with it! But candle wax is usually easily removed by safely applying heat. Simply place a clean cloth over the wax that is embedded into the carpet and place a warm iron on top of the cloth to heat the wax. Then use a blunt knife or similar instrument to scrape off the wax.

4. Vacuum Regularly

It’s just good common sense to vacuum your carpets every few days. Regular vacuuming keeps your carpets looking great, and more importantly, removes the dust and soiling that agitates and degrades the carpet fibres. Adhering to this simple step will add years to the life of your carpets.

5. Invest In Quality Carpet & Fabric Protection

Carpet Cleaning Secrets

Carpet protection such as Scotchgard helps to protect your carpets and upholstery from spills becoming permanent stains and makes them easier to remove. It also helps prevent dry soils from sticking to the carpet fibres and acting as an abrasive. If you’ve invested in high quality carpets, then a good stain protector is worth the small cost.

6. Follow A Proven Safe & Effective Stain Removal Process

Here’s how you can safely deal with many common spills and stains using vinegar and water:

  • Blot up the immediate visible spillage with a clean white cloth or paper towel
  • Continue to blot the stain with dry cloths until as much as possible of the surface stain is removed
  • Then, mix fresh water and white vinegar at a ratio of 4:1
  • Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray over the area a small amount at a time
  • Blot the area to remove excess moisture and repeat by separating and blotting until the stain has been removed
  • Spread kitchen towels over the area and place a weight on top of the towels to absorb and dry
  • Leave for a couple of hours – if there is no transfer of stain onto the paper and no stain is visible, then it has been successfully removed. If any stain remains, call a professional carpet cleaner to remove the stain

7. Invest In Professional Carpet Cleaning (Every 6 – 18 Months)

If you’re living alone without pets, a thorough deep clean every 18 – 24 months should suffice. But if you have a busy family home then it makes sense to thoroughly cleanse your carpets at least annually (and perhaps every 6 months if you have dogs or cats). The difference this will make to the appearance of your home is enormous.

Leaving it too late to get your carpets cleaned will cause damage to the fibres and can somewhat hinder the results of the clean.

Indeed, experience shows us that our most frequent repeat customers have the best looking carpets and that they last for many years longer!

For a free quotation for carpet cleaning in Swansea, Bridgend, Cardiff and throughout South Wales, call us today on 0800 028 2788