Care After Your Cleaning
How Soon Can you Use your Carpets?
Drying times will be affected by a number of external variables. Average drying times range from 4 to 10 hours. Carpet fiber type, sub-floor construction, indoor temperature, relative humidity levels and airflow can all affect carpet drying times. At ABC, we recommend keeping the temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (if at all possible) 12 hours before and 12 hours after the cleaning. This procedure will help with the evaporation process. A dehumidifier can also be utilized to minimize indoor relative humidity levels. In addition, fans can be incorporated to keep air circulating in the house, which also aids in the evaporation process. While all of these methods will significantly decrease drying times, not all have to be utilized to achieve the average drying time. Because we are able to remove the majority of the water we put into the carpet, it will be only slightly damp to the touch when we leave. All areas should be completely dry within 24 hours but will begin to dry immediately after cleaning. If you find this is not the case, please call our office immediately.
How Should I Care for my Carpet Between Cleanings?
The majority of particulate matter distributed throughout your home comes from the outdoors and accumulates in the entry areas. These soils are detrimental to the aesthetics of your carpet and to the indoor air quality of your home and will eventually lead to the abrasion of the carpet fibers. This results in the degradation of the aesthetic value of the carpeting. Soils and oils can be significantly reduced between cleanings if entry mats are utilized at all entrance areas in residential and/or commercial settings. These mats should be vacuumed and serviced frequently. This will enable them to remove soils and oils as they are walked on.
Dry particulate matter actually constitutes 80% of the soil in a carpet. Vacuuming the traffic areas on a consistent basis aids in the removal of this matter between cleanings.
Accidental spills or spots should be treated as soon as they occur in order to prevent any permanent staining. The majority of carpet being produced today is milled with stain-resist or stain-repellent qualities. While these stain-resist qualities are extremely effective, NO CARPET IS STAIN-PROOF. The longer a substance stands on a carpet, the higher the risk of it permeating the fiber. To reduce your risk of staining, address each spot immediately, if at all possible. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF OVER-THE-COUNTER SPOTTING CHEMICALS!! Please see the interactive spotting guide in the Spot Removal page of this section or the ABC Spot Cleaning Guide for solutions.
The majority of today's carpeting comes with a warranty. Familiarize yourself with the warranty specifications, particularly the acceptable cleaning methods and the frequency with which your carpet should be cleaned in order to keep your warranty active. USING 'OVER-THE-COUNTER' SPOTTING CHEMICALS COULD VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
Walking on the Cleaned Carpet is Fine as Long as 3 Rules are Followed
1. Do not walk on the carpet with colored socks or colored-soled shoes.
2. Do not walk on the carpet with shoes that have traveled outside.
3. Minimize the amount of traffic on the carpet following a hot water extraction in order to minimize the impact on resilience. It is also important to remember that walking off a damp carpet directly onto a floor may be a slipping hazard.
Our technicians will leave protective footwear (booties) at each job, which will allow you to get around on the carpets before they are completely dry. Also, please do not remove the carpet pads or blocks from under the furniture for at least 24 hours. These devices serve as a protective measure to prevent any stains from transferring from furniture legs or bases.
Will My Carpet Require Cleaning More Often Once it is Cleaned?
The answer is a resounding, NO!! Our cleaning processes and chemicals have been carefully designed and refined to ensure your carpet will not attract soil after we clean it. Our staff is trained to understand the effects associated with leaving a residual and take every measure to avoid this. At ABC, it is our recommendation to utilize methods of carpet cleaning which exemplify a residual-free cleaning, thus leaving your carpets looking and feeling fresh and cleaner longer. We also offer a variety of stain-resistant topical treatments to help repel soils and prevent them from attaching to the carpet fibers.
How Environmentally Friendly are the Chemicals Used in Cleaning?
We have exclusive ties and long-standing relationships with all our chemical suppliers. Our synergistic relationships allow for a trusting business venture that benefits our customers and the environment. We work with our chemical suppliers to procure the most effective chemicals with the least amount of impact on our environment and indoor air quality. If you have any questions regarding our chemical usage, plase ask for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from our office.
Along with environmentally friendly chemical usage, ABC disposes of all dirty effluents and particulate matter through the appropriate channels at our plant. We are committed to understanding the environmental impact of all aspects of our business and to conforming to the latest rules and regulations concerning the preservation of a clean and safe environment.
What are the Darkened Areas of my Carpet Around the Perimeter of my room?
The industry refers to these darkened lines as 'Soil Filtration'. Carpet acts as a filter in your home. As hot air rises and peaks out at the ceiling tops, it is redirected to the outer walls and travels down to the carpet. Small particulate matter combines with lint, which is then trapped on the edges or the perimeter of a room. We have products that can successfully remove, or at least lighten, certain types of filtration.
To prevent this problem, if you own a forced hot air heating system, have the filters changed periodically. Cleaning your heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning ducts will also reduce small particulate matter from being circulated throughout the air. Finally, edging rooms with a crevice tool attachment on your vacuum will have the most impact on preventing a filtration buildup.
Can Your Technicians Clean my Area Rugs in My Home or Business?
It is possible to clean certain synthetic area rugs on location, with the exception of those with natural fiber backings (such as Jute). We actually prefer to clean all area rugs in our plant. It is then possible to thoroughly clean both the back (some exceptions apply) and edges of rugs picked up or brought to our plant, without concern for wood floors, furniture, etc. These rugs are then hung to dry in our drying room, a procedure which would be impossible to re-create in your home.
Rugs of any fiber type that contain animal or human urine MUST be cleaned in our plant to specially treat them for odors. Stains from urine are permanent on certain types of rugs and carpet, although it is possible under some conditions to significantly lighten them.
All natural fiber rugs such as wool, cotton, silk or sisal must be removed and brought back to our plant for washing. These fibers require much longer drying times and a significant amount of extra care in order to produce a quality washing without damaging the rug. Some of the risks involved could include dye migration, cellulose browning, improper drying, bacteria production, damage to floors, etc. These are risks that neither the homeowner nor the business owner should assume.
