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San Antonio Oriental Rug Cleaning

By: Michael Stiles

Before attempting to clean an oriental rug the proper precautions must take place in order to ensure the best possible cleaning. The cleaning process for oriental rugs is unlike the cleaning done to your carpets. First of all, the proper inspection of the area rug must take place. While inspecting the rug it is very important to identify the type of material, while noting any pre-existing conditions. Almost all of your high end oriental rugs are made from natural fibers that must be cared for in a special way.

In most cleaning cases high heat, pressure, agitation, and chemical reactivity play a large role in your cleaning success. Using the same approach for oriental rugs will NOT result in the same success you may have had in the past. After you have identified the proper type of fiber, then you may move onto the cleaning stage.

All dry soil must be removed from the rug before any wet-cleaning takes place. After you’ve given it a good vacuum, then placing the rug through a rug beater will remove any excess dry soil. After the rug has been removed of all dry soil, then it is transferred to the wash tub. Once the rug is placed in the cleaning tub, hundreds of gallons of water are then used to completely flush out and thoroughly clean the area rug. After the rug is cleaned it is then placed in a forced drying chamber to ensure rapid, thorough drying, which is necessary for natural fibers such as wool.

Once the rug has been properly dried the next step is to package and deliver the rug back to the owner’s house in a timely manner. The oriental rug is rolled into protective paper to prevent dirtying the rug during transportation. Once the technician arrives with the rug, it is then placed where the customer desires most. The rug is rolled out nicely for a wonderful presentation of the great work that has been done for your customer.

This extremely thorough cleaning process is unlike any other cleaning procedure for oriental rugs. These steps cannot be replicated inside your home. Instead, these cleaning steps must be taken at a specialized rug cleaning plant that includes the proper equipment for the job. If the proper precautions are not met with the correct cleaning procedures damage to your oriental rug may occur.

Scotchgard Protector on Carpets, Rugs and Upholstery San Antonio

Believe it or not Scotchgard can be your best defense when it comes to protecting carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture . Read on to learn the benefits of Scotchgard along with an easy way to make sure you are getting what you are paying for.

4 Reasons To Use Scotchgard

1. Scotchgard is a fluorochemical that protects your carpet and upholstery from both spills and dirt. Just like a coat of wax on your car it provides a protective coating on your carpets and upholstery. Most people don’t realize the benefits of carpet protector in the case of drink spills. If applied correctly it will prevent liquids from penetrating the fibers. If you spill coffee, juice, soda, wine, etc. on your carpets the spill will bead up on the surface instead of soaking in. Many times you can take a paper towel and soak up the spill.

2. Another important and often less advertised benefit of carpet protector is in the protection from household dirt. Dirt is abrasive and can actually scratch the surface of carpet fibers leaving a dingy or faded appearance.  Scotchgard helps prevent dirt particles from doing any long-term damage.

3. Although carpet protector does need to be reapplied every six to eighteen months (depending on traffic), you can be rest assured that carpet protector plus a thorough, consistent vacuuming regimen will add years to the life and beauty of your carpets. This can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a carpet.

4. Be aware that unethical carpet cleaners will dilute the Scotchgard to a point that it is ineffective. There are many ways to incorrectly apply protectant. Make sure the carpet cleaning company you are working with has been certified and has a reputation of high standards. At Steam Masters our clients have come to expect only quality when comes to all of our services including Scotchgard application. Give us a call today for a Free estimate.

 

Why Green Carpet Cleaning?

Protecting the Indoor Environment

Most of the conventional cleaning products on the market are petroleum based and have dubious health and environmental implications. Petroleum based chemicals are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in medical research include:

•Immune System Weakening
•Adult and Child Cancers
•Neurological Disorders
•Autoimmune Disorders
•Asthma
•Allergies
•Infertility
•Child Behavior Disorders

Protecting the Outdoor Environment

The dumping of carpet cleaning wastewater onto the street, into the storm drain or onto open ground is environmentally unacceptable. We live in a time of increased awareness of how our actions affect the environment. We are conscious of “chemicals” in our everyday lives and even the average citizen has become a self-appointed ecology cop. A whole raft of “departments” from Fish & Game to Environment Protection is showing more and more concern over these activities.

The Solution

Methods exist that insure for safety and responsible disposal, but most carpet cleaners don’t adhere to these methods because the time and effort just doesn’t make financial sense. The real solution lies in the products themselves. We now have effective cleaning agents that are 100% biodegradable and hypoallergenic. The wastewater can be easily disposed with minimal effects on our health and the environment.

Green Seal Certified Products

How do you know that the cleaning agent is actually safe? The answer is simple: Make sure it has the Green Seal approval. It says that a product or service has been tested according to science-based procedures, that it works as well or better than others in its class, and that it has been evaluated without bias or conflict of interest. The “Green Seal of Approval” has come to stand for reliability, fairness, and integrity.

Green Seal is one of the most respected non-profit organizations in the US. It is dedicated to protecting the environment by partnering with manufacturers and transforming the marketplace.

How Allergy Relief Treatment Works

Allergy Relief Treatment is a very safe, simple and highly effective way of changing the shape of allergen proteins, making them unrecognizable to the body!

Nothing about the allergen is changed except its shape. So, when this shape is changed, there is no repetitive pattern that identifies the material as an allergen and therefore, there is no allergic reaction!

“The Allergy Relief Treatment formulation was effective in reducing the concentration of Der p 1 (dust mite allergen) in pooled house dust samples by 90%.”

Dust Mite Allergen Denaturation: A Trial of Allergy Relief Treatment
Richard Thorogood, MI Bio., Auckland University School of Medicine

Another way of looking at it is that Allergy Relief Treatment disassembles or takes apart the allergen locks. In a very real way, the lock is still there. Only now it is in the form of its component parts rather than an assembled lock. Because allergens no longer appear as a “lock” to the body, the antibody “key” does not bind with them and
there is no allergic reaction!

This changing of the shape of the allergen protein is known as denaturing and has been proven by Professor T.A.E. Platts-Mills, Head of the Division of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology at the University of Virginia.

Our ResponsibleCare System includes specially formulated cleaning agents used prior to application of Allergy Relief Treatment on carpets, mattresses, upholstery, rugs and bedding. Allergy Relief Treatment is a hypoallergenic solution that contains a powerful active ingredient derived from naturally occurring extracts found in renewable
fruit and vegetable seeds.

In effect, the body programs itself to consider these normally harmless substances as illness causing intruders to be defended against. The way the immune system guards the body is by producing what are known as IgE antibodies. This continued allergen overexposure not only causes the allergic illness but can also result in the development of other ones as well as much more serious, chronic and even life threatening allergic diseases.

10 Commandments of Carpet Care

Carpet Cleaning Tips San Antonio TX

Carpet Cleaning Tips San Antonio TX

Commandment I: 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.

Commandment II: 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.

Commandment III: 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.

Commandment IV: 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.

Commandment V: 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.

Commandment VI: Do not overuse detergents, shampoos or spotters. Too much detergent will result in residue left in the carpet that thorough vacuuming may not remove.

Commandment VII: Do not over-wet 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.

Commandment VIII: Extract residue if possible. Hot water extraction will clean the carpet fibers the best by encapsulating dirt and detergent residue. Extraction will flush out this dirt and other organisms deep in the carpet.

Commandment IX: 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.

Commandment X: Have your carpets professionally cleaned at least once or twice per year depending on traffic from kids and/or pets.

How to Make your Carpet Last Forever

Though a good looking carpet is the most important component to a home’s appearance, replacing a carpet is expensive! Since you want your carpet to last as long as possible, use the following tips to extend the life of your carpet:
Tip 1: Padding is important because it absorbs shock for the carpet. Carpet without padding or with crushed padding has a small fraction of the useful life as carpet with good padding. Padding should be no more than 7/16-inch thick, unless your carpet came with it attached. Also use pads under small rugs, and rotate them from time to time.

Tip 2: In carpet areas that get a lot of direct sun exposure, keep your drapes or curtains closed to prevent fading or browning.

Tip 3: Leave dirt outside. Dirt wears out carpet. Though you may feel a bit uneasy about asking guests to remove their shoes, leaving footwear at the door keeps the dirt out. Take the time to sweep your home’s sidewalks. Invest in heavy-duty doormats to prevent excess dirt from entering the house.

Tip 4: Confine all snacking to the kitchen. Even though your family may protest this rule, it’s the only way to prevent spills from staining your carpeting. Sauces, chocolate and juices are lethal to your carpet’s aesthetic value. If food does find its way to your carpet, be sure to clean it up immediately.

Tip 5: Run the vacuum often. In high-traffic areas, carpets should be vacuumed daily. In less-traveled areas, vacuum one to two times per week. Vacuuming often will remove damaging dirt from the fibers. Buy an upright vacuum fitted with beater bars.

Tip 6: Keep your socks on. While walking without shoes will help to make your carpet last longer, you shouldn’t walk on your carpeting with bare feet. The oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.

Tip 7: Change the room’s layout often. To break up the same old traffic pattern and to avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, move your furniture around. This will create new foot traffic and your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.

Tip 8: Call in the professionals. You should hire a reputable carpet cleaning company to service your carpets at least once or twice per year. Make sure they have the hot water extraction equipment that won’t leave detergent in the fibers.

How to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpet

Clean Gum From Carpet San Antonio TX

Clean Gum From Carpet San Antonio TXTo remove chewing gum from carpet, get out your electric hair dryer and some Ben Gay.

Step by Step

Step 1: Heat the gum, being careful not to melt the carpet fibers. It is a good idea to test in an inconspicuous area first, such as the inside corner of a closet.

Step 2: Use a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to lift the softened gum away. Just allow it to stick to the plastic, then pull it up. This may get most of it.

Step 3: Next, apply Extra Strength Ben Gay, or another muscle rub containing methyl salicylate. Again, test this in an inconspicuous area first.


Step 4:
Use plastic again, or a rag to pull more gum out. Repeat if necessary. Once you completely remove the chewing gum from the carpet, clean the area with a mild detergent solution (a few drops of dish soap in a cup of warm water will work). Rinse with warm water and dry the area.

Using Commercial Carpet Stain Removers

Some common carpet stain removers will work to remove chewing gum from carpet. Goo Gone, in particular, works fairly well. Pull out as much gum as you can, then heat what remains. Apply Goo Gone, using a brush or the edge of the cap to work it in and break up the gum. Pick it out a piece at a time. Patience is required. Repeat the process until you remove all the gum.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the spot. Use a shop-vac if you can, or just rinse and blot with a white cotton cloth repeatedly. It is important not to leave any cleaning solvent in your carpet for too long, and to rinse it completely.
If you cannot remove the chewing gum from the carpet using either of the two methods here, don’t worry. A carpet cleaner with a hot water extraction unit (a steam cleaner) can get usually get it out.

Removing Candle Wax from Carpet

Clean Candle Wax from Carpet San Antonio TX

Clean Candle Wax from Carpet San Antonio TX

Candle wax is a tough but very common problem. You will need paper towels and an electric iron. Very absorbent paper towels are recommended for the best results. Use white towels only as dyes may bleed onto the carpet when exposed to the heat of the iron.
Before beginning the procedure, use a brush or your hands to pick away at any of the excess wax that you can get out of the carpet fiber. Be gentle and be careful not to unravel the pile when brushing.

Step by Step

Step 1: Plug the iron in and turn it on to the lowest setting possible.

Step 2: After the iron heats up, take a paper towel and place it over the wax. Gently apply the warm iron to the paper towel. The wax should begin to liquefy and the paper towel will absorb it. Do not set the temperature of the iron any higher than the warm setting, or you may harm synthetic fibers. For berber or some sculptured carpets, you may have to press down harder with the iron. Be especially careful with the berbers and do not pull on any fibers or loops. Pulling on those loops can cause a “run” much like the runs in panty hose and can ruin the rug, as the run will travel across the length of the carpet.

Step 3: Continue working the iron and paper towel until all of the wax is absorbed. You may need to turn the paper towel several times as the area where the wax is being absorbed becomes saturated. If it is a large spill you may need more than one paper towel. The watch word here is patience, as working this process can take time.
To remove stains left from colored wax, try gently dabbing the stain with a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol.
If you have tried all the above steps and you still have some wax in your carpet you may wish to call a professional carpet cleaning company.

How to Treat your Carpet for Pet Vomit

Clean Pet Vomit From Carpet San Antonio TX

Clean Pet Vomit From Carpet San Antonio TXThe key is to start cleaning the pet vomit as soon as possible. Baking soda and dish soap are two household products that work very well when cleaning up pet vomit out of a carpet.

Part 1: Get the bulk out.

• Use a knife to carefully skim the surface of the carpet to remove as much of the solid waste as possible. Be especially careful to not mush the waste into the carpet nap.
• Sprinkle baking powder over the entire stain. Baking powder draws up the vomit’s digestive fluid from the carpet, removing the potential of residual odor. Allow the baking soda to dry. Use a fan to speed the process along if desired.
• Scrape as much of the dried baking soda from the surface of the carpet as possible. Vacuum up the rest. The carpet should look better already.
Use a gentle dish soap that does not contain any bleaching agents is highly recommended.
Prior to using any detergent, test it on an inconspicuous area of the carpeting – for example in a closet corner. Make sure it doesn’t noticeably change the color of the carpet. This is especially true if it is a wool carpet.

Part 2: Finish up.

• Get a clean sponge really wet with hot soapy water and start gently scrubbing the stained spot. .
• Check the stain. If need be, blot with a paper towel and scrub again and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before blotting again.
• Any residual left on carpeting will attract dust and dirt from shoes making the carpet appear dirty again quickly. I recommend you rinse with warm water only.

Considerations

This method works well in most cases but sometimes there is colored food dye in the vomit that just won’t come out completely. If this is the case, you will need to contact a professional cleaner as soon as possible. The difference between a spot and a stain is how long the matter sits in the carpet.
If the vomit soaked through the carpet into the pad, you will most likely have continued odor problems even if the stain is no longer visible. The only way to resolve this is with a subsurface cleaning. Most professional carpet cleaners offer methods that go deep below the carpet to remove vomit and urine from the pad.

How to Remove Red Wine from Carpet

Clean Red Wine from Carpet San Antonio TX

Clean Red Wine from Carpet San Antonio TXRed wine spills are quite common. Here are a couple of strategies to get the red out. Keep in mind that the sooner you treat the spot the better chance you have of success. Before using either method, test on an inconspicuous area such as the inside corner of a closet.

Plan A

Step 1: Drizzle a combination of Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide (must use both) on the spot.

Step 2: Blot with a clean dry cloth until no more stain shows on the cloth. You will need to change your cloth often or use a clean patch of the towel each time as you are blotting to be sure you are not spreading the stain.

Step 3: Rinse with warm water and let dry.

Plan B

Step 1: Begin by blotting with a clean cloth to remove as much of the wine as possible. It’s very important to BLOT throughout this entire process DO NOT SCRUB. Your goal is to “lift” the stain, not rub it into the fibers. Working from the outside of the stain towards the center will keep the stain from spreading.

Step 2: Apply white wine tonic water to the stain. If it is a wool carpet, use white wine only.

Step 3: Blot with a clean dry cloth until no more stain shows on the cloth. You will need to change your cloth often or use a clean patch of the towel each time as you are blotting to be sure you are not spreading the stain.
If all else fails call your local professional carpet cleaner and make sure they use a hot water extraction process to remove red wine.

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Recent Blog Posts

  • San Antonio Oriental Rug Cleaning
  • Scotchgard Protector on Carpets, Rugs and Upholstery San Antonio
  • Why Green Carpet Cleaning?
  • How Allergy Relief Treatment Works
  • 10 Commandments of Carpet Care
  • How to Make your Carpet Last Forever
  • How to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpet
  • Removing Candle Wax from Carpet
  • How to Treat your Carpet for Pet Vomit
  • How to Remove Red Wine from Carpet

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