The post What is Carpet Protector? was first seen at Friendly Cleaning Services of Kansas City
You’ve probably seen the words carpet protector in ads for carpet cleaning before. You may have wondered what the heck it was, do you need it, and maybe even how does it work. Lets start with what it is. Whether you’ve just heard the generic term carpet protector, Scotchgard, Teflon or going way back, Silicon protector. They are all just brand names. I don’t know about you, but i don’t ask someone for a tissue if I need to blow my nose I just ask for a Kleenex. Well the terms Scotchgard and Teflon are just that, brand names for what they really are -“fluorochemical”. You have most likely never heard that term before. What fluorochemicals do is make your carpet or furniture repel spots and spills making them much easier to clean up, another added benefit most people never hear about is that it also makes vacuuming more effective because the fibers are coated in this none stick coating making the soil come loose much much easier. How Do Fluorochemicals Work?This article from bonnetpro.com explains: “Fluorochemical protectors improve stain and soil resistance by lowering the surface energy of the fabric, i.e., they create a barrier. The fabrics are more difficult to wet, hence liquid stains will not spread or wick over large areas. Dry oils will not adhere as strongly. Keep in mind that fluorochemicals, or any other nonfilmforming material, cannot make a typically porous fabric completely impervious to oily stains, i.e., stain-proof under the most severe conditions. As long as capillary (wicking) action is the only driving force, the barrier resulting from the fluorochemical prevents both penetration into the fabric and wicking over a large area. Stains up on the surface of a fabric are readily removed by blotting. the spill or stain is being forced into the fabric and is water-based, it will usually be held out from significant penetration. If, however, the stain consists of certain oils, it may penetrate between yarns. This is because their surface tension is too low, and the stain will overcome the fluorochemical barrier. However, even when oily stains are forced into fabrics, the fluorochemical will prevent wicking. In addition, the fluorochemical enhances stain release during spot cleaning and soil removal. This is done by a) diffusion of water and detergent into the soil-water interface, b) decreasing the adhesion of soils to the fibers, and c) reducing soil redeposition during cleaning.” Read the full article here. One thing to remember is that the products consumers can purchase in stores is not the same a the products used by professionals: “Professionally applied finishes are different from do-it-yourself spray-can coatings, like 3M’s consumer-strength Scotchgard. Commercially applied finishes penetrate fabric, bond to fibers and can last for years; spray-can finishes merely coat the fabric and can wear away within months. Fabrics treated in the mill with fluorochemical commercial finishes retain their stain-repellant properties best, making a store’s application unnecessary. But short of calling the fabric maker, there is no way to know for certain whether a particular fabric has been treated; upholstery-content labeling on furniture is not required by law.” Taken from the article Keeping Fabric (Oops!) Stain-Free The next question you may be wondering is, do you need it? Lets start with when you don’t need it. If you have berber carpet then no you do not. Berber carpet is almost always made out of olefin which is naturally very stain resistant on its own (it just wears terrible). Also if your carpet is less then two years old then no you don’t then either. Now when do you need it. The number one time I really try to get people to have it applied is when they are trying to get another year or two of life out of their old carpet. The small investment of 12-15 cents a square foot can buy you a lot more time with your old carpet. The second big reason is when you just plain have messy kids. If you would like a video description check out my video on this subject
The post How to Prevent Water Damage Stains was first seen on http://www.friendlycleaningkansascity.com/
We all get affected by procrastination once in awhile whether its from our own action or lack of action. If you are affected by a water damage issue, please for your own sake don’t risk your home’s value or safety by putting it off. I did a carpet cleaning job this week that the family put off calling me to dry out their home after a rather small issue from a washing machine that was on the main level of their home. The water ran into the main hallway which left a really dark brown water stain right in the middle of the hall. Now yes the spot in itself is bad since they are trying to sell their home. It may take more then one trip out to get it completely taken care of but that is really the lesser issue here. They risked having slip and fall issues from walking from wet carpet to the hardwood floors in their kitchen. They also risked another potential issue, that being mold growth. It doesn’t take long for mold to grow after a water incident. “Many researchers say mold will start to grow in the first 24 to 48 hours after a leak, under ideal conditions. Carpets get moldy very quickly. Older carpets that have dirt as a food source start smelling moldy after being wet just a short time. It may be a week or two before it grows to the extent that it is visible to the naked eye as spots on drywall or carpet pads.” From the post How to fix wet walls, mold, and other damage caused by winter. To prevent water staining and potential mold growth, the affected area needs to be dried out quickly and properly. From www.nachi.org: “Carpet exposed to standing water will quickly be ruined. If standing water ever occurs because of a leak or a spill, all carpeting exposed must be immediately cleaned and dried. The top and bottom surfaces of the carpet, any padding, and the floor underneath must be cleaned and completely dried within a short period of time after exposure to standing water if the carpet is to be saved. If a large flood has occurred, or if standing water has been present for any extended period of time, the carpet will probably need to be replaced.” Read the full article here We all are busy but please don’t put off calling to get water damage issues addressed. It can really come back to haunt you in the long run. Check out the video below on how to avoid water damage stains.
If you are a Kansas City home owner, it can be a difficult task to keep your carpet looking good. Instead of trying to take care of it yourself, consider hiring a trained carpet cleaning service professional. Finding a reliable Kansas City carpet cleaner is not as easy as it may sound. Here’s a few tips that will help you.
The first thing you will need to figure out what services you need. If the only service you need is not is not provided by one of the companies, you should remove the business from the list of options. For example, you may be looking to have your upholstery steam cleaned along with carpet, you should ask if this service is offered up before hand.
We have been trained expertly in all methods by the IICRC, the industry standard training organization who define the exact methods and how they are to be performed. I keep up with the latest in techniques for stain removal and speeding up the dry time.
No matter what type of fabric your furniture consists of, I confidently clean all varieties. I am equipped to perform all types of cleaning for all types of fabric. I have, after much testing on my very own microfiber loveseat, cracked the code on getting microfiber clean and the spots not come back once it has been cleaned.
Its always a good idea to get a quote before hiring a company. This way you can know ahead of time what the cost will be before using their services. You wont hear me use the term estimate, I prefer to come give you an exact quote in person. I can give you a ball bark price over the phone, but I need to see your exact situation to give a sure quote. I want you to know exactly what you are going to pay and what you will be getting out of your investment.
If you live in the Kansas city area and need a professional carpet cleaning service, Give Friendly Cleaning Services a call!
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Friendly Cleaning ServicesFriendly Cleaning Services has been in the carpet, tile and grout and furniture cleaning business for over 30 years. We offer professional carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile and grout cleaning and water damage restoration in the Kansas City area. Other Profiles
Friendly Cleaning Services
22 Drake Cir Kansas City, MO 64119 (816) 590-6433 |