Steps to Remove a Spot

Although we've posted various types of spots and how to get rid of them, here are some basic steps for effective removal no matter the spot.

Act Quickly!

Most carpet available today has been treated with a stain-resist treatment, so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain. Remember, staining is influenced by many factors, and no carpet is completely stain proof.

Blot liquids with a dry, white, absorbent cloth or or white paper toweling (no printing or colors on the paper towels).

Do not scrub! Scrubbing may cause pile distortion in the affected area. Continue to use a dry cloth or paper towels until the area is completely dry. For semi-solids, gently scrape up with a rounded spoon. Solids should be broken up and vacuumed until completely removed. If the spot can be identified, locate the substance in the spot removal computer and follow the directions carefully.
Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to be certain the solution will not damage the fiber or the dye. After applying several drops to the testing area, hold a white cloth on the wet area for 10 seconds. Examine the carpet and cloth for color transfer, color change, or damage to the carpet. If a change occurs, another cleaning solution should be selected.

Apply a small amount of the selected cleaning solution to a white cloth and work in gently.
Work from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent the spill from spreading. Do not scrub! Blot in order to absorb as much as possible, and repeat if necessary.

Continue using the first cleaning solution as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. It is not necessary to use all of the cleaning solutions if the first solution removes the spill.

Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times.

After the spill has been completely removed, rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water, and blot with a dry cloth until all of the solution has been removed. Some cleaning solutions will cause rapid soiling if the solution is not completely removed. Apply a one-half inch layer of white paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy object. Continue to change paper towels as needed.

A dry, absorbent, cleaning compound may be used as a substitute to accelerate drying time.
For more detailed information on a specific spill, please feel free to contact us or refer to our newsletters that contain this information.

Also, many fiber manufacturers provide toll-free cleaning assistance and advice (consult your carpet or fabric's warranty).

Wool Carpets and the Care They Require

Please note: these are not instructions for taking care of a wool rug, or an oriental rug.
Before you try any product on your wool carpet, test for color fastness by taking a white cotton towel that has been dipped with a small amount of wool safe cleaner, and then patting the towel on each color separately.

Regular Maintenance of your wool carpets
If you have wool carpets, throw away all your store bought carpet cleaning spotters. Many of these products not only leave behind dirt attracting residue, they also have a high pH that is too aggressive to use on wool and can ruin your carpets.

Use a product that indicates on the packaging that it is wool safe. Using too high a PH cleaner on your wool carpet can turn the fibers brown or yellow.

High PH cleaners will also break down the cuticle or hard scaly surface that holds the fiber together.
Breaking down the cuticle leaves behind a fuzzy spot that you can't really do anything with.

When using a wool safe product, do not scrub the spot – blot. Scrubbing will also cause the fiber to fuzz out.
Do not get bleach on your wool carpet. Bleach will dissolve wool carpet and leave a hole behind.
As with all carpet, vacuum as often as possible, at least once a week.

Your wool carpets need to dry quickly once they are cleaned. If the carpet takes too long to dry it can yellow or brown. Your Sarasota carpet cleaning professional will run an air moving fan to help dry the carpet faster while he is there. He will also give you instructions so you can assist your carpets to dry more quickly.

A lot of effort, training, and specialty products go into cleaning wool carpets correctly. That’s why selecting the right professionals like those at Overturf’s Cleaning makes this job a successful one with no headaches down the road. You also want to be sure the carpet cleaner you use is IICRC Certified. That means he has undergone formal training and has received at least some classroom education in carpet cleaning. It's much safer than choosing someone without this training. Visit our website at www.CleaningManatee.com to download a free guide to choosing a professional cleaning service.

At Overturf's Cleaning, we help you avoid uneducated, uninformed, and even downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners by providing the most outstanding service experience ever, guaranteed.

Your Air Quality and Carpet

Your Air Quality and Carpet

Recently, the EPA reported that indoor air is found to be more polluted than outdoor air.

Is that really true? If so, why? The main reason is that indoor air is trapped. Rarely does it get completely replaced and completely recirculate. Outdoor air on the other hand is constantly being refreshed with new, cleaner air.

Trapped air in our home constantly gets dirtier: from our clothes, shoes, our bodies, our hair, our pets, our garages, and many other sources. These contaminants eventually settle on our furniture, our floors, our rugs, and yes, our carpet.
Then, when someone walks over them, they get stirred up into the air and we breathe them in. A great example is when you look at a stream of sunlight and see all the dust floating around. You breathe that same air over and over. That's why indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air.

There is a way out of this vicious cycle: Getting your carpet cleaned thoroughly and regularly rids your home of these pollutants lurking in your carpet. Yes carpet cleaning Bradenton is a major factor in improving your air quality.

The polluted air is circulated and some of it settles on horizontal surfaces--the largest horizontal surface being your carpet. That's why cleaning your carpet is the best solution for removing indoor air pollution. And that's why we recommend cleaning all rooms of carpet regularly even if they don't look dirty.

What's regular cleaning? That can vary, based on conditions in the home such as smoking, pets, children, the amount of foot traffic.
According to a U.S. EPA Letter, January 1989, the longest recommended interval between cleanings to maintain indoor air quality is 1 year.

Ask yourself: What would it be worth if regular carpet cleanings could mean one less doctor visit? What is it worth to my family to be able to breath better and get sick less often?

Why Spots Reappear - Reason 2

Reason # 2: Re-soiling. Re-soiling is caused by a sticky residue that has been left behind. The residue may be from the spot itself, the cleaner that was used, or both. I once had a residue issue at a job due to me not rinsing out the spot cleaner I used thoroughly enough. Once I returned and flushed the cleaner out, the carpet looked as good as new.  

Some common residue causes are over-the-counter carpet cleaners purchased at the grocery store. The sticky residue they leave behind often attracts more dirt. 

Avoid using these cleaners all together. If you have to use one of these cleaners, or you have to use dish washing detergent, use as little as possible and rinse with water thoroughly.

  

Other residue causes would be oily spots. Duct tape residue, body oils, lotions, sticky mats or other types of adhesive, etc. If all of the oily residue is not removed, it will attract soil as the carpet is walked on. Even quality professional cleaning may not remove all oily residue the first time.

SPECIAL NOTE: Cheap carpet cleaners use cheap products that are loaded with Optical Brighteners. Optical Brighteners create an illusion of clean that causes the soil or spot to appear to be removed. The spot is still there. The soil is still there. Optical Brighteners create a film that reflects light so that the carpet looks incredibly clean. It's an optical illusion.

Using optical brighteners will often void your carpet's warranty. See your warranty for details.  

A stark illustration of this can be seen at a flea market, home show, or a late night infomercial. Someone will be demonstrating a miracle cleaner on a small rug. The rug is saturated with motor oil. The salesman then scoops off just the foam of the miracle cleaner and presto, the motor oil is gone! This is physically impossible. Notice that the salesman has several bright lights shining on the demo rug to create the illusion.

Quality cleaning companies use quality products, and they guarantee their work. That means if a spot reappears, they do to, and at no extra charge to you!

Why Carpet Spots Sometimes Reappear

Have you ever wondered why some spots return after having your carpet cleaned?

There are two reasons that spots return:

Reason # 1: Wicking. Wicking is the upward motion of water and cleaning solution during drying from the base of a tuft to its tip carrying with it any remaining soil and contamination, which is then deposited on the tips of the tuft.  

Confused yet?

Here's what happens:

Many times, the spots in your carpet have seeped into the backing of the carpet. This is common with liquids such as pet urine, beverages, and anything that is spilled in “volume”. The substance dries in the backing and the cushion (pad) of the carpet. When the spot is cleaned, only the material in the “pile” of the carpet is removed (not the carpet backing). However, moisture is introduced to into the backing of the carpet. As the spot dries, the material that is in the backing of the carpet “wicks” back into the pile of the carpet and comes to the surface much like a candle wick.

Even traffic area soil that is deeply embedded can wick back. This is especially common in glue down carpet that is heavily impacted with soil. When the carpet is cleaned, it looks good. When it dries, the spots and traffic areas come back.

The good news is that if a spot actually wicks back, it can be removed. When spot cleaning yourself, place a folded white terry cloth towel over the spot just after you clean it while the spot is still moist. Place a heavy object on top of the cloth. Be sure to use something non porous that won’t transfer color onto the carpet (like a paper book cover). Use a brick, a planting pot, or something like that.

When you have your carpet cleaned professionally, be sure to point out spots that have wicked back in the past, so they can be treated properly. What should your carpet cleaner do to help prevent wicking?

• A thorough pre-vacuum by your carpet cleaner with a professional grade vacuum will help (One of Overturf's Cleaning's 12 steps). 

• Often, getting the carpets dry quickly will help prevent wicking. 
• Your carpet cleaner can do this by running air movers to help dry the room (another of Overturf's Cleaning's steps in our 12 step process). 
• When your technician grooms the carpet when finished, this will help speed up the dry time (another of our steps many cleaners leave out).
• You can assist in your carpets dry time by running any available fans like ceiling fans, along with turning your air conditioner on to about 70 degrees. 

The sooner the carpet dries, the less chance for any substance on the backing of the carpet has to wick up to the surface.

We will discuss reason number 2 for spots returning in a future post.

Three Steps For Proper Carpet Care

Have you ever wonder why you mostly see skinny people jogging? If they're already skinny, why do they need to exercise so much? Because with our bodies, just like with cleaning, regular maintainence can be easier in the big picture then letting things go to the point where major steps are necessary.

Carpet cleaning is just like exercise! If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will see great results and feel better for it.

Understanding the right way to maintain your carpet will help you save time and also money since your carpets will look nicer for much longer.

Below are three simple steps to keeping your carpet clean and looking great:

1. Vacuum your carpet often. Once or twice a week at least.

2. Clean spots and spills quickly with products that do not damage the carpet or cause it to resoil more quickly. Refer to our "Top 4 Common Household Spots - How to Remove Them" guide. If you need a copy, send me an e-mail and I'll send one over.

3. Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime that wear away at your carpets and shorten their life span.

Protecting Your Carpets From Spills and Spots

Protective Treatments


Residential carpets are treated with stain and soil resistant treatments when they are manufactured. That's why the first couple years when you spill something, it cleans up pretty easily.

With time and with traffic, some of the protector wears off. After a period of 1 to 2 years, carpet manufacturers recommend the re-application of a protective treatment. I compare it to the protection you get from waxing your car. While the benefits are many, like making spills and spots easy to clean up, at some point it's no longer effective. At that point you should consider have a professional carpet cleaner re-apply the carpet protector treatment. The best time to do this? When would you wax your car? Right after you wash it. Similarly, the best time to apply carpet protector is right after professional cleaning.

Overturf's Cleaning doesn't settle for cheap, ineffective "protectors" that may save a few bucks in the short term but may or may not be effective. We use proven solutions from proven, tested brands. Our solution will protect against liquid spills, resist oily, liquid, or dry soil, and make your vacuuming more efficient. The soil resister will help the soil slide off the carpet easier when vacuuming, spots will be easier to remove, and professional cleaning will be more effective. In fact, we have one client who says his friends love it after I've applied his Scotchguard protection...they like to pour drinks on the carpet and watch it bead up. I don't recommend this, but hey, it's a testament to how good this stuff is.

Contact us today to schedule your Brandon FL carpet cleaning. We also serve many of the surrounding areas, such as Sarasota and Bradenton FL tile cleaning. Visit our site at www.CleaningManatee.com to learn more or call us at 941-301-9555. 

Our Referral Rewards Program

Would you like FREE MONEY or FREE CLEANING?

Then you will love our REFERRAL REWARD PROGRAM.

Yes, you can get FREE CASH or FREE CLEANING!

As a referral based company, Overturf's Cleaning continues to see amazing growth because of your referrals.

We have some of the areas top real estate agents, floor covering experts, property managers, other professionals and homeowners that refer us exclusively. We want to say thank you for telling your friends, family, workmates, associates, and neighbors about us.

For every new carpet cleaning or tile and grout cleaning client you or anyone else refers to us, we will reward you with a 10% referral fee. That's 10% of the money from their first cleaning that goes to you! When you refer someone, you will automatically receive a certificate that you may use for cash or services.

Here’s an example of how it works: You refer a new client to us. Let’s say they spend $500.00 for their cleaning job. We will automatically send you a referral certificate for $50.00. To redeem it, you have a year to simply present it toward a cleaning job, or send it to our office to redeem it for cash. It’s that easy!
The easiest way to refer your friends?

1. Be honest, tell them about your experience with us. Most will find it refreshing to deal with a carpet cleaning service that provides the level of service that we do.

2. Have plenty of our brochures or business cards handy. Our technicians will be happy to provide these to you. Our handy tri-fold brochure shares how to select a professional carpet cleaning company.

3. Direct them to our carpet cleaning Bradenton FL website. Have them download our free guide, How to choose a carpet cleaner.

Remember, you will be rewarded for any new clients that result from your efforts, with no limit! That means if you're in an industry or provide a service where you can refer several clients each week, you will get 10% of what each of them spends on their first cleaning.