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Dog Feet and Carpet

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Now that it’s summer you will be spending more time outdoors with your pets. Keeping your carpet clean after your outings is simple if you remember to remove your shoes before entering the house.

You can’t take off your dog’s shoes but you can have a prep area where paws can be cleaned.

When your dog comes back from an outing you can use a very soft paw brush and a clean cloth to remove debris before it is tracked onto carpet. If it is a particularly muddy or rainy day you can place a dishpan or low bucket by the door and dip each paw to get the mud off first.

Regardless of the weather, many homeowners, associations, and multi-unit managers spray herbicides and pesticides on lawns and around shrubs. Pesticides in particular are neuro-toxins, meaning that they attack the central nervous systems of any animals that breathe or ingest them. This mean that if your dog cleans it’s feet after walking across treated areas then it can be ingesting poisons that can cause brain damage, so you may wish to rinse your dog’s paws even on nice days to keep your pet safe. This will also help keep these same pesticides and herbicides from being deposited into your carpet where you or your children may be exposed.

A little prep work can help your pet’s paws stay clean and your carpet clean.

If we can help clean your carpet please call Russ or Ryan at Commercial Steam Team 952-224-7222

When Should You Clean Office Carpet?

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To help determine how often your carpet should be cleaned think about how many people come into your office and what your parking lot looks like. In winter the salt and chemicals can build up and get tracked in and deposited on you buildings carpet. In the spring water and dirt get tracked in during spring thaw and penetrate your carpet.

If there is an area in your carpeted office area such as a break room or café you have food spills to clean as well. A good steam cleaning can clean up all that weather brings your way!

Give us a call today for a free quote on your next commercial carpet cleaning job. Commercial Steam Team 952-224-7222 of Burnsville, MN

4 Steps to Effective Carpet Maintenance

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  • Prevent Dirt from entering the building. Keeping dirt out of your building is easier than and less expensive than removing it. Place mats, rugs and runners at door ways to collect dirt from shoes before the entry doors.
  • Regular vacuuming is the most important part of carpet maintenance. Removing dirt from the surface of the carpet before it gets ground into the carpet fibers will help keep the rug from wearing out.
  • Spills and spots happen and can be cleaned up quickly preventing stains. If you have any questions about stains and what to clean them with give us a call we’d be happy to help you prevent those stains from setting.
  • Regularly scheduled cleanings can help the carpet retain appearance and improve performance by periodically deep cleaning carpet using hot water extraction steam to remove any embedded abrasive soil.

Read more about how often you should clean your carpet here: When Should I Have My Carpets Cleaned?

Kids, Recliners and Carpets

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If you have kids then you know that every time you clean you find the craziest things in the most unusual places. When doing the weekly vacuuming you can find all kinds of stuff under the couch from fruit snacks to toys.

Another piece of furniture that is a collector of debris is the recliner. Not only do things drop into and through the recliner, but each time you recline you release whatever is stuck in the chair. Crayons are an extreme example of things you want to keep out of the recliner.

Over time, recliners move around quite a bit when they are in use. Anything that gets dropped into a recliner has a good chance to work its way under the frame where it can then be ground into the floor. On your weekly cleaning make sure you tip the recliner over and remove the great collection of things that have dropped down under the chair.

Free Estimates are available for all kinds of mishaps! Give us a call at 952-224-7222

Car and Truck Carpet Protection

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Salt and chemicals that melt ice and snow can leave a white ring of chemicals in your automobiles carpet and can damage the metal underneath. Ice melting salts are caustic to metal so if you let it build up in your vehicle’s carpet it can start rusting and eating away at the metal in your car or truck.

It’s a given that ice melt chemicals will get on your shoes and then be deposited in your vehicle as you drive unless you have something placed down as a barrier. A thick rubber mat with deep grooves and a lip that runs around the edge can collect the melting snow and chemicals from your feet. By collecting the chemicals and winter sludge from getting in your carpet you protect the carpeting and the metal beneath.

Remember to periodically clean the mat off as it becomes filled with melting snow, sand or ice melt crystals.

If we can help you with any carpet questions please call our team at 952-224-7222

Commercial Office Buildings and Carpet Cleaning

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It is important to try and protect your commercial carpet from salt and chemicals in the winter. Corrosive chemicals get deposited in the carpet and start to damage the carpet almost immediately. To protect your entrance carpets put down large mats outside the door to first collect the salt from people’s feet then place mats inside to collect any water or additional chemicals.

 

Mats with loose pile texture or nubs that stick up like fingers remove more sludge than tightly packed pile mats. Make sure you have someone clean your mats as they collect dirt and sludge and a dirty mat is not as effective at collecting salt and chemicals. Regularly have your carpet steam cleaned by a professional to make it last longer.

If we can help you clean your carpet please call us for a free estimate 952-224-7222

Direct Sunlight and Carpet Damage

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Even though it is winter you should still protect your carpet from the sun’s damaging rays. Prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause a bleaching effect and will change the color of your carpet and furniture.

Sunlight damage to carpet can be prevented by drawing blinds, shades or heavy drapes when the sun is shining directly on your carpet. You can also purchase UV resistant types of carpet but drawing the shades is the best form of preventing sunlight damage to your carpet.

There are also special types of window film that you can apply directly to the window that blocks the ultra violet rays but allows other light through. Using window film is a great way to let in light and stop the suns damaging rays from bleaching your carpet and furniture.

If replacing your windows is under consideration, many windows now have UV protection built in. Ask your dealer or contractor about windows with UV protection.

Ice Melt, Doors, and Commercial Carpets

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If you decide to use salt or ice melt crystals on your parking lot or sidewalks you should also use something to remove the crystals before people step onto carpet. Salt and ice melt rocks can get into carpet and break it down. Removing chemicals and abrasives from your shoes and boots will save the life of commercial carpeting.

Ice melt is typically made from Calcium Chloride, a chemical that melts ice and leaves a slimy residue.  Ice melt is corrosive to metal and will damage metal door thresholds and door moldings. Rock salt is made from sodium chloride and is also corrosive to metal.

 

The solution to keeping ice melt and rock salt off commercial carpet and away from metal doorways is using a special rug that brushes salt from the bottom of shoes. These types of rugs have deep rubber pile or bristles that brush the salt from the bottoms of footwear and collect debris in the mat.

Placing such a mat both outside and inside the door will help prevent winter chemicals from being tracked into your carpet. Remember to periodically shake outside mats in particular to keep them fully functional. Runners from the doorway down the hall will help collect any additional debris.

Boot Trays Help Save Carpet

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Guests who enter your home know that they should be taking off their boots or shoes before entering your home. You can help keep the melted snow and ice melt chemicals from soaking into your carpet by using door mats and runners, but in an active home this may not be enough.

When you get a few pairs of shoes or boots on a runner or mat and the snow melts, the puddle still dribbles over on your carpet.

Here’s a solution: A boot tray with a high lip or edge can trap the melting snow, sand and chemicals and keep them from getting on your carpet. Remember to empty the tray often before the melting snow and sludge overflow the tray.

Party Survival Plan for Carpeting

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If you are planning a party and you’re worried about your new carpet, one of the best protections is to have a plan.

Let’s face it, people spill things when you serve food or beverages at a party so the best solution is to be ready if a spill happens.

Here are some ideas to plan for in you Spill Recovery Plan:

  • Prevent messier food spills by serving foods that are lighter and non staining
  • Prevent spills by using thicker plates so they do not bend
  • Provide sit down seating near food buffet to encourage people to sit down and eat
  • Place rugs and runners near high-spill areas such as tables
  • Use clear or lighter colored beverages for children
  • If you use candles make sure they are placed on a stable surface
  • Have a spray bottle of water and some rags handy in case there is a spill and tackle it quickly

By developing a plan for your party you can enjoy your party even more because it takes the worry off your mind.

Vacuuming Carpet is Important

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Vacuuming carpet is essential for several reasons, but not everyone does this.  Whether they are too busy, lazy, or think it is unnecessary, many people neglect the maintenance of their carpet.  Vacuuming is important for multiple reasons;

  • Allergens reside in the carpet and vacuuming greatly decreases their volume.
  • Dirt and dust are sharp particles and saw through the carpet fibers as people walk across them.  The greater the volume of these sharp materials, the faster this fiber damage will occur and the traffic areas become discolored.
  • Dust recycling through the furnace can filter through the carpet fibers and cause permanent discoloration around furniture, bedspreads, underneath doors, and especially along baseboards.

Vacuuming the carpet removes these dusts, allergens, and abrasive dirt from the carpet.  Here are a few tips to help maximize your effort:

  • At least once a week, be sure to vacuum the areas where people walk.
  • Vacuum along walls and under furniture as needed.  In dusty homes, this means once a month.  You can get away with only quarterly or less in homes that don’t get very dusty.
  • Clean out your vacuum filter whenever it gets full, as it not only loses suction, but can actually begin dispersing the dust throughout the air.
  • Clean or replace your furnace filter once a month or as needed.  This filter cuts down on the amount of airborne dust and allergens that cycle through the house as the furnace runs.
  • Run your furnace fan in the “on” position.  The furnace filter can only do its job when the fan is running.

As a carpet cleaner in the Twin Cities Area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, I have cleaned all kinds of properties.  Those that vacuum and follow these steps tend to remain in much better condition than those that don’t.

When to Steam Clean Carpets

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  • At least twice a year for light traffic, once in the spring to remove all the buildup of chemicals and molds and once in the fall to remove all the things tracked in all summer long.
  • Monthly for medium to heavy traffic and for light traffic in cases where a positive impression is important.
  • Weekly for extremely heavy traffic, for lighter traffic areas when a positive impression is critical, in circumstances where health and cleanliness are particularly important, and in cases where outside contamination is heavier due to construction or other adverse outside surface deposits.
  • Before open houses steam cleaning can remove odors from cooking or pets and make your carpet look new again.
  • Special events held at your business require making the right impression on your guests. Don’t forget to steam clean your carpet when you are sprucing the place up.
  • After any high traffic event it is a good time to steam clean your carpet to remove all the dirt brought in. Cleaning your carpet when it is really dirty helps prevent the dirt from being imbedded into the carpet.
  • If you have an area in your building that has heavier dirt or grease you may want to clean those areas more frequently than you would an office with less foot traffic.

Off The Shelf Commercial Spot Removers

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According to a study sponsored by the Carpet and Rug Institute, an independent laboratory tested off-the-shelf spot removers and pre-spray solutions. 25 products were tested but ONLY 4 cleaned a soiled carpet sample better than water. Some caused the cleaned carpet area to re-soil faster, and some products even damaged the carpet’s color and texture.

In short, it’s better to contact a professional than to use off-the-shelf products to remove spots and stains from your carpet.

Why Should Your Facility Go Green?

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According to Green Seal, there are several benefits to “Going Green”:

            Green Cleaning Helps Occupants Stay Healthy

? A clear link has been shown between poor indoor air quality and poor worker performance

? Many respiratory illnesses are caused by or aggravated by polluted indoor air

Green Cleaning Protects the Health of Custodial Staff

? Usage of safer products helps reduce injuries, decrease Workers’ Compensation claims and lower insurance costs

Green Cleaning Increases the Lifespan of Facilities

? Proper maintenance extends the longevity and performance of materials and furnishings

Green Cleaning Preserves the Environment

? The cleaning industry currently consumes six billion pounds of chemicals

 

All of these things also save money both directly and indirectly.