WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANING?

1/5/2021 (Permalink)

Carpet cleaning wand over carpet.

There are several types of professional carpet cleaning out there, all of which are meant to get the dirt out of your carpet. They all do the same thing in the end, but not all types of carpet cleaning are equal. Some work better on different types of carpeting, and others perform well in high-traffic areas. The best type depends on your home.

Carpet Shampooing

Most people don’t shampoo their carpets anymore, but this is still a viable option. It works like you would expect as you put a cleaning solution into the carpet in the form of a wet foam. The problem with this method is that the foam can leave behind a residue, and you do have to remember to rinse out the carpet after you’ve applied the shampoo. This reduces the sticky feeling in your carpeting.

This method can feel like a lot of work for some people, since you have to apply not only the solution, but you need to rinse it out too. Then again, it is less expensive than the machinery you’ll need for a steam cleaning.

Dry Carpet Cleaning

There are solutions that you can buy at the store that will help you with dry carpet cleaning. You only need to shake these powder solutions above your carpeting. The solution will work to absorb the dirt in your carpeting, so after 15 minutes, you can just vacuum it up. If you’re looking for a quick sort of clean, this is the perfect method. 

This is also a great method if you have jute, coir, or seagrass flooring, which are prone to damage and shrinkage if they get wet. For these types of carpeting, dry carpet cleaning is the best option.

This is a convenient method because there’s very little drying time and it’s easy to do. You may not like the harsh chemicals used in these solutions either, and you shouldn’t try to use this on plush pile carpeting, which can trap the powder mixture.

Foam Cleaning

You have the ability to clean with foam too. Just like the powder, a cleaning solution is distributed evenly across the surface of the carpet, but then it is whipped into a foam. The foam is then worked into your carpeting with a rotating brush. Once the foam sits for a little while, it can be removed with a vacuum cleaner, and since there’s so much foam and very little water, this works for water-sensitive carpets.

You will need about an hour to wait until the carpeting is dry and ready to use again, which is faster than other options. You won’t necessarily be able to get the dirt that’s deeply embedded into the carpeting though.

Hot Water Extraction

You’ve probably heard of this type of carpet cleaning since it’s more commonly referred to as steam cleaning. This is the type that we offer from a truck mounted motor. Steam cleaning works as the name suggests: using steam. The carpet is first pre-conditioned with a chemical emulsifier that is meant to lift dirt and anything else that may be stuck in your carpet fibers. 

Heated water is then pressurized to become steam before it is injected into the carpet. After around 15 minutes, all of this is sucked up with a vacuum.

Steam cleaning works best for the removal of ingrained dirt and deep stains, and doesn’t leave any residue or odors in your carpeting. Especially if you have pets, this is the best method for getting smelly stains out. Your only problem might be the cost, and the fact that you have to wait a while for the carpeting to dry.

Conclusion

In terms of the best carpet cleaning option, it really depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to get the most amount of dirt possible, hot water extraction may be best. If you have carpeting that doesn’t work well with water, foam cleaning or dry carpet cleaning is better. There’s also carpet shampooing as a cheaper yet more time-consuming option. Which method you use just depends on what method will work best for your carpets. 

Please follow our page, as we continue to explore the benefits of mitigation, and how this approach helps both your clients and your business. Please call us with any questions you have, 651-705-7028. Visit our site: SERVPRO of Stillwater, Oakdale, & Mahtomedi

Why SERVPRO Offers Post Construction Cleaning

10/8/2020 (Permalink)

The biggest mistake a janitorial service provider or a client can make is to assume post construction cleaning is like other cleaning.

The biggest mistake a janitorial service provider or a client can make is to assume post construction cleaning is like other cleaning. If you like surprises, you will love post construction cleaning. Post construction is a lot like remodeling, you never know what to expect until you get started. You have to be ready for every eventuality. So what makes post construction so unique?

We Don’t Have the Luxury of Time
When we clean after construction we go in after everyone else is done (translated, we clean up the other trades’ messes) and we have to make the building look like ‘new’, even if it isn’t. This is not as easy as it sounds for reasons we will discuss in a moment. The new tenant is expecting a clean, move in ready space and the building management company is looking at us to deliver. The challenge is that the janitorial service providers are the last trade in the building, which means the original schedule is meaningless and we are under the gun to meet the deadline. It’s not like when you are cleaning on a regular recurring schedule because you can ‘fix’ mistakes and take care of things you may have missed the next time you go to clean. Post construction cleaning does not have that flexibility.

We Are Operating on the Tenants’ Schedule
By the time we get started with our service the building management has leased the building to a tenant who has a time line and it cannot be moved. This is like the first point but it bears further attention. The client determines when we will clean whether it is convenient or not. To handle post construction cleaning well you have to be flexible and able to adapt to changes all on some other persons time table.

Uncommon Surfaces Are Normal
Normal day in and day out janitorial service is fairly straight forward and the areas we clean are not all that unusual (although there are those times). On a normal basis janitorial service providers are not tasked to wipe down and clean 20′ transoms or walls. We normally don’t clean inside cabinets once the tenant occupies the space. We don’t normally remove factory glued stickers from windows, appliances or fixtures. But all of these surfaces must be cleaned in post construction and it must look like new when you’re done. Post construction cleaning requires a broader knowledge of tools and techniques to be successful.

We Clean Substances Left By Construction That We Will Not Encounter During Daily Cleaning
When other trades are doing their work they will often leave behind ‘mystery substances’. Sometimes it is a glue or a sealant or… well, you get the idea. The problem is if it is on a wall or a floor or a window we are tasked to remove it even when we might not know what it is. To do well in post construction cleaning you have to have an understanding of what the other trades are using so that you can clean it up. You need to be prepared to address any stain or mark or ugly glob you find. The tools and knowledge required for this go well beyond your average cleaning.

Other Trades Are Continuing to Work While We Are Trying to Detail the Building
This is what the last guy in has to face. Everyone else has a deadline just like us but our challenge is doing our job while others continue to make messes and undo what we just did. It’s frustrating to go through a building only to get a call back to clean up a paint spill or sheet rock dust that wasn’t there yesterday. If you don’t learn to deal with it you won’t do well at post construction cleaning. It’s just the nature of what we do.