Posts Tagged ‘carpet cleaning’

Carpet Cleaning is a Must.

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Carpet cleaning is something that every household must consider.  While, a carpet can be beautiful, it can also become distracting and take away from the beauty of your home because of stains, wear, and tear.  Carpet cleaning and stain removal options are out there for everyone, and they allow you to eliminate odors, pollens, and lengthen the life of your carpet. 

The carpet cleaning methods that are right for you will depend on the amount of traffic your carpet or rugs endure, whether or not children or pets live in the home, and whether anyone in the home has allergies. It is also very important for the life of your carpet to choose a carpet cleaning method that is compatible with the materials that your carpet or rug is made of. 

Below lists some of the most popular carpet cleaning options:

  • Dry Foam:  A shampoo is applied to your carpet and allowed to dry. Once dry, it is vacuumed up, bringing the dirt with it.
  • Dry Chemical:  After a cleaning solution is applied to the carpet, a machine spins a large bonnet from side to side to absorb dirt in the carpet. After the bonnet is saturated with dirt, it is replaced with a new, clean bonnet and the process continues.
  • Dry Compound:  An absorbent mixture is spread over the carpet. A machine brushes the mixture into the carpet to absorb the dirt. When the mixture dries, it is vacuumed out, taking the dirt with it.
  • Hot Water Extraction:  This carpet-cleaning method is also known as steam cleaning. Hot water extraction forces a hot water based cleaning solution into the carpet under high pressure, and then extracts it back out of the carpet along with the dirt.
  • Portable Extraction:  The carpet is cleaned by a small machine using hot tap water and powered by the electricity source in the house.
  • Truck Mounted Extraction:  This uses a large cleaning machine mounted on a truck or van. The water is heated to a higher temperature and is shot into the carpet at a higher velocity than is possible in portable machines.

Carpet manufacturers rely on standards from the IICRC when providing cleaning instructions.  In most cases the IICRC recommends you have your carpets cleaned at least two times per year. Below is a list of standards used by the IIRC to properly care for your carpet and provide your carpet with the longest life possible:

  • Light Soil Carpet:  Carpet owner should vacuum weekly and spot clean as needed. Hire a professional carpet cleaner every 12 to 18 months for the heavy-use areas. Restorative cleaning for your carpet is recommended every two years or per mfg. warranty.
  • Normal Soil Carpet (families with children or elderly):  Carpet owner should vacuum once or twice per week and spot clean as needed. Hire a professional carpet cleaner every 6 to 12 months for the heavy-use areas. Restorative cleaning for your carpet is recommended once per year.
  • Heavy Soil Carpet (families with pets, smoking):  Carpet owner should vacuum two to four times per week and spot clean as needed. Hire a professional carpet cleaner every 3 to 6 months for the heavy-use areas. Restorative cleaning for your carpet is recommended twice per year.
  • Extreme Soil Carpet (large families, pets, smoking):  Carpet owner should vacuum daily and spot clean as needed.  Hire a professional carpet cleaner every 2 to 3 months for the heavy-use areas. Restorative cleaning for your carpet is recommended quarterly.

With QwikBids, not only are our consumers getting a great deal and the convenience of QwikBids handling the background and reference checks, they are getting the bids in a blink of an eye. These days, time is everything! In Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tolleson, Gilbert, and throughout the valley, use QwikBids to  find your carpet cleaning professional.

One great feature of QwikBids is the notification options available to consumers and service providers. QBids.com or QwikBids.com works on most smart phones through the web browser.

Carpet Cleaning – Now, that’s fast!

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Qwik Hits!

In this faster-than-ever paced world we live in, it’s great knowing there’s a place to go to get things done quickly and efficiently. So when someone asked me if I knew of a carpet cleaner that could get a job done the same day, I suggested QwikBids!

They placed a request for bid to get the carpets done. It was as simple as logging in and describing the project. Did we mention it was FREE? QwikBids did the rest. The carpet professionals responded qwikly! The request was placed at 3:22 PM, and by 3:35 PM they chose a provider and made the appointment to get the carpets cleaned. All at a great price!

One of the great features of QwikBids is the notification options available to the providers. One of the carpet cleaners was actually on a service call when he responded to the bid request. He handled the entire process from his cell phone!

So here’s the deal: Not only are consumers getting a great deal and the convenience of QwikBids handling the background and reference checks, they are getting the bids in a blink of an eye. These days, time is everything!

101 Ways to Care for Carpet

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

QwikBids Investigates    

 

As QwikBids grows, so does our knowledge. It has been a unique experience learning about the array of industries our business provides to the community, usually educated first hand from our service providers. So when it came time to learn more about proper care of my carpet, I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a lot more to it than I had previously known.

For all practical purposes, I would suggest leaving it to the professionals when it comes time to clean your carpets; it could actually be cheaper. But what do you do if you spill red wine onto your beautiful light-colored carpet? Or you track in oil from the garage? Action must be taken right away or these stains will be a permanent reminder. Some unusual answers came to my questions as I dug a little deeper.

Yes, getting stains out can be an inconvenient challenge. But there are some remedies sitting around the home that could be your carpets savior. Take food stains for instance. Did you know that dabbing a little brake cleaner takes it right out? It contains the same stuff dry cleaners use to get stains out of clothes. Simply pour a small amount on a dry cloth (pouring directly on carpet is a no-no, as it can dissolve carpet adhesive). Gently blot the stain. Afterwards, rinse it with soap and water. Oh, and don’t forget to put the brake fluid back in the garage!

But don’t leave the garage so quick! Grab the WD-40 for that oil stain. Yes, the experts say it works. As with all methods of stain removal, never rub the stain, blot only. And ink? Just use rubbing alcohol. A 30/70 solution of peroxide and water takes care of that red wine stain, and to remove odor as well, simply add a half teaspoon of baking soda per cup to the peroxide mixture (yes, it will fizz like a science experiment; so no need for alarm!).

Vacuuming frequently (this helps extend the life of carpet) and removing shoes also help. The sand/dirt on the bottoms is like using sandpaper on carpet and causes premature wear. There is much more to know, so feel free to use QwikBids for other remedies and services from our elite providers.