About Us – Carpet Cleaning Explained

Choosing a carpet cleaner in Red Deer is not easy! As in many other cities, Red Deer is plagued by fly by night companies, bait and switchers, and unsustainable low prices. Before we consider how to properly clean carpets, let look briefly at each of these problems and see how they affect you:

 

FLY BY NIGHT: You see their signs posted illegally along the road side. Usually they are not licensed, insured and have no training or certifications. They often work for large multi-truck companies during the day and try to steal jobs away by working under the table after hours. Here today and gone tomorrow, they invest in inferior equipment, often portables, and leave carpets saturated with water that takes days to dry. Once the carpets finally dry, they are often left stiff & crunchy.

 

BAIT AND SWITCH: We have all seen their ads in the coupon packs, yellow pages, Kijiji and Craig’s List. They advertise low prices that seem to good to be true. Read the find print. Once in your home, they will try to up-sell you with services that either should be included in the cleaning process (pre-conditioning or pre-spray, spot removal, agitation, post grooming to name a few) or that you do not need. Beware also of surcharges such as an environmental waste water disposal surcharge which is just another way to increase the end price while appearing to be cheaper at the outset.

 

UNSUSTAINABLE PRICES: We all want a deal or at least pay a fair price for services rendered. Professional Carpet Cleaners using powerful and advanced truck or van mounted systems operate with a huge overhead. Offering unsustainable low prices is why most carpet cleaning businesses fail. It is destructive to the industry and responsible for the poor reputation of the carpet cleaning industry.

 

OK, enough about bad carpet cleaning. Fortunately there are many ethical and responsible carpet cleaners in Red Deer. As IICRC Certified Firms they have pledged to follow industry standards and conduct their business operations ethically.

 

As specified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the following steps must be followed to properly clean carpet and achieve maximum results:

 

THE IICRC CLEANING CYCLE

Particulate or Fibrous Soil

1. Makes up 74% to 79% of soil in carpet according to industry analysis.
2. Due to gravity this soil is generally found in the lower third of the yarns and
requires brush/agitator action to be removed effectively.
3. The larger particles will be retained by tangling of fibers which is created during
the crimping process.
4. The smaller particles which are present may be retained by a number of different
physical properties or forces.
5. THESE SOILS ARE REMOVED MOST EASILY WHEN THEY ARE DRY!!!

 

The Wash Cycle
The wash cycle is based on the fundamentals of soil suspension. Proper use of these
fundamentals will minimize over wetting and speed the drying process, the two most common problems associated with carpet cleaning. As the use of one of these fundamentals is decreased, the use of another one must be increased to compensate.

TEMPERATURE: A recognized law of physics, Arrenius’ Law, States: For every 18 degrees that the temperature of a cleaning solution is increased, the effectiveness of that solution will increase by a factor of 2. Hot water is an extremely valuable tool in carpet cleaning and should not be viewed as harmful to the fiber or the carpet.

 

AGITATION OR MECHANICAL ACTION: Aids in distribution of preconditioning agent. Assists in soil suspension. Lifts matted and crushed face fiber.

 

CHEMICAL ACTION: Provided by the chemicals which are present in the pre-conditioner and to some extent, by the rinse aids metered into the rinse solution.

 

TIME: Required for the cleaning agents to perform their function of releasing the soils from the fibers. This contact time is referred to as dwell time and it is generally felt that 15-30 minutes dwell time is ideal.

 

The Rinse Cycle
The rinsing process removes detergents and soils which have been loosened and suspended by the pre-conditioner. (Nicer Carpet does not use soaps, detergents or other solutions in their steam lines that leave a soil attracting residue.)

 

The Dry Cycle

Drying time is very important to most clients. Dry time must not exceed 24 hours; it is highly recommended that drying occur within 6-8 hours or less.

 

Factors affecting evaporation (dry time) are: Air movement and ventilation, the cleaning method, the level of soil in the carpet. (In contrast to the splash & dash carpet cleaners out there, Nicer Carpet firmly believes that whoever makes it wet is responsible to make sure it dries fast.)

 

Low Moisture and Encapsulation Cleaning Methods
Red Deer has seen a proliferation of low moisture and encapsulation carpet cleaning methods. While such methods are appropriate for a commercial setting, they are not the best choice for residential carpets. Some carpet manufactures state that rotary type pad machines void their warranties. Please free to contact me for the pros and cons of low moisture cleaning to see if it is right for your home.

 

IICRC Certified Code of Ethics
The IICRC logo assures that members are skilled professionals. Certification cannot be purchased. It is earned through study, experience and successful completion of formal written exams.

 

IICRC Certified Firms have pledged to provide written estimates before any work begins, maintain a written complaint procedure and carry adequate liability insurance.

 

Certified Firms have pledged to do business with you honestly, to observe the IICRC code of ethics and to maintain the highest level of workmanship and service.

 

The Original & Most Copied Baby Safe, Pet Safe & Planet Safe Carpet Cleaner in Red Deer.