Carpet Cleaning The Healthy Clean Way

Regular cleaning of your carpet is an integral part of maintaining a healthy indoor environment.  All of the dust, pollen, mold and fungi floating through the air ultimately ends up on the floor.  Carpet, unlike wood or tile, acts as a filter by trapping pollutants and preventing them from re-entering the air.  Just like the filter in your HVAC system your carpet filter needs regular cleaning to maintain a healthy level of indoor air quality.

In 1972 The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) was founded to establish standards for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries as well as educational programs.  As an IICRC certified firm Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care abides by theses industry standards in all the work we do.

To adhere to the industry standard Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care has implemented an 8 step carpet cleaning procedure.

Step 1 – Vacuum

All major carpet mills and Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care recommend vacuuming at least once every week.  Vacuuming your carpet is proven to extend the life of your carpet as well as to reduce ugly traffic wear patterns and improve overall indoor air quality (click here for more information about air quality in the home.)  More than 50% of all dry soil can be removed by vacuuming alone.  With statistics like these you can understand why we vacuum the carpet before every carpet cleaning service we perform.  It also allows our certified technicians an opportunity to make a thorough examination of the whole carpet and make notes of which areas will need special treatments such as stains and damaged areas.

Step 2 – Move Furniture

For the most thorough cleaning possible we need access to the whole carpet.  Before anything is moved we will discuss with you what furniture you would and would not like to be moved.  We are able to move most pieces, however, we are unable to items such as piano’s, entertainment center’s, hutch’s desk’s or other objects with valuables and electronics on them.  Our certified technicians use plastic sliders and specialized lifting equipment to safely move your furniture around in each room in which will be cleaning the carpet.  When possible we will move the furniture just outside the room.  After the cleaning and the carpet protector has been applied we will move your furniture back and place it on plastic chips or foam blocks to prevent moisture from the carpet damaging the furniture and to prevent the furniture from staining the carpet.  These chips and blocks can be removed after the carpet has dried and discarded or left in place.

Step 3 – Stain Treatment

Once the carpet has been vacuumed and all your furniture moved out of the way our certified technicians can begin treating stains as needed.  Drink spills such as Hawaiian Punch, Kool-Aid, Gatorade and similar colorful drinks and decaffinated coffee can stain carpet with inorganic dyes that can permanently alter the color of the carpet.  Wine, regular coffee and urine can stain the carpet with organic dyes.  Urine, milk, vomit and feces can cause stains and odors that must be treated separately.  Rust and furniture stain require special treatment.  Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care technicians have the training, experience and tools to remove almost any stain from your carpet.

Step 4 – Pre-Condition

With the stains treated the rest of the carpet can be addressed.  Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care certified technicians will apply a specially formulated pre-conditioning treatment to loosen and emulsify both water soluble soils and sticky oil based soils such as pet oils.  Based on the type and level of soiling we will choose a pre-conditioner that will best suit the needs of your carpet.  All of our pre-conditioning cleaning solutions, however, are biodegradable, non-toxic and free of harmful ingredients.  The pre-conditioner is agitated and left in the carpet to dwell.

Step 5 – Deep Clean Rinse

After sufficient dwell time our certified technicians are ready to rinse from your carpet the pre-conditioner, stain removing solutions as applicable, and of course the dirt, soil, oils, fungi, mold and pollen that have been emulsified by the pre-conditioner.  We use a rotary extraction tool to achieve the most thorough cleaning possible.  The machine rotates on the carpet agitating the carpet fibers while it sprays out a neutralizing rinse solution and extracts the rinse solution, pre-conditioner, stain removers, and soil and deposits it all in a recovery tank located on the Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care van where it is held for disposal.  At this point the carpet is clean!  But wait there’s more!

Step 6 – Carpet Protector

Carpet protector is applied to your carpet.  This step is optional though we highly recommend it as it is proven to extend the life of your carpet by many years.  The carpet manufacturers require this step to maintain a valid warranty on your carpet.  Carpet protector creates a barrier around the carpet fiber which protects the fiber from dry soil abrasion, food and drink spills and makes vacuuming more effective.  It is a lot like applying wax to the paint on your car.  There is much more information about carpet protector and all of its many benefits here.

Step 7 – Groom Pile/Nap

This step does a few things.  First, it works the carpet protector into the fiber and helps increase its protection capabilities.  Second, it sets the pile of the carpet while the carpet is still wet to stand straight up so that it will dry that way.  Carpet is most resilient when the top, not the side, of the fiber is walked on.  Grooming prevents the pile from drying on its side.  Third, it just makes the carpet look better to be neatly brushed.

Step 8 – Power Drying

A very important step too often overlooked by some cleaners.  Getting the carpet dry as quickly as possible is imperative as it will aid in the prevention of wicking (re-soiling of spots,) microbial growth, and the general inconvenience of living with wet carpet.  Our certified technicians place high powered fans in each area to speed dry the carpet so that it will be dry by the time we leave or soon after.

With all 8 steps completed your carpet is left clean, dry and ready to use.  With the standards created by the IICRC and the training and experience of Healthy Clean Carpet & Tile Care technicians your carpet will receive the most thorough cleaning possible guaranteed.  That is the Healthy Clean Way.