Tag Archives: furniture cleaning

What to Expect from a Great Professional Cleaner

It all starts with a phone call. You’ve decided that the carpets need refreshing, and after reading that article on how soft fabrics can be breeding grounds for bacteria, the upholstery definitely needs cleaning too. However you find the company, whether it be on the internet, a recommendation, or if you’re still using the good ole phone book, something grabs your interest to initiate the call.

Upholstery (2)Expect a great greeting! All successful businesses know that nailing first impressions is key. You should feel comfortable with asking any questions you have about their process and company. The customer service staff should be friendly and knowledgeable. For instance: most solutions should be tested on fabrics before cleaning if they have never been used before. In this case, the staff should offer to schedule a test prior to the cleaning for the protection of your furniture.

The cleaning. The test passed fine and it’s cleaning day. A company with efficient scheduling probably would have called you at least the day before to confirm. What should you expect now? Punctuality. Their arrival should be at the scheduled time or you should at least receive a phone call if they are running late or early. It certainly helps if you leave them with all telephone numbers that you may be reached on that day.

Upon arrival, the technician should start with a pre-inspection. This is where you can review what you would like to have done, address any areas of concern, and where they may be able to evaluate any other service suggestions. They may notice that you have a dog and offer you a free back light evaluation to see if there’s any hidden pet stains. They may ask if any residents have allergies or respiratory issues and offer an anti-allergen treatment. Sharing the knowledge of their options to offer you the most effective cleaning for your situation is the difference between quality service and just getting it done.

Once the details are all worked out, carpet cleaning may start with a pre-vacuum and pre-treatment of spots and heavily soiled areas. Attention to detail says a lot. If there is only one technician, small furniture pieces that can safely be moved by one may be arranged away from the cleaning area. A thorough deep cleaning should commence with special care to the surrounding items and areas. If furniture is going to be reset on cleaned carpeting, they should take precautions to protect the furniture from direct contact with wet areas. Upholstery should be cleaned, handled with care, and arranged in the best way to promote drying.

After the cleaning is completed you should expect to be able to do a post-cleaning walk through to insure your satisfaction and give you an opportunity to address any concerns or interest other services. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and hold them to reasonable expectations. They may not be able to work magic with the cleaning, but they should always do their best. The order of operations may differ between companies, but they should all be friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive to your specific needs.

How can I keep my carpets, area rugs, and upholstery looking their best?

Area carpets, wall-to-wall carpeting, and furniture pieces are all investments we make for our homes. We purchase area carpets to not only to protect our floors and warm our toes, but to represent our personalities. Wall-to-wall carpeting softens echoes and gives us great comfort. Furniture pieces are inviting to family and guests while serving as great design statements.  So how should you go about keeping them all looking great for as long as possible? Well for starters, protect them!

When we say to protect your textiles, we don’t mean cover the loveseat in a thick plastic cover like what you used to stick to at Grandma’s house. We suggest that you spray it with a stain resistant barrier, often referred to as fabric protection. Typically, fabric protection is sprayed on in a fine mist to evenly coat the tiniest of fibers.  For best results, it’s important to allow ample drying time for the product to set.

sofa

The protection barrier will assist in repelling liquids, allowing them to “float” on top for a period of time. Spill some grape juice in the living room? Thanks to your protection, you have ample time to blot the spill before it seeps in. Dirt and sand can settle into the pile of carpets and grind it down under traffic, creating irreversible wear spots.  Along with regular vacuuming, treating the carpets with protector will help prevent the dirt from settling in.  Now think of how often you sit on your couch in shorts and a t-shirt with your arm on the rest or your head cushioned by the back. Oils from our skin and hair are absorbed by textiles sometimes creating tough stains. With protection on your furniture, it will resist these oils and you’ll see better cleaning results.

If you’ve just purchased new carpeting or a new piece of furniture, ask the seller if it has a factory applied stain resistant. If it does, understand that it is not something that lasts forever. Overtime it loses effectiveness and wears away. Keeping up on having your piece protected It is crucial to keeping brights their brightest and darks their deepest. If it has not been pretreated, call around to your local carpet and upholstery care companies such as Chem-Dry, and they’ll be able to apply it for you.

So remember, you can apply this form of protection to area rugs, wall-to wall carpeting, upholstered furniture, cushions, and decorative pillows.  Some even spray it on their curtains, outdoor furniture, umbrellas and more. Don’t forget about that that car and boat interior either!  Protect textiles when they are new and immediately after each cleaning. With this little bit of preventative maintenance, you’ll cut costs not having to replace these items, and when you find that perfect piece, be confident it’s a protected investment .