UPHOLSTERY IS A LARGE INVESTMENT & HEAVILY USED ITEM. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN ITS FRESH APPEARANCE?27/2/2018 No matter what type of upholstery fabric the consumer chooses, at some time in its eventful life, it will require cleaning. Some more frequently than others.
Soft furnishings are perhaps one of the largest cash investments in most households, ranking certainly within the top five items such as the family car, carpets, a new kitchen and new bathroom fittings. Regular cleaning by an NCCA qualified cleaning technician and regular consumer maintenance will extend the life of delicate upholstery fabrics significantly, while keeping them looking good. These more delicate fabric constructions require a more gentle approach. Using appropriate cleaning solutions for upholstery fabrics, an NCCA trained technician will be able to select the correct method to clean your upholstery fabrics safely and efficiently.
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Carpet has a big influence on the feel of any room and improves the overall appearance but how can carpet that is used every day continue to look new?
To keep your carpet looking and performing at its best it is necessary to use a well-functioning vacuum regularly. Unfortunately, due to constant use by children, pets and everyday wear, carpet fibres will inevitably become soiled resulting in a dull appearance. Dirt in the carpet acts as an abrasive when walked over and slowly cuts into the fibres resulting in potential threadbare areas and shortening lifespan. As beneficial as vacuuming is at keeping carpet clean there will eventually be a need for a professional clean. Cleaning carried out regularly by a trained technician is as important to your carpet as having a qualified plumber carrying out routine services to your boiler. Carpets can often appear clean on the surface, however, a professional clean will remove what you cannot see. This will help preserve your carpet to keep it beautiful and fresh. Carpet cleaning is not only beneficial for the appearance of your carpet but also for health benefits. Outdoor air contains pollution, more so now than ever before. Pollens, cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes, chemicals and bacteria are all brought into the home or business on your hair, skin, clothing and shoes ending up in your carpet. If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema or other breathing problems the build-up of chemicals and toxins brought into your home or business can contribute and emphasise the symptoms of these conditions. The importance of cleaning for health benefits has slowly become more recognised as an important part of our home and business maintenance. WHAT DOES THE APPLICATION OF STAIN PROTECTION DO?
Stain protection is an effective invisible shield on your carpet or upholstery which allows a time delay for a lot of spillages. They can often be blotted up before they soak into the fibres or fabric. It also provides a barrier between the protected area and soiling. If dirt is brought into your home or business on the bottom of shoes etc it does not become knitted into the fibres. It means that when you vacuum the soiling can be removed very easily. HOW IT WORKS Carpet and soft furnishing fibres have pores in them. The protector begins to fill these pores and coats the fibre, reducing the amount of soil and stains that can be absorbed into each fibre. The protection has no effect on the texture, appearance or smell of the fabric. RESULTS Remember that protection is never 100% proof: when you have a spillage you still need to mop it up as soon as possible. If you leave it a stain may still develop. The protector will: Spills tend to remain on the surface of the carpet or fabric allowing you more time to get the spill soaked up before it penetrates. Be aware that some stains will penetrate faster than others, particularly if hot. The next time the carpet or upholstery is cleaned the results will be improved. Keep soil from penetrating deep into the fibres so each time you vacuum a higher percentage of the soiling is removed. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Under normal conditions 12 - 18 months maximum protection after which it will begin to wear away. RE-APPLICATION When the carpet or upholstery is no longer water and oil repellent as a result of use or following extraction cleaning, reapplication is necessary. MISCONCEPTION 1:
WAIT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CLEANING CARPET OR UPHOLSTERY. NO. Dirt is an abrasive-like sandpaper. Every time a carpet is stepped on, dirt is ground into the carpet fibers. This acts as a knife cutting the carpet fibres and over time causing threadbare areas. As a result a dirty carpet will not last as long as a clean carpet. While regular vacuuming helps, alone, it is simply not enough. The longer a carpet is left to be cleaned, the more damage is done to the carpet and the faster it will wear out. MISCONCEPTION 2: THE ONLY REASON TO CLEAN CARPET & UPHOLSTERY IS TO REMOVE THE DIRT. NO. It is becoming more commonly known that outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes and hundreds of other chemicals. When entering the home or business premises, these pollens, bacteria and chemicals are brought in on hair, skin, clothing and shoes. Not surprisingly, all those chemicals and toxins wind up in carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings. Allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems are becoming more common with at least 50% of children now becoming susceptible. One major source of the problem could be the pollens, fungus, smoke and chemicals in the carpet and upholstery of our homes and businesses. MISCONCEPTION 3: ONE METHOD OF CARPET OR UPHOLSTERY CLEANING IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER. NO. The dry cleaning methods – which are dry foam, dry chemicals and dry compounds – do not rinse carpet in any way. Rather they clean carpet or upholstery only halfway (some upholstery fabric must be dry cleaned due to the type of fibres the fabric is made up of). The most effective cleaning method is hot water extraction. Hot water extraction means a hot water cleaning solution, under high pressure, is forced into the carpet or upholstery and then extracted out (the same method but with more delicacy is used for upholstery cleaning due to the nature of the delicate fibres that are being cleaned). Some of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers recommend hot water extraction as the primary method of cleaning carpets. MISCONCEPTION 4: HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT IS ALL A COMPANY NEEDS TO CLEAN YOUR CARPETS & UPHOLSTERY PROPERLY. NOT TRUE. Many companies own hot-water cleaners but very few companies provide proper training. This is why it’s important that a professional carpet cleaner is chosen carefully. The best cleaning companies are those that have been certified and are endorsed by an approval body. MISCONCEPTION 5: THE COMPANY THAT OFFERS THE LOWEST PRICE IS THE COMPANY TO BE HIRED. NO. So many problems arise from low priced companies that we suggest to NEVER hire the company that quotes the cheapest price. The two most common problems are: First the price may not reflect the services expected and then performed. The company may be equipped to remove only the dirt from carpet and upholstery, but not have the skills or equipment to carry out further services like removal and protection against bacteria, fungus, pollens, dust mites and tobacco. Second, the price advertised may not be the price payable. Many homeowners have learned that the low price advertised only lasted until the cleaner got into their home. Then they were pressured into paying a lot more for a variety of add-ons not stated at the time of booking. Hopefully the above information is helpful. If you have any further questions about our carpet or upholstery cleaning services please do not hesitate to contact us for helpful friendly advise and of course a quotation or booking. |
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