A. Light Reflection! When carpet is new, each fiber is smooth and reflects light in a manner that enhances its appearance. As carpet is walked on, the solid soils (sand) create abrasions and scratches that soon fill with dirt and no longer reflect light. The most common causes of carpet soiling are airborne particles from the kitchen, accidental spills, and normal wear.

Q. WHY DO TRAFFIC AREAS GET DIRTY SOONER AND SHOW WEAR FASTER?

A. Traffic areas, or walkways, represent about 20% of the total carpet area but receive about 80% of the traffic. This traffic is often from outside, and small particles of sand and grit are deposited deep down between the fibers. These particles act like sandpaper, and as you walk they cut the fibers. When you vacuum you remove the cut fibers-thinning the carpet and creating wear patterns.

Q. HOW CAN I SLOW DOWN SOILING AND CARPET WEAR?

A. Carpeting usually represents the single most expensive item in your house, often thousands of dollars. To prevent premature soiling and wear, carpet manufacturers and professional carpet cleaners suggest five things:

1. Vacuum regularly-traffic areas twice as often as other areas.
2. Use recommended spotting techniques.
3. Place attractive, washable mats/rugs by most-used doors.
4. Have your carpets Hot Water "Steam" Cleaned on a regular basis. DuPont recommends only Professional TruckMounted "Steam" Hot Water Extraction Cleaning for their new Stainmasterr carpet.
5. Reapply a carpet protector, at least in the traffic areas, after cleaning.

Q. HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY CARPETS BE CLEANED?

A. The time between cleanings is dependent on several factors: frequency of your vacuuming, type and color of your carpet, amount of traffic, and the method used the last time your carpets were cleaned. (Some cleaning methods cause carpets to resoil faster.)

Q. NOW THAT I KNOW CARPETS MUST BE CLEANED WHICH METHOD IS BEST?

A. In 1972 an independent research team made a survey and found that the Hot Water, "Steam Extraction Method" was superior to all other methods for cleaning carpeting. In 1988, DuPont required that their Stainmaster Carpets must be steam/water extraction cleaned or the warranty is voided.

Currently there are three basic methods of cleaning carpets: Rotary Shampooing, Dry Cleaning, and Hot Water "Steam" Extraction. Each of the first two methods have what appear to be two advantages: shorter drying time and less cost. The major disadvantage is that these two methods only surface clean. While we offer all three types of cleaning, we usually recommend "Steam" Extraction. This method cleans to the base of the fiber rather than scrubbing dirt deeper into the carpet.

Therefore, for your carpets to be truly clean, the first two methods will require almost monthly (costly) cleanings-compared to annual, biannual, or in some cases triannual Truck-Mounted Hot Water "Stearn" Extraction cleaning.

Q. WHAT IS HOT WATER "STEAM" CLEANING, AND AREN'T ALL STEAM CLEANERS THE SAME?

A. "Steam" Cleaning is actually hot water extraction cleaning, with the hot water creating some steam. All steam cleaning is definitely not the same.

Basically, there are three types:

1. Do It Yourself - You rent a small portable machine, use lukewarm tap water with 100 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure and a vacuum of 2hg. It may take you four to eight hours of hard work and your carpets will be wet for days. If you're lucky, you won't ruin the carpet. And, they will resoil quickly so you should clean them three or four times a year ($120).
2. Hired Portable Machines The major difference between this and "Do It Yourself" is someone else does the work, but they still use a portable machine. The result is the same-the cost is often double ($240).
3. Professional Truck-Mounted Hot Water "Steam" Extraction - The major difference is in the POWER.... The water is heated to 200^o F, pressurized to 500 PSI and vacuumed up with a suction 10 times that of a portable machine, so carpets are normally dry in hours, not days. (This process does absolutely NO harm to your carpets.)

Q. I'VE HEARD THAT CARPETS GET DIRTY FASTER AFTER CLEANING. IS THAT TRUE?

A. It may be, depending on the method used to clean them. Years ago carpets were shampooed using a rotary brush. Because the shampoo and dirt were pushed down into the carpet rather than lifted out, the top looked nice for a few days. But it soon was dirtier than ever because the shampoo residue attracted more dirt. This same thing happens when you clean your own carpets, because without adequate heat, pressure, and vacuum power, you leave too much soapy residue in the carpets. They look worse in a month, and you end up cleaning them three or four times a year-at $30 each time plus four or five hours of back breaking work! WITH PROFESSIONAL TRUCK-MOUNTED HOT WATER "STEAM" EXTRACTION CLEANING WE LEAVE NO RESIDUE AND ELIMINATE THAT RESOILING FACTOR. YOUR CARPETS WILL LOOK NICE FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS.