REASONS WHY PEOPLE HAVE THEIR CARPET CLEANED Spring cleaning Kids are back to school Fido had an accident Grandma's coming to visit Bridge Club meeting is here Light blue color is looking brown Crying over spilled milk Wine and cheese party Day Care kids Traffic lane patterns All are very good reasons why people have their carpets cleaned. Professional hot water extraction "steam" cleaning restores and renovates the appearance of your carpeting. It makes it look better and smell better. Yet, there is another extremely important reason you should have your carpets professionally cleaned--your family's health. That's right. A cleaner carpet contributes to a healthier home environment. CARPETING AS A SINK Have you ever thought about what types of soiling and other conditions that your carpet is subjected to? Your carpet acts like a sink. It collect and filters almost every spilled material, airborne contaminant, and tracked soiling that enters your home. As a matter of fact, carpet is designed to hide soiling. By the time a carpet "looks" dirty, it can have a great deal of contamination collected in it. WHAT'S LURKING IN YOUR CARPET? Biocontaminants Insoluble particulate soiling Volatile organic compounds Sand Combustion products Quartz Asbestos Gypsum Dust mites Soil Epidermal waste Dirt Chemical contamination Food particles Migrated outdoor pollutants Pesticides Grease and oil deposits Allergens Big words, but what do they mean? Quite simply, if your carpet acts like a sink, then it filters and collects sources of soil, bacteria, allergens, and pollutants from the indoor environment. These contaminants are part of what makes your carpet "ugly-out." This "collection" and "filtering" process allows carpet to trap contaminants within the carpet. Hard surface floors may allow these contaminants to continue to "roam" throughout the indoor environment. But like any filter, you carpet needs to be periodically cleaned out. If these contaminants are in your house, they could be contributing to you and your family's health and allergy problems. Bacteria, pollutants, and allergens trapped in your carpet can contribute to an unhealthy indoor environment. Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, head of Allergic Medicine at the University of Virginia Medical School, estimates somewhere between 500,000 to 1,000,000 hospital visits are made each year by patients allergic to biocontaminants (fungi, mites, cockroaches, bacteria). Dr. Michael Berry, Deputy Director of the Environmental Criteria and Assessment office of the Environmental Protection Agency stated, "Based on what I have learned in recent months from researchers working in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, I have reached the conclusion that carpeting and fabrics not cleaned and properly maintained have the potential to cause a variety of health problems inside the building environment." So what can you do about all these things that are lurking in your carpets? WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT ALL THOSE "LURKING-THINGS"? For one thing, periodic vacuuming. Vacuuming can remove a great deal of this soiling. But most vacuum bags allow small particles to pass through them. These released particles tend to build up over time and have the greatest potential to cause harm as they are inhaled deep into the lungs. Many other types of contamination simply cannot be removed by regular vacuuming. That is why it is absolutely essential that you have your carpets periodically cleaned professionally. Professional Carpet Cleaning by the Hot Water Extraction method makes a significant positive contribution to removing these contaminants. Recent tests performed by organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Institute, and the Carpet and Rug Institute have demonstrated that professional cleaning can contribute to a reduction in indoor air pollutants. Here's what Dr. Berry of the EPA has stated: "Every time carpets and fabrics are emptied of their pollution buildup through professional cleaning methods, there is a health benefit. Cleaning processes that extract pollutants from the environment enhance the quality of the indoor environment by reducing exposure. Cleaning, especially through extraction, improves environmental conditions and health protection." HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR CARPETS CLEANED? How often you should have your carpets professionally cleaned depends on a number of circumstances. Du Pont, the world' s largest manufacturer of fibers, recommends cleaning at least once every eighteen months. But other considerations may increase the frequency rate: smoking habits, number and ages of children, soiling conditions, humidity, temperature, condition of the outdoor environment, health status of occupants, allergy conditions, number and type of pets, and the types of activities being conducted are just a few. WHAT DO FIBER PRODUCERS AND CARPET MANUFACTURERS SAY ABOUT CARPET CLEANING? The five largest fiber producers--Allied, BASF, Du Pont, Hoechst Celanese, and Monsanto--all recommend periodic professional cleaning. Most major carpet mills agree. Shaw Industries, the world's largest carpet manufacturer recommends hot water extraction carpet cleaning by a trained professional. Du Pont, in their report on "Indoor Air Quality: A Technical Review of Carpet Contributions" states, "Since carpets do act as a 'sink' for many types of particles, periodic professional cleaning is very important." WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT CARPET CLEANING? After your carpet has been professionally cleaned, there are several other important things for you to consider. Several simple practices will help you get more enjoyment out of your freshly cleaned carpeting. First, your carpet will be protected by the installation of protective tabs or blocks underneath the legs of wooden furniture. Please do not remove these tabs or blocks until your carpet is completely dry. Second, how long your carpet take to dry depends upon many things within your indoor environment--including humidity, air movement, the degree of soiling that was within the carpet, and your instructions to the cleaning technicians. Please refrain from subjecting your carpet to extreme traffic or usage until the carpet is completely dry. This will usually occur within four to twelve hours. Third, children and pets should be kept off of the freshly cleaned carpets for six to twelve hours after cleaning or until the carpet is completely dry. A HEALTHIER INDOOR ENVIRONMENT Professional carpet cleaning can be an important contribution in maintaining the health of your family's environment. So don't delay. Just because your carpet may not look too dirty doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be cleaned. We look forward to the opportunity of serving you soon. CALL (203) 879-3609