What to Look for in a Professional Carpet Cleaning Company

3/6/2017 (Permalink)

Professional carpet cleaning for your North Durham home will help prolong the life of your carpet.

While you may know your local SERPVRO® can restore your home to its previous condition after a water loss, we also offer other services to keep your home in top condition, such as carpet cleaning.

If you have carpets in your home, then you know vacuuming is a part of your cleaning regime to keep your carpet in good repair. Vacuuming alone is not enough to keep allergens, bacteria and other uninvited houseguests out of your carpet. While many companies offer a carpet cleaning service, the IICRC warns against using any company that is not a professionally certified carpet cleaner. As a homeowner, it is recommended to have your carpets professionally steam cleaned at least once a year to maintain the life of your carpet.

Steam cleaning the carpet is a relatively straight forward process. Heated water is pumped through a spray extraction tool using a truck mounted power unit. The proprietary cleaning solution is injected under pressure deep into the carpet and 24 hours later your carpet is dry, fresh, and looking brand new. 

For high traffic areas of the home, a traffic lane cleaner is first sprayed and then worked into the fibers of the carpet before cleaning it using the hot water extractor. Based on the condition of the carpet, technicians may opt to use a free rinse emulsifying agent instead of a traffic lane clean.

Untrained persons and DIYers can likely cause additional damage by using too much water which will extend drying times and provide the perfect environment for potential secondary growth or pests. Using too little water or detergent leads to an overall inadequate job, while using too much detergent can cause the opposite effect leaving behind residue and leading to soiling. Professionally trained technicians may need to use different tools for different areas of the carpet and will know exactly what treatments will best suit your needs. 

When choosing a carpet cleaning company, you should look for one that is certified, communicates well, and cleans with solutions that will extend the life of your carpet.        

Communication

A properly trained technician will assess your carpet prior to beginning any treatment and may need to do a spot test in order to use to the correct tools and treatments. You should look for a technician that will inform you of the necessary steps to take to prolong the life of your carpet.

Certification

The technology needed to steam clean a carpet has become increasingly less expensive, however, that doesn’t mean less expensive is always better. IICRC (The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) technicians have access to resources and products that homeowners and non-certified persons do not. This allows for a superior clean that will prevent your carpet from deteriorating from left behind dirt and soil.   

Cleaning

Before any type of extraction is performed, the technician will vacuum up any loose soils on the carpet. Many companies use a high pH solution because customers seem pleased with their initial cleaning power. Unfortunately, using a high pH solution can damage your carpet’s fibers, shorten the life span of your carpet, and leave behind that stiff, crunchy feeling, which allows your carpet to pick up dirt faster than before it was initially clean. This is due to the film of residue left behind.

Our proprietary cleaning solution is in often low pH or in many cases a neutral pH which protects your carpet and gives a deep, long lasting clean.

Call us today at 919-790-1222 to schedule carpet cleaning services for your North Durham home, and see what a difference a professional clean can make.

Deodorization Techniques

1/26/2017 (Permalink)

Ozone machine. SERVPRO® of North Raleigh and Wake Forest has the powerful equipment you need!

The glam and glitz of last year’s holiday parties are long gone. Winter Storm Helena has passed and many residents in the Triangle area are left with post party doldrums. Cleaning glitter out of the carpet, strange stains in weird places, and that lingering smell.

People often use masking agents such as air fresheners and candles in an attempt to eliminate a smell. While these methods may do a decent job of masking the odor they are temporary solutions. The offensive odors noses pick up is a result of volatile molecules. These molecules are in compounds or chemicals that evaporate very quickly. As a result, they stream through the air and end up in the nose.

There’s a science to removing smells. Humans have a highly sensitive olfactory and the human nose contains millions of sensory neurons. Malodors send subliminal messages about a space that silently screams, this place is unclean!

Some of the top offensive odors include:

• Cooking odors
• Mold and/or mildew odors
• Pet urine or feces
• Tobacco smoke
• Fire and smoke damage odors

Your local SERVPRO® offers cleaning options that do more than just make your home temporarily smell good. Our professional and certified technicians use state of the art HEPA filters, air scrubbers, and deodorization techniques that will ensure a long lasting deep clean long after the crew leaves the premises. High volume trafficked areas are notorious for lingering smells. Commercial areas such as:

• Restaurants
• Apartment communities
• Retirement homes
• Community centers

Can be cleaned by our certified technicians to restore your property with a pleasant aroma. We also offer deodorization treatments to residential customers and this can be combined with a carpet and or duct cleaning for a new home smell.

Top 3 Deodorization Treatment Techniques

Absorbents. This type of treatment is good for confined spaces, air ducts, and filters.

Neutralization. An equalizing chemical neutralizes stinky odors

Biocides. Another type of chemical process but this one kills or greatly reduces growth of microorganisms.

Ozone machines are another way to clean the air. They work by attacking ozone molecules and pollutants at their source to oxidize the air.

SERVPRO® of North Raleigh and Wake Forest has the training, experience, and equipment to make it “Like it never even happened.” And to make your house feel like a home again.

Covering Your Storage Items

1/16/2017 (Permalink)

Now that the holidays are over, many homeowners are storing away their festive decorations until the next annual outing. Some residents may not have enough space in their home, and a storage facility is often the next best place for wanted items, that are not used frequently or have sentimental value but take up unnecessary space. The Self Storage Association reports about 10.85 million US households rent storage space.

It is easy to forget about those items, nestled away, in storage until a catastrophe happens. Familiarity with your homeowner’s insurance is a must. Unfortunately, many policy holders find out the holes in their policy all too late, when what they need is not covered. Many policies do cover off site storage, but check your policy to make sure an additional rider is not required. Sometimes coverage limits are set lower for belongings located away from your home and is often described in most policies as off-premises coverage. Here are some tips for covering your items while in storage.

• Make sure the facility is in a safe well lighted neighborhood, preferably with gated access.
• Ensure the property is in good repair. Ask to tour an empty unit, to check for cracks, pests, etc.
• Pack your items with care.
  • Use sturdy boxes; placed on pallets to help protect from flooding.
  • Pack clothes in a wardrobe box. Plastic containers often trap moisture and may cause your clothes to mildew.
• Clean furniture before storing, dismantle if possible, and cover with a sheet.
• Wrap your fragile items in bubble wrap.
• Some items, such as antiques, require special care and temperatures. You may wish to consider a climate controlled storage facility for those items. While it may cost more, it will ensure your valuables remain in the same condition year in and year out.

Recently a Triangle resident needed our services because their storage pod, along with many other, had incurred some smoke damage while being moved on a 18 wheeler trailer. The transportation company did not inform the owners until after delivery. We were able to remediate the smoke damage to the contents in the storage pod and save many of the homeowners items.

This is just one more service, we provide getting your life back to “Like it never even happened.”

Don't Store These Items In Your Garage

1/13/2017 (Permalink)

With the start of the new year, most of us try to accomplish new goals, a new fresh start.  Getting healthy, organizing our homes, bettering our lives' always seem to be at the top of the list.  One space to start cleaning out & organizing- the garage! That extra storage area that easily becomes a catchall for our items.  We have compiled a list of items that should not be stored in your garage. Get them out and reclaim your space.

1. Paint- Because the garage is prone to extreme temperature changes, paint should not be stored in the garage.  Recycle paint according to your county guidelines or donate it.

2. Electronics- If you are putting electronics out in the garage, you must not be using them.  Donate these items because they can not withstand the temperature fluctuations and will easily break.

3. Propane and Hazardous Chemicals- Proper ventilation is key for storage of propane and hazardous chemicals.  For safety reasons, these items need to be stored outside.  

4. Food- Keeping food in the garage is an open invitation to rodents and insects.  Although shopping in bulk can save money, storing extra food in the garage will cause problems. The moisture and humidity will spoil the food. Find room in the house for food storage.

5. Cardboard boxes- Insects, mice and other rodents love cardboard.  Invest in waterproof plastic bins to store your items.

Hope these tips help you gain back your garage. Happy Cleaning!