DIY Carpet Cleaning;

The other day I was in a local pharmacy buying some school supplies for my son Jordan. Across the isle from the school supplies was the Rug Doctor rental machines and their cleaning solutions. I am often asked by friends 'why' someone would want to rent a Rug Doctor and go thru the hassle of cleaning their own carpets. This is a great question that I believe has two possible answers.

The first answer deals with a bad experience from using a so called professional carpet cleaning who was nothing more than a hack who used high pressure sales tactics and did a crummy job. The carpets stayed wet for days, the spots all returned, and the 'professional cleaner' did not live up to their promises. We have a name for these types of people - "Splash & Dash". They splash some water around and dash out the door as soon as they get paid never to be seen again.

The second answer is about saving money. Most people probably believe they can save money if they do it themselves. This got me to thinking - is it really cost effective to clean your own carpets? Here is the breakdown for renting a rug doctor: 1) Machine Rental - $26.99; 2). Cleaning Solution - $13.99; 3). De-foamer - $4.99; 4). Hi traffic pre-spray - $13.99; 5). Pet Urine treatment - $8.99. If you add all these up and include sales taxes the total amount would be $74.81 to clean your carpets assuming of course that you had enough cleaning solutions to complete the task. There are other costs that you should also include - Your TIME. Let's assume that you average $25.00 per hour at your job and we will make the following assumptions:

1). To drive to the store, rent, read all instructions, and bring rug doctor and unload from your car is 1.5 hours or $37.50;

2). You will also need to move furniture, pre-inspect, and prevacuum the carpets. Time 45 minutes or $18.75;

3). Apply spot removers, pet urine chemicals, and clean the carpets using the machine 1.0 hour or $25.00;

4). Clean the machine and return to store 1.0 hour or $25.00.

The TRUE COST OF Do It Yourself Carpet Cleaning: $74.81 + $37.50 + $18.75 + $25.00 + $25.00 = $181.06. How much would a job like this cost if you used a true professional somewhere between $200.00 - $250.00.

A true carpet cleaning professional would have also set the carpet knap, applied carpet deodorizer, applied carpet protectant, and provided a post inspection. Here at Liberty Floor Solutions we also use blow dryers to speed up the drying process. One of the points I think should also be made is that the rug doctor's brochure never mentions the words sanitize or disinfect. If you could hire a quality professional would it be worth the extra $19.00 to $69.00 dollars, which is the difference between do it yourself and hiring a professional? You should expect to have your carpets cleaned & sanitized.

The purpose of this blog is NOT to discredit the rug doctor. I am confident that they meet a need in the market place and the provide a valuable service. One of the advantages of the rug doctor is that you can rent it late at night when most carpet cleaners are done for the day.  If I had a carpet emergency and could not get a carpet cleaner out right away I would certainly consider the rug doctor. The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate that your time is valuable and you need to consider your time when you take on such projects. If you have questions about this email you can reach me at paddle@frontiernet.net.

Michael Hull

How to Sanitize Carpet:

With the Christmas Holidays behind us and 'old man winter' staring us in the face many are thinking about how they can sanitize their carpets. If you are like my family you had stay over guests for the holidays who brought their germs with them. Also with the kids returning to school they will eventually come home with someone else's germs, possibly a cold, flu or some other bug. According to the latest research a square inch of carpet can possess up to 2,000 bacteria particles. Can you say 'Scary'. Is it really possible to sanitize your carpets? YES! Here is how we do it here at Liberty Floor Solutions:

1). Our first step is to pre-vacuum the carpet using a true HEPA filtration vacuum system. Only a true HEPA filtration vacuum can trap and hold dust mites, dust mite feces, dander, etc. A true HEPA filtration system can literally remove the 'food sources' for the odor causing bacteria found in your carpets.

2). Our second step is to apply a uniformed solution of Sodium Borate throughout the entire carpet. Sodium Borate is an excellent all natural disinfectant that comes from the Borax family. It will even kill fungi such as athlete's foot, jock itch, etc.

3). A second chemical is added called D-limaline to our cleaning solution. This is an all natural and powerful antioxidant that comes from oranges.

4). We use hot water extraction, or steam cleaning, with temperatures above 210 degrees. Carpets love the heat but bacteria can't handle it. Bacteria dies at 140 degrees. This very hot water that is delivered under pressure thoroughly rinses the carpet and flushes out the bacteria, fungi, and germs. As a side note hot water extraction, or steam cleaning, is the only cleaning system that carpet manufacturers recommend. All other cleaning methods will void the carpets warranty.

5). Special chemicals are added to the fresh hot water to thoroughly rinse the carpet and to properly deodorize the fibers. This ensures that all of the soap, dirt, germs, and odours are successfully removed from the carpet leaving your carpets soft to the touch. If your carpets feel sticky after cleaning then the 'soap' is still in the carpet and so are the germs.

The end result is a very clean carpet that has been properly sanitized. If you have questions about this article please email me at paddle@frontiernet.net. Until next time.

Michael Hull