Professional Carpet Cleaning Services, Maintenance and Restoration
We have covered almost every aspect of carpet and upholstery cleaning within the commercial and residential markets from stain removal, specialist bacterial cleans and problem identification within working/living environment to maintenance, fire and flood damage, blood and bodily fluids. Our main and principal method is the hot water soil extraction system, which is recognized by the IICRC as being the most thorough and effective system for almost all fiber types. One of the most important factors about this system is that no residues are left, and the cleaning compound used is self-neutralizing. Therefore fibers do not resoil from any chemicals that are used and to stay cleaner longer. We recommend regular carpet cleaning not just for the visual aspect but also for the health benefits that are involved. We can attain this at affordable costs. Occasionally on commercial jobs we use a bonnet buff system as a secondary system for enhancement and a thorough clean through. This procedure utilises an organic digester for stains, applies a ‘Stainshield’ protector and disinfects the carpets to what should be hospital standards.
Flood Damage Restoration
Contamination from a water escape or flood must be assessed and the necessary actions implemented promptly. After 24 hours even a clean waterflood, which has not been dealt with adequately, results in the build-up of micro-organisms and bacteria changing the category from a white water to grey water category. This potentially has the same health implications as a fish tank leaking. Secondary damage can occur which is when items or areas not initially affected by the water are then affected either by migration through the process of ‘wicking’ or high humidity levels. This is why prompt action must be taken. Carpet Cleaning Bay County can install the appropriate structural drying equipment after an initial assessment has been carried out.
Mold Growth
Another problem which is often associated with flooding is mold growth. Again this problem should be dealt with by the appropriate technician. Mold spores may produce many different mycotoxins, some of which are categorised as carcinogenic. Aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic and is carcinogenic. Bleach products should not be used as they are 99% water-based and is not an adequate mold remediation product, causing more harm than good in may cases. Applying any chemicals directly onto mold’s cause a defence mechanism where they release Mycotoxins etc. This can cause irreversible respiratory problems!
Fire/Smoke Damage Restoration
As with flood damage, contamination of your home/premises and its contents from fire/smoke can be very traumatic and damaging to your health. Our aim is to respond promptly due to the health implications associated with this type of contamination. A burning structure and its contents will produce literally thousands of different gases. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are often present. This by-product is carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Other contaminants involved could be the Nitric and Sulphuric acid which can cause discolouration of plastics and oxidization of metallic objects to name just a few. Fire restoration is only for competent, qualified Restoration Technicians like Carpet Cleaning Bay County’s, therefore it is necessary to assess and implement the appropriate actions and precautions.
Blood/Trauma Scene Remediation
Again we are qualified in this field and have the relevant experience to deal with a traumatic event. Our sympathetic approach coupled together with the correct procedures and chemicals are utilised. We are experienced in blood removal, bodily fluid removal, death scene cleans, a hypodermic needle and sharps removal.
Stain Removal
A high majority of stains can be removed as long as they have not been ‘set in’ by other stain removers. We have a high success rate in the removal of red wine, tea, coffee and other stains. Since the latter end of 2012, we now have a product which can effectively remove Iron-Bru. Successful stain removal can depend on various things including the length of time the stain has been present, the temperature of the liquid when spilt (if appropriate), the fibre type and if the customer has used chemical products themselves.
Hardfloor Cleaning/Maintenance
Our experience within this field has involved our expertise being utilized for cleaning concrete, wood, thermoplastic, ceramic tiles, marble, limestone, sandstone, resin bonded quartz as well as a few less common surfaces. Floor seals and or polishes were applied after restorative cleaning on most of the above surfaces as part of a maintenance program.
Awesome Carpet Cleaning Tip
(courtesy of Anyclean Carpet Cleaners)
Dealing With Water-Damaged Carpets
From the perspective of your carpet, flooding is the third worst thing that could happen. What’s the worst and second-worst things? The worst would be fire, which destroys carpets in a way that can’t be remedied, whether you’re talking about something that nearly took the house out or whether you’re talking about the all-too-common problem of hair curlers or straighteners being put down “just” for a moment or dropped. The second worst is house paint spilling in large quantities all over the carpet and drying hard. It is possible to get paint out of the carpet but it takes a LOT of work and if the spill is extensive, it might be more cost-effective to replace the carpet.
Anyway, back to flooding. This is the third worst thing that can happen you your carpets. It’s bad because it makes one heck of a mess, looks horrible, often leaves mud or other dirt all over the place and can make your carpets more prone to mould (more on that below). However, it’s not a complete disaster because, with the help of your friendly local carpet cleaning service and their special equipment, the problem can be fixed.
How Water Damage Happens
There are a number of ways that water damage can happen to the carpets in your home. The most common one and the least extensive one is what happens when someone got distracted while running a sink of hot water so that it overflowed or if something was blocking the plughole when the washing machine was draining into the sink. Slightly less common but much more revolting is the case when something has blocked the loo so when someone flushes it, the water and everything else doesn’t go down into the sewer but wells back up and comes out instead (I’m shuddering just thinking about this one).
These common forms of water damage are easy to deal with, mostly because they aren’t very extensive. Sinks and toilets are usually in areas with hard, waterproof floors, meaning that most of the water will go onto the hard floor first and then flow onto the carpeted areas.
Another fairly frequent but more serious way that carpets suffer water damage is if something has broken on the house. Pipes are common culprits, especially if they break through freezing over winter. Leaks in the roof are another. These can occur anywhere in the house and are annoying because it’s not all that quick or easy to deal with the cause. At least with a leak in the roof, you can try the old trick of putting a bucket under the drip to catch the water and protect your carpet, but there will be that time when you’re out when it rains…
The most serious and extensive type of water damage to carpets is, fortunately, rare. This is when a natural disaster happens and a river that’s burst its banks sends water through your house despite efforts with sandbags, etc. In this situation, the entire carpet will have been soaked and there’s a good chance that the floodwaters will have left mud, sticks and other debris all over the place in odd corners.
How Water Damage Hurts Your Carpets
Water damage looks nasty and that’s reason enough to deal with the problem, usually by calling on a good professional carpet cleaner. However, the problem goes deeper than that – literally.
The problem lies in the backing of the carpet. In a lot of cases, carpet backing is made from natural jute fibres (though not always – long story). Jute is really, really absorbent. You might wonder what the problem with this is if it makes the top of your carpet feel dry. Unfortunately, if the carpet backing is wet, it will provide a happy home for bacteria and moulds. Before long, the moisture will start growing nasties that will (a) break down the carpet irreparably, (b) smell decidedly weird and (c) be rather bad for your health.
At the surface level, flooding on carpets also floats any dirt that was deeper down in the carpet fibres up to the top – and there will have been some dirt down there unless the carpet cleaner only called yesterday. This acts on the same principle as carpet shampooing but with a key difference: nothing takes that dirt or the water away, so the dirt stays there up the top and looks unpleasant.
What You Can Do About Flooding
So what can you do if you discover a burst water main, an overflowing sink or an overflowing toilet? The first thing to do is to cut off the source of the water, whether this means turning off the water mains, turning off the tap, removing the blockage or taking out the plug. If you can block the flow of water from a room with a hard floor into the carpeted areas, then do so.
The next thing you need to do is to make sure that all electrics are switched off and/or out of the area where the water damage occurred.
You now need to blot up as much water as you can. However, if there is any solid debris involved (we’re talking about the overflowing toilet scenario here…) then use rubber gloves, scoop it up and put it in a bucket or similar until the toilet can be unblocked. If the debris was old peas and scraps from the dinner plates from an overflowing sink of dishes, then this task is easier and a lot more pleasant.
To blot up the water, you will need an army of towels. Use every towel in the house that you can lay your hands on and keep blotting until they are all saturated and/or the carpet feels damp. The more you can get out, the better.
Your next step is to call a professional carpet cleaner and let them know what has happened. Professional carpet cleaners have powerful truck-mounted vacuums that extract most of the water out of your carpets – and out of the backing. In the case of an overflowing toilet, they will probably also deep clean and sanitise the carpet as well – thank goodness for that!
Once the professional carpet cleaners have called, there will still be a bit of drying time. This can be sped up by opening windows, cranking up the heat or even by using a fan heater (or a regular fan if the weather is hot).
In the case of a more serious flood, you may not be able to do much in the way of blotting up the water, although you can try. Don’t try to vacuum up any debris, as there will be too much water for even the best wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Sweep the debris out with a broom instead – and you may be able to sweep a little of the water out as well. Because of the extent of water damage, you will have to call on a professional carpet cleaning company to help you with the clean-up. However, bear in mind that unless your property was the only one affected by the flood, your neighbours are likely to be in the same situation, so your local carpet cleaners are probably going to be booked up to their eyeballs and you may not be able to get someone in straight away – although they’ll do their best to get around everyone as soon as they can.
If you have to wait for a carpet cleaner in the case of more extensive flooding, do what you can to keep the house well ventilated and stay off the carpets as much as possible (trust me, you won’t want to sit or lie on them, or walk on them in socks).
In the worst case, the damage done to a carpet through extensive flooding may be irreparable. Your carpet cleaner can help you know if this is the case so you can contact your insurance company and let them know that the carpet really, truly needs to be replaced.