Why Should My Carpet Be Regularly Cleaned?

Carpet cleaning is like going to the dentist. You know that you need to go but you keep putting it off. Carpet cleaning is easy to put off. So let me explain why you should have your carpet cleaned.

The first reason is because of the appearance. Clean floors make everything look better. When you have company over do you want them to look at a dirty and stained floor or a clean rug? Of course you want a clean floor. A clean floor shows people that you care about your home and take pride in its appearance.

The next reason is that a clean carpet just lasts longer. Dirt is abrasive and will ruin your carpeting if left in place. Every step you take on the soil in your carpet grinds it into the fibers. This permanently damages the carpet and will cause it to wear out much quicker. Compare the price of carpet replacement and the price of regular cleanings and you will see the benefit in cleaning your carpet.

The last reason is for your health. Clean carpet is just healthier. Do you want your kids crawling around on dirty carpets? Of course not. Do you have allergies? Carpet is like a giant air filter for your home. It traps dust and dirt and keeps it out of the air that we breath. This filter does need to be cleaned from time to time. Once it is full of soil it stops improving your air quality and starts hurting it.

4 Important Reasons to Clean Your Carpet

1. Health- Carpet cleaning removes dust, allergens and odor leaving indoor air clean and fresh.
2. Appearance- It just feels good when the carpet looks clean. No embarrassment if guests pop in.
3. Investment- Refresh, restore and extend the life of your expensive carpet.
4. Maintenance - Manufacturers recommend professional cleaning at least every 6 - 18 months.

What Is The Best Carpet Cleaning Method?

Choosing the proper cleaning system is important. Some systems may leave residues which accelerate re-soiling and defeats the whole purpose of cleaning.Some methods actually damage the carpet fibers and shorten the life of the carpet.

Research indicates that the hot water extraction system provides the best capability for cleaning. This system is commonly referred to as "steam cleaning," although no steam is actually generated. This process consists of spraying a solution of water and detergent into the carpet pile and recovering the water and soil with a powerful vacuum into a holding tank with the dirty air and humidity exhausted outside. The waste water is properly disposed of. This is done from a truck-mounted unit outside the home with only the hose and floor tool brought inside

Shaw warranties require that the homeowner be able to show proof of periodic cleaning, in a typical household carpet should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months, depending on the number of residents and amount of activity using the hot water extraction method (commonly called "steam" cleaning) by a professional cleaning service or do-it-yourself system, using equipment that is certified under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval program. Click here to see what cleaning method your carpet manufacturer recomends

Many companies offer hot water extraction but there is a big difference! No matter what company you choose educate yourself. Read the FREE 'Consumer Guide To Choosing A Professional Cleaning Firm.'

A Diagram of how the hot water extraction / steam cleaning method works.

Who is qualified to maintain my carpet warranty?

Following the company’s announcement in June of 2005, Shaw has revised its residential carpet warranties to require the use of CRI (Carpet Rug Institue) Seal of Approval products for carpet cleaning supplies and equipment for carpet manufactured after January 1, 2007. Effective January 1, 2008, the company will also require the use of IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) Certified Firms for professional cleaning services.Click here to read the press release and learn how your warranty may be affected. You may contact the IICRC at 1-800-835-4624 or vistit www.certifiedcleaners.org for information. Referral is certified by the IICRC and CRI and can properly care for your carpet and maintain its warranty.

How often should I get my carpets cleaned?

If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be easier and more successful. Frequently used carpet should be professionally cleaned by a qualified technician at least annually - perhaps a little longer interval for infrequently used carpet and even sooner for carpet in homes occupied by respiratory sensitive or allergic persons; or in homes with indoor pets.

The following chart from the IICRC S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning serves as a guideline for recommending cleaning frequencies for carpet. They consider traffic, soil rating, vacuuming schedules, spot cleaning schedules, and professional interim and restorative cleaning.

The (IICRC) Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification "Residential Carpet Cleaning Frequency Chart"
	Home / Carpet Owner General Maintenance		Professional Carpet Cleaner / Restorer
	Vacuuming	Spot Cleaning	Heavy Use Interim "Area Cleaning"	"Total Restorative Cleaning"
Light Soil	1 time per week	Daily or as soon as spots are noticed	Traffic Areas every 12-18 months	Every 2 years or per manufacturer
Normal Soil Family with Kids / Elderly	1-2 times per week	Daily or as soon as spots are noticed	Traffic Areas every 6-12 months	Annually (1x year)
Heavy Soil Families with Pets / Smoking	2-4 times per week	Daily or as soon as spots are noticed	Traffic Areas every 3-6 months	Every 6 months (2x year)
Extreme Conditions Large Families Multiple Pets	Daily	Daily or as soon as spots are noticed	Traffic Areas every 2-3 months	Every 3 months (4x year)

Will cleaning my carpets with your 'Hot Water Extraction System' make them resoil quicker, shrink or mildew?
It is a common myth that cleaning them before it is absolutely necessary will cause them to get dirty faster. This is an old wife's tale that was actually true several years ago when shampooing carpets was the common method of cleaning. When done correctly, hot water extraction or "steam cleaning" does not cause the carpet to get dirty faster. We sincerely believe that 'hot water extraction or steam cleaning' is the BEST way to clean your carpets. We also are sad to say that if done improperly it can be the worst for your carpets. Why? Improper cleaning techniques can cause over wetting. Many companies clean with the trigger spraying the carpet in both directions which causes over wetting. Most companies do not take the extra effort to take additional 'dry vacuum strokes' to ensure no over wetting. Referral cleans with the trigger spraying in one direction with the vacuum slot immediately extracting the cleaning solution. We always take extra vacuum strokes. We do not wet the padding or even the backing of the carpet. We do not shrink or mildew carpets. The rinsing action of the hot water extraction system leaves no soapy residue to attract soil any faster than it did before cleaning. Proper training, techniques, products and equipment are your assurance that maximum soil removal will be accomplished with no such problems.

Be sure to download your free consumers guide
'How To Choose A Professional Carpet Cleaning Company.

You will learn 6 costly carpet cleaning misconceptions
Discover 21 mistakes even 'smart people' make when choosing a professional carpet cleaner.
Learn about Referral's solutions for your home.

This is dust, allergens, hair, dirt and lots of other yucky stuff that our filter captured in the extraction process. Click here for a close up.

Combined experience, training and spotting products make it possible for us to remove many spots and stains. Pet stains, coffee, candle wax, ink, make up, dark edges along walls, and kool aid stains can all typically be removed. Pricing for speciality spotting is based upon severity, condition, and time required for removing the spot.

You may also refer to our spotting guide for more information.

Our Spot Out is a great spot cleaner for homeowners.

A very soiled area with many stains such as blue ink and red kool aid.

Ryan remove the red dye.

After much effort the carpet looks like new again!

Large Red Dye stain from Kool Aid.

Special process required to remove red dye.

The carpet looks like new again!

Coffee Stain

Coffee Stain Gone

Ink Pen Stain

No More Stain

Dirty Traffic Area In A Dining Room

Referral Makes It Look Like NEW

Water Stain from a flooded carpet.

Referral removed the stain. Like new again!

Blue paint spill, oops!

Referral saves the day, paint spill all gone.

What Are Those Dark Lines Along My Walls Or Under My Doors? Air Filtration Lines.

What Causes Air Filtration Lines?

This has become a common problem today because homes are much more airtight than in the past.  Filtration soil is a complex mix of very fine even microscopic chemical particulates such as carbon, sulfur, oxides and silica soil plus oils. This very fine soil strongly attaches to carpet fibers.
Dust and other airborne pollutants such as soot from burning candles, poorly ventilated fireplaces, automobile emissions, fine sand, cooking oils or a host of other soils combinations can accumulate on the carpet face fibers in areas with a concentrated flow of air over the carpet or through tiny cracks or other open areas under the carpet. Oily airborne contaminants trapped by carpet fibers will serve to attract more dry soil.
The soiling condition can occur quickly, or it may develop over a period of months or years. The level of soiling is dependent upon the volume of airflow and the level of pollutants in the air.   Filtration soiling is not a carpet defect, or a result of the quality of carpet selected. The condition will obviously appear more pronounced on lighter colorations than darker colorations.

Where Do Air Filtration Lines Appear?

Filtration soil areas may appear around baseboards, under doors, along the edges of stairs, away from walls where plywood subflooring materials have been joined, under the skirting of furniture. Generally, the concentrated air flow will be from an upper level to a lower level of the home. 

How To Reduce Air Filtration Lines

When possible, open interior doors to reduce filtration soiling that may develop under closed doors while the HVAC system is in operation.  Seal cracks in the subfloor, as well as under baseboards and edges of stairs to reduce airflow. Keeping air inside the home as clean as possible can be accomplished by reducing indoor air pollutants, such as cooking emissions, fireplace smoke, burning candles, cigarette smoke, and emissions from cleaning chemicals.  Install and regularly clean or replace your HVAC air filters.  Call Ken at Quality Air Duct Cleaning at 260-492-4247 or visit www.492-4air.com to have your air ducts cleaned which will help keep the air that circulates through your home clean.   

Referral Can Remove You Air Filtration Lines.

How Is Carpet Made?

Carpet manufacturing today is a mix of old-world craftsmanship and 21st century innovation. Carpet is manufactured in one of two ways - weaving or tufting .

Woven carpets are made primarily with wool and are exceptionally durable (and frequently expensive). Woven carpets can be produced by hand - much in the same way that has been used for centuries - or by machine. Both methods follow the same procedures. Yarn is woven though or around vertical fibers called warps, then locked into place with horizontal strands called wefts. Woven carpets can utilize a wide variety of colors to create intricate patterns in the highest quality carpets.

More than 90 % of carpets sold today are created using the tufting method. Tufting machines use computers to determine patterns, styles, construction and density. Once the fibers are in place, the carpet is dyed using a variety of methods to create patterns or effects. For cut-pile carpeting, the final stage is stretched, or cutting the pile loops. This stage will help determine the carpet's feel and softness. The carpet also receives a secondary stretched backing to give it stability and allow it to be stretched during installation.

Most carpets today also receive stain protection during the manufacturing phase. The quality of a carpet will also depend on the type of yarn used, and how that yarn is treated during manufacturing.

Continuous fibers are heat-set and twisted at the mill to produce a tightly twisted product most commonly found in frieze carpets. This kind of yarn is less bulky but holds its shape for a long time.

The other common type of yarn is spun or staple yarn , which is made from short lengths of fiber that are spun together, creating a yarn that is much less likely to unravel. Staple yarns will go through a complex series of treatments, including blending, spinning, twisting and heat setting.

Learn how carpet is manufactured in this video.

Learn how carpet is properly installed according to the CRI 105 Installation Guidelines

Looking For New Flooring In Fort Wayne?

Here are links to flooring manufacturers so you can educate yourself before purchasing carpet.

Shaw Floors

StainMaster Carpet

Mohawk Carpet

Wear-Dated Carpet Fiber

Independent Carpet Inspectors
Do you have questions about floor covering? This site contains information for those who are having flooring or upholstery problems. Includes the basics of carpet selection, buying new carpet, cleaning methods, filing a claim, find an inspector.

Carpet Information Center
Free advice about carpet

World Floor Covering Association

Certified Floorcovering Installers

What do I need to prepare before my new flooring is installed?

Mohawk SmartStrand® carpet with DuPont™ Sorona®

Carpet Fibers

Not every carpet is created equally. If they were, your cleaning protocol would be easier to predict.  Various fibers and how they are used in carpet dictates how easy the carpet will be to clean, and how long it will last and retain its bulk, texture and color.  Professional carpet cleaners must know the fiber content of the carpet they clean. Fiber identification is a skill you can easily develop.  Of equal importance is knowing each fiber's characteristics. Each fiber has it's "pros and cons."  Your customers or clients often purchase carpet on impulse. Most choices in carpet are based on color, with texture and style following close behind.
There are four main fiber types in modern, broadloom carpet. They are:

• Nylon (about 60% of market)
• Olefin (about 30% of market)
• Polyester (about 10% of market)
• Wool (less than 1% of market)

This technical bulletin will address characteristics of each of these fibers. Use this information to explain the cleanability of specific carpet types, and also to help specify which type of carpet is best for each application.

Nylon and durability
Nylon is known as a durable fiber. It's a good choice for heavy traffic areas.

Nylon's favorable qualities include:

• Great resiliency
• Accepts wide range of colors
• Relatively colorfast
• Easy to clean (with excellent results)
• Not attracted to oily soils

Nylon's unfavorable qualities include:

• Easiest of synthetic fibers to stain with typical food and beverage spills (fabric protection helps fight this problem)
• Will lose color in presence of bleach, especially chlorine

With this information, think about where nylon would be a good choice in a home or business. You might suggest to your customer to install nylon in a heavily-used living room, hallway, stairs, etc. But you might think twice about suggesting nylon for bathrooms or areas where moisture is a concern, and especially when chlorine bleach might be used, such as a room close to an outdoor swimming pool, as the chlorine can be tracked onto the carpet.

Olefin and stain resistancy

Although olefin does not have the "strength" of nylon and tends to mat down and "ugly out" faster, it has some excellent qualities.
Olefin's favorable qualities include:

• Water resistance (including water-based spills)
• Colorfastness (will not lose color like nylon because the color in olefin is "locked in" due to solution dyeing.
• Chemical resistance (you can use very strong chemicals when cleaning olefin)

Olefin's unfavorable qualities include:

• Poor resiliency, abrades and "uglies out" rapidly
• After cleaning, tends to wick to the surface
• Has low melting point
• Attracted to oily soils

Olefin is a good choice in areas where moisture is prevalent, such as in a basement or around a swimming pool. It's naturally stain resistant, which means it's a good choice when kids and Kool Aid is in abundance.  But it's a bad choice for areas where oils and greases will be prominent, such as in a room close to a garage or right off a city street or paved parking area.  If olefin carpet is installed in such an area, you need solid cleaning techniques.

Polyester comes in third

Of the three main synthetic fiber types, polyester is in third place, but still holds a healthy 10 percent of market share.
Polyester's favorable qualities include:

• Good hand (soft to touch)
• Colorfast
• Semi-resistant to bleaches and chemicals
• Naturally stain resistant
• Not attracted to acid dyes

Polyester's unfavorable qualities include:

• Poor resiliency
• Attracted to oily soils
• After cleaning, tends to wick

Polyester is a good choice for low-traffic areas, and areas that have spot and stain concerns. Because it has a soft hand, it's often chosen due to texture.

Wool — the natural fiber

Although wool holds such a small amount of market share (less than 1%), you have to remember that billions of yards of carpet are produced each year. That means that 1% is still a significant number.
Wool's favorable characteristics include:

• Naturally resilient
• Resists abrading
• Accepts wide range of colors
• "Warm" fiber
• Fire resistant
• Hides soils
• Repels moisture
• Easy to clean

Wool's unfavorable characteristics include:

• Expensive fiber
• Dissolves in chlorine bleach
• Some cleaning and stain removal is difficult
• Does not react well with strong chemicals, which can limit your cleaning procedure
• Color loss (bleeding and crocking)

Wool is obviously a favorite fiber for many, and because of its natural resiliency will last many years in a home or business. But because of it being a natural fiber, care has to be taken when choosing a cleaning system. Remember, each fiber type will display its own cleanability. If you know the "pros and cons" of each fiber you clean, you can easily handle any cleaning challenge.

After my new carpet is installed how do I care for it?

With proper Vacuuming, Spot Cleaning and Professional Deep Cleaning  your carpet will look great for years to come.

For more information download a FREE Carpet Rug Care Guide and review Referral's tips to keep your home looking great.

What Is The History Of Carpet?

History of the Carpet Industry in the United States. In the Beginning -- Woven Carpet
The carpet industry in the United States began in 1791 when William Sprague started the first woven carpet mill in Philadelphia. Others opened during the early 1800s in New England. Included in that area was Beattie Manufacturing Company in Little Falls, New Jersey, a company that operated until 1979.

In 1839, Erastus Bigelow permanently reshaped the industry with the invention of the power loom for weaving carpets. Bigelow's loom, which doubled carpet production the first year after its creation and tripled it by 1850, is now part of the Smithsonian Institution's collections. He continued to devote his life to innovation -- 35 separate patents were issued to him between 1839 and 1876. Bigelow introduced the first broadloom carpet in 1877.

The power loom with Jacquard mechanism was developed in 1849, and Brussels carpet was first manufactured by the Clinton Company of Massachusetts. The Brussels loom was slightly modified, making possible the manufacture of Wilton carpet. Later, the Hartford Carpet Company joined with Clinton Company to become Bigelow Carpet Company.

In 1878, four Shuttleworth brothers brought 14 looms from England and established their manufacturing plant in Amsterdam, New York. In 1905, the company introduced a new carpet, Karnak Wilton. Its instant success was phenomenal. Flooded with orders, a new building had to be constructed to exclusively handle Karnak production. Weavers worked four and five years without changing either the color or pattern on their looms.

Alexander Smith started his carpet manufacturing plant in 1845 in West Farms, New York. An American, Halcyon Skinner, had perfected the power loom for making Royal Axminster in 1876. He and Alexander Smith combined, forming a very successful carpet company. Alexander Smith was elected to Congress in 1878, but died on the evening of election day. Sixteen hundred people were employed at his factory at the time of his death. Alexander Smith & Sons continued. During World War I, the carpet looms were converted to make tent duck and navy blankets. In 1929 Alexander Smith & Sons was the largest manufacturer of carpets and rugs in the world.

Simulating the "Oriental" Rug
Industrialist/retailer Marshall Field had a traditional Axminster weaving loom modified to create what no one else had ever created -- a machine-made rug woven through the back, just like a handmade Oriental, featuring intricate designs and virtually unlimited color variety. Karastan's rug mill was established in 1926, and introduced the first Karastan rugs to the public in 1928.

Alexander Smith, Bigelow, and Karastan are companies continuing today as divisions of Mohawk Industries, headquartered in Georgia.

There are many manufacturers today producing both simulations of antique designs and updated "oriental" type rugs by both weaving and tufting processes.

The Tufted Carpet Industry
Born in the U. S. A. – the Pride of Georgia
Through the late 1800s, Dalton, Georgia, struggled with cotton mills and steel manufacturing works to forge a small town in the north Georgia hills. Northwest Georgia, with its hard-packed clay, poor farmland, and rolling hills was among the last areas of Georgia settled. Rich in a heritage of Cherokee Indians and Civil War battles, that northern corner of the state was rugged and spawned people who were independent and self-sufficient. Those were the people who brought forth and nurtured the tufted textile industry. The industry's infancy was in Dalton; it has gone through intense growth in Dalton; and it has now matured in and around Dalton. The carpet industry's impact is great on this region, this state, and the nation; and the story of its growth is unique.

The Beginnings
The industry began in a simple way, around the turn of the century. A young, Dalton woman, Catherine Evans Whitener, recreated a bedspread in a hand-crafted pattern she had seen, for a wedding gift. Copying a quilt pattern, she sewed thick cotton yarns with a running stitch into unbleached muslin, clipped the ends of the yarn so they would fluff out, and finally, washed the spread in hot water to hold the yarns in by shrinking the fabric. Interest grew in young Catherine's bedspreads, and in 1900, she made the first sale of a spread for $2.50. Demand became so great for the spreads that by the 1930s, local women, who were real entrepreneurs, had "haulers," who would take the stamped sheeting and yarns to front porch workers. Often, entire families worked to hand tuft the spreads for 10 to 25 cents per spread. The local term for the sewing process was "turfin" for the nearly 10,000 area cottage tufters -- men, women, and children. Bedspread income was instrumental in helping many area families survive the depression.

As an example of the spirit of these early entrepreneurial women, Mrs. J. T. Bates stated that she simply "shipped 15 spreads to John Wannamaker's department store in New York. On a piece of plain tablet paper I made out a bill for $98.15 and put it in with the spreads. Although there had been no previous contact whatsoever with the store, Wannamakers sent us a check for $98.15." Chenille bedspreads became amazingly popular all over the country and provided a new name for Dalton: The Bedspread Capital of the World.

Mechanization -- the 1930s
Buyer competition, which tended to lower the prices, the change in the minimum wage laws, and development of machine-produced spreads soon made the hand-crafted spreads too expensive. Gradually the industry began to pull the workers from surrounding hillsides and small towns into mills in Dalton, beginning the rapid growth of the mechanized tufting industry.

In the 1930s, as a result of the demand for more bedspreads, the first mechanized tufting machine, attributed to Glen Looper Foundry of Dalton, was developed. Looper modified the single needle commercial Singer so that it would tuft the thick yarn into unbleached muslin without tearing the fabric and an attached knife would cut the loop. Machines quickly developed into four, then eight, twenty-four, and more needles to make the parallel rows of tufting known as "chenille." By 1941, all but about one percent of tufted bedspreads were machine made. Mats and rugs were created with the same process, using cotton yarns and fabric. Volume increased rapidly after World War II, because people were hungry for color and beauty. To show the extent of growth, 30,000 bales of cotton were consumed in 1946 by the industry. By 1950, approximately 500,000 bales were used, and the industry was the third largest consumer of cotton grown in Georgia in 1952.

Sales were created by correspondence or by taking spreads to department stores, but by far the most famous and enjoyable way to buy a spread was on "Bedspread Alley," U. S. Highway 41 between Dalton and Cartersville. This stretch of the major north-south highway got its nickname because of the bedspreads the tufters hung on clotheslines to dry in the breeze and sun.

The salesmen and tourists enjoyed seeing the colorful, gaudy spreads and enjoyed the novelty of buying them "off the line." The most popular pattern to the travelers, outselling all others 12 to 1 was the Peacock -- feathered birds facing each other and spreading tails over the breadth of the spread. This "Bedspread Alley" phenomenon lasted into the ‘70s, and even now a few spreads can be seen on lines just south of Dalton.

As the number of tufted products produced annually went into the millions, the job of supplying the industry became equally important. Yarn, sheeting, duck mills, and agents were established in the area, with their entire output going to the industry; and larger mills elsewhere vied for the growing business. Machine shops were established to manufacture the thousands of single and multi-needle machines needed, as well as to design improvements aimed at making even more beautiful and better spreads, bathroom sets, robes, beach wear, and rugs. Dye plants for yarn were built. Laundries were erected for finishing the spreads. Printing shops were established to supply the millions of tags and labels needed. Box factories turned out cartons for shipping. Moving these spreads to market was big volume for rail and motor freight lines.

Machinery was developed for making chenille rugs and was widened, creating larger rugs and broadloom carpet. At the same time, machinery was changing, developments of new fibers accelerated the growth of broadloom carpet.

Synthetic Fibers are Introduced
Until about 1954, cotton was virtually the only fiber used in tufted products. Wool and manmade fibers -- polyester, nylon, rayon, and acrylics -- were gradually introduced by textile men in Dalton. Nylon was first introduced in 1947 and grew steadily to dominate the market. Polyester was first used in 1965 and was followed soon by polypropylene (olefin). Most manufacturers will agree that the single most important development in the industry was the introduction of bulk continuous filament nylon yarns. These yarns provided a luxurious quality, durable carpet, similar to wool, that was more economical to produce. Therefore, a durable, luxury product was offered to the consumer for less money.

In 1950, only ten percent of all carpet and rug products were tufted, and ninety percent were woven. However, about 1950, it was as if someone had opened a magic trunk. Out of that trunk came man-made fibers, new spinning techniques, new dye equipment, printing processes, tufting equipment, and backing for different end uses. Today, tufted products are more than 90 percent of the total, followed by less than 2 percent that are woven, and 6.7 percent for all other methods, such as knitted, braided, hooked, or needlepunched. By 1951, the tufting industry was a $133 million per year business made up primarily of bedspreads, carpet, and rugs, with carpet accounting for $19 million. The industry broke the billion dollar mark in 1963. Through the years, the Dalton area has continued to be the center of the tufted carpet industry, and today, the area produces more than 70 percent of the total output of the world-wide industry of over $9 billion. Dalton is now known as the "Carpet Capital of the World."