What is Carpet Sanding and why won’t those lines go away?

Carpet sanding and traffic lanes are a direct result of foot traffic occurring in the same place over and over again. The bottom of our shoes or feet attracts sand, oils, soils, etc. and these abrasives act like sand paper as we walk across our carpets. Overtime, the surface of the carpet is “sanded” and becomes permanently damaged. If soil is left in the carpet for a long time it can actually chemically bond and become part of the fiber. The extent to which sanding and traffic lanes can be reduced depends on a number of factors. The two biggest factors are the number years the carpet has gone without professional cleaning, the traffic pattern and the grade of the carpet.

To explain sanding a good example of this is your white, everyday socks. Overtime your socks become gray from soil and appear dirty after washing them even though they are clean and no soil is present. Sometimes bleaching them will brighten the discoloration but does nothing to the damage already caused to the fibers. With enough time the soil actually stains the socks creating the gray appearance.

The same is true for carpet. If soil is allowed enough time on the carpet it will stain the fibers and cause permanent damage. In most cases, steam cleaning with special cleaning techniques can remove most of the discoloration but the damage to the carpet fibers are permanent. After professional cleaning, the carpets will appear soiled when in fact they are clean. This is often due to the combination of factors such as scratches, distortions, and soil that has chemically bonded with the fibers and has stained them.

Regular professional steam cleaning as recommended by carpet manufacturers would have prevented this damage. 99% of carpet mills recommend steam cleaning basis (aka hot water extraction, steam extraction) on a regular basis usually every 12-18 months before soiling is visibly present. In some cases, more frequent cleanings are necessary.

Dirty appearance or apparent soil that remains despite professional cleaning efforts is not the carpet cleaners fault.

How soon can I walk on my carpeting once it has been cleaned?

Keep pets, children and regular traffic off of the carpet for a period of 3 hours. The home owner may use the carpet lightly immediately after cleaning by wearing the booties we provide. Wait 12 hours before removing foam blocks and paper tabs that are put in place to protect your furniture and carpet. Some carpets may still feel slightly damp for up to 4 hours depending on carpet, soiling condition and weather. This is normal and will not cause any problems. We utilize the latest turbo drying technologies to remove approximately 90% of all moisture before we leave your home.

Do you move the furniture?

Yes, but small pieces of furniture only, like chairs, tables, end tables, etc. Beds, sofas, entertainment centers, computers and heavier pieces of furniture are left in place due to liability issues.

Do you clean Berber?

Absolutely, Berber is a weave, not a particular type of fabric. Berber is simply a type of loop construction that may come in olefin, nylon, wool, or a blend. Berber requires a more thorough cleaning than other carpets because the “flushing” action needs to take place to get under, around, and through the loops. Other companies that are not as thorough as we are do have problems with Berber because of leaving soil behind that “wicks” back to the surface.

What’s the difference between a “spot” and a “stain.”?

Professional carpet cleaners refer to a surface mark or substance on the carpet as a spot (example: dried food, dirt, grease) and a discoloration of carpet fibers as a stain (example: Kool-aid, pet urine stains, paints, wines and any products containing a dye).

Spots will typically come out with any of our cleaning services whereas stains will require specialized chemicals and labor in an attempt to remove them. Some stains may be permanent. Specialized stain removal processes are charged accordingly.

I have stains that reappear after my carpets are cleaned, what causes this?

Stains that reappear after your carpets have been cleaned are typically caused because of deep set liquids that have penetrated the carpeting and now reside in the padding. During your carpet cleaning, moisture, heat and suction are applied to the carpets surface and fibers. This cleaning action has a tendency to moisten the hidden deposits in your padding and as your freshly cleaned carpets start to dry, evaporation will pull the contaminates from your padding to the surface.

Keeping in mind that carpet cleaning is designed to clean your carpets and NOT clean your padding, a specialized process called a “water claw” is used in an effort to prevent spots from returning. When a water claw is used, the area of the spot must be saturated with cleaning solutions and allowed to dwell deep in the padding. The idea behind the saturation is to flood the padding with chemicals designed to break up the staining in the padding and then extract using a specialized tool known as a “water claw.” This process will pull contaminates through the carpet and eliminate the possibility of reoccurring spots. This process is specialized and additional costs may apply.

Why do pet odors return when I use “over-the-counter” odor removers?

Over-the-Counter remedies deal only with the carpet surface, and do nothing to deal with the entire problem which reaches through the fibers, into and through the carpet backing, into and through the carpet padding, and finally into the sub-flooring (concrete or plywood).

Why does my room smell musty after I had a water leak and the carpet has dried?

Without experienced professionals with commercial drying and aeration equipment to thoroughly dry water damaged carpet, padding and sub-flooring, mildew and mold will quickly set in, destroying your carpet, pad and even the sub-flooring. Recovering from water damage is always best left to trained professionals.

I have old pet stains on my carpet. I have tried and tried to get rid of them, with no success! Can you help me?

Yes we can! With years of experience on such stains, we have developed a very successful process to remove most, if not all, pet stains. We provide multiple solutions to this problem, in order to deal with stains of different types, ages and intensities.

Why do pet stains and odor return when I use “over the counter” store bought products?

Pet stain and odor products purchased at your local grocery or pet super store are not in the same class or strength as those used by K & I Carpet Cleaning Service. Unlike weakened down products made available to consumers, our commercial strength products are endorsed by The Carpet & Rug Institute, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, and all major veterinary associations.

Unlike weakened down “enzyme and deodorization products” made available to consumers, our full strength biological enzymatic live cultures are designed to digest the bacteria left behind as a result of pet urine and feces.

Our pet urine cleaning process begins with a thorough inspection using a specialized Xenon light source designed to locate bacteria hidden deep in your carpets pile. Once our technician has located the sources of the bacteria (if you can smell the offensive odor of urine you’re actually smelling bacteria by-products) we determine the appropriate treatment to destroy the bacteria and treat the staining.

Treating pet urine and the associated bacteria is a specialized process requiring expertise, the right cleaning solutions and the appropriate equipment.

Pet urine and its associated bacteria can be harmful to one’s health leading to various medical problems.