Happy New Year!
I hope all of you have had a great start to the new year. It has been very busy for us as we use this time to finish all the accounting and year-end tasks. I go through all the work we have done over the past year and see what services our clients have been using more than they did in previous years by charting the different services on a graph. Last year, our clients increased their use of our Janitorial Services by about 25% over the year before. This makes sense as many Boulder County business’s usually do better when the nations economy slows down which results in a need for more commercial cleaning services. Our clients also increased their cleaning of Oriental and Area Rugs by around 39% over the year before which makes sense as more and more of our clients live in homes which have wood and tile floors.
The Importance of Cleaning Oriental and Area Rugs
Many clients bought their homes in the past decade and are just now realizing that their area rugs and tile floors need to be cleaned on a regular schedule to maximize their enjoyment of the flooring in their home. Cleaning of the rugs and tile also helps keep your home in a healthier state as all the dust and allergens just keep on building up in your home until they are removed by proper cleaning techniques. Woven rugs, especially hand knotted rugs are designed to hide dry soil. A few years ago, the Eureka company did a study and found that a 9 x 12 could hide 87 pounds of dirt! One test you can perform on your rugs is to turn the rug upside down on a clean hard surface and use a vacuum equipped with a beater bar to vacuum the back of the rug. Next, remove the rug from the surface and you will be able to see a portion of the soil that your rug is hiding! If you notice quite a bit of soil on the floor after performing this test, it is probably time to call us to have your rug cleaned. We can also evaluate your tile and grout to see if it is time to clean that surface as well. In times when the national economy is slowing down and the Federal Reserve is having to cut interest rates by 75 basis points in one move, it is more important than ever to protect your very important investment in your rugs and tile.
Call us now at (303) 938-1793 to ask us to pick up your rugs and evaluate your tile and grout!
In the mean time here are a few spotting tips you can use to keep your rugs in great shape:
How to Care for your Oriental Rug
- Rotation – To insure even wear, your rug should be rotated once a year. Depending on the traffic, the rotation may vary from six months to two years.
- Vacuuming – Oriental rugs, like most carpeting, should be vacuumed on a regular basis to remove dirt and restore life to the fibers. Be sure not to vacuum the fringe with your beater bar! Use the end of a vacuum hose from a canister vacuum.
- Padding – A quality pad used under your rug helps protect it from dirt, wear and slippage.
- Spot and Spill Procedures – Make sure that you safely and immediately clean up spots and spills before they set.
a) First, soak up the excess liquid by blotting with a clean absorbent material. Do not brush or rub the stain
b) Then spot-clean with a mild detergent-white vinegar-water solution. Do-not over wet. If in doubt, do not spot the rug.
c) Rinse area thoroughly with water and a small amount of vinegar. Avoid wetting the rug’s backing
d) Blot dry until most of the moisture has been absorbed
e) Allow to air dry. A fan or cool hair dryer can be used to hasten the drying process.
f) For spots that do not come out using these methods, give us a call at (303) 938-1793.