|
 A certified Karastan installer, Russell Martin is also an IICRC Certified carpet cleaning firm, which means we provide rigorous attention to detail that continues throughout the life of your carpet. When only the very best will do for your home or business, contact Russell Martin Carpet and Rugs - a tradition of excellence in Naperville for over 50 years. It is what truly makes us unforgettable.
|
 |
Carpet Cleaning Frequently Asked Questions
|
What process does Russell Martin use when carpet cleaning?
Why is it better for area rug cleaning to be done in the plant instead of my home?
What should I know before I bring my rug in for area rug cleaning?
What time frame are in home appointments scheduled for?
What do I need to do in preparation for in-home cleaning?
Do you scotchguard?
Do I pay extra for spotting?
How long will it take my carpet to dry?
How do I schedule an appointment?
How do I pay for my cleaning?
Can it hurt my carpet or rugs to clean too often?
What process does Russell Martin use when carpet cleaning?
Russell Martin, a certified IICRC carpet cleaning firm, uses truck-mounted hot water extraction to clean your home. Many of the high-end carpet lines we carry require that carpet be cleaned every 18-24 months by a certified IICRC firm to uphold your carpet's warranty.
In order for anything to be properly cleaned, be it carpet, dishes, or laundry, a balance of TACT (Time, Agitation, Chemical, and Temperature) is important. Different methods of cleaning rely on the use of these properties in varying amounts. For example, when you are washing dishes by hand, you probably use warm water (but not hot enough scald yourself), a little bit of soap, and depending on how long the dishes soaked prior to scrubbing; some elbow grease. Your dishwasher on the other hand is unable to use physical elbow grease so it depends on higher temperature and more time with just a little bit of detergent. The same concepts are true for carpet cleaning. You normally think of three main processes when considering having your home cleaned; hot water cleaning, dry cleaning, and a little portable unit.
We have already told you we stand behind steam carpet cleaning so lets look at the other two first. Dry cleaning doesn't use water so the aspects of time and temperature are nil leaving a great deal of importance on chemical and agitation. The little portable units that can be purchased or rented do not get very hot nor do they have a strong amperage so they rely on chemicals and again old fashioned elbow grease. It is not a bad idea in an active household to keep a portable unit for spot cleaning but unfortunately they have a few issues for whole house cleaning. When you are using one of these portable units, while they rely on the chemical component a great deal, please try to refrain from putting much or any cleaning solution in the machine. The machines do not actually get enough electricity through your house to extract the majority of the cleaning solution thus leaving it in your carpet to attract more grease and dirt. To help make cleaning more effective with these units, we recommend putting the hottest tap water you can into the unit prior to cleaning. Synthetic carpet does have a melting point so please do not heat the water, just use hot tap water.
Getting back to truck-mounted (for more power) steam extraction as our method of choice. This method allows us to use very little cleaning solution and very little agitation. The heat in the water actually resets your carpet fibers (in nylons and wools) to their original stance instead of fraying them.
Why is it better for area rug cleaning to be done in the plant instead of my home?
Area rug cleaning is a unique technique compared to cleaning installed carpet for many reasons.
The most obvious reason is that they are free floating on the floor. Commonly, they are on top of a hardwood or tile floor. When steam cleaning, we clean the whole rug not just the center of the rug. This often means there is over-spray onto your floors beneath. We don't want to risk damaging your wood floors with the water and there is also the concern that someone might slip on the wet wood or tile next to your rug.
The second reason it's so important to have your area rug cleaning done in our warehouse is that many area rugs have unique needs that require a combination of tools and/or spot removers. Our technicians literally get down on their hands and knees and clean the fringe on your rug by hand. For braided and flatweave rugs, we clean both sides of the rug.
After we finish cleaning, all area rugs are then hung to dry. Depending on the humidity, they can dry in as little as five hours to over a day. After we have ensured that the rugs are completely dry, we drop them to the floor for a full inspection. If we feel the rug could improve with another cleaning, we do not ever hesitate to start the process again. Unfortunately some types of spots are permanent (then called stains), however, most will come out with the proper treatment.
What should I know before I bring my rug in for area rug cleaning?
We are happy to pick up your rugs and deliver them back to you... but if you are willing to do the work yourself, you can earn 30% off the cost of rug cleaning with our "Lug Your Rug" promotion. Rugs can be brought to our showroom at 633 N. Washington for drop off and they are picked up at the same location.
When we have staff meetings, certain topics always seem to arise. Inevitably, the topic of area rugs comes up. Considering the fact that we receive anywhere from 5 to 25 rugs in our showroom a day that need to be cleaned and a corresponding number that are being picked up, it is understandable that we sometimes get a little fixated on the topic!
The Russell Martin Rug Olympics involves categories such as lifting the heaviest rug, trying to get a big rug into or out of the trunk of a Mini Cooper or on top of a Lincoln Navigator, attempting to get a huge rug that has been here for six months off the storage shelf when there are 25 other huge rugs on top of it while wearing a skirt, hauling a rug into the showroom only to be told the dampness on the front of your suede jacket is (pick your favorite spot) dog urine, vomit, sewage or old milk, and fishing a long, heavy rug, from the back to the front, of an SUV, over groceries and strollers and between occupied child car seats.
We, as you hopefully do, find most of this funny, however, as we age (three of us are over 50), get pregnant (not any of the 50 years olds though), we find it necessary to once again implement the “Lug your Rug” policy.
What time frame are in-home appointments scheduled for?
We are in each customer's home as long as it takes to get your carpet as clean as possible. With this being said, we are unable to give exact times for scheduling unless its the first appointment of the day. The first appointment of the day is scheduled to start between 8-9am. After that first appointment, we estimate the next appointment available. There are a wide range of homes in our area, and thus, a wide range of room sizes. One house in downtown Naperville may be a traditional ranch style with modest room sizes, while their neighbor's home may be a new construction with three stories of steps and larger rooms. This makes scheduling an estimated guess at best. Please feel free to take advantage of one or more of the following options to help you the day of carpet cleaning.
1. Ask us to have your technician call your home and/or cell number on the way. If you do need to run errands, please just stay close by to respond when called.
2. Call us a couple of hours before we are expected to arrive for your carpet cleaning. Once your technician is at the cleaning appointment before yours, he will have a much better idea of when he will get to your house.
3. Depending on the size of your rooms and others scheduled around you, we can normally accommodate a request to arrive after a particular time. For example, if you have a doctor's appointment in the morning, you can request us to arrive after 1pm. This can often be arranged. Please keep in mind that our technicians arrive for work at 7:30 in the morning and are pretty tired by 3 or 4 so we don't start our appointments in the late afternoon.
To schedule your appointment or just to get more information, please call us at 630-961-1312.
What do I need to do in preparation for in home carpet cleaning?
The answer to the question lies greatly in what you are having done. We have two main ways to clean in the home. The first is where we move most of the furniture (extra large pieces such as pool tables and entertainment centers excluded). When we move the furniture, we move it just far enough to clean underneath it then we put the piece back where it was on either foam or plastic protective squares.
The second way to clean is called traffic patterns. When we do traffic patterns, we go around major pieces of furniture such as sofas and beds instead of moving them. We charge by the square foot, but we only charge you for the areas that we clean. When cleaning traffic patterns only, we actually measure the size of the room, then subtract out the square footage of the items we are cleaning around, such as a bed.
While cleaning needs in each home are different (you may be an empty-nester while your neighbor has three kids, two dogs and a cat), we generally recommend that every third cleaning we plan on moving the furniture.
When we are cleaning just traffic patterns, please tuck your bed skirts between your mattresses so we won't get them wet when cleaning up to the edge of your bed. When we are moving furniture, please take the time to move lamps, plants and breakables.
Do you scotchguard?
We can scotchguard but we generally recommend against it. Scotchguard applied during carpet cleaning is a topical solution. It actually walks off on the bottom of your shoes. So unless you are having a big party the night we clean, it is best to save your money for something else. Stain resistance in nylon carpet has come a long way in the last dozen years. Almost all nylon carpet produced in recent history has the concept of scotchguard integrated with the fibers on a molecular level. It is then locked in so it won't track off or lessen its strength with cleaning.
The only time you might want to consider having a stain protector applied after manufacturing is with a light color wool that will be prone to dye based stains (Koolaid, red wine, urine). Wool has about a 40-50% absorbency rate so whatever is dropped on it wants to soak in right away. Scotchguard is a water-based product, which allows for track-off. There is another oil based product called Kleenguard which is much more effective. Kleenguard does not prevent stains from setting but it slows the rate of absorption, which is why its so good for high absorbency wool. It allows you some time to run to the kitchen for paper towels to blot up the spot. Spots are difficult to see on darker or patterned wools so once again, save your money and don't add the protection. It is not expensive (half the cost of cleaning), but in most cases you are better off just getting your carpet and rugs cleaned on a regular basis then adding chemical protectors.
Do I pay extra for spotting?
No, not in most cases. We steam carpet clean your rugs and carpet prior to spotting to prevent the need for additional spotting agents. Most common spots will come out without the additional spotters. Any spots we encounter while steaming, we will provide additional attention to for no extra charge.
The only time we have to charge extra is for a special treatment called the "Red Out" Procedure. This procedure requires extra time, materials and training to be successful. It is used on red dye based stains. We have had success with this procedure on red Koolaid and Gatorade when the spots have not been worked on by the homeowner prior to our arrival. We do need to know ahead of time if you think you will need this procedure so we can schedule accordingly.
How long will it take my carpet to dry after carpet cleaning?
Your carpet will typically be dry in about 6-8 hours. This is very much an average time. The more humidity in the air, the longer it will take to dry. In the winter, when your heat is running full time, your carpet will typically dry much faster. On the other hand, on a hot rainy day in the middle of the summer when your windows are all open, it will take much longer to dry. In order to assist the drying process during hot and humid weather, please turn your air conditioning on at least the night before we arrive for cleaning and let it run until the day after we clean.
How do I schedule an appointment?
To schedule your appointment, or just to get more information, please call us at 630-961-1312 or complete our appointment request form.
How do I pay for my cleaning?
Russell Martin accepts all major credit cards, checks and cash. We are also happy to accept Downtown Naperville Gift Certificates.
Can it hurt my carpet or rugs to clean too often?
When professionally cleaning with truck mounted steam extraction, you can not damage your carpet or rugs by cleaning too often. As previously stated, the process actually elongates the life of your carpet and rugs by resetting the fibers during cleaning. |
|
