Carpet cleaning and maintenance has a dramatic effect on the image and life capital assets of a strata and residential building. Carpet and Hard Surface Floor Cleaning is a specialty cleaning service that is above your daily or weekly janitorial service. it is important to carefully select an experienced contractor that knows which methods are the safest and most efficient for your floors.
We are happy to announce our new power vacuum cleaning service.
This power vacuum consists of two rotating brushes that agitate, lift and clean both sides of the carpet nap allowing us to be able to remove between 50-60 % more soil sitting on the carpets in just one pass, two vacuum motors which deliver higher air flow for deep carpet cleaning. Our technicians will be able to power vacuum 3,000 square feet per hour.
This service will help us to deliver a cleaner carpet during our hot water extractions, and maintenance cleanings. You can expect to see this in our proposals from now on.
COMMERCIAL CLEANING TIPS
TAKE THE STAIN CHALLENGE
THE SERVICEMASTER CLEAN STAIN CHALLENGE
At ServiceMaster Clean, we are so confident as industry leaders in commercial carpet cleaning that we want you, the customer, to put our skills to the test. Our methods and products have been time-tested over our 60 years in the cleaning industry. Now you get to take us for a complimentary trial run by sending us your Stain Challenge!
Rules:
Click here to send us your Stain Challenge!
Disclaimer:
Due to the number of unknown variables such as age of stain, cause of stain, type of carpet and/or backing, cleaning methods and solutions that may have been previously used, ServiceMaster Clean does not warranty nor guarantee the successful removal of all or any portion of the stain.
COMMERCIAL CLEANING TIPS
CARPET SPILLS
“Ooops, sorry, I spilled my coffee!”
How many times have you heard that statement then looked down at the carpet with the realization, “That’s going to leave a mark!” Well, the good news is – it’s doesn’t necessarily have to leave a permanent mark – if it is treated properly and quickly.
If you’re interested in doing some preemptive treatment of that carpet spill, the following are the treatment steps the carpet professionals at ServiceMaster Clean recommend.
We know that very likely, you’ve got much better things to do than go through these steps! So, why not let the commercial cleaning specialists at ServiceMaster Clean tackle these problems for you!
Ready for a complimentary assessment of your carpet? We may even treat a spot or two while we assess!
ServiceMaster Clean – We are your commercial cleaning specialists.
We are a team of professional commercial cleaners dedicated to all of your office cleaning needs from floor cleaning to duct cleaning and everything in between!
For more information on any of our commercial cleaning services, contact us today!
COMMERCIAL CLEANING TIPS
CARPET CLEANING TERMS
WICKING, SHEDDING, SPROUTING
Wait! What does that have to do with commercial carpet cleaning?
Wicks are what you burn on a candle.
And shedding? I don’t bring my dog to the office!
As for sprouting, I might put that in my sandwich.
All three of these terms are also used by professional carpet cleaning technicians to describe certain carpet conditions that effect the overall look of your commercial carpet. Terms that, if you are unfamiliar with them, might cause you to say or think – “What in the world are you talking about?”
To help clarify our communications with you, ServiceMaster Clean has compiled a glossary of commonly used commercial carpet cleaning terms to avoid creating the misunderstanding that we’re talking about your dog eating alfalfa sprouts while you were burning the candle at both ends!
Click here to download the ServiceMaster Clean Carpet Terminology Guide.
ServiceMaster Clean – We are your commercial cleaning specialists.
We are a team of professional commercial cleaners dedicated to all of your office cleaning needs from floor cleaning to duct cleaning and everything in between!
For more information on any of our commercial cleaning services, contact us today!
COMMERCIAL CLEANING TIPS
DETAILS MATTERIt’s all about the little details …
At ServiceMaster Clean, cleaning is about the details!
We know you’ve got lots of other details to worry about. You shouldn’t have to worry about the details of cleaning your facility too!
Complete the form to find out what we can do for you!
ServiceMaster Clean – We are your commercial cleaning specialists.
We are a team of professional commercial cleaners dedicated to all of your office cleaning needs from janitorial services to hard floor cleaning and everything in between!
For more information on any of our commercial cleaning services, contact us today!
Frequently we get asked what is the difference between the different carpet cleaning approaches, and what’s the point. 
So we’ve written up a quick description.
By implementing a routine carpet maintenance program, you can preserve and maintain your carpets life for a much longer time. They are also critical for maintaining a carpet’s warrantee. Failure to maintain a proper cleaning schedule will result in a strata undertaking a costly replacement of a carpet more frequently. That could mean 15$ a square foot every ten to fifteen years, compared to the average cost of a carpet cleaning program it’s between $1,800.00 and $2,300.00 annually.
The key issue is dirt and other small particulates. They act like microscopic sandpaper that abrades fibers and deteriorates their appearance. Removing them regularly reduces the wear and tear on the floor. There are two approaches. The first is daily vacuuming, which is the most critical approach to keeping a carpet healthy: the less time particulates remain on the carpet, the less damage they can do. That is the focus of a janitorial program. Regular interim cleaning using a deep pile cleaner like a whittaker or a dry extraction to remove contaminants that normal vacuuming cannot remove on their own.
These three approaches can greatly reduce the need for a full restorative clean. That’s where a carpet’s appearance has deteriorated to the point where an extensive cleaning is required to bring it back to an acceptable state. Restorative cleans, are typically not able to return a carpet to its original state. However a regular maintenance program can greatly increase the interval of time between such cleanings, which will result in the carpet retaining its appearance for a much long time. This is why getting your floors onto a program that is carefully planned and on schedule is essential for its long-term health.
An effective maintenance program consists of five key elements:
We’ve discussed carpet maintenance programs a number of times in E-tips and other articles. To maintain a carpet’s appearance far into the future, it is essential for it to be on a maintenance program. Manufacturers often require them to have a program to maintain their warranty status. They set this requirement to ensure that the damage to the carpet is not due to manufacturing defect. A number of issues such as discolorations and greying out due to abrasion, can be largely prevented by regular carpet cleanings.
There is not just one approach to maintain a carpeted floor however. In the past few years, carpet manufacturers have started to include the option of an intermediate clean, using what is called a “Whittaker.” Like how the company Xerox is synonymous with photocopying, Whittaker is a brand name of a type of agitating carpet cleaners currently on the market. Simply put, it uses two (or three) brush rollers that are spun in opposite directions at high speeds. This allows for what is called a deep pile cleaning, which is when the area at the bottom of the carpet fibers are agitated by the brush action. This helps to dislodge dust, dirt and other debris, which can later be picked up.
It should noted that Whittakers are really not intended to be used on their own, but rather in conjunction with a vacuum and a periodic hot water extraction. It does not have a traditional extraction system; the rollers will pick up most of the hairs and larger pieces, however dust and smaller particles will not be removed. That occurs either through the extraction clean or during a building’s regular vacuuming schedule. Whittakers are also designed to work with our existing cleaning products and crystallizers, which helps to remove stains and discolourations. They are activated when agitated by the rollers and then removed through the vacuum or extraction.
Functionally, you will not see any difference in how we offer Whittakers: we are using them regularly during maintenance cleanings in conjunction with a hot water extraction. The only obvious difference may be in how much cleaner the floor will look afterwards.
We also employ Whittakers in buildings with a program as an intermediate step between day-to-day vacuuming and a full extraction clean. In these cases we may use a Whittaker at a higher frequency to agitate the carpet to enhance the effectiveness of the building’s regular vacuuming. The Whittaker cannot deal with an entire range of stains and discolourations that are found on carpets, so a spot will be necessary as usual.
Cleaning Common Area Carpets should be considered a “medium frequency” cleaning. Pre-planned maintenance is essential for:
(Reduce capital expenditures)
The latter point is critical: Most common hallway carpet is replaced before the end of its life because it greys out. This generally occurs when a carpet has been neglected and has not received proper cleaning over a long period of time. Microscopic dirt particles create striations on individual fibers, which cause it to lose its colour and turn an area grey. A regular cleaning will maintain its appearance far longer, since it removes the particles before they can cause damage.
Preventative Maintenance – “Keep The Dirt Out”
Perhaps the simplest and most effective tool to keeping the common area carpets clean is the placement of appropriate entry systems (mats) at all access points. Best practices is for entry systems to be at minimum 3 strides long. A 15-foot long walk off area can effectively remove 80 % of the soil and moisture before it reaches the carpet.[1]
Vacuuming
Regular Vacuuming is the most important part of any maintenance program. Make sure your janitorial provider has up to date vacuum equipment, which generally should include an HEPA filter or better. Technique is also important: the area around a baseboard is frequently neglected, leading to filtration lines appearing around them.
Spot Removal
Remove a spot or spill quickly and there is less chance if will become a permanent stain. The chemistry behind spot removal is important as to not damage the carpet and have success removing the spot.
Interim Cleaning
An interim cleaning is a low moisture, light extraction cleaning method. It is intended to be a midway point between vacuuming and a restorative deep clean. Regular vacuuming and spot cleaning can only postpone the need for a true restorative cleaning. Interim cleaning utilizes systems with a goal of maintaining a carpets uniform appearance.[2]
Restorative Deep Cleaning
Deep or corrective cleanings are applied to return the carpet to a relatively clean condition. Restorative cleaning uses systems that extract accumulated soils and cleaning residue at higher intensity to maximize removal of embedded soils. Hot water extraction is the primary common restorative deep cleaning method. This usually entails applying hot water with a cleaning solution (usually a set of enzymes), which binds to dirt, oils and other foreign items within the carpet. The solution and dissolved impurities are then drawn out by the extractor, leaving the carpet restored to a clean status.[3]
[1] IICRC R100 Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning
[2] http://www.mohawkgroup.com/sitefiles/PDFs/carpet_care.pdf
http://www.shawcontractgroup.com/Html/PerformanceMaintenance
[3] Reference from carpet cleaning associations
Warrantees are often the determining factor behind purchasing something. Some car manufacturers make it a key selling point; like a certain company’s 10-year powertrain warranty. However, all of them come with conditions and requirements, otherwise people would be driving their cars with reckless abandon, or, in the case of carpets, quickly letting them fall in disrepair until they need to be replaced.
Our carpet cleaning programs are designed based on manufacturers’ warranty requirements, which are necessary to maintain them in optimal condition. This is not based on a single personal opinion or experience, but on the research, testing and results of numerous companies over decades of carpet manufacturing and use.
WHAT DO THE MANUFACTURERS SAY?
The main focus of carpet warrantees are high traffic areas. This is key – we’re not talking about the carpet on the bottom of your living room closet, or the spare room where Auntie Frieda and Uncle George go once per year but is otherwise unused, we’re talking about the carpet that gets walked on every day by multiple pairs of dirty feet. This is the lobby areas of buildings, the stairwells, the hallways. They take a beating, and need to be cared for in order to ensure the best lifespan of the product.
Most warranty requirements have 5 mandatory elements:
1) Entrance Mats: must be placed in order to reduce the amount of dirt tracked in. They are very effective at reducing the amount of debris brought into carpets.
2) Regular Vacuuming: to remove abrasive debris before it cuts and scrapes the carpet fibers under the grinding action of footsteps.
3) Spot Cleaning is essential to get marks out before they set permanently! That requires the right product, applied at the right time with the right method.
4) Interim Maintenance: this can take several forms, but is a required step for high traffic areas in carpet – lighter than a hot water extraction clean, but heavier than vacuuming.
5) Hot Water Extraction: this is the most recognized form of carpet cleaning, also known as steam cleaning or restorative cleaning. It is a necessary step, but not the only step – look at all the other steps that come before it.
Keep your warranty valid. Maintain your investment. Keep your strata clean. That’s the goal and we’re on your side to achieve that result. Don’t let the situation get extremely bad, then try to tidy it up a year later with a hot water extraction clean, expecting that it can and will every time be able to correct a cumulative year’s worth of neglect. That approach doesn’t work. It’s proven not to work. If it did, that’s what would be outlined in your warranty. But it’s not.
