Dust Mites: Should You Be Worried?
 
What are dust mites?
 
House dust mites are microscopic bugs that primarily live on dead skin cells shed from people and their pets. Skin cells, commonly called dander, are often concentrated in mattresses, frequently used furniture and associated carpeted areas. Since mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it, beds are the primary habitat. Also, bedroom carpeting and household upholstery support high mite populations.

Is Your Carpeting Making You Sick?

Recently, carpet has been singled out as being unhealthy because it acts as a filter to trap dust, allergens and other pollutants; whereas proponents of carpeting suggest that this is precisely the reason why it is healthier than hard surface floors.

For allergy and asthma sufferers, the critical issue is not what’s in the carpet but the amount of dust and allergens present in the air they breathe.

Proponents of carpeting for the home often refer to studies such as one conducted by the German Asthma and Allergy Foundation (ALLERGIE konkret 2/2005) which found that wall-to-wall carpet reduces dust in the air to half that found above hard flooring surfaces. (Ref: German Allergie and Asthma Bund, Media Release 18 June 2005)

Methods of Cleaning Carpets
 
Originally, all carpets were scrubbed by hand, with a brush and detergent.  People could do it themselves or bring them into a cleaning facility.
 
Then the Rotary Shampooer was invented.  This is a machine with a brush that goes around-and-around, scrubbing the carpet.  Shampooing is good because the brush breaks loose the deep down dirt.
 
However, a shampooer has no way to get the dirt and shampoo out of the carpet once it breaks it loose.  So, it leaves it in the carpet.  The shampoo that is left in the carpet acts as a magnet to attract and hold dirt and dust.  As a result, a short time after cleaning the carpet, it becomes dirtier than it was before the cleaning.
 

The History of Carpet Cleaning: Part II
 
In the early 1960's, another "new" system hit the market. Steam cleaning. The first point that should be cleared up is the word "steam." A very unfortunate choice of words. While technically water is vapor, hence steam, anytime it is warmer than the surrounding atmosphere there really isn't what we would call live steam. Water does vaporize (steam) when it is warmer than ambient air, so the FTC in all its majesty decided we had to call them steam cleaners. Very misleading. Live or super-heated steam would ruin a carpet. The temperatures would be far beyond safe limits for any carpet dyes or heat set. Technically, this method should be described as hot water extraction.
 
Actually, steam cleaning systems, as hot water extractors, go back to the late 1700's. The early 1900's saw several systems that worked on the same principle. It was not until the 1960's that it was refined sufficiently for general use. Again, the first workable "steam" cleaning units were in plants operated by cleaners.

The History of Carpet Cleaning: Part 1 

(I found the following article to be fascinating. It is the first chapter from an authoritative training manual for carpet cleaners written in the 1980’s. It gives insight into the industry as it exists today. It is unedited.)

It is essential for anyone entering the carpet cleaning field to have a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the various cleaning methods, applications, and history of carpet cleaning in general to become an informed and qualified journeyman. The following is a brief history of the cleaning methods.

Treating Pet Odor and Pet Stains

 
If you have more pictures of your pets than your kids, then this article is for you.
 
The President of Pristine Carpet Cleaning asked me to write an article on pet odor and like all great writers I was looking for inspiration.  Then it came.  One fateful Saturday morning, after I got out of bed, showered, dressed, splashed on my $80 Allure cologne from Chanel, donned my Olex watch (they gave me a $9700 discount because it was missing an “R”) and prepared to leave for work, my wife summoned me to the garage.  And no, I am not a famous movie star being paid to endorse products. 

How to Get the Best Carpet Cleaning
 
When I was young, life was simple – Zenith or RCA, Ford or Chevy. Try to buy a TV lately? With the plethora of choices and the glut of information confronting consumers today, making intelligent decisions can be quite challenging. But if you know what you’re looking for, the process gets much simpler.

The Ten Commandments of Carpet Cleaning
 
1. Properly maintained carpets will last twice as long.
Dirt can act like nano blades and shred the tiny fibers of your carpet when you walk on it. It's not the dirt you see, but the particles embedded deeply into the pile that do the most damage. That's why it's very important to vacuum frequently.

Carpet Cleaning Prices Made Easy
 
Knowing how carpet cleaning companies price their services can help you avoid an unpleasant experience and get the best value. For years many carpet cleaning companies advertised ridiculously low room prices and then gave the real price once in the home. They banked on the fact that you’re not going to throw them out once they’re there. But the public wised up to that tactic.

Economics 101 and the Lost Art of Carpet Cleaning
 
Technology, especially information technology, has increased individual productivity and income while at the same time lowering consumer prices in industries that are able to utilize it. And since technology driven products have dominated consumer spending lately, there is a general expectation among many consumers that all prices should be lower.