You’ve paid hundreds or even thousands for that new carpeting or rug–and now the “experts” are recommending that you spend even more to buy a pad to put underneath it. Believe them and get a good pad. It will save you money in the long run.

For both carpets and rugs, a good pad not only increases the comfort but it extends the life of your carpet or rug. It reduces wear and tear plus pile crushing by absorbing the pressure exerted on the carpet or rug. It also allows for deeper vacuuming because it raises the rug or carpet off of the floor. This allows the air to flow through it more easily, making it possible to remove more dirt from the rug or carpet.

There are also other benefits associated with rugs. Pads can be a safety issue. No matter where the rug is placed (on carpet or hardwood or etc), a pad can keep the rug in place to prevent slips and pulls. It provides protection – Very important! A pad prevents dye transfer, marring, staining, and scratching to the floor or carpeting beneath.

Note: Rug pads are specific to the type of flooring underneath – if you have carpeting under your rug, make sure you purchase a rug pad made specifically for carpeting. The same goes for hard floorings. Don’t use a carpet pad for a hardwood floor – they are not made the same and will not give the comfort and protection your floor needs.

What kind of pads to get.
The most popular type is rebond pads which are made from scraps of high density foam. Pads come in different weights. The Carpet Cushion Council recommends a pad of 6 pounds at a minimum. However this is a minimum recommendation and a pad of 8 pounds will provide longer wear. There are also pads that have a scrim on top to prevent liquids from soaking into the pad. These pads also have anti-microbial aspects that inhibit the breeding of bacteria and associated smells. This type of padding is very good for homes with pets and small children.

For more information, visit my website at www.graysoncleans.com

The requirements for excellent cleaning in the cleaning industry are as follows. The company needs to spend the time required to do the job correctly and they need to use top quality products and equipment. Their technicians must have the knowledge to identify types of carpet or upholstery material and should have the knowledge to know the limitations and requirements to clean each type correctly. And, the technicians should have the experience needed to insure the carpet or upholstery does not get damaged during cleaning.

With that said, not all cleaning companies follow those guidelines. Remember – All businesses are “For Profit”! So, when companies use low prices to get your business, realize that they are going to cut corners to make a profit. As a result, they will reduce the quality of proper cleaning through one or all of the following.

1) They allocate less time for the job, which forces the cleaning crew to rush and not properly clean your fabrics.

2) They use inexpensive cleaning chemicals to reduce the cost which prevents optimum cleaning results.

3) They use inexperienced, under paid labor who may not know how to properly deal with fabrics or challenges. This inexperience becomes a real problem when there are stains or the fabrics are non-traditional. If they are not addressed correctly, the stains will remain and might become permanent. Also, if the technicians do not understand the type of carpet or upholstery encountered, actual damage can occur.

The morale of the story is “The cheaper the price, the more a company reduces the cost to perform the job”, which affects the quality of cleaning. The Grayson Smith Company always allows enough time to do the job right. We use the safest and best products. Plus, the owners actually do the work, experts with a vested interest in making sure the best possible cleaning is provided.

For more information on the company, visit our website at www.graysoncleans.com

In past articles, I have stressed how important it is to vacuum your carpets and rugs regularly. Since that is something we harp on, I am consistently asked “What is the best vacuum to get?” I do not have a specific brand to recommend but here are some tips on what to look for or consider when buying a vacuum.

Beater Bar Brush

For carpets and rugs, this is important. The beater bar brush is needed to loosen up the dirt during vacuuming.

Upright vacuum or a canister vacuum

Upright vacuums do a better overall job on carpets, though canister vacuums are easier to maneuver, especially on stairs. Also, top of the line canisters typically have a motor-driven head for better carpet cleaning.

Bagless vacuums verses bagged vacuums

Bagless vacuums save you the cost of bags, but like bagged models they still require filters. Emptying a bagless vacuum is also a dustier process, a concern if you have asthma or allergies.

Other features to consider.

Edge-cleaning tools help at corners and baseboards. If you will use your vacuum to vacuum draperies, make sure it has a suction control feature in order to protect the drapes. If you will use your vacuum for both bare floors and carpets, get one with a brush on/off switch. This will help safeguard from scratching bare floors and prevents scattered dust and debris.

Most Important, give it a spin before buying.

Even if you order your vacuum online, visit a store first. Push, pull, turn and lift any models you’re considering. The bottom line is, you may have the most expensive, fanciest vacuum, but if it is heavy, awkward to use or move around and you do not use it, it is a horrible vacuum. The reality is that the best model for you (whether cheap or very expensive) is the one you will use.

For more information, visit my website at www.graysoncleans.com

Wool carpets and rugs are very durable but have you noticed that the fibers are getting picked up by your vacuum. Are you worried that the carpet or rug is degrading? Don’t worry. This is a natural characteristic of wool carpets and rugs.

Some pilling and shedding can occur with all wool carpets and rugs. This is a natural characteristic of wool because wool carpets and rugs are made from short “staple” fibers. A staple fiber is a short length of fiber generally ranging from 4 to 8 inches long which is then spun into a yarn comprised of these short lengths. As we all know, wool is sheared from sheep. The result is short lengths of fiber which is then woven into a yarn. Because the yarn is made up of millions of short fibers, there are millions and millions of ends of these fibers in the carpet. Kind of like split ends in a person’s hair. It is impossible to remove all of these loose ends in the construction process. The result is these ends come out or shed when vacuuming.

Once again, no need to worry. Wool carpets will not wear out from the loss of fiber. Just like any carpet/rug type, they can “ugly out” from use and abuse but they won’t fall apart.  Also, the thicker the carpet yarn, the more likely you are to see shedding. Once again, no need to panic. The shedding should diminish with time but it will never go away completely. There will always be some fiber in the vacuum canister. Remember, this is normal.

For more information on carpet, rug and upholstery care, visit my website at  www.graysoncleans.com.

Sisal Rugs are woven from natural plant fibers. They are strong, durable and due to their unique advantages, can be a lasting addition to a living room, bedroom, office or hallway. However, moisture and humidity can create problems on sisal rugs. If a large amount of liquid is introduced to the rug, the rug may actually shrink and distort. Also, the plant fibers absorb a liquid very easily and result in a large stain. For this reason, a sisal rug should be used in a dry place which is unlikely to be subject to spills. It is also important to keep this in mind when you clean a sisal rug. Be very careful with the amount of moisture used.

If liquid is spilled onto a sisal rug, it needs to be removed immediately. To remove the liquid from a sisal rug, blot the rug with a dry cloth and keep blotting with dry parts until there is no more transfer of liquid to the cloth. Also, make sure not to rub the spill because this can drive the liquid into the fiber. If possible, you may find it helpful to lift the rug up and blot from the underside as well. If a staining liquid such as juice is spilled, clean a sisal rug with one-half white vinegar and one-half water solution. Dip a cloth in the solution, blot the rug, and then blot with a dry cloth. You may need to repeat this, but remember to use a small amount of water to clean a sisal rug so that the rug does not absorb the liquid. For dry materials, you can scrape it off with a blunt edge, such as a wooden knife. Finally, the sisal rug should be vacuumed regularly to take up accumulated dirt. If you vacuum a sisal rug on a frequent basis, you will also prolong the life of the rug, since embedded dirt tends to damage its fibers.

If you are going to have a sisal rug in an area prone to spills, you may want to consider treating it with a fabric protector. However, pick a fabric protector that does not use water as its application medium.

For more information, visit my website www.graysoncleans.com