Thursday, December 4, 2014

Pet Urine Removal Carpet Care and Repair of Utah 801-716-0363

Pet urine can cause permanent damage to your floors and fabrics. It can also create an unhealthy indoor environment. When urine is first deposited onto a floor or fabric, it has a pH of about 5 or 6, which is on the acid side of the pH Scale. It is easier to remove right then when it is fresh. Once it dries it turns “alkaline” or to a high pH between 10 to12 on the scale and becomes more difficult to remove. The warm acid state of the urine offers a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, which begin to flourish almost immediately. In this original acid state the urine begins to oxidize and react with the carpet to create a color change, which will become permanent if the urine is not removed immediately. Some of this color change can be attributed to the strong ammonia that forms as the urine passes through bacterial and chemical change. If left for days or weeks, depending on the fabric or floor type, it will change the dye structure, therefore causing permanent staining. Even if the soluble deposits are removed, the damage to the dye structure may already be done.
There are two sources of odors associated with urine. The first comes from bacteria that grow abundantly in dark warm places with a never-ending food source. A pet can feed the bacteria daily! This bacteria growth and breakdown of the urine creates amino acids. These complex organic compounds will often work deep into the fibers to a point of becoming part of the fiber. This can present a challenging situation. The waste materials and gases from the decomposing urine create an unpleasant odor. When dried urine is remoistened, it gives off an ammonia gas. If smelled once it is seldom forgotten.
The second source of odor is chemical odor that is present even when the bacteria have been killed. This explains the reason that more than sanitizing is necessary toneutralize odors from urine. Urine also presents additional odor problems when the relative humidity is high. The salts and crystals that are left behind as the urine dries are hydrophilic and draw water to them. Dried urine is often easy to smell in the humid months because the salts attract the moisture, the moisture evaporates putting out a greater proportion of odorous ammonia gas. You must get rid of the urine salts in and under the carpet to get rid of the odor. That’s why cleaning existing urine spots WILL NOT remove any associated odor. In fact, it could INCREASE the odor in the air space for a temporary period of time.

Do-It-Yourself Pet Stain Removal
The best tool to have is a small one gallon wet vac or small spot removal machine. A small wet vac can be purchased for under $30.00. We recommend a small machine because the more convenient, the more likely you are to get it out for an accident.
If you can get the urine up while it is fresh you will have a better chance of 100% removal. Simply suck the urine right out of the carpet. Then apply some of Carpet Care and Repair’s Avenge and let it sit a few minutes. Then pour a measuring cup of warm water on the spot and suck it out to rinse the carpet. Always dry the carpet as much as possible and never scrub or rub the carpet. This will distort the face fiber and break down the fiber protection and allow for easy staining.
If the urine spot is older than 24 hours, apply Carpet Care and Repair’s Avenge, rinse the carpet with warm water and wet vac. Then you can mix 1 part white distilled vinegar with 2 parts water and apply it to the spot, rinse with warm water, and wet vac. Do not use the vinegar on fresh spots as the acid from the vinegar can not counter the acid from fresh urine. The vinegar works best after 24 hours when the urine has become alkaline.


Monday, December 1, 2014

What is a Certified Carpet Cleaner?


In shopping for carpet cleaning, you may have noticed the word “certified” being used in advertising. You may have seen a logo being used to feature certification. What does this mean to you as a client? Would you be surprised to learn that most carpet cleaning companies have no formal training? That they are not required to be licensed? That there is no requirement to have any certification whatsoever? Is training and certification important? After all, isn’t carpet cleaning a “menial” task that anyone can perform?

Actually, a carpet cleaning professional is working with one of your most valuable assets.  Should it be trusted with just anyone? Unfortunately, our industry is full of “rogues” that only care about how much money they can get from you, and nothing about the life of your carpeting. They do not care about the industry in which they work.

Have you ever noticed that in many states, air conditioning companies, plumbers, and pest control companies are required to be licensed? Not so for carpet cleaners. Fortunately for you, and for me, there are many fine people in the carpet cleaning industry that realize the standard must be raised. Those of us in that process help to police our own industry. In order to do this, associations and certification organizations were created.

One such organization is called the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification). This organization provides certification courses and exams for the carpet cleaning industry. By attending these courses, carpet cleaners are taught about fiber identification, carpet construction, cleaning chemistry, cleaning methods, and professionalism.

These valuable concepts equip them to choose the proper procedures for cleaning your carpet. The certified firm is on the cutting edge of technology and change in our industry. A certified firm knows the right way to apply cleaning procedures and chemistry. A certified firm is working together with other certified firms to raise the standard of carpet cleaning in general, therefore providing you with a higher quality product.

Professional Carpet Cleaning Services, Carpet Care and Repair in Pleasant Grove Utah 801-716-0363



Friday, November 7, 2014

Carpet Care and Repair of Utah 801-716-0363

When it comes to getting your home or business to look as clean as possible, the team at Carpet Care and Repair can give you Excellent Service for an reasonable price. Let us start with an efficient, thorough cleaning of your carpets, which will lead to a healthy home environment and clean floors that look as good as new. We can also provide a wide variety of carpet repairs such as burn marks, bleach spots, carpet re-stretching, carpet re-installation, small flood damage, house pet problems and so much more. Our cleaning experts can also provide you with many other services including tile and grout cleaning, area rug cleaning, and upholstery cleaning. The CCR team doesn't mind doing the dirty work, as we are well-known for being Utah’s pet urine removal specialists, using our tested five-step process. Carpet Care and Repair is based in Pleasant Grove, but we are able to offer all of these services to homes and businesses in Salt Lake City, Provo, Sandy, Draper, Lehi, Sugar House, Park City, Orem, and several other areas in the Wasatch Front. Call the professionals at Carpet Care and Repair today and ensure that your cleaning comes with the service and care it deserves. 801-716-0363

How Important is Vacuuming?

How important is vacuuming in the proper maintenance of carpeting?  A professional carpet cleaner will tell you that an ongoing frequent vacuuming schedule is an essential part of preserving the appearance and life span of any carpet.  However, it’s important for you to know that any professional cleaner who cleans your carpet should still pre-vacuum before cleaning.  Excuses why some don’t range from “There’s not enough time” to “The suction on my cleaning extractor is powerful enough that I don’t need to” to “It doesn’t really make that much difference.”

The truth of the matter is that vacuuming prior to any cleaning is a critical step that should never be skipped.  There’s an old saying in the carpet cleaning industry: “It’s easier to remove dust than mud.”  You can put this saying to a test by taking two pieces of loose-weave fabric and running one of them under water and wringing it out.  Sprinkle a bit of talc or baby powder on both pieces, then try sucking the powder through the back of the fabric with your vacuum.  You’ll be able to suck the powder through the dry piece but not the wet piece.  On the wet piece, the powder will cake and stick to the fabric fibers.

This same principle holds true in carpet cleaning.  Most dry dust and loose soil lifts out of the carpet during pre-vacuuming but, once dampened, clings to the carpet fibers.  Without exception, dry vacuuming should be the first step in any kind of carpet cleaning.  Further, professionals should have a more powerful vacuum cleaner than you do in order to remove as much dry particulate soil as possible before wet cleaning.  When we clean carpet, any dust that doesn’t come out with our dry vacuuming is taken care of by the professional-grade cleaning chemicals we use.  If you have questions about caring for your carpet, please give us a call.  We’re always happy to talk with you.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

What are the different treatment options with pet urine removal?








Superficial-
When animal odors are present in carpet or upholstery but there is little or no urine contamination - we apply a bonding/encapsulating deodorizer according to directions. We then proceed with carpet cleaning as usual. The bonding/encapsulating deodorizer will absorb odors on contact. Odors deeper in the tufts will be reached as we groom our prespray into the carpet.

Light-Apply an Enzyme Producing Deodorizing liberally to visible stains and other locations where we have detected urine with our High-Intensity Ultra Violet Light. We allow as much dwell time as practical. Effective dwell time can range from 20 minutes to a couple of hours for light contamination. Our Enzyme Producing Deodorizer can be working while we set up our truck mount carpet cleaning equipment. Our carpet cleaning service can clean the affected areas using the bonding/encapsulating deodorizer in our prespray as described above.

Moderate-As the extent of contamination increases, so do the choices and the necessity for complex treatments increases. The basic process will be described first. Then we'll discuss additional steps that may be used. We prespray any  stains we have located with our High-Intensity Ultra Violet Light using a Urine Pre-treatment. This is an acid side product that breaks down the alkaline salts. For best results, we make a liberal application that will reach not only the stains on the surface but dried urine residues in the backing. We allow the urine pre-treatment at least 15 minutes dwell time. If all the carpet is being cleaned at this time, we go ahead with our carpet cleaning now. We include a step to work your pretreatment into the face fibers.
After completing the rinse and extract step, we saturate contaminated areas with Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer. For the best result, the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer must come in contact with all the source of the odor. If the urine has reached the backing, the cushion and the subfloor then the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer must also reach there. Be aware that the size of the stain on the surface will be significantly smaller than the area to which the urine has spread. As the urine reaches the backing it spreads horizontally before soaking through. On reaching the subfloor, the liquid again spreads laterally in addition to soaking into the flooring. What appears to be a 6" stain on the surface may have expanded to several square feet by the time it has penetrated the floor. We do not skimp on the application of the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer. It must reach every place the urine went.
We use our Sub-Surface Extraction Tool to extract moisture from the spots we've treated. We thoroughly flush all contamination from the area by allowing additional water to flow to the spot while continuing to extract with the Sub-Surface Extraction Tool.

Severe-For complete odor removal in a severely affected carpet, an extensive treatment is required. Often a pet will "go" in the same general area for a period of a year or two or more before remediation is started. Considering the volume of urine deposited over time you can be sure that the cushion and the floor have been saturated.
Given the extent of contamination, we'll cover the steps necessary for complete odor removal. You and I can decide if it will be possible to skip any steps and still achieve an acceptable result.
1.Disengage the carpet. Turn back the carpet to expose the effected area. Some furniture moving may be required. The pad should be removed and thrown away. Inspect the floor. Wood floors should be cleaned followed by an application of your Enzyme Producing Deodorizer or they may be sanded. Concrete floors can be cleaned by wet mopping with Enzyme Producing Deodorizer. Floors should then be sealed with a pigmented shellac or a clear acrylic. Extend the application of the sealer at least 1' beyond contamination. While the carpet is turned back, we examine the tackless strip, baseboards and walls. Any contaminated materials must be removed and replaced or cleaned and possibly sealed. After the sealer dries replace the pad.
2. We treat both the front and back side of the carpet with a solution of your Urine Pre-treatment. Allow 15 minutes or more dwell time.
3.Extract affected areas, both front and back. This will clean the carpets including removing urine.
4. Reinstall the carpet.
5. Saturate spray the carpet with your Enzyme Producing Deodorizer. Allow the solution to dwell 20 minutes to 24 hours depending upon the severity of the odor. For best results, extract out the Enzyme Producing deodorizer. Drying time will range from 24 to 48 hours. Ventilate. The final result will be evident about 24 hours after the carpets dry.
6. Clean and deodorize other surfaces that may have absorbed odors over time. If male animals were in the home, check for urine on vertical surfaces such as walls and furniture. A Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer can be used on upholstery, in wall cleaning solutions and for many other surfaces. Change the air return filters in the HVAC system. Check to see if the air handling system could be redistributing odors. If so, then the ductwork may need cleaning as well.

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Carpet Selection Guide Carpet Care and Repair Utah


Choose your carpet carefully
The following information will help you get familiar with carpet terms and definitions so you can make an educated decision on selecting your next carpet.
Pile Designs
There are several terms relating to the manufacturing process which need to be understood before we actually discuss carpet pile designs.
  1. Gauge
The distance between the needles on a tufting machine. The gauge is expressed in fractions of an inch, and refers to the number of needles which are positioned across the width of the tufting machine.
  1. Pitch
The distance between the stitches made by the needles (the distance which the backing material travels before the needle inserts the next tuft). Pitch is expressed in terms of the number of tufts per inch.
  1. Density
The closeness of the pile yarns. Density refers to the closeness of the pile yarns, and is an indication of both gauge and pitch. It is measured by the number of ounces per yard. Generally, the higher the density, the better the quality of the carpet.
  1. Face Weight
The weight, expressed in the number of ounces per yard of fiber extending above the primary backing.
These factors (gauge, pitch, density and face weight) all have direct effects upon each of the others. For instance, if the density increases with the pile height remaining the same, the face weight will increase. Or if the pile height increases with the density remaining the same, the face weight will increase.
The rest of this information will be based on Cut-Pile designs (59% of the current market), Loop-Pile designs (28% of the market), and Cut and Loop-Pile combination designs (13% of the market).

CUT-PILE DESIGNS
  1. Saxony Pile
A saxony configuration will generally have a pile height of about three quarters of an inch. The main distinction of a saxony will be in the fact that the pile is made up of twisted, heat-set yarns with sufficient density to cause them to stand upright to foot traffic. Ninety percent of the expensive carpets made today are of the saxony pile.
  1. Plush or Velvet
The plush design is dense enough to remain upright to normal traffic. The major distinguishing trait of a plush is that there is little or no twist set in the face yarns which comprise the pile. This introduces a smooth, uniform texture on the face of the plush or velvet carpet. This "velvet-plush" carpet can be sensitive to high temperatures in the cleaning solution, causing fiber distortion. Temperature settings should be turned down from the maximum settings.


  1. Shag Pile
This design has almost disappeared from the current market, though since a number of shag carpets remain from the early seventies, it warrants some discussion. Generally, a shag carpet contains a pile height greater than one inch, but that pile height must be coupled with so little density as to create a casual, random-lay effect so that the sides of the yarns are exposed to the foot traffic rather than the tips which are exposed on most other carpet configurations.
  1. Splush (short-shag or mini-shag)
This carpet is halfway between the shag and the plush. The pile height is usually about three quarters of an inch, with a density which is insufficient to cause the yarn ends to stand upright to foot traffic. Although the density is greater than that of a shag, the same "random lay" effect is still apparent.
  1. Frieze(free-say)
This design is composed of very tightly twisted yarns that give a rough, nubby appearance.
Grass-pile
Grass-pile carpets are usually made of slit-film olefin which actually simulates grass. It comes in a variety of colors.

Loop-Pile Designs
  1. Level Loop-Pile
This design consists of uniformly level tufts in an uncut or loop-pile configuration. Commercial quality carpet is often of the level-loop configuration with high density but low pile height.
  1. Multi-Level Loop-Pile
This configuration is also known as "high-low" pile carpet. It is formed by increasing tension on the yarn during tufting, which forms patterns with high and low loops.


Cut & Loop Pile Designs
  1. Sculptured Saxony
Sculptured saxony consists of higher, cut-pile yarns in the saxony tradition which are contrasted in texture by lower, loop-pile yarns which remain uncut.
  1. Sculptured Shag
This design is similar to the sculptured Saxony though is composed of higher, less dense cut-pile yarns in a shag configuration, contrasted by lower loops which remain uncut.
  1. Level Cut-loop
This technique is used to create a wide range of patterns using cut and loop piles of the same height.

Fiber Types: Pros & Cons
There are many different types of fiber used to make carpet. In this section we are going to give you the PROS & CONS of the four most popular fibers, Nylon, Polyester, Olefin, and Wool.
Nylon: Pros
  • Good Elasticity – Nylon will stretch up to 33% of its length and still regain its original shape. This is very important in heavy traffic areas where furniture may be dragged across the carpet.
  • Very Abrasion Resistant – It even surpasses wool. Many manufacturers offer wear guaranties.
  • Static Resistant – Not its ancestry, but today’s fibers do very well.
  • Heat Sets Well – When properly heat set, nylon retains its crimp, twist, and dye extremely well.
  • Good resiliency – Nylon can be crushed for long periods and still regain its original shape.
  • Non-Absorbent – Nylon dries quickly since it will absorb less than 8% of its weight in H20.
  • Mildew Resistant – Nylon provides no food source, but mildew can grow on it if another food source is available. Notice the damage that can be done under an over watered potted plant.
  • Nylon responds very well to most professional cleaning methods and treatments.
Nylon: Cons
  • Nylon is almost always acid dyed. It is rarely solution dyed, so it can have problems with bleaching, fading, urine reactions, etc.

Polyester’s popularity seems to go up and down like a roller coaster. Because it’s relatively inexpensive to produce, manufacturers are regularly reintroducing this fiber to the carpet industry. Although it has some excellent qualities, and is a great fiber for clothing, it does have some limiting factors when used in carpet.
Polyester: Pros
  • Since polyester does not have dye sites, it is usually dyed with a disperse dye or solution dye method which makes it very resistant to bleaching, fading and soil dye reactions.
  • Stain Resistant – This applies only to water based stains.
  • Low Absorbency – Quick drying
Polyester: Cons
  • Polyester is difficult to dye and usually must be solution dyed which limits the variety.
  • It is not resistant to oily stains, and in fact an oily spill or spot left without proper cleanup can oxidize and even chemically bond with and become part of the fiber. You need to know that some of these spots just won’t come out.
  • Crimp Loss – Early polyester was a mess. A new polyester carpet was fuller, fluffier and more luxurious than anything on the market. Six-month-old polyester was an owner’s nightmare. Due to loss of twist and crimp, long strait fibers were left in the traffic areas, which caused matting and tangling and destroyed the original look of the carpet. Definite improvements have been made by heat setting and using finer yarns, but crimp loss can still be a problem. This is a characteristic of polyester, not a defect.


Olefin is a very versatile carpet fiber. It is used in carpet backings (called polypropylene), face yarns and even astroturf. Olefin has become almost synonymous with one of its trade names “Herculon” a trademark owned by Hercules Corporation, a major manufacturer of olefin.
Olefin: Pros
  • Olefin is very moisture resistant. It will absorb only one tenth of 1% of its weight in water. This leads to some pros and some cons.
  • Very difficult to stain.
  • Great for outdoor applications (stadium or pool).
  • Chemical Resistant – Most chemicals and bleaches won’t damage it at all.
  • Solution dyeing makes it resistant to fading.
  • Lightweight – It is the only common carpet fiber that will float on water ( Except celluloid).
  • Strong – It wears well except for resiliency factor (see cons).
  • It has good cleanability and stain release (Except oil/petroleum-based stains – see cons).
Olefin: Cons
  • Olefin is not a resilient fiber. When crushed it does not regain its original shape easily. Traffic areas tend to lie down, showing “apparent soiling”. Furniture marks can be permanent reminders to the owner of where his furniture used to be.
  • It is a very heat sensitive fiber. Its melting point is around 300 degrees but damage can occur at lower temperatures.
  • Olefin can be damaged by Friction – Even dragging a heavy piece of furniture across an olefin carpet can cause permanent marks from the heat generated by friction.
  • Like polyester, extended exposure to oil-based soils may become permanent.
  • Olefin is very difficult to dye due to its low absorbency rate. It is almost always solution dyed.
  • Quite often, Olefin is in a glue-down situation, which creates a potential to brown from soil wicking from the base of the yarns due to incomplete soil removal. Over wetting and/or slow drying increases the likelihood.

 Wool comes from the fleece of sheep or lambs. This is one of the oldest fibers used by man, dating back over two thousand years. It is still one of the finest face yarns available for carpet. Wool is chemically made up of standard organic elements including sulfur, which accounts for the wool smell when it is damp.
Wool: Pros
  • Wool has excellent soil hiding capabilities. Wool will not exhibit or show soil as much as other fibers. The reason for this is that wool is an opaque fiber (as opposed to synthetics which are transparent) and wool doesn’t refract and reflect light like synthetics. The naturally dull appearance provided by the scales of the epidermis makes soil much less apparent to the human eye.
  • Wool is very strong, elastic and resilient. Wool face yarn in a well-constructed carpet will stand up to the heaviest traffic and still look beautiful (Notice the carpet in most casinos and finer hotel lobbies and hallways).
  • Natural crimp makes wool and excellent insulator.
  • Good Absorbency – This means that wool reacts well to a number of dye types and techniques. Keep in mind, this means easy staining also.
  • Soil Release – Wool responds very well to cleaning as moisture makes the fiber swell and release dirt.
  • Wool is naturally flame retardant.

Wool: Cons
  • Wool is a very expensive material. This arises mainly from the processing cost, the cleaning, and the preparation, etc., rather than the actual cost of the raw material.
  • Fiber Distortion – Wool is very prone to distortion by excess agitations such as jet streaks and wand marks. This is particularly pronounced when it happens under heated conditions.
  • Stains Easily – Due to its absorbency and ease of dyeing, wool is also easily stained by wine, Kool-Aid and other acid dyestuffs. Remember that absorbency is the same quality that makes wool so desirable as far as dye acceptance and obtaining the beautiful rich colors that you often find in wool carpets and oriental rugs.
  • Chemical Sensitivity – Wool is sensitive to alkaline chemicals above a pH of 9.5 after prolonged exposure. This exposure will tend to make wool brittle and discolor somewhat. This problem is sometimes referred to as “felting”. Wool is also very sensitive to chlorine bleach, such as Clorox, which is normally found in homes and grocery stores. Chlorine bleach will completely dissolve wool within a matter of minutes. The New Zealand Wool Bureau recommends water-based cleaning solutions with a pH not lower than 5.5 and not higher than 8 pH.
  • Staple Yarn – Fuzzing can be a source of problems because wool only comes as a staple yarn and excess agitation can cause that fuzzing effect.

Caring for Your Oriental Rugs Utah

You have made a sizeable investment into your Oriental and specialty rugs. Here are some easy, basic steps for the care & protection of a specialty or Oriental Rug.
Rotation - To ensure 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.
Professional Cleaning – Like all carpets, your Oriental and specialty area rugs should be professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Frequency of cleaning is influenced by the fiber content, weave, type and amount of soiling, traffic and wear, and environmental conditions. Call our office for further information on maximizing the performance of your fine investment textiles.
Spot and Spill Procedures - Make sure you safely and immediately clean up spots and spills before they set.
·         First, soak up the excess liquid by blotting with a clean absorbent material. Do not brush or rub the stain.
·         Then spot-clean with a mild detergent-white vinegar-water solution. Do not over wet.
·         Rinse area thoroughly with water and a small amount of vinegar. Avoid wetting the rug's backing.
·         Blot dry until most of the moisture has been absorbed.
·         Allow to air dry. A fan or cool hair dryer can be used to hasten the drying process.
·         For stains that do not come out using these methods, ask our cleaning specialists.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Area Rug Cleaning Utah

Have you ever had a carpet cleaning company clean your expensive area rugs onsite? This is a big mistake because even though the area rug may look good when they are finished,dye migration usually does not happen until the area rug is just about to dry. Fine wool area rugs should be picked up and cleaned or washed in a closed environment. This allows the technician to dust the rug, (one of the most important steps in area rug cleaning) dusting the rug allows the cleaning to be more effective and does not create mud when doing a final cleaning or washing. Some rugs can be cleaned on site such as nylon, polyester and olefin these area rugs are very stable and dye migration is very rare. Another reason it is important to clean or wash your fine rugs in a facility is that we can get them dry very quick and this allows us to monitor your fine wool area rugs very closely and any issues can be dealt with right away. Please do not allow your expensive fine wool are rugs to be cleaned like your wall to wall carpet, look at these rugs as important investments.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Have you ever woke up and said "what's that smell?"

Have you ever woke up and said "what's that smell?" It could be dog pee or cat pee if you are an animal owner. My company Carpet Care and Repair of Utah specializes in removing cat pee and dog pee from your home, but I want to talk about how to prevent dog pee and cat pee from ever getting into your carpets. I have had dogs all my life and I have 2 right now a Weimaraner and a Golden Retriever and they are not allowed to urinate in my home. Have there been accidents? Sure, but with further investigation there was always a reason. Now I don't own a cat and never will but being in this business I have learned a lot about cats.
1. Never use pee-pads. All you are teaching the animal is its okay to use your home as a bathroom.

2. Get a dog door or a cat door. This is the best investment you can make. It does take some training but worth every minute you spend training your dog or cat to use it. There even window companies that can install them in sliding glass doors. I can't tell you how many people call me for pet urine removal and blame it on the animal but all the urine is right next to the door and sometimes on the door. These animal are telling their owner that they need to get out but cant. What about security? If a thief can even fit through a doggy door he's probably going to the next house because they do not want to meet up with your big dog.

3.Clean your litter box daily. Cats are very clean desert animals and do not walk in their own cat feces or cat urine. Because cats are desert animals they retain water and this is the reason their urine is so potent. Maybe get 2 boxes and a cat door and put the cat litter box in your garage so you don't have to smell their cat urine. (Just a thought)

4. Feed your cat or dog premium dog food. Why would this matter? Because if they can digest more food there's less waste to clean up. Look at the label on your dog food and at the first 3 ingredients, they should be chicken, beef, fish or any kind of protein this tells you if you are feeding quality food. I even supplement my dog food with a product called Dinovite. When dog food or cat food is made most of the beneficial enzymes are cooked out of it Dinovite adds these essential additives back in my dogs love it and thrive on it.

5. Get your animal spayed or nurtured. This will help stop your dog or cat from marking it's territory in your home.

So the next question is how did I train my 2 dogs Cooper and Chloe not to use my home as a toilet?
Well they are both rescues and it just took time. First my Weimaraner Chloe. You must understand the breed you are getting and in fact the Weimaraner is #1 in returned dogs in the United States. People just don't understand what they are getting with this breed. They are high strung and need to be social with their owner and will not do well just being left in the backyard by themselves. Training her was tough and took about 2 weeks. You need to purchase a crate.  She was not aloud out of my sight and if she left my sight she was crated which she hated and figured out quickly not to leave my side. First thing in the morning we went out to use the bathroom and yes i stood and watched her and when she went I threw a party I mean jumped up and down and ran around with her and praised her over and over again. She soon figured out that this made me very happy and wanted to please me. I would let her out after she got a drink and after she ate and never left her unattended for those 2 weeks and Wallah she was potty trained.
Cooper the Golden was a rescue and he was a little easier and only took 2 days, Why? well if you know a Golden Retriever you know they are an awesome family dog and their whole goal in life is to please their owner. They love praise and he understood the first day what I wanted.
I hope this helps in some way and if you are going to get an animal please look at your local shelter there are so many great animals out there looking for a home.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Who is the best carpet cleaning company or carpet cleaner in Utah?

Who is the best carpet cleaning company or carpet cleaner in Utah? This a great question and I will do my best to answer it. First, if you have a carpet cleaner you like and trust stick with him or her. If its not broke don't fix it. But here are some questions you can ask if your looking for a carpet cleaning company in Utah.

1. Trust: Ask your friend, family and neighbors who they use for carpet cleaning and are they happy? Next read reviews and call around and ask questions. What questions do I ask? I will tell you how to screen a carpet cleaning company in Utah and what questions to ask.

2 Experience: How long has the carpet cleaning company been in business? But more important how long has the carpet cleaner they will be sending to your home been cleaning carpets? This is crucial because it takes time to learn the correct way to clean carpets. Isn't just a menial task that anyone can do? Actually your carpet cleaner is dealing with one of your most expensive purchases (after your home and vehicles) and to have a carpet cleaner come to your home and ruin your investment, and it is an investment, is just sad but it happens every day. This mostly happens because some carpet cleaning companies do not understand the science and chemistry of carpet cleaning which brings me to my next point.

3. Education: I believe this is the most important question to ask, Why? Because really great carpet cleaning companies spend a lot of time and money to go to school to learn the right way to clean carpets. The certification you are looking for is the IICRC The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Ask on the phone if the carpet cleaning company and carpet cleaner coming to your home is certified by the IICRC.

4. Systems: Some carpet cleaning companies carry 1 or 2 products to do all their carpet cleaning. What if its wool their cleaning and their 1 product has a Ph of 12 and you are never supposed to put a Ph above 8.5 on wool. Well guess what? They just ruined your expensive wool carpet. Lets say you've spilled grease on your carpet. Do they carry a safe solvent made from citrus or do their solvents have carcinogens in them? Or do they just leave your home because that's the best they can do with what they have. Take a walk out to the van is it leaking oil on your driveway? When was the last time their truck-mount was serviced, it should be displayed on the truck-mount.

5. Guarantee: Why would you choose a carpet cleaning company or any company that does not give a 100% money back guarantee? This tells me that they are not confident about their service and not a very good company.

These are the 5 things to look for in a carpet cleaning company in Utah. I hope this helps you find your carpet cleaning superhero, he or she will become an important part of your maintenance team.

Steve Heller is the owner of carpetcareandrepair.com

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Do-IT-Yourself Pet Urine Removal

I have clients ask me all the time "What is the best way to treat fresh urine spots?" First if it is fresh and you catch sparky in the act, the best thing you can do is get a white (Not Colored) absorbent terrycloth towel and quarter it and stick it on the fresh urine. Then take a empty gallon jug or laundry detergent bottle and fill it with fresh water. Now put the jug or bottle on the terrycloth towel for weight and walk away. What happens is the carpet fiber dries like a candle wick from the bottom up. As the urine dries it wicks up into the towel. wait 3 or 4 hours then lift the towel you will be amazed at how much urine is wicked up into the towel. Now grab a fresh white towel (You can dedicate these towels for this purpose either wash them or throw them away) and a cup of water with a tablespoon of vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar) and pour it on the spot, then re-apply the towel and weight and let it set for another 3 or 4 hours. Why would you put vinegar on urine isn't that an acid on an acid? Actually as the the urine dries it turned into salt crystals and these crystal are very alkaline, so you need to return those alkaline salt crystals back to an acid to remove them. Now if you have a home cleaner or spot machine just clean the area if not you will still be o.k. After all this you can add your enzyme while it's still wet the longer the better the enzymes thrive in moist dark places. These enzymes will populate and digest any residue left. A note on enzymes such as Natures Miracle found at most pet stores, see if you can find out how long they have been on the shelf, I have found that a lot of these products are expired before you even get them out of the store. What about older urine spots? In this case just go right to the water/vinegar mixture first. If you live in Utah and would like a FREE pet urine inspection just call me at 801-716-0363 as usual no pressure and no obligation to use my service.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Carpet Repair Utah wrinkled,bubbled,damaged carpet

Why is there so much wrinkled carpet in Utah? First all carpet these days must be Powered Stretched. The knee kicker is just a setting tool not an installation tool. A power stretcher is a tool with long poles and is set along a wall against a base board and ran across the room with a head and handle on the opposite end. Then its is cranked down getting 2-3 inches of carpet up the wall. It is cut to the wall and tucked (not crammed) to the wall. The tackless (called because in the old days carpet was tacked to the floor) which is is secured to the sub-floor and has pins at a 33 degree angle which holds the carpet in place. Between the the tackless and the baseboard is a space called a "gully" that the carpet is tucked to. The reason there is so much re-stretching going on is that in the state of Utah this is considered day labor and there is no required training on carpet installation. Why someone would spend $10,000.00 on carpet and then let their painter put it in or even worse try to do it themselves is beyond my comprehension.Another reason carpet back up or bubbles is it is cut to long and then crammed in the gully and has no where to go but back in the room causing wrinkles. I have made a very good living fixing these problems and it will usually happen within a year of installation. I get the question all the time "How long till I need to get them stretched again?" Like this is to be expected. Once I re-stretch your carpet it will not return why? because I've been trained to do it right. When my company installs new carpet we give a lifetime (carpet installation) guarantee. If it bubbles or wrinkles
(it never does unless you slide really heavy furniture on the carpet) we come back and fix it at no charge and that's just how it should be for every installation.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Pet Urine Removal Utah

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Superficial-
When animal odors are present in carpet or upholstery but there is little or no urine contamination - we apply a bonding/encapsulating deodorizer according to directions. We then proceed with carpet cleaning as usual. The bonding/encapsulating deodorizer will absorb odors on contact. Odors deeper in the tufts will be reached as we groom our prespray into the carpet.

Light-Apply an Enzyme Producing Deodorizing liberally to visible stains and other locations where we have detected urine with our High-Intensity Ultra Violet Light. We allow as much dwell time as practical. Effective dwell time can range from 20 minutes to a couple of hours for light contamination. Our Enzyme Producing Deodorizer can be working while we set up our truck mount carpet cleaning equipment. Our carpet cleaning service can clean the affected areas using the bonding/encapsulating deodorizer in our prespray as described above.

Moderate-As the extent of contamination increases, so do the choices and the necessity for complex treatments increases. The basic process will be described first. Then we'll discuss additional steps that may be used. We prespray any  stains we have located with our High-Intensity Ultra Violet Light using a Urine Pre-treatment. This is an acid side product that breaks down the alkaline salts. For best results, we make a liberal application that will reach not only the stains on the surface but dried urine residues in the backing. We allow the urine pre-treatment at least 15 minutes dwell time. If all the carpet is being cleaned at this time, we go ahead with our carpet cleaning now. We include a step to work your pretreatment into the face fibers.
After completing the rinse and extract step, we saturate contaminated areas with Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer. For the best result, the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer must come in contact with all the source of the odor. If the urine has reached the backing, the cushion and the subfloor then the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer must also reach there. Be aware that the size of the stain on the surface will be significantly smaller than the area to which the urine has spread. As the urine reaches the backing it spreads horizontally before soaking through. On reaching the subfloor, the liquid again spreads laterally in addition to soaking into the flooring. What appears to be a 6" stain on the surface may have expanded to several square feet by the time it has penetrated the floor. We do not skimp on the application of the Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer. It must reach every place the urine went.
We use our Sub-Surface Extraction Tool to extract moisture from the spots we've treated. We thoroughly flush all contamination from the area by allowing additional water to flow to the spot while continuing to extract with the Sub-Surface Extraction Tool.

Severe-For complete odor removal in a severely affected carpet, an extensive treatment is required. Often a pet will "go" in the same general area for a period of a year or two or more before remediation is started. Considering the volume of urine deposited over time you can be sure that the cushion and the floor have been saturated.
Given the extent of contamination, we'll cover the steps necessary for complete odor removal. You and I can decide if it will be possible to skip any steps and still achieve an acceptable result.
1.Disengage the carpet. Turn back the carpet to expose the effected area. Some furniture moving may be required. The pad should be removed and thrown away. Inspect the floor. Wood floors should be cleaned followed by an application of your Enzyme Producing Deodorizer or they may be sanded. Concrete floors can be cleaned by wet mopping with Enzyme Producing Deodorizer. Floors should then be sealed with a pigmented shellac or a clear acrylic. Extend the application of the sealer at least 1' beyond contamination. While the carpet is turned back, we examine the tackless strip, baseboards and walls. Any contaminated materials must be removed and replaced or cleaned and possibly sealed. After the sealer dries replace the pad.
2. We treat both the front and back side of the carpet with a solution of your Urine Pre-treatment. Allow 15 minutes or more dwell time.
3.Extract affected areas, both front and back. This will clean the carpets including removing urine.
4. Reinstall the carpet.
5. Saturate spray the carpet with your Enzyme Producing Deodorizer. Allow the solution to dwell 20 minutes to 24 hours depending upon the severity of the odor. For best results, extract out the Enzyme Producing deodorizer. Drying time will range from 24 to 48 hours. Ventilate. The final result will be evident about 24 hours after the carpets dry.
6. Clean and deodorize other surfaces that may have absorbed odors over time. If male animals were in the home, check for urine on vertical surfaces such as walls and furniture. A Bonding/Encapsulating Deodorizer can be used on upholstery, in wall cleaning solutions and for many other surfaces. Change the air return filters in the HVAC system. Check to see if the air handling system could be redistributing odors. If so, then the ductwork may need cleaning as well.

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Today we are going to talk about pets and how Pet Urine Removal is removed from your carpet, upholstery and any other areas accidents happen. In my 10 + years in this part of my business I have learned a lot, mostly from education but also trial and error. First most carpet cleaners think when they are doing pet urine removal they are dealing with an acid after all isn't urine slightly acidic? Well yes when its fresh but as it dries it turns to a salt crystal and these are very alkaline. So most carpet cleaners are using alkaline cleaners and are just spreading it around (I see this everyday). First you must saturate the area with an acid that is safe for carpets this breaks down those salt crystals and returns them to there natural state. Then we take a tool called a sub-surface extractor which compresses the carpet and pad to the sub-floor. as we are compressing the carpet with this tool we are flushing the carpet with fresh water until it is clear. Now the exciting part. We used to use enzymes and then it shifted to encapsulation which were just an amazing breakthrough for pet urine removal. Around 4 months ago Interlink supply came out wit a new product that combined them both plus added a nice fragrance its called the triple whammy. Where the old enzymes were good this new product reproduces very 20 minutes and gets up into the billions of beneficial bacteria. The exciting part about this product is the spores go dormant and if sparky goes to that area again it re-activates. This is amazing stuff and I have used it on dog pee, cat pee and even skunk and so far it is 100% effective, I could never say that before. So if your looking for pet urine removal find a certified cleaner which specializes in Pet Urine Removal and ask if they are certified by the IICRC. Most carpet cleaners do do like to try new products because they are very comfortable and change is hard, but they are being left behind. I carry over 30 products on my van so I am always prepared for any situation How many products does your carpet cleaner bring to your home? Just a thought.