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In This Issue

Carpeting or Wood Flooring?

How to Choose Carpet Fiber

Purchasing New Carpet-Choose Wisely

Wet vs. Dry Cleaning for Your Wall-to-Wall Carpets

CARPETING or WOOD FLOORING?

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

Will new wall-to-wall carpeting or wood flooring change the look and feel of your home? Are you on the fence about which to choose? 

Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. Both can be very expensive undertakings, so making an informed decision is important. 

Wall-to-Wall Carpet

Wall-to-wall carpets are expected, and usually warranted, to last at least 10 years, more if properly cared for with regular vacuuming and periodic professional cleaning.  

If it is still in good shape, you may want to wait until it is obvious that replacement is needed (because it is worn or outdated) and have it professionally cleaned before making a final decision. 

Wood Floors

Wood floors usually come with a warranty of 25-30 years or more. If you have good floors under the carpets, they may be able to be refinished as long as they haven't been damaged by moisture or are not too thin. 

If you already have good quality flooring in your home, you may benefit from a professional refinishing job to really make them stand out. 

Replacing or installing new wood over damaged floors is another option, but an even more expensive one.

Styles change over the years. Today, hardwood is quickly becoming the preferred floor treatment, especially on first floors. This choice also gives the option of adding quality area rugs to hold groupings of furniture together and to fill a room with added color and grandeur.

SPECIAL NOTE:

If you are considering selling your home, check first with a real estate agent to see if either option will actually add to the resale value of your home.

CARPETING or WOOD FLOORING?

CONSIDER MAINTENANCE 

The easiest way to determine which to choose (other than the cost involved) is to consider the maintenance of each.

In comparing carpeting or wood flooring, wall-to-wall carpeting is known as the 'sink' in your home where dust and allergens become trapped rather than released into the air, which can cause eye and respiratory problems. Unfortunately, if vacuuming is not done on a regular basis, it will become saturated and will release those allergens into the air.  

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HOW TO CHOOSE CARPET FIBER 

To choose carpet fiber that will work best for you, there is an easy answer... 

But first:

Imagine...

You are shopping for new carpet, perhaps just a few rooms. Two of the rooms are bedrooms which don't get as much foot traffic as the entryway, living room, and hallway you also need to replace. It's been nearly 10 years since you had new carpet.

You go to a local carpet retail store. The carpet salesman has a great deal for you--A virtually stain-proof carpet with vibrant colors and also soft to the touch! You put your fingers into the carpet pile and love how it feels. You order the carpet for all the rooms you need to replace.

In a week or two, on the scheduled installation day, you remove all the furniture from the rooms and the installation pros show up and remove the old carpet and pad and put in the new.

It looks great! 

A Year Later

When you decide it's time to have the carpet cleaned, your carpet cleaning professional arrives and does a great job removing the dirt. Even the spots come right out!

HOWEVER, there is a 'worn' area in the living room and down the hallway, but not in the bedrooms. You ask your carpet cleaning technician why that is.

The technician has performed a fiber identification test and informs you that you purchased polyester carpet, which tends to mat down in traffic areas and look somewhat soiled just because of wear. 

He then kindly informs you that if you had purchased nylon, a more durable carpet fiber, this likely wouldn't have happened. 

You Are Upset!

It is so disappointing when you purchase something and it does not perform as promised. You begin to suspect that carpet salespeople may not be your best consultants when it comes to fibers. 

In truth, it is much the same with furniture salespersons who may not necessarily know which fibers are best for your particular circumstances. 

How to Choose Carpet Fiber?

Here is your answer...

Please continue reading here. 

PURCHASING NEW CARPET -

HOW TO CHOOSE WISELY

Decisions about purchasing new carpet for your home or business can be difficult. Wall-to-wall carpets should last at least 10 years, longer if vacuumed regularly and cleaned periodically by a professional carpet cleaner. 

You may be purchasing new carpet for the first time or perhaps your old carpet has reached the point where it can no longer be satisfactorily cleaned professionally.  

This is the perfect time to choose new carpet based on your current needs.  Ask yourself these questions to get started:

• Do you have small children who will be crawling on the carpet? 
• Will food or drink be consumed in the area? 
  
• Do you have dogs and cats, where dirty feet and urine and vomit could become problematic? 
• Do you have a lot of traffic in some areas, little or no traffic in others?
  
• Is there a fireplace in the area? 
  
• Do you have areas where a lot of sunlight comes through?  
  
• Is the area susceptible to water damage?

How to Choose Wisely When Purchasing New Carpet

Important characteristics to look for when purchasing new carpet to help you make an informed and wise decision:  

Please click here to find out more. 

WET VS DRY CLEANING 

FOR YOUR 

WALL-TO-WALL CARPETS

Wet vs dry cleaning for your carpets? In most areas of the country, you can find wall-to-wall carpet cleaning companies who use exclusively wet or exclusively dry carpet cleaning methods and many who use both or either, depending on the fiber content and condition of the carpet.

Which Method is Best? 

Wet Method

If you have pets or if it has been some time since you had your carpets cleaned or if they are unusually dirty and riddled by spots, a wet cleaning method would be your best option.

Carpet shampooing was the method used before truck-mounted steam cleaning systems became available. The shampoo method was not as effective and would leave a shampoo residue that would actually attract dirt. The result was a carpet that would get dirtier faster, thus needing to be cleaned more often.

Carpet manufacturers are in agreement today that the steam cleaning or hot water extraction (specifically truck-mounted) method is the most effective at removing deep down dirt from carpet pile. This method, when performed properly, will not leave a residue as the shampoo method does. 

The downside to the wet method is the relatively long drying time. However, if done correctly and with quality equipment and know-how, the carpet should be damp to the touch when the technician leaves and should be mostly dry within 5 to 8 hours, depending on the temperature outside and inside.

Additionally, booties can be offered to put over shoes if the carpet needs to be used sooner. And, in certain instances, it is possible to professionally wet clean a carpet using a low moisture cleaning method, which can significantly lessen the total drying time. 

Anything smaller than a truck-mounted unit, such as a portable cleaner or a carpet shampooer rented from a store, cannot do the job as well. 

Problems posed by the portables, especially do-it-yourself methods, are:

• the tendency to use too much soap leaving a residue,
• water not hot enough,
• vacuum not strong enough to pull out the majority of the water, which will extend the drying time and possibly cause moisture problems such as mold and mildew.

Dry Method

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"The Cleanest Clean You've Ever Seen."

by

ABC Oriental Rug & Carpet Cleaning Co.
130 Cecil Malone Drive Ithaca, NY 14850

607-272-1566

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