CARPET CLEANING
By Steve M. Wolfson, Environmental Cleaning Systems
I love the look of the white carpeting from a decorating point of view. The white worked for me because one of my businesses, Environmental Cleaning Systems has a division, Steam America, that cleans carpet. Once my first child was born, I switched to a neutral, more manageable color. What I learned is that some carpet colors appear to stay cleaner longer. Patterns and some neutral colors hide the dirt and stay cleaner looking longer, but looks are not everything.

CARPET ATTACK
Carpets are attacked on a daily basis all year round. We drag in winter de-icers, pet accidents leave residue, insect droppings, soot in the air and often we track sticky street materials in on the bottom of our shoes daily. Even the dirt you do not notice in the carpet can be harmful to the air you are breathing and ruin the carpet.

NOTICING DETERIORATION
Yes, we all vacuum. Building staff regularly vacuums hallways. It just is not enough! A vacuum removes most of the dry soil, but the other oily residue remains. One hard to notice clue to the deterioration is a gradual color change as the dirt film accumulates. When you look at something every day, noticing subtle changes is hard. If you have a color sample of the original carpet in a sealed file draw just, compare it to what, you have now.

If you have determined that you have a color-fading problem it is time to act immediately. Even the best cleaning will not bring it back to its original state, but can halt further deterioration. If you are looking for a general rule, carpets should be thoroughly cleaned once a year by a professional service.

TWO METHODS OF CLEANING
A professional service will use one of two methods, wet or dry. At Steam America we use a two-step wet process. On the first pass we shampoo the carpet. The second pass extracts the shampoo and water and dry cleans the carpet. I believe in the system we use, coupled with our state-of-the-art equipment, the carpet gets a deeper long lasting and more efficient cleaning.

To me, the dry process is like using a moist towelette in a Chinese restaurant. It works for the moment like a bandage on a small laceration, but does not cure the long term problem.

If you choose the dry process, be sure to check with the carpet's manufacturer. Improper cleaning procedures and certain chemicals can void any warrantee you may have. In fact some carpets can be left dirtier after cleaning with the wrong equipment or improper methods. Be aware of any leftover chemical odors when using the dry process. This is very important. Breathing these odors is obviously dangerous. Wet or dry carpets should be cleaned annually to get the longest life from the substantial investment in your carpet.

Steve Wolfson is President of Environmental Cleaning Systems, Inc. ECS provides a variety of indoor environmental services, installs and maintains compactors, chutes and hopper doors. Steam America, a division of ECS, cleans carpets, upholstery and does graffiti removal. ECS national headquarters is in Valley Stream, New York with offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.You can reach Steve at 1-888-Clearair (1-888 253-2724) or www.ecsclearair.com


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