Following is a list of frequently asked questions.
If you cannot find the answer you're looking for feel free to call us 301-739-4640 or e-mail us anytime.
Q: Is it better to get an estimate over the phone or in person? A: Most estimates can be given over the phone. You can either call or e-mail us. Just have an idea of what rooms you want cleaned and we’ll walk you through the process. If you’re not sure of the sizes of your rooms, we’ll help you determine those sizes and provide you with an estimate based on those sizes. We will be able to determine if we need to estimate the work in person.
Q: Why should I have ScotchGard™ re-applied after my cleaning? A: Even though your carpet or furniture came with some sort of stain resistant properties, this stain resistance wears off over time. It’s recommended by 3M that ScotchGard™ be re-applied at each cleaning for the following reasons.
More thorough vacuuming with fewer passes.
Easier cleanup of spills, dust, and dirt.
Better cleaning the next time your carpet is professionally cleaned.
ScotchGard™ is meant to enhance your maintenance cleaning and extend the life of your carpet and upholstery.
Q: Do you only clean carpets in homes or do you also clean carpets in businesses?
A: We clean carpet, upholstery, and drapery no matter where it is. Commercial, residential, or recreational. Any size. Any place. Our core target market is Hagerstown and the surrounding 50 mile radius. Some exceptions may apply.
Q: Is one Method of Carpet Cleaning is as Good as Another?
A:No. There are two primary methods—dry cleaning or hot water extraction.
Dry Cleaning. Many people believe that dry cleaning your carpet is like dry cleaning your clothing. This is not true. All carpet cleaning methods use water in one form or another. Here are the 3 variations of dry cleaning.
When a cleaner uses the Dry Foam method, he applies shampoo to your carpet, allows it to dry, then sucks the dry shampoo into a vacuum. Can you imagine applying shampoo to your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from your head with a vacuum? This method can leave residue in your carpet, which is one reason dry foam is not very effective.
The Dry-Chem method is similar to dry foam. The major difference is that when Dry-Chem is used, the company sets a large cotton bonnet on your carpet. Using a machine, the bonnet spins from side to side, absorbing the dirt that’s in the carpet. After the bonnet is saturated with dirt, another cotton bonnet is applied. Bonnet cleaning is like trying to use a large towel to rub the dirt out of your carpet. Like Dry Foam, Dry-Chem is not very effective.
The Dry Compound method spreads an absorbent mixture that looks like wet sawdust all over your carpeting. Then the machine brushes the mixture into the carpet, which in theory causes the dirt to absorb into the mixture. When the mixture has dried, a vacuum cleaner sucks the material out of the carpet. Because the carpet is not rinsed in any way, this method is not very effective.
Hot Water Extraction. This is a fancy way of saying that a hot water cleaning solution under high pressure is forced into the carpet and sucked out of the carpet. This method is also referred to as steam cleaning even though steam is not used.
Shaw Industries, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer recommends hot water extraction cleaning only. In fact the director of technical services at Shaw stated that in their testing every other process was merely rearranging the dirt.
You can choose from two types of hot water extraction—portable extraction which is done with a small machine, or truck mount extraction which means a large cleaning machine is mounted in a truck or van. Not surprisingly, the truck mount extraction cleans much better because it heats the water to over 200 degrees and shoots the cleaning solution into the carpet at around 400 lbs. of pressure, which breaks up the dirt and kills the bacteria and germs. Then the machine uses high-powered suction to draw the dirt out of the carpet. In effect the carpet is sanitized due to the high water temperature, and only truck-mounted “steam cleaning” can accomplish this. AmeriClean uses this method and carpets dry in 4-8 hours.
Methods that use cold and even warm water remove dirt—but are not nearly as effective as the hot-water truck mounted method. No question, the most effective way to clean carpeting is with a hot water extraction unit mounted in a truck. It’s the most powerful cleaning machine on the market and the only machine that thoroughly cleans your carpet and rids it of dirt, harmful bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, and tobacco residue.
Q: Why is there soiling or darker areas around the edges of my carpet or near air ducts? A: Carpets may show increased soiling around the edges of a room, under doors and near air ducts. This is called soil filtration or fogging and is caused by the carpet’s pile fibers filtering out dirt particles from the air blowing under skirting boards or doors, or from air ducts.
Q: Can all stains be removed? A: The quick answer, no. However, there’s no one in the business with a better track record of success than AmeriClean. Our extensive training and considerable experience allow us to try every possible solution.
Q: Can pet odors be eliminated? A: Most consumers without specialized chemicals and extraction equipment may not be able to completely remove pet urine from wall-to-wall carpet or area rugs, because many products only provide temporary relief.
Professionals have enzyme deodorants or powerful oxidizing agents that digest or destroy odor-causing protein and/or bacteria that are the source of urine odor. More importantly, they have efficient extraction cleaning equipment that is able to flush suspended or dissolved residues from the carpet to leave it residue and odor-free. The IICRC recommends contacting an IICRC-Certified Firm that has personnel who are certified as Odor Control Technicians. AmeriClean is a certified firm and has exetensive training and experience in odor decontamination.
Remember that if the animal still resides in the house, he or she will almost inevitably re-mark his or her territory, thereby causing the odor to return.
Q: What is the normal drying time after the carpets have been cleaned? A: We recommend turning on all ceiling fans and making sure your central air is turned on for proper ventilation throughout your home/business. Typical drying times may range from 6-8 hours depending on air circulation. Try to limit foot traffic on your freshly cleaned carpets and it is recommended that pets and children stay off of the carpet until it is completely dry. Be sure to use caution when walking from freshly cleaned carpet onto hard surface floors as it may be very slippery.
Q: How long will the carpet cleaning service take? A: 2 rooms take about 1 hour from arrival to departure. Cleaning times can be reduced as more rooms/areas are added to the service.
Q: How often should I get my carpets cleaned?
A: Frequently used carpet should be professionally cleaned by a qualified technician at least annually - perhaps a little longer interval for infrequently used carpet and even sooner for carpet in homes occupied by respiratory sensitive or allergic persons; or in homes with indoor pets. Call or e-mail us and we'll help you evaluate a schedule that works for you and your family.
Q: How long does it take mold to start growing in wet carpet? A: There is no defined time frame to predict when mold will grow in carpet. For any material to support common indoor mold growth, it must:
1. be organic,
2. be damp or wet,
3. have a moderate temperature (68-86ºF),
4. be in a stagnant air environment, and
5. have these conditions present for several days.
Most tufted carpet is made of plastic face yarns and backings, and synthetic latex. There is nothing organic to support mold in the carpet itself. Therefore, mold cannot technically grow on carpet. However, average household soil is about 40% organic (12% cellulose, 12% protein, 10% oils, 6% food stuffs); therefore, mold can grow on the soil in carpet given the right conditions listed above.
However, if carpet is kept clean and dry, there is little or no possibility for mold growth. Even with soiling and normal household conditions found in most homes, it takes considerable time for mold to grow on carpet soil, and then only if dampness is present.
Q: Do you have evening and weekend appointments available? A: Evening appointments:
For residential customers, we strive to clean your carpets and furniture during the daylight hours. Over the years, we've found that most residential customers don't have adequate lighting to light the carpeted areas and furniture. Thus creating shadows and providing less than expected results.
For commercial customers, sometimes evening hours are the only hours available to provide our services. We are flexible and adaptable to any schedule and we will work with you to implement a schedule based on your needs.
A: Weekend appointments: Yes. We are available for residential and commercial jobs on Saturday. We take off on Sundays.
If you cannot find the answers you're looking for, call or email us.
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