September 2005

Question:
Part of my responsibilities is to make decisions about carpet care. Do you have suggestions about what I should do?

Answer:
Commercial Carpet Care is an important aspect of protecting the street appeal and indoor air quality of offices, motels/hotels, and institutions. I’m often surprised how little consideration is given to this important health and appearance issue. Thank you for asking.

Many business managers will delegate carpet and upholstery care to their janitorial contractor. By assuming that because the janitor is in the cleaning business they will understand fabric care, they could be setting the stage for a very upsetting experience. Very few cleaning contractors have the training to provide professional carpet care to their customers. Stories about color damage, carpets that are wet for days, and especially about resoiling issues abound. Why go through that sort of grief?

Some businesses will delegate one of their in-house staff as a carpet cleaner and let them loose on furnishings that can literally cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace. Even the majority of “professional” carpet cleaners don’t have even basic training about commercial carpet maintenance and only learn from their mistakes. Do you really want to go there?

Some will reasonably point out that due to traffic considerations, work must be done in off peak hours. Others make the point that shutting down the front desk area of, say a busy hotel is just not practical. Still others will have had experience with over-priced / under-performing carpet cleaners and make the case that professional carpet cleaning can be too expensive.

In Medicine Hat, to our knowledge, there is only one IICRC Certified Firm who is trained in Commercial Carpet Maintenance. When a firm is industry trained and credentialled they can be a very powerful resource for business managers and executive housekeepers. The constant up-dating of cleaning technologies means that a variety of options are available to meet client demands for efficient, safe, and cost effective carpet care.

A professional Carpet Maintenance provider will have the tools and training to offer all 5 industry accepted methods of carpet care. An inventory that includes drying equipment, low-moisture cleaning technologies, and cleaning agents designed for use around individuals with concerns about respiratory issues is a must! Every carpet has its own issues to watch for. Make sure you have a qualified professional examine it.

Professional carpet cleaning will enhance your business. It will enhance colors and air quality. Lingering spots and stains are addressed. The service life of your floor coverings will be lengthened - meaning money is saved from premature replacement. Take advantage of the resources available to you! If you have questions about commercial carpet care we look forward to hearing from you.

Les Graham
Graham’s Carpet Cleaning
952-0318
An IICRC Certified Firm (2005)

Did you know?

By using newly available encapsulation technology, deep cleaning of commercial carpets is now being performed in Medicine Hat. Turn around times of 15 minutes have been reached with results that can leave olfefin carpets looking better than conventional steam cleaning!