Getting drink spills out of carpet Bradenton

DID YOU KNOW that the devastation of spilling something like grape juice, Kool-Aid and other fruit drinks doesn't have to be that… devastating?

So you have kids, grand kids, or some other kids come over, and they want something to drink. They surely don’t want water from the tap. That’s pretty boring stuff. They want something fruity, sweet, and with lots of color. Like deep blues, or reds. You know, the stuff that can really stain a carpet or piece of furniture. And the inevitable occurs. The kids enjoy what you give them, but after all, they are kids. So something gets spilled.

For some weird reason, this never happens on a hard, tile floor. It happens right on the carpet. What to do?

Step #1: First of all, don’t panic. Gather your senses and realize this isn’t the end of the world.

Step #2: Start blotting. You want to use white cotton or paper towels, with no print or dyes, and blot – blot – blot! Most of any spotting or staining substance will come right out because the towel you are using is more absorbent than the carpet the drink was spilled on.

Step #3: It may be appropriate, with some coaching from your carpet cleaning pro, to do some spotting. Use a spotting product, like a mild neutral detergent spotter, recommended by your carpet pro. Apply a small amount to the spot and keep blotting. Never scrub. Scrubbing can damage the carpet fibers and you can’t fix that. Keep blotting.

Step #4: Did we say keep blotting? Keep it up! You may need to apply more approved mild detergent spotter. One thing you do not want to do is apply too much moisture, as that gets into the backing of the carpet and into the padding, creating additional problems.

Step #5: Once the spot is gone, it’s time to dry the carpet. How to do this? Keep blotting, of course! But also aim a fan on the spot and let the air current remove more moisture. Is the spot still there? It may be a stain, very tough to remove. It is definitely now time to call your Bradenton carpet cleaning pro!

You can reach Overturf's Floor & Fabric Care at 941-301-9555 for help getting out these spots and spills.

Letting Workers In Your Home - How to Protect Your Family

How to Protect Your Family When Letting Workers Into Your Home -

5 Easy Steps

We work inside people's homes daily as a professional carpet cleaning company. Being known for our great reputation in the Bradenton and Sarasota communities, including being referred by the majority of the flooring stores and top real estate in the area, helps our clients to feel more comfortable. 

We primarily serve referred and repeat clients, but we realize it can be scary to have a stranger in your home. We do everything we can to make you feel comfortable, including clearly identifying ourselves by our uniforms and business cards. Being fully insured and performing a complete background check on every new employee helps us further decrease any risk when we send someone to your home. We even send an e-mail with a link to our team members pictures and a brief biography.

You may not always have a level of comfort with every worker that comes to your home. Some companies or individuals have workers that may dress slovenly, their appearance may be intimidating, or they might act unprofessionally. I once had a cable installer who couldn't keep his pants up the entire time he was in my home. Do you think I couldn't wait for him to leave? What can you do to keep you and your family safe when you invite workers into your home?

At Overturf's Cleaning, on our wall we have outlined our Mission, Values, and Purpose. Our purpose is to protect Southwest Florida from uneducated, uninformed, and even downright unscrupulous service companies. A great way to do that is to be educated on what to look for.

Employment Screening Resources (ESR) recommends five easy steps for people to protect themselves in their homes:

1. Deal only with reputable local businesses (I like word-of-mouth referrals). A business should be able to tell you what precautions they take in hiring someone they plan to send inside your house. If the company you are talking to does not know the specifics, make them find out before you let their workers into your home. If the carpet cleaning firm, plumbing company or other service business will not give you the answers you need, then call someone else. Fly by night, or here today gone tomorrow businesses are unfortunately common in the carpet cleaning industry. In doing some work for a local rental company, I discovered many of these fly by night scammers will rent the equipment to run their scam until they've gotten all they can out of an area, then they move on. Red flags are generally when they advertise extremely low, to-good-to-be true prices. Remember what dear mother said about 'when it sounds too good to be true.'

Also, don't let a small business tell you that it is too expensive or difficult to practice safe hiring. Isn't it better to pay a little more to company that has done the work to make sure they are not sending a dangerous person into your home? There are a number of steps any small business can take to make sure they are hiring safe and qualified people that cost next to nothing. It's just a matter of having a commitment to customer safety, as opposed to just hiring anyone they can find to do the job. Do you really want a company in your home that is cutting costs in important areas? Where else might they be cutting costs? 

2. If you are hiring an individual and not a firm, what do you know about them? The best protection is to do past employment checks or reference checks on people who dealt with them in a business capacity. A great question to ask their references: "If you had the opportunity, would you hire this person again?" Their answer will usually be very telling. If you know that a person has been gainfully employed for the past few years, it lessens the possibility they have been incarcerated for a serious offense. Make sure they check out. If it does not seem right, then find someone else. A professional screening firm or private investigator can also be contacted to perform a criminal check.

3. For a sensitive position such as a nanny or caregiver, spend the money it takes to do it right. Do a background check, contact a pre-employment screening firm or private investigator to check out the person. The most critical checks are past employment to verify where the person has been as well as a criminal check. The company we use typically charges less than $100 for a full background check, and can even be less depending on what states the person has lived. When the well being of loved ones are on the line, the extra investment in security is well worth the small costs involved. Background checks can be done for a very reasonable rate these days.

4. Use common sense. You may not check out everyone that comes to your home. A business for example, may come to your home just once to briefly drop something off or make a home repair. BUT use common sense. Have other people around if possible. Do not leave confidential information (such as checkbooks or credit card bills) or valuables lying around. In addition, do not tell store clerks or a person making a one-time visit anything confidential about your personal life, habits or customs that could make you a target in the future. For example, you don't need to tell a stranger if you are leaving town, or give information about your usual schedule, or if people you live with are away. And if you are uncomfortable for any reason, or something does not seem right, do not let the person in.

5. False sense of security--Be careful about do it yourself background checks on the internet. There are some Internet sites that seem to suggest that they offer a national criminal record search. Unfortunately, a person may be lulled into a completely false sense of security if the name they are searching does not appear on one of these databases. In fact, the appearance of a person's name on a database is not an indication the person is criminal any more then the absence of a name shows they are not a criminal. Why? Because these Internet services are based upon databases that are best used by professional investigators or screening firms in conjunction with a number of other tools. The databases by themselves are not an authoritative source. Many of the Internet databases are names assembled from correctional or law enforcement databases, or from court repositories that are only as accurate as the individual counties that report records. There is no way to know if the records are complete, accurate or up to date, or if the record is even about the person you are looking for. Actual court files normally must be obtained to locate identifiers. In addition, there are large holes in the geographic coverage.

A consumer is much better off contacting a professional who knows how to utilize such databases, as well as numerous other tools in order to do a legal background check.

We're not telling you this to make you paranoid about every service person that works at your home. However, it is important that you don't expose you or your family to potentially dangerous situations. We just want you to be aware of what to look for and how to identify an uneducated, uninformed, or downright unscrupulous service company.

So use caution and common sense so your next service experience can be an outstanding one! Overturf's Cleaning is not just a floor & fabric care consulting company. We work with a wide variety of local businesses, and we would be happy to refer a trustworthy company to you. Give our office a call if we can be of assistance, 941-301-9555.

IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaning Sarasota

Many, if not most, industries require certification and training, and why wouldn't you want them to? When your toilet is leaking water all over your bathroom, would you want a plumber that is learning on the job, figuring things out as he goes? Did you know that although wonderful training and certification programs are available for carpet cleaners, that certification is currently not required? And even worse, many choose not to become certified. Besides certification, what are some things that distinguish one carpet cleaning company from another?  Exhibit A: You might have experienced a carpet cleaner that was uneducated, uninformed, or possibly even downright unscrupulous. Selecting a Professional Service Company The above picture was taken by me at my neighbor's house. I'm always interested in the carpet cleaning companies people choose and why. Notice anything strange? Would you appreciated it if they pulled their service vehicle onto your grass and sidewalk?  Or worse, if you referred this company to a friend or client and you found out this happened to them...how embarrassed would you be? I didn't ask my neighbors how the experience went. But do you think it was the most outstanding service experience ever? If this type of attitude was taken towards parking, how do you think things might have gone inside the home? Do you think they respect the customer's property? Have you or someone you know been the victim of a nightmare carpet cleaner? Do you think this company may have been selected based on the cheapest price, or on the quality of work as recommended by others? What kind of things can a service company do to provide a better experience and provide the comfort and assurance needed when inviting their technicians into your home? Some of the systems we've put in place are: background and drug tested employees, neatly uniformed technicians with dress and grooming guidelines, clean organized vehicles and systems to ensure on time service, full insurance, extensive training programs and certifications, pre and post inspections and walk throughs, and so much more! We have a free downloadable consumer guide on our website, www.CleaningManatee.com with a list of questions that will help you choose a cleaning company. One important factor is the education in their industry that the company has. We always recommend using an IICRC Certified cleaner. What is a "Certified" Carpet Cleaner? In shopping for carpet cleaning, you may have noticed the word "certified" 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, your floors. They are also working in your bedrooms and around your family and possibly valuable possessions. Would you want to entrust this task to the lowest bidder? Of course not. Unfortunately, our industry is full of individuals that only care about how much money they can get from you, and nothing about the life of your carpeting, or the service experience you receive. They are not concerned with following up, in fact, they will likely be difficult to reach again if you have a problem. Some just 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? This is 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. The most recognized organization in this effort is called the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification). This organization provides certification courses and exams for the carpet cleaning industry. Our company has found them vital, and we attend them in addition to our rigorous in house company training. By attending these courses, carpet cleaners are taught about fiber identification, carpet construction, cleaning chemistry, cleaning methods, and professionalism. In order to receive certification, classroom work, hands on training, and a passed written exam are all required. Travel and expense are involved in these courses. That's why low price cleaners don't (or can't) participate in this training. Yes, they must make many sacrifices in quality to be able to charge a low price. These valuable training concepts equip our technicians to choose the proper procedures for cleaning your carpet. A certified firm such as Overturf's 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. Special Note: Never use a carpet cleaner that is not certified by the IICRC.

Maintaining Your Furniture

   Are you taking care of your upholstery?

With so much to take care of in our homes, it often doesn't get cared for properly. Sometimes by the time we think of having it cleaned, it can be too late, damage has already been done.

How to Care for Your Upholstery

Following these simple guidelines will help keep your upholstered living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture looking like new.

• To avoid fading, keep upholstered home furniture out of direct sunlight.

• Vacuum upholstered furniture as often as possible. Even if your home furniture has seen little use, the abrasive action of dirt and dust particles can wear on the fibers of your upholstery fabric. For high-use furniture, it’s a good idea to frequently beat the cushions and then vacuum and rotate them.

• Do not place newspapers directly on home furniture upholstery fabric, since ink will accumulate and is difficult to remove.

• Never cover your upholstered furniture with dark-colored blankets, sheets, etc., because the colored dyes can rub off onto fabric when dry or bleed when wet.

• Avoid the use of dyes, paints, inks, nail polishes, and Mercurochrome around your fabric upholstery, since these substances alter color and will stain.

• Never remove cushion covers for dry cleaning or machine washing, even though they have zippers. The colors can fade and no longer match the rest of the upholstery, or they can shrink or be damaged in the wash.

• Periodic professional Sarasota furniture cleaning will keep soil accumulation from marring the beauty of the upholstery of your home living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture.

Use Professional Grade Cleaning Products
Overturf’s Cleaning has partnered with one of the cleaning industry leaders, Bridgepoint Systems, to offer you professional grade cleaning supplies that are safe for household consumers and at a discounted cost. Please visit www.CleaningManatee.com/shop for details.
Products available that you may find useful for your upholstery include:

• Spot & Stain Remover
• Pet Spotter
• Heavy Duty Spotter
• Laminated Spotting Guide
• Odor Eliminator Kit

Remember to always test any cleaning product in an inconspicuous area of your upholstery or carpet before using.

Safely Removing Spots from Carpet

Although we've posted various types of spots and how to get rid of them, here are some basic steps for effective removal no matter the spot, along with some precautions.

Act Quickly!

Most carpet available today has been treated with a stain-resist treatment, so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain. Remember, staining is influenced by many factors, and no carpet is completely stain proof.

Blot liquids with a dry, white, absorbent cloth or or white paper toweling (no printing or colors on the paper towels).

Do not scrub! Scrubbing may cause pile distortion in the affected area. Continue to use a dry cloth or paper towels until the area is completely dry. For semi-solids, gently scrape up with a rounded spoon. Solids should be broken up and vacuumed until completely removed.

Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to be certain the solution will not damage the fiber or the dye. After applying several drops to the testing area, hold a white cloth on the wet area for 10 seconds. Examine the carpet and cloth for color transfer, color change, or damage to the carpet. If a change occurs or any color comes off onto your cloth, another cleaning solution should be selected.

Apply a small amount of the selected cleaning solution to a white cloth and work in gently.
Work from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent the spill from spreading. Remember, do no scrub! Blot in order to absorb as much as possible, and repeat if necessary.

Continue using the first cleaning solution as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. It is not necessary to use all of the cleaning solutions if the first solution removes the spill.

Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times.

After the spill has been completely removed, rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water, and blot with a dry cloth until all of the solution has been removed. Some cleaning solutions, especially the over the counter variety, can dry leaving behind residue. This will cause rapid soiling if the solution is not completely removed. Apply a one-half inch layer of white paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy object. Continue to change paper towels as needed.

A dry, absorbent, cleaning compound may be used as a substitute to accelerate drying time.
For more detailed information on a specific spill, please feel free to contact us or refer to our newsletters that contain this information.

Also, many fiber manufacturers provide toll-free cleaning assistance and advice (consult your carpet or fabric's warranty).

If you're looking for professional grade spot cleaners and other cleaning supplies, please visit our website at www.CleaningManatee.com/shop.

Successfully Maintaining Wool Carpets

Please note: these are not instructions for taking care of a wool rug, or an oriental rug.
Oriental rugs should always be cleaned in a rug plant by professionals, not at your home. “Why not at my home, so and so cleaning company did it before?” many ask. If you had your oriental rug successfully cleaned before, consider yourself fortunate. These rugs may have loose dye that will bleed or crock. You may have 10 colors in your rug and only one bleeds. This can be cared for and prevented much better at a rug plant, plus the cleaning, dusting and drying process is far superior than what can be done at your home. If you decide to spot clean your Oriental rug, make sure you test every color separately for color fastness. You test for color fastness by taking a white cotton towel that has been dipped with a small amount of wool safe cleaner, and then patting the towel on each color separately.

Regular Maintenance of your wool carpets
If you have wool carpets, get rid of all your store bought carpet cleaning spotters. Many of these products not only leave behind dirt attracting residue, they also have a high pH that is too aggressive to use on wool and can ruin your carpets.
Use a product that indicates on the packaging that it is wool safe. Using too high a PH cleaner on your wool carpet can turn the fibers brown or yellow.
High PH cleaners will also break down the cuticle or hard scaly surface that holds the fiber together. Breaking down the cuticle leaves you with a fuzzy mess. When using a wool safe product – blot. Scrubbing will also cause the fiber to fuzz out.
Do not get bleach on your wool carpet. Bleach will dissolve wool carpet and leave a hole behind.
As with all carpet, vacuum as often as you can, at least once a week.

You want your wool carpet to dry quickly when it is cleaned. If the carpet takes too long to dry it can turn yellow or brown. Your professional Sarasota carpet cleaner will run an air mover to help dry the carpet faster while he is there. He will also give you instructions so you can help the drying process to happen quicker after he leaves.
Much effort, training, and specialty products go into cleaning wool carpets correctly. That’s why using the right professionals like those at Overturf’s Cleaning makes this job a successful one with no headaches down the road. You also want to be sure the carpet cleaner you use is IICRC Certified. That means he has undergone formal training and has received at least some education in carpet cleaning. At Overturf's Cleaning, we help you avoid uneducated, uninformed, and even downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners by providing the most outstanding service experience ever, guaranteed.

Indoor Air Quality and Your Carpet

Recently, the EPA had put into the Congressional Record the fact that indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air.

How can that be true? The main reason is that indoor air is trapped.  Rarely does it get completely replaced.  Outdoor air on the other hand gets blown away and new, cleaner air replaces it. 

Trapped air in our home continues to gather pollutants: from our clothes, shoes, our bodies, our hair, our pets, our garages, and many other sources. These contaminants eventually settle on our furniture, our floors, our rugs, and yes, our carpet. 
Then, when someone walks over them, they get re-dispersed into your air and you and your family breathe them.  A great example is when you look at a stream of sunlight and see all the dust floating around.  You breathe that air over and over.  That's why indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air.

There is a way out of this vicious cycle: Getting your carpet cleaned thoroughly and regularly rids your home of these pollutants lurking in your carpet. Yes Sarasota carpet cleaning is a major factor.

The polluted air is circulated and some of it settles on horizontal surfaces--the largest horizontal surface being your carpet.  That's why cleaning your carpet is the best solution for removing indoor air pollution.  And that's why we recommend cleaning all rooms of carpet even if they don't look dirty.

Believe it or not, that's also why carpet is a superior flooring choice for indoor air quality, since it traps these pollutants in the air. The key is keeping it regularly cleaned, not just when it looks dirty.

What's regular? That can vary, based on conditions in the home such as smoking, pets, children, the amount of foot traffic.
According to the U.S. EPA Letter, January 1989, the longest recommended interval between cleanings to maintain indoor air quality is 12 months.

Ask yourself: What would it be worth if regular carpet cleanings could mean one less doctor visit for my child per year? What is it worth to me to be able to breath better and get sick less?