Does Steam Cleaning Kill Germs?

Does steam cleaning kill germs Your home should be your haven, the place you go to escape the pressures of work and the outside world. However, your home can quickly become less of a haven and more of a mess. Even if you work hard to keep your home clean. It is simply a fact of life that over time dirt, germs, and dust can build up in your home. This is where carpet cleaning swoops in to save the day. Carpet cleaning is one of the most effective ways to rid your home of unwanted dirt, debris, and yes, even germs. Read on to learn more about how carpet cleaning kills germs and bacteria, removes dirt, and the other benefits of steam cleaning your home. Remember, if you need carpet cleaning in Denver we are the team to call. We use the latest techniques and quality equipment to ensure the job is done right.

Steam Cleaning Kills Germs & So Much More

When we say that carpet cleaning kills germs, we mean specifically that steam cleaning kills germs. Some carpet cleaning methods will not kill germs, due to the process used. Steam cleaning differs by virtue of the extreme temperatures of the water used. When steam cleaning your carpet, the hot water will penetrate the carpet fibers and force the dirt, bacteria, and germs to the surface. During the extraction of the hot water, this unwanted debris will be pulled up and eradicated from your carpet. The hot water used in the process is at such high temperatures that many pathogens and germs will be killed. This can be especially effective for rooms you know are prone to hosting a bountiful amount of germs, such as nurseries, children’s bedrooms, and pet areas. Steam coming out of wand

Beyond Just Germs

While the death of hosts of germs is something to celebrate, steam cleaning will rid your carpet of more than just these unsavory guests. Steam cleaning can also abolish a multitude of other objectionable substances, such as the following:

    • Dust Mites: You might never lay eyes on these tiny pests, but odds are good they reside in your home. Dust mites are more than a nuisance, they leave behind waste matter which can trigger allergic reactions and asthma. Steam cleaning will send these pests packing as well as ridding your home of the waste they left behind.
    • Odors: Do you have pet odor or pet urine issues, leaving it smelling less than ideal? Do you struggle to rid your teen’s room of lingering smells? Remove odors in your home with carpet steam cleaning. When we use our high powered steam cleaner on your carpets, we can rid your house of even the toughest odors.
    • Mold / Mildew: Although Colorado is an arid climate, mold and mildew can still form in your home. If you have carpeting that has developed a moldy or mildew smell, it is time to eradicate these harmful fungi with steam cleaning, special solutions and chemical disinfectants.

Ready to turn your home back into the inviting, cozy place it should be? Contact our team to schedule a carpet cleaning in Denver or the surrounding area. We look forward to helping you rid your home of unwanted odors, germs, and pests.

The Best Way to Clean Carpets in Denver

…And the Myths You’ve Been Told to Hide the Truth

As a small business owner, I spend a significant amount of time doing competitive research. I’m interested in what is the best way to clean carpets and I like to know what my competitors are up to. As I visit my competitor’s websites, I’m shocked at the amount of unsupported misinformation I see being thrown around. I’ve written this article to address it. Carpet cleaning, as an industry, is filled with “alternative” methods contrived by individuals and companies to sell inferior services based on scare tactics and dubious claims, instead of selling the best carpet cleaning methods not on fact. As with any service, there is always a gradient of quality, from low to high, but it’s helpful to look first at the whole picture.

Various Carpet Cleaning Methods and Their Effectiveness:

Hot water extraction:

Hot water extraction is the best way to clean carpets. It’s the best carpet cleaning method available. This isn’t opinion, it’s fact and it’s supported by evidence.

Hot water extraction (carpet steam cleaning) is approved by, and recommended by many major carpet manufacturers, including Shaw, the industry’s largest. Specifically, Shaw actually requires homeowners to show they have maintained their carpets using hot water extraction (AKA steam cleaning) in order to maintain their carpet’s warranty.

The Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Association (ICRA) and Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) also recommends hot water extraction.

Best way to clean carpets - hot water extraction

Carpet Cleaning Methods – Why Hot Water Extraction is the Best Carpet Cleaning Method: 

There is a general lack of evidence to support some of the wild claims being thrown around the carpet cleaning industry. Typically this by some of the more dubious and sneaky companies. Below are three meaningful citations from major industry voices:

We recommend that you follow the carpet manufacturers recommendations of hot water extracting your carpet every 12 to 18 months to maintain your warranty.

Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Association

Shaws choice: Hot water extraction

Research indicates that the hot water extraction system provides the best capability for cleaning. This system is commonly referred to as “steam cleaning,” although no steam is actually generated. The process consists of applying a cleaning agent into the carpet pile and using water in the extractor to recover the used solution and soil. This can be done from a truck-mounted unit outside the home with only the hose and wand brought inside or by a portable system brought into the home.

Shaw warranties require that the homeowner be able to show proof of periodic cleaning by hot water extraction (commonly called “steam” cleaning) by a professional cleaning service or do-it-yourself system, using equipment that is certified under the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval program. We strongly recommend cleaning systems that have achieved the Gold Level Performance in the CRI Seal of Approval Program…

Shaw Floors

While there are numerous techniques to utilize when removing dirt and allergens, they don’t always leave the same results. There are many benefits to the flooring and the occupants when hot water and steam are employed… The usual vacuuming and spot cleaning is a necessary step in prolonging the life of the carpet, but such methods can only remove debris at the surface. Performing a deeper treatment approach will remove the dirt, pet hair, dust mites, and other debris that commonly work their way down further or are dug into the fibers themselves.

Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification

carpet cleaning showing before and after

So, Enough With the Research – How Does Hot Water Extraction (Carpet Steam Cleaning) Actually Work?

A truck mounted carpet cleaning machine (or a less powerful portable machine, typically used for high rises or areas where a truck mount can’t reach) performs a variety of functions. It’s a self contained, powerful engine driven system. It heats water, creates high pressure, and has a huge vacuum system all in one. In short, it’s the best way to clean carpets.

 Typical Hot Water Extraction (Steam Carpet Cleaning) Basic Process

  1. A technician uses the machine’s water pressure to pre-spray carpeted areas to be cleaned. Usually this is with a high pH cleaner designed for the specific type of carpet cleaning to be cleaned. This breaks down dirt, grime and filth. Different solutions require different “dwell” times to be fully effective, so a pause here is likely.
  2. Technician agitates the pre-sprayed areas, as needed, to loosen dirt and grime. Agitation occurs either manually or with a machine.
  3. A complete rinse with a very mild acidic rinse (less acidic than orange juice…) is applied. This application is at high pressure with very hot water. The water temperature is adjustable to well above 250 degrees, though typically it’s kept below 200 degrees because blasting steam everywhere isn’t actually productive. The cleaning is done with a carpet cleaning wand or other accessory. During this step, the initial prespray is neutralized, and very nearly all of the water is sucked back out of the carpets with a very powerful vacuum. The high pressure further safely removes dirt, filth, and grime. Afterwards, there is very little, if any solution left in the carpet. This means the carpet doesn’t re-soil, which was, and is, a common complaint of older (now obsolete, in my opinion) carpet shampoo systems.

Important Elements of What a Truck Mounted Hot Water Extraction Machine Does:

  • It consistently heats water to very high temperatures – thus the original name of this service “carpet steam cleaning”. The industry has now mostly moved to “hot water extraction” as the common nomenclature. Having a machine that can keep water consistently hot for the task at hand is absolutely vital. As we all know, hot water cleans better than cold water.
  • It pressurizes this water to be sprayed onto the carpet – different machines produce different amounts of pressure. Some residential units produce a maximum pressure of around 800 PSI. Other massive commercial/industrial machines produce upwards or beyond 3,000 PSI. Typically 700 PSI is about as high as you want to go for just about any carpet cleaning job (often lower). But, it’s useful to have the higher PSI since it’s needed for proper residential or commercial tile cleaning, hard surface cleaning, or other high pressure requiring tasks. This is another reason why larger, commercial grade truck mount carpet cleaning machines are superior. Smaller residential sized truck mounts just don’t have enough power.
  • It produces a whole lot of vacuum to suck up the sprayed water – The bigger the truck mount machines, typically, the bigger the vacuum. Again, here we have a variety of vacuum strengths, ranging from low vacuum like would be found on a portable machine, to vacuums many times stronger than the strongest shop vac hose you’ve ever stuck your hand against. The value of strong vacuum is three-fold. More vacuum means less water left in your carpets. It is also more useful for high PSI tasks like commercial or residential tile cleaning to suck up the excess water. Finally bigger machines are better for flood and restoration work to get more water out of the carpet and pad.

 

Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning / Encapsulation Carpet Cleaning

Using a Buffer with a Bonnet / Brush / Low Encapsulation Cleaning

Here’s the sales pitch for “low moisture cleaning”. “We provide dry cleaning, which is the best carpet cleaning method around. It’s safe, and your carpets are nearly dry instantly”

Sounds great, right? Most things with a heavy marketing spin typically do.

The Typical “Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning” Process:

  1. A technician vacuums the floor.
  2. Technician sprays an encapsulation (usually) solution, maybe with an added oxidizer. “Oxi” anything has become quite the marketing buzz word, so has “Citrus” on the carpet.
  3. The technician then uses an agitation tool of some kind. Usually this is either a rotating brush or a bonnet on a buffer, or something similar to agitate the encapsulation (and whatever else) into the carpet fibers. The fibers are stood up by the tool, and the encapsulation provides an initial nice “clean” look.
  4. After the encapsulation dries, the whole thing is supposed to be vacuumed up. This is normally left to the homeowner, in a residential setting, to remove the crystallized dirt with your vacuum in the coming days.

This process is an OK solution. Encapsulation is a process that we actually use ourselves as a cost-saving carpet maintenance solution for our commercial customers. It’s especially useful in office carpet cleaning, for example. We can do this between hot water extractions or in certain other applications where it’s called for. It isn’t, however, the best way to clean carpets. This is exactly the point. These systems were designed as a carpet maintenance method. Instead, though, it is being marketed and sold to consumers as a deep, restorative carpet cleaning, which it is not.

Where Does the Dirt Go?

Take a moment to think through this low moisture carpet cleaning process. Here is the most important missing part (ignoring for a moment the inferior solutions used). There is not any rinsing or removal of the applied and agitated carpet cleaning solutions. There is also not any removal of soil. This is, therefore, not the best way to clean carpets.

When we clean carpets with hot water extraction, we run our truck mounted carpet cleaning machines. When done, we then responsibly drain the water into an approved sewer. The water that comes out almost black. It’s gross. If we can pull 50-100 gallons of nearly black filthy water out of a carpet. Meanwhile, they rub a brush or a buffer over the tops of your carpet fibers, where does the dirt go?

Here’s where a bit of the dirt goes:

A counter rotating brush machine typically has small trays to catch a small amount of flung-up dry soil. Think of the spinning brushes on the street sweeper as it goes by… it’s like that. Except those machines actually use water and a vacuum, too, so maybe it’s a bad example.

Bonnet cleaning picks up some dirt from the fibers onto a towel like material. As it’s doing this, the twisting motion can also grind and untwists carpet fibers, wearing them in the process. In reality, though, if you tried to absorb lots of dirt and water with your bath towel, there isn’t exactly a lot of holding capacity, right?

So, you’re now wondering where does the rest of dirt go?

Correct. It stays in your carpet. It’s buried at the bottom of the fibers and in the pad (which coincidentally would otherwise have been cleaned with hot water extraction). Will you vacuum up some of that encapsulated dirt yourself? Sure, but when you sweep out your garage floor, does the sweeping get the concrete floor cleaner than the hose does? Nope. So, you have to play a role in your purchased carpet cleaning by vacuuming? You’re thinking to yourself, “How does this qualify as the best way to clean carpets, again?”.

Another example: When you do your laundry, do you rub a bunch of dry or wet compound/solution (low moisture cleaning) on it, scrub it with something, then let it dry? Not usually. Normally you put it in the washing machine where it receives detergent (a high pH cleaner), which is later rinsed out. Same concept with hot water extraction. Not the best way to clean you laundry – just like it’s not the best way to clean carpets.

 

If a Truck Mounted Hot Water Extraction System is the Best Method for Carpet Cleaning, Why isn’t Everyone Using One?

It’s expensive

Anyone can go out and buy a buffer with a bonnet, or an encapsulation brush system for anywhere from $1,000 on the low end (maybe less if bought used) to around $3,000 on the high side. Someone can also throw this in the back of their station wagon, SUV, or mini van. No van or specialty vehicle needed.

Typically utilized truck mounted carpet cleaning systems, by comparison, run anywhere from $15,000 – $30,000 (or even more). This doesn’t include the cost of the van, or the equipment that goes with it. All told, easily a $50,000 investment on the low side when you want to “do it right”.

There’s a big business behind it

Low moisture carpet cleaning began as a “carpet maintenance” solution used in commercial spaces. Somewhere along the line, someone with a good marketing mind decided to market this to the masses in the the home/residential market as “professional carpet cleaning”.

Further, large franchises began seeing how to make a business out of utilizing low cost equipment and instead investing heavily in large marketing. These companies are not interested in what the best way to clean carpets is, instead they are interested in whatever makes the most money while requiring the least amount of cost and training.

This low cost barrier to entry makes it affordable for anyone to become a “professional carpet cleaner”. Professional, yes, when you compare it to your vacuum cleaner. But not when compared to hot water extraction (carpet steam cleaning).

It requires someone to know what they are doing

It’s not hard to train an employee to spray a solution on the ground and run over it with a buffer or counter rotating brush machine. If you’ve ever vacuumed, you could probably do this yourself. A truck mount, however, is a much more complicated machine that requires an understanding of how it works, what settings (there are many) are appropriate, how much solution to apply, what solution is appropriate for what carpet type, etc.

Knowledge of the machine is just the beginning. Knowing the most effective ways to actually clean with a wand or other accessory, ideally route houses, protect walls and corners from rubbing or wear, treat stains, wet vs. dry strokes with a wand, proper coverage of each stroke, protecting furniture and more all takes a lot more training and know-how.

 

I hear about all these problems with hot water extraction and how it’s not the best way to clean carpets. What can you say about that!? Here are some common myths about hot water extraction (steam cleaning):

Moisture as a big problem

Many companies not using hot water extraction (I like to think they are jealous) like to over dramatize the amount of water used, the amount of water left in carpets after cleaning, and the also like to make a big deal about dry time.

When we clean a 5 bedroom home, without the use of high velocity fans, by the time we leave (usually about 2 hours later), the first room we carpet cleaned is often dry or very nearly so. If you perform carpet hot water extraction (carpet steam cleaning) the professional way (we do) and put high velocity fans in rooms, rotating them as we clean each room (we do), this expedites drying even more so. In the dry Denver are climate, the moisture is even less of an issue.

Even if the carpet is a little bit damp still for a bit – who cares? Unless you insist on walking around your home only in socks, always, and you’ve never worn anything but socks in your home under any circumstances, ever, I promise this is a non-issue. Just walk around in clean shoes. Or walk around in bare feet. Walk around in slippers. If it suits your fancy, feel free to even walk around in damp socks for an hour or two. Then it’ll be dry, and it’ll actually look, and actually be clean!

Hot water extraction leads to mold

No, it doesn’t. Stop it with the lies or find some reputable evidence to back up your claim. Maybe if your carpet cleaner’s machine has been in service since 1992 and the blower is shot so it doesn’t make any vacuum, so the “tech” puts down water but never removes it… and then you never make any comment about how you’ve been walking around in a puddle for a few days… and your carpet is still wet 2 days after his “cleaning”… yeah, then you are on your way to getting mold.

The generally held thought is the mold can begin to propagate after 24-48 hours in a consistently wet environment. It certainly doesn’t happen with a few hours after a carpet has just been professionally cleaned. To those spreading the mold myth, enough already. Denver, and all of Colorado, on the whole, is very dry so mold is less of an issue than other climates.

Rent a rug doctor instead of getting hot water extraction, it’s the same thing

…Or some other variant of DIY self carpet cleaning.

Okay, I’m just going to say it. Obviously I’m biased here, but if you’re looking for the way to best get your carpets clean, these rug doctor things are terrible to use. I didn’t always run a carpet cleaning company. Before I did, I used one of these things along with it’s red bottle of pet spray and it’s primary detergent. After I was all in, it took me a few hours of putting luke-warm, low pressure water and strangely perfumed solution down (a tip to the manufacturer, just make it smell like citrus. Everyone seems to be fine with citrus carpet cleaning scents…).

I dumped a bunch of detergent into my carpet, the pet odor was still present, and my carpet DID stay soggy for a while. It DIDN’T cause mold, though, even though it was infinitely more wet than when we professionally clean carpets via hot water extraction! These little machines have an extremely weak water sprayer, and a weak, under powered vacuum (thus the leftover water in the carpets).

More DIY fun

They also don’t roll well, are a pain to move, and you have to fill/drain the water tanks – dirty and clean over and over. Oh, and the cost… $29.99… then you need to buy the detergent for another $14.99 (or more for the “fancy” stuff), then the pre-spray for $5.99… after taxes you’re walking out of there for $60, maybe $60.99 after you get a candy bar. Okay, $62.48, you needed a Coke too, right?

Then you get home and you get to enjoy 2 hours of sweaty misery, regretting being so cheap all the while getting mediocre results. Plus, now you can’t walk around in your socks at least until the next day!

Carpet cleaners use harsh chemicals, and that the low moisture guys don’t

Ok, at the risk of infuriating some people, we use chemicals. Most in the industry call them “solutions”, but they are chemicals. You know what’s also a chemical? Water. “Chemical” shouldn’t have any association with anything bad. But, we do use some “chemicals”. Are they safe and non-toxic? Yup. Safe for pets and kids? Yup. They sure are. Pets? Absolutely. Are the “low moisture guys” using the same or similar safety carpet solutions, you bet. Are the scare tactics around carpet cleaning “chemicals” a bunch of hullabaloo (I know, great word, right?), yes.

What about waste water, doesn’t that pollute? Aren’t you wasting water?

The first question I have may get a little personal

How often do you shower? When we clean the typical house, we use about 50 gallons of water. How much is 50 gallons of water? About as much as when your 50 gallon water heater runs out and the shower goes cold. I think it’s about that much – but I’m not a water heater expert. By the estimates I’ve found, most families of four use about 12,000 gallons of water a month, 144,000 gallons a year. If you, therefore, get your carpets cleaned once a year, we have used .03% of your annual water – a proverbial drop in the bucket.

The second question – regarding waste water

We solve this problem by equipping our vans with “automatic pump outs”. These are special pumps designed to pump water from our trucks to a sewer via a toilet, janitors sink, or directly into a sewer connection. We use these, instead of your parking lot or driveway to drain water to where it is supposed to go. The EPA says we can dump our water onto a grassy area (so they don’t exactly see it as a big deal anyway), but we’d still prefer to drain it into a sewer just because we think it’s the right thing to do. If we don’t fill up our tank until we return to our shop, and therefore don’t need to use the automatic pump outs, we drain it directly into a sewer connection at the shop.

Wrapping Up your Education on the Best Carpet Cleaning Techniques

Ok, so the methods have been explained, the myths have been dispelled, and the the bonnet / brush / low moisture cleaners have been overthrown by the best method for carpet cleaning, the king of the carpet cleaning world – truck mounted hot water extraction. So, what’s the next step now that you know everything about the best way to clean carpets in Denver? I guess it’s that you call us to book your next carpet cleaning!

 

 

Or Call: 1-720-233-0761

Truck Mount Carpet Cleaning Services in Denver

Why a Truck Mount Carpet Cleaning Machine is Best

When you’re looking for a professional Denver truck mount carpet cleaning service, we have some tips.

Our recommendation is to first look for a service provider offering truck mounted hot water extraction. Hot water extraction (also known as steam cleaning) is the best method for deeply cleaning carpets.

Types of Professional Carpet Cleaning Machines

There are two types of professional carpet cleaning machines that can be used for hot water extraction. A portable carpet cleaning machine and a truck mount carpet cleaning machine. Whenever a truck mount is available, it’s by far the superior option.

Truck mounted carpet cleaning machines have significantly better suction, heat, and pressure. This leads to a more thorough, faster carpet cleaning with shorter dry times.

MSS Cleaning is the best truck mount carpet cleaner in Denver and the surrounding areas.

best truck mount carpet cleaning services in Denver
Denver carpet cleaning services with a truck mount carpet cleaning machine prochem legend

Not All Truck Mount Carpet Cleaning Machines are Created Equal

There are a wide range of truck mount carpet cleaning machines. The quality of work and reliability between machines also varies greatly. Typical machines you’ll see typically fall into these categories:

  • Smaller units with 15-20 horsepower that lack suction power and water heating capacity. We don’t use these.
  • Larger commercial truck mount units with 25-35 horsepower. We use the more powerful versions in this category for some of our machines.
  • Large truck mount machines with 60+ horsepower car engines designed for massive industrial jobs or giant water extraction needs. We have these for large jobs.
  • Direct drive truck mount machines – quieter operation and efficiency. We use these where noise can be a concern as well as in daily operation, they work great.

As we’ve evolved as a company, we’ve purchased various different truck mounts for different purposes. At the end of the day, all of our equipment is top of the line and does an exceptional job, without cutting any corners in your home or business.

Four Reasons Why Our Truck Mounts Help Us To Be The Best

Reach

Our largest truck mount carpet cleaning machines can pull vacuum for up to 1,000 feet if needed. Smaller residential machines are lucky to pull vacuum half of that distance (many even less). 

For Denver carpet cleaning services, this means we can park in a safe place, and that we can carpet clean large office buildings reaching the farthest corners, even in huge spaces.

Heat

Effective, professional carpet cleaning requires hot, consistent heat.

When you wash your dishes with hot water instead of cold water, its significantly easier and more effective. In the same way, hot water is vital to getting your carpets as clean as possible. Heat is lost over long hose runs in smaller machines.

Having machines that can put out more heat than we could ever need makes sure we can do the job right. Even with long hose runs for carpet cleaning large buildings.

High heat is also vital for other tasks like tile cleaning or other hard surface cleaning. Like the dish washing example before, cleaning surfaces with hot water vs. cold water is infinitely more effective.

Pressure

Many smaller residential truck mount carpet cleaning machines have a maximum sustained pressure of 1,000 PSI or less. While that may be adequate for carpet cleaning, when we need it, we’ve got plenty more pressure than “the other guys”. This makes a huge difference in getting your tile and grout lines cleaned. The same applies for cleaning concrete or other hard surfaces.

Age and maintenance

Like all heavy-duty equipment, all truck mounted carpet cleaning machines have a useful life. Estimates vary on how many hours this is and how long a company can keep their old machines limping along. At MSS Cleaning, we prefer to avoid ever getting close to the point of ineffectiveness. We replace our equipment that no longer functions at full capacity.

You want Denver’s best carpet cleaning services. Those carpet cleaning services can’t be delivered on under-powered or beat up old carpet cleaning machines.

We see it all the time – “carpet cleaners” using rusted out, outdated, beat to death truck mounts and equipment. Secondarily, we see companies trying to hack it in the commercial space using small, under-powered truck mounts or portables.

Place your trust with MSS Cleaning to bring the right, modern, well maintained equipment and to be the best truck mount carpet cleaners in Denver.

Portable carpet cleaning machine

When a Portable Machine is Needed

Whenever possible, we use a truck mounted carpet cleaning machine for it’s superior carpet cleaning abilities. There are certain limited instances, however, where using a truck mount is not feasible.

For the most part, portable carpet machines should only be needed for tall, multi-story buildings or other limited access scenarios. Once you get beyond the 4th floor, pulling hoses for a truck mount starts to get difficult (though sometimes it still is possible for another floor or two).

When faced with these challenges, MSS Cleaning can still provide the best portable carpet cleaning services in Denver. We use our portable machines in carpet cleaning high rise offices, carpet cleaning condos, or carpet cleaning apartments.

While not as strong as a truck mount carpet cleaner, we can still do a great job with providing the best portable, Denver carpet cleaning services.

Professionals Trust MSS Cleaning

Regardless of whether you need Denver carpet cleaning services in your home or your business. Whether you are on the first floor, or the 40th.

Irrespective of if you need carpet cleaning for have 1,000 sq. ft. of carpet in your home or you need commercial carpet cleaning for your 100,000 sq. ft. office or restaurant carpet cleaning, you can feel confident in knowing the experts at MSS Cleaning will always be your truck mount carpet cleaning Denver partner.

We’ll bring the best equipment available to clean your carpets and other spaces in the best way that it can be cleaned.

Or Call Now 1-720-233-0761

How To Remove Pet Odors From Your Carpet

How to Remove Pet Odors from Your Carpet

Owning pets comes with many joys. Walking through the door and seeing your puppy wag his tail in excitement as you are tackled with love might be one of the highlights of your day. Unfortunately, with our furry friends often comes unsightly stains and less than desirable odors. You’ve tried burning candles, spraying odor killers in the air. Still you cannot seem to rid your home of that pesky pet odor. Check out our guide to combating pet odors in the home. If your carpet is starting to show the wear and tear of your four legged friend, or if a pesky odor from your pet seems to persist, this post is for you. We are here to help you learn the best tactics for removing pet odors and stains from your carpet safely and effectively.

Stay On Top Of Cleaning

dog lying next to vacuum cleaner on cream pattered rugOne of the first things you should do to help combat the odors associated with owning pets is to clean frequently. Even if you have a pet that doesn’t seem to visibly shed much, you need to vacuum your carpets frequently. Pets not only shed their fur throughout your home, they also leave behind dander and dirt. Make it a point to vacuum carpeted rooms more than once every week. When you vacuum, don’t quickly sweep over the area. Start with one corner of the room and work your way through the room with slow motions. Focus on slowing down when you pull the vacuum back towards you as this is when the most suction occurs. Vacuum similar to the style you would mow a lawn, with straight overlapping lines. Once you have made your way through the entire room, go over it again but reverse the direction of your lines so you hit the carpet fibers from a different direction.

Treat Stains Immediately

Is your pup still learning the ropes of potty training? Do you have a cat that likes to express their disdain for you being gone all day with urine marks? It is important to treat all stains as soon as possible. You can use an over the counter solution, or make your own. A simple DIY natural solution can be made by first soaking the stain with vinegar, then adding a little baking soda. Be sure to put the vinegar down first or you’ll be reliving your elementary school science class volcano.

Baking soda can also be used on a weekly basis sans the vinegar. First vacuum your carpet thoroughly. Then sprinkle baking soda across the area. With a small brush work the baking soda gently into the carpet. Let the baking soda sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Then vacuum up the baking soda. This will help pull out any grease or lingering odors.

Check back soon for Part 2 removing pet odors and stains from your carpet. Use the form below to reach out for more information about our carpet cleaning services. We can help you tackle your hard to remove pet odors and stains.

Keep Your Furry Pals Groomed

Boxer dog lying on white carpetAnother way to prevent odor build up is to ensure your furry pals are clean. Groom them frequently. Dogs who are not bathed will be more prone to shedding dander along with excessive amounts of fur. If your dog spends time outside, make sure you clean all four paws before letting your pal run around the house. During muddy seasons, keep a towel by the door to ensure you don’t wind up with dirty prints on your carpets.

Change Your Air Filters

When was the last time you changed your HVAC filter? Although this may seem unrelated to your carpet, it can contribute to that musty dog or cat smell around the home. Your home’s air filter should be changed a few times a year. If you have noticed your allergies getting worse, it could be due to the build up of dander and fur in your HVAC system. Changing your filter is simple and cheap, but will improve the quality of your indoor air greatly.

Schedule Carpet Cleaning

Keeping up with ongoing cleaning, including ensuring your pets are well groomed, will help a lot towards keeping your home fresh. However, if you own pets, you need to schedule regular, professional carpet cleaning on a frequent basis. Over time, even well behaved pets who never have accidents and allow you to groom them frequently will contribute to the buildup of grime, dirt, dust, and dander in your carpet. Regular vacuuming and cleaning cannot reach the deepest parts of your carpet fibers. Steam cleaning will target the deepest parts of your carpeting, and the high powered extraction methods we use will pull out odor-inducing pet hair, dander, and urine. This will leave your home smelling fresh and looking clean. It will also improve the longevity of your carpet, which means lowered costs for you in the long run.

Reach Out Today For Help With Pet Odor Removal

If you have tried all the methods listed above, all the methods from Part 1 of this blog series, and your carpet still has a lingering odor, contact our technicians. We can assist you with high powered steam cleaning for your carpet. 

Or Call: 1-720-233-0761

Carpet Cleaning Vs New Carpet

Carpet cleaning vs. new carpet replacement

Carpet Cleaning vs. New Carpet

When Does it Make Sense to Clean Your Carpet or to Replace It?

Have you reached the point where your carpets look so worn and discolored you are considering replacing them? Whether you own a home or a business, there comes a point when foot traffic wears down the carpet. This leaves you with a less than beautiful interior.

Deciding between replacement and cleaning can be a hard call. The decision ultimately comes down to a few determining factors as well as your personal preference.

Here are a few factors to help decide if your carpet can be cleaned, or if it’s is time to replace your aged carpeting.

Is The Carpet Dirty or Worn Out?

Carpets experience physical wear over time. Dry soil acts as an abrasive that slowly tears carpet apart. This wear typically occurs more quickly on commercial carpets with lots of traffic. However, it happens in your home too.

Frequent maintenance of your own carpet through vacuuming helps. Still, a vacuum does not reach all the way to the base of carpet fibers where the damage can occur.

Scheduling periodic carpet cleaning will help any carpet last longer and look better. It will also help avoid early replacement.

Digging Deeper

It can be hard to determine if your carpet is dirty or if it is actually worn down. Many times, customers mistake darkened areas as dirty. Really, it may be burst carpet fibers reflecting the light differently.

Sometimes, however, the wear is obvious. If you have damaged the fibers to the point there are bare spots showing, carpet cleaning won’t fix that. That spot in front of where the same recliner has sat for 15 years, for example? Replacement is probably going to be necessary to achieve a uniform appearance.

If, however, the heavy traffic areas are simply discolored due to dirt and grime build-up, carpet cleaning likely will resolve this issue. If you are not sure whether your carpet is dirty or worn, call us. We will help clarify and help you set fair expectations for what carpet cleaning can do for your particular carpet.

Commercial Carpet Cleaning Wear and Tear

With commercial carpets, it’s often easy to spot wear. Frequently used areas under desks or conference tables are usually the first areas to wear out. At the same time, traffic lanes wear out faster than the surrounding areas.

This damage often presents itself as wrinkles, visibly thin areas, tears, opened seams or delamination from the backing of the carpet. If you are unclear about whether commercial carpet cleaning will solve your problem, get in touch. We’d be happy to provide a free estimate for cleaning your commercial carpets. Our office carpet cleaning services are some of the best around.

What is the Age of Your Carpet?

Another major factor to consider is the age of your carpet. Is your carpet less than 10 years old? If so, you will probably benefit from scheduling a professional carpet cleaning cleaning service. If your carpet was installed back in the 1970s, it’s probably time to upgrade.

While professional cleaning can help bring any carpet back to life, it can only do so much. If you have truly old carpet, cleaning it may improve the appearance, but it likely won’t provide the result you’re seeking.

If you purchased a home or business and you’re uncertain of the age of the carpet, don’t assume it needs to be replaced. A lot of modern carpet is extremely resilient.

Even if it appears to be worn down, discolored, or drab, a good deep cleaning could actually revitalize it. Before you give up on older carpeting, consider scheduling a professional carpet cleaning.

What Is the Quality of the Carpet?

Another major factor when considering carpet cleaning vs. new carpet is the quality of the carpet that was installed. Carpet has a useful life. High quality carpets can last for 15-20 years, sometimes longer.

Wool carpets can look great for many years, for example. We’ve cleaned durable old Olefin carpets that are 20-25 years old that clean up surprisingly well for their age. If you buy cheap polyester carpet, you shouldn’t expect much more than a 10 year useful life from that carpet.

A quality carpet, however, can look great for many years.

Carpet Technology Has Changed

A lot has changed in the carpet mills over the years. New carpet is designed to be more resilient. New technology is built into each carpet fiber to help resist stains and to hold up longer.

Factory applied protectants are also commonplace whereas they didn’t used to be. These changes help new carpet look better, longer.

dreamstime_xxl_1963392-1Will It Be Suffering A Lot More Wear Soon?

Do you have dogs? Are in the middle of house training a puppy? Maybe you have a few small children? Perhaps you have an office where 100 people walk over the same spot each day?

These are all factors that lead to accelerated carpet wear. Often, a professional carpet cleaning service is enough to refresh your carpets. Then you can put off replacing the carpets until a later date.

We provide a whole suite of pet related carpet cleaning services such as carpet cleaning for pet odor as well.

If you are interested in scheduling a professional carpet cleaning service for your home or business, get in touch. We can help you weigh the pros and cons of replacement versus cleaning. We want to help you determine which option is the best choice for you right now.

Or Call: 1-720-233-0761

Pet Safe Carpet Cleaning

Is carpet cleaning safe for my pets?

Pet Safe Carpet Cleaning in Denver

If you are a pet owner, you want to make sure you use pet safe carpet cleaning. You already know the toll your furry friends can take on your carpet. Dogs and cats both cause their share of damage to your flooring. They often leave you with a home that smells less than fresh and looks dingy. One of the best solutions for ridding your home of lingering odors and unsightly pet stains and odor is to schedule a carpet cleaning.

You love your pets like they are a true member of the family. You are obviously concerned about their safety. After all, what is a clean carpet worth if the chemicals your pet is exposed to harm their health? If you need your carpet cleaned, but you are worried about what carpet cleaning solutions you are exposing your pet to, we can help. At MSS Cleaning we are dedicated to providing pet safe carpet cleaning options for pet owners. We know how much you value your four legged pals. Our goal is for you to be able to clean your carpets in a safe but effective manner. Talk to us today about scheduling carpet cleaning that is safe for everyone in your home.

Harsh Chemicals – Carpet Cleaning Safe for Pets

Dog lying on green bedsheet sleeping Worrying about harsh chemicals around your pet is an extremely valid concern. Unfortunately, many cleaning solutions contain chemicals that can be harmful to both pets and humans. These solutions don’t rinse fully from the carpet, even when used correctly. In most instances, we see people just apply the solution in abundance and never rinse it out. It is better to avoid using these products if at all possible. Dogs, cats, and small children are the most likely to be affected because they spend more time on the carpet.

A Note on Rental or Store Bought Equipment

When you use a small carpet cleaning unit, the kind you would rent at a store, the machine is not powerful enough to remove all the detergent you put down on the floor. Although, with DIY carpet cleaning machines you will see some water extracted, a lot of chemicals and water are left behind. This is what also leads to the wet carpets left behind when a company does not clean the carpets correctly.

Leaving behind all these chemicals in your carpet poses a potential health risk for your dog or cat and for any small children. Not only are chemicals left behind, you really aren’t getting a deep clean. This is extra problematic for those with dogs and cats. Your pets are often the cause of deep level stains that need extra cleaning. For example, if you are training an adorable, but accident prone puppy, you are staining your carpet beyond the top fibers. This means those puppy accidents are penetrating into the padding of your carpet. Surface cleaning will never rid your carpet of these deep stains.

The Hot Water Extraction Cleaning Difference

Hiring a professional team for carpet cleaning is the best way to ensure the safety of your pets. We use a hot water extraction cleaning process. This process is extremely effective at leaving your carpets clean while ensuring chemicals are not left behind. The major difference between using harsh over the counter chemicals and the hot water extraction cleaning process we use is found in our powerful truck mounted carpet cleaning equipment.

We use high quality equipment, capable of high powered extraction. Our carpet cleaning machines output water that has been heated to higher temperatures than an over the counter machine can produce. This extremely high temperature is partially responsible for the amazing results we get. We use this high powered cleaning method paired with an eco friendly detergent. This allows us to clean your carpets at the deepest levels. Then, due to the high power of our equipment, we are capable of extracting the water and detergent in a highly effective manner. Instead of leaving behind a sticky or crunchy residue, your carpet is left without residue. This can also remove residue left behind from your own home carpet cleaning remedies. You’ll be left with a safe, clean, fresh smelling carpet.

When you hire our team for carpet cleaning, you can trust that we will leave you with carpets that are safe for every single member of your home. Including your furry pals. Don’t spend your time worrying about what you are exposing your dogs and cats to. Instead, hire the expert team at MSS who works to give you peace of mind. Talk to us today if you have any questions about the safety of our steam cleaning process.

Or Call: 1-720-233-0761