QC Newsletter - Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Holidays!

Here's some tips for those holiday mishaps!

Dye and Food Stains - Beverages, medicines, cosmetics, foods and other liquids containing dyes should be absorbed first. Then try the liquid dishwashing solution described in the wine remedy. Blot, repeat and rinse with clear water on a clean, white towel or white paper towel. Dry.

Blood - Rinse blood quickly with cool water. Follow with an approved cleaning solution or a mix of ¼ teaspoon clear (non bleach non lanolin) dishwashing liquid with one cup cool water. Blot and dry quickly.

Wine - Blot with white towel. Mix ¼ teaspoon clear (non bleach non lanolin) dishwashing liquid with one cup cool water.  Blot and dry quickly.  Alternatively, you can pour salt on wine, let it absorb then vacuum.

Urine or Vomit - If left unattended it can damage carpet in several ways. Always clean these up immediately with paper towels. For pet urine/vomit, try a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water. Blot with towel, repeat.

Call us with any questions at 503-638-4100

QC Newsletter November 2013 - Fall Cleaning Special Coupon

Fall Cleaning Special

Clean 3 Rooms, Get Carpet Protectant
In One Room Of Your Choice Free! 

One coupon per household, not valid on commercial/rental properties, not to be combined with any other offers.  Expires 11/30/13

QC Newsletter November 2013 - 10 Ways to Keep Your Thanksgiving Stress Free!

10 Ways to Keep Your Thanksgiving Stress Free!

1.  Create a plan! Make a guest list and create a meal plan.

2.  Plan a potluck! Share the load with family and friends.

3.  Shop early! Stores can get very busy with last minute shoppers.

4.  Prepare as much food in advance!  Side dishes, appetizers, veggie plates can be prepared the night before.

5.  Practice make perfect! If you’re trying out a new recipe, do it before Thanksgiving.

6.  Let your family help! Helping hands can decorate, set a table and make clean up a breeze.

7.  Use the microwave! Use to reheat items when all the burners are occupied.

8.  Let the turkey rest! Assure tender turkey by letting it rest 20 minutes before slicing.

9.  Serve buffet style! Save on space and cleanup.

10.  Relax! A day full of family and fun.

Enjoy and have a good time!

Happy Thanksgiving from QC Services

QC Newsletter November 2013 - Do It Yourself?

The holidays are just around the corner.  Are your carpets in need of a good cleaning? Maybe you are thinking you can do it yourself?  Let me share a true story with you....

A few years ago I was sent out to quote and clean a carpet for a client in Tualatin.  When I arrived, the client showed us the areas she wanted to clean.  She said that she has purchased the carpet about 2 ½ years ago.  Approximately, a year after the carpet purchase her and her husband decided to rent a machine and “do it themselves.”  When the carpet dried about 2 or 3 days later, they notice the the carpet didn’t look right.  The fibers felt different and had a slightly different color.  The called the retailer looking for answers to what had gone wrong.  They were referred to the manufacturer.  The manufacturer sent a carpet inspector to their home for a thorough inspection of the carpet.  He talked to the homeowners and asked then several questions about their carpet.  He informed them in his opinion the carpet cleaning equipment had frayed the fibers of the carpet and that he would send a report to the manufacturer of his findings.  They received a letter from the manufacturer stating that based on the carpet inspector’s report, the carpet was free of any manufacturer defects.  The carpet cleaning equipment that they had rented had caused permanent damage to the fibers.  Although, carpet warranties can last up to 25 years, their carpet warranty was now invalid after
only 2 ½ years!  The bristles from the carpet cleaning equipment had damaged their carpet and voided their warranty.  To avoid warranty issues, several major carpet manufacturers require using an IICRC certified firms to keep your carpet warranties valid.

Quick and Clean Services, LLC is an IICRC certified firm.  In addition, we also require our technician to be certified.  For us to keep our certifications valid, we must take continuing educations classes.

We believe that education is the key to success!

-----Darcy Lawson, Owner

QC Newsletter November 2013 - Keeping Your Carpets In Tip Top Shape

Let us help you keep those carpets in tip top shape with these 6 easy tips!

Tip #1 Entry Mats - Entry ways are often the most heavily soiled areas of    carpet in the home.  The simplest yet most effective way to keeping these high traffic areas from becoming heavily soiled is to use entry mats.

Tip #2 Take Off Your Shoes - You can save wear and tear on carpet by     asking everyone to take off his or her shoes before entering your home.

Tip #3 Change Your Air Filters - Changing air filters in your heating and air conditioning systems as recommended by the manufacturer's directions.  The more dust and particles removed by the filter, the less that fall on the carpet.

Tip #4 Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum - Increase vacuum frequency.  Since  about 75% of carpet soil is dry particulate, vacuuming more often prevents      soil from embedding deep into carpets.  Vacuum heavy traffic areas slowly    and repeatedly.

Tip #5 Remove Spots Immediately - Spots that are not immediately removed can turn into permanent stains very easily.  Always use a spot cleaner that is recommended by the carpet manufacturer or your trained, certified professional cleaner!  Many “over the counter” spotters leave too much soap that leaves a sticky residue behind that will make your spots return!

Tip #6 Carpet Protectant - Next time you have your carpets cleaned asked us about carpet protectants.  The soil resistor that is built into stain resistant nylon carpet is removed with regular foot traffic and harsh cleaners.  To keep your carpet cleaner longer, have protector reapplied each time you have your carpet professionally cleaned.

QC Newsletter October 2013 - Fall Cleaning Special

Fall Cleaning Special

Clean 3 Rooms, Get Carpet Protectant
In One Room Of Your Choice Free!

One coupon per household, not valid on commercial/rental properties, not to be combined with any other offers.  Expires 10/31/13

QC Newsletter October 2013 - Vacuums Suck It Up

Vacuums Suck It Up

Considering about 80 percent of particulate in carpets is dry, the first principal of carpet care extraction is vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. “As far as we’re concerned, dry soil removal is the most important part of maintaining carpet,” says Tom Murphy, sales manager for RoVic Inc., Manchester, Conn. “The problem is most people don’t vacuum often enough.” To determine how often custodial workers should vacuum their carpets, Murphy recommends calculating the number of footfalls and the amount of traffic in the building. Dan Ott, co-owner of Facility Supply Systems Inc. in West Chicago, suggests that custodians vacuum carpets on a daily basis. “We want to make sure we’re vacuuming, even though the carpet may not appear dirty,” he says, “because once the carpet’s reached the point of appearing dirty, then it’s reached the restoration stage, and we want to put that off as long as possible.”That said, facilities vary in size and daily vacuuming can be challenging. With that in mind, distributors recommend regularly scheduled vacuuming on a rotating basis. “You don’t have to vacuum every square inch every day,” explains Ott, “but you do want to pay attention to high-traffic areas on a daily basis. For example, in a high-rise building on floors one through five, you might want to vacuum the entire floor on Monday and then focus on high-traffic areas for the rest of the floors. On Tuesday, you’d vacuum floors six through ten and just do hotspots on the other floors. No matter what, you’re going to get the entire building done in a week, maybe two, depending on its size.”Experts also advise training custodial workers to carry a carpet-spotting chemical with them when vacuuming. With chemicals handy, workers can address spots as soon as possible, reducing the possibility of long-term damage.  “The difference between a spot you can remove and a permanent stain is time,” says Ott. “The longer something stays on a carpet the more it becomes part of the carpet.”KASSANDRA KANIA is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, N.C. posted on: 5/1/2013