Author: rodriguezclean

How to Maintain and extend the life of your carpets is the most common question we get every day when we are out there cleaning carpets. This 12 proven tips will ensure your flooring investment is taken care of. Just Follow this tips and your carpets will last over 10 years.

Knowing what Kind of Carpets You Have.

The first tip for you is to know what kind of carpets you have at home. Let me explain to you what I mean with this. Let’s say you have wool carpet. Wool carpet lasts much longer than some other ones. But if you spill something, there is a good chance that wool will absorb that spill, and it will be a little harder to clean. If you have nylon carpeting, it will resist a lot more wear and tear, and you can have it in the living room, places where you will have a lot of traffic. That’s the reason you need to know what kind of carpeting you have.

Use Outdoor Floor Mats

My other tip will be floor mats. I recommend all my clients to have outdoor floor mats in front of all their entryway doors. And here’s the reason. When we’re coming from the outside, our shoes are full of dirt and soil. Having floor mats help us to collect all that dust and contamination. That way, we’re not bringing in the dust.

The other tip will be, if you don’t want to have those floor mats or if you do but you want to go an extra step, to go ahead and take your shoes off. Do I do it? No, I don’t. But when I’m in those homes and I see that they’re leaving the shoes by the door, usually those carpets last clean much longer, and the life of the carpet is way up there, 10, 15 years.

Use Area Rugs indoors for High Traffic Areas

Your Next tip will be to have area rugs on your traffic areas or where you seat the most. What I mean with this, let’s say in a hallway, I’ve seen many times people having runners. Having Runners and Area Rugs where you walk most of the time, will help to reduces the wear and tear of your fiber. We don’t see it but walking on top of soiled areas will destroy your carpets.

Also Having this area rugs in those rooms where we spend most of the time seating or walking through will help to reduce the wear and tear of your carpets. Sometimes is easier to replace an area rug the regular wall to wall carpeting.

Rotate your Furniture

The other tip will be to rotate your furniture. Usually, I see issues in living rooms where we have the couch right in front of the TV. That area will wear out pretty quick. Moving and rotating the couch, the chair that you love, the one where you sit every day to watch TV will help to extend the life of that area. Of course, you don’t like to move that chair because you are used to be on that spot, but if you want to extend the life of your carpet, you should rotate your furniture plus every time you rotate the furniture, it looks like you have a new design. And then it will make you feel better.

Spot and Spill Cleaning

My other tip for you will be spot and spills cleaning. When you spill juice, wine, or anything else, please run to the spot and clean it right away. If you’re leaving a spot there for a day or two, it will be harder to clean. Plus, I seen it many time, and I have done it. Sometimes we get busy and we forget to come back and clean it. If you’re leaving a spot for a long time, there’s a good chance that that spot will become a stain. A stain is something that many professionals can not remove including ourselves. We clean the spots but not the stains.

If the spot you need to clean got hard because you could get to it when it happened, you need to wet it that way it will get soft and you can work on it.

Vacuuming more Frequently

Next tip for you will be vacuuming more frequently. As always, we’re busy and we have a lot of things to do in our life. We forget to vacuum our carpets. We should vacuum our carpets at least twice a week. When you’re vacuuming, please don’t forget to vacuum the edges of your carpeting, if you don’t do it, you will end up with filtration lines.

I have another video and article where I explain what are those filtration lines and how you can avoid them. One of the steps will be vacuuming the edges of your carpeting. When you’re vacuuming, please don’t forget to vacuum the steps of your stairway. Ask yourself when was the last time you vacuumed your steps?

When we go into a home or if you look at yours, you will see that your steps are wearing out very quickly. One of the reason is because we don’t vacuum enough. Dry soil, the dust work as sandpaper. It will cut down the fibers of your, uh, carpeting. Make sure you vacuum enough that you pick up a lot of dust.

Knowing what Kind of Pets you have?

My other tip is knowing what kind of pets you have or if you’re getting one, you need to know if they have short hair or long hair. If they have long hair, there’s a good chance that you have to vacuum your carpets more often to pick up that hair that is in the carpeting.

Also, when you have pets, make sure you train them, that you take them out often and give them plenty of time to be outside and do their necessity. That way they don’t come back and have an accident on your carpeting.

Supplemental Cleaning Tools

My other tip for you will a supplemental cleaning tool. What do I mean with this? Sometimes we don’t have time, and there are tools out there that you can buy. And I’m talking about those automatic vacuum cleaners that you can just push a button, and it goes out, it vacuums everything, it rotates around the house, and it comes back to recharge. Also, if you have kids, you know that no matter what, they will spill something. Go ahead and go out and buy a shampooer, you will need to do a spot cleaning more often than some other people. You need to be proactive when you are taking care of your flooring, when you’re taking care of your home.

Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner

My other tip for you will be to hire a professional to clean your carpets within 18 months. Most of the carpet manufacturers recommend hiring a Carpet Cleaning Company that is IICRC certified because they know how to clean your carpets professionally. IICRC Certified Carpet cleaning technician is trained and educated in carpet cleaning techniques. They know how to do professional spot cleaning as well as cleaning.

We’re certified, and it takes around a week to go through the training and learn what to do. When You have a Professional Carpet Cleaning Company at home you should also ask the if they have training on area rugs. If they do also have them to clean your area rugs.

If they don’t Hire a Professional Oriental Rug Cleaning Company to clean those area rugs you have on your high traffic areas.

Also, when you hire a professional, I always recommend to go ahead and get fiber protector. That’s our other tip for you. Having protector, it makes your carpet last longer, it cleans much easier the next time when you’re vacuuming, it’s much easier ’cause the protector works as an invisible shield that it gets around your fibers and the soil won’t embed into the fibers.

Change You Furnace Air Filter

It’s important to remember that you have to change the air filters in your furnace. Why do you need to change the air filters? Very simple. The dust that is in your house, it goes through and returns back through the vents. The Air filter is the tool in between. It’s, it’s what collects all the dust. Having good and clean filters, it helps to collet all that dust that you have everywhere. Dust, as I mentioned, work as sandpaper on the carpeting. It sands down.

When you walk on dusty hardwood floors or tile, you can feel, and many times you hear how it’s scratching your floors. Having a clean home, it helps to extend the life of your carpeting.

I hope my tips help you to extend and maintain your carpets. And if you have any questions, please leave a comment on this video or article. If you need any assistance with the maintenance of your flooring you can contact us at 502-365-6779 for a Free Consultation and Quote.

Keeping up with your Indoor Air Quality could be a challenge. The Air Quality inside of your home can be between two and five times more polluted than the outdoor air. If you add that we spend mostly 90% of our time in our homes, that makes Indoor Air Quality a major concern for many of our customers. Everyday we receive questions like: How can I improve the indoor air quality in my home? How can I reduce the pollution in my home? What do you recommend to reduce allergies?

To keep your family healthy and reduce the pollution inside of your home, there are many things you can do. You need to make sure your house is well ventilated. These eleven tips are only a few simple steps you can follow that will help you.

Tips to improve indoor air quality and allergies.

• First, if you are a smoker, we recommend lighting up your cigar outside. Cigars are very harmful; never allow anybody to smoke inside your house. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke, which means the cigar smoke will affect you the same as if you smoke. What happens when you smoke inside is that nicotine odor gets stuck on your walls, causing a strong odor which is one of the biggest causes of poor indoor air quality. If someone in your house suffers from asthma or allergies, this odor will only make everything worse for them. That is why we recommend not smoking inside.
• Another important tip is to change your air filter. We all know we have to change the air filter every two or three months, but sometimes we just forget to do it. If you change the air filter monthly, this will help keep your air ducts clean, and the air will be cleaner. Also, because the filters are clean, the unit will work more efficiently and last longer. We recommend checking your air filter every month, and if you see there is a lot of dust, go ahead and change it. You will notice the difference.
• Air duct cleaning is something that you should not overlook. The air ducts can trap a lot of dust and dirt. If your house is older than 10 years, we recommend you call a professional air duct cleaning company, like ours, to inspect your vents and do the cleaning. If you want to know what signs to look for, go to your return vents, which are the longest and usually placed on the bottom close to the floors. If they are dusty, you should call a professional to inspect and clean them.
• Next, get an air purifier if you have allergies. The Air Purifier or (Air Scrubber) is designed to pull in the air in your house, and this machine has a HEPA filter that will completely trap dust and pollutants in the air, expelling only clean air. The air will be purified, and you will be breathing fresh and clean air.
• HEPA filters for your vacuum and air scrubber are another important tip, especially if you have allergies. The HEPA filter is the most powerful filter to trap pollutants, dust, pet dander, etc. If you are concerned about your allergies, before purchasing a vacuum cleaner, make sure it comes with a HEPA filter; this will help you clean more of the air.
• Another tip is to vacuum more often, at least twice a week. In carpet construction, we have the backing of the carpet and the fibers. Fibers on the carpet work as a filter. They trap all the dust, and by vacuuming, you are removing all the dust and pet dander from your carpet. Sometimes we think hardwood floors are better for people with allergies. Unfortunately, that is not accurate. Hard surfaces don’t help with allergies because all the dust is in the air; hard surfaces cannot trap dust, so you will end up breathing that dust.
• Hire a professional carpet cleaning service and have your carpet cleaned professionally within 18 months.
• Do a spring or fall cleaning: Regular cleaning keeps your house in good shape but is not as deep as a spring or fall cleaning. We recommend doing one of those. By doing so, you collect all the dust that is deposited every day on areas that are not cleaned regularly. If you move your furniture, you will see what we are talking about. Move the furniture, clean baseboards, and you will be impressed with all the dust you will find.
• Bathe your pets. This is another very important tip. Pets, like humans, have dead cells in their skin. By giving your pets a bath or brushing them, you are removing pet dander. Controlling pet dander will help reduce asthma and allergies too.
• Keep the humidity low. By keeping the humidity level between 30 and 50 percent, you will help improve indoor air quality. If the humidity goes above 50 percent, there is a good chance that mold will grow in dark places. Having low humidity will keep the risk of mold low. Try to keep it down; a dehumidifier can help.
• Our last tip is to open your windows. If you think the air quality outside is worse than the air inside, it probably isn’t. We recommend checking the weather and air quality in your area and opening windows and doors. If you are painting, opening windows and doors will be the only way to remove that strong odor.

Improving air quality can be frustrating if you don’t know what to do, but if you follow these simple tips, you will notice the difference. Your house will be less dusty, and your lungs will feel much better. We hope this helps, and if you have any questions about our Air Duct Cleaning Service, give us a call at 502-365-6779.

You can contact Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration if you need any cleaning service.

Rugs are Valuable Pieces of Art

Rugs are valuable pieces of art that we live on, and to keep them looking good and lasting for many years, proper maintenance and care are essential. Proper care ensures your investment in oriental area rugs is protected.

Do You Need Padding for Your Oriental Area Rugs?

If you are purchasing new rugs or have existing ones, it’s essential to use a pad underneath them. A pad prevents your rug from sliding around, which can cause premature wear and wrinkles that damage its appearance. Using a pad helps your rug retain its original and new look for much longer.

Regular Maintenance Tips

Maintaining your oriental area rug involves a few simple steps:

Rotate Your Oriental Area Rugs Regularly

Over time, traffic patterns or sunlight can cause fading or uneven wear on your rug. To prevent this, rotate the rug every 4 to 6 months. This ensures even wear and fading.

Vacuuming Your Area Rugs and Carpets

Vacuuming is the best way to remove dry soil and dirt from your rugs. During the first year, vacuum your rugs two to three times a week to remove excess fuzz, a normal byproduct of the weaving process. After the first year, adjust vacuuming frequency based on traffic. For high traffic or homes with pets, vacuum daily. Be cautious with the fringe areas to avoid damage.

Spot Clean Any Spills on Your Oriental Area Rugs

Address spills immediately. Avoid rubbing the spot as it can cause the fibers to absorb the liquid, leading to staining. Instead, blot with a white paper towel, applying pressure to absorb the liquid. Never walk on a damp area as it can distort the pile. Speed up drying with a fan or hair dryer if needed.

Professional Oriental Area Rug Cleaning

Professional cleaning is essential to maintain your rug’s warranty and extend its life. Professionals can dust off dry soil and remove spots effectively. Their equipment and solutions restore and enhance the rug’s color.

How Often Should I Clean My Area Rugs?

According to the IICRC, cleaning frequency depends on usage:

• Light Soil Rug: Vacuumed weekly, minimal traffic. Clean every two years or as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Normal Soil Rug: Moderate traffic, vacuumed weekly. Clean annually for restorative care.
• Heavy Soil Rug: High traffic or homes with pets. Vacuumed multiple times a week. Clean twice a year.

How to Find a Professional Area Rug Cleaning Company?

Choose a reputable cleaning company knowledgeable about different rug fibers and appropriate solutions. Avoid in-home cleaning to prevent damage. Ask questions and ensure the company explains their process. Remember, quality service is worth the investment.

By following these tips, you can keep your rugs looking their best for many years. For assistance with rug cleaning, contact us.

Call Rodriguez For a Free Estimate: 502-365-6779

Importance of Having Protector Applied to Your Fibers

Many of our customers are initially skeptical about the effectiveness of Carpet or Fabric Protector. Some may not be familiar with the brand we use, Maxim, which has been on the market for several years but is less known compared to Scotchgard. Maxim can be applied to nearly any type of furniture fabric, including delicate materials like wool and silk. It is suitable for both new and recently cleaned furniture. Maxim Fine Fabric Protector uses a solvent-based carrying agent that will not watermark delicate fabrics. Once it dries, it forms a protective layer that makes maintaining your furniture much easier.

Call Rodriguez at 502-365-6779

Why Carpet and Fabric Protector Might Not Work

There are several reasons why a protector may not be effective, often due to common mistakes made by other cleaners. Understanding these issues can help you see why your carpet, rug, or upholstery protector might not be performing as expected:

1. Using Low-Quality Protectors: Discount protectors often lack effectiveness and can even void your carpet warranty. Always ask your cleaner about the protector they use, whether it comes with a guarantee, and check for its expiration date.
2. Using a Contaminated Container: Using the same container for protector and cleaning solutions can contaminate the protector, making it gummy and ineffective. We always use a designated container to prevent contamination.
3. Improper Application: Some cleaners either under-apply or over-apply the protector. A small amount doesn’t allow for complete penetration, while excessive application can make the carpet stiff and crusty. Our technicians are trained to apply the protector correctly.
4. Not Grooming the Carpet: For optimal performance, the protector should be groomed into the carpet to ensure even distribution and proper drying. Our company ensures thorough grooming of the protector into the carpet pile.
5. Incorrect Dilution Rate: Each protector has a specific dilution rate as per the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s crucial to follow these instructions to ensure effective application.

Call Rodriguez at 502-365-6779

Benefits of Applying Carpet and Fabric Protector

Now that we’ve covered why protectors might not work, here’s why you should always apply protector to your carpets, oriental rugs, and upholstery:

1. Reduces Permanent Stains: Protector helps repel spills and stains, making it easier to clean spots and prevent permanent staining.
2. Saves Traffic Areas: Protector helps protect high-traffic areas from damage caused by soil that can cut or scratch carpet fibers. It significantly extends the life of your carpet.
3. Eases Vacuuming: Protector helps release soil from the carpet pile more effectively, making vacuuming easier and preventing dry soil from embedding in the fibers.
4. Makes Spot Removal Easier: Protector helps in removing spots more effectively, often with just water. This reduces the need for heavy cleaning solutions and speeds up the cleaning process.
5. Enhances Professional Cleaning: Applying protector improves the effectiveness of professional cleaning, allowing more soil to be removed during the next cleaning session.
6. Reduces Service Calls: Protector helps you manage minor spills and spots on your own, potentially saving you from additional service charges. This means you can often address issues without needing professional help.

Applying protector ensures your carpet looks better and lasts longer. If you apply protector to your carpets, rugs, or upholstery and experience an accident, you can often clean up the spill with just a paper towel, avoiding costly professional spot cleaning.

Call Rodriguez at 502-365-6779

Tips to Prevent Frozen and Burst Pipes

I want to share some tips that will help you save money. As you probably have noticed, the weather in Louisville, KY, fluctuates, and in a few days, temperatures may drop significantly, causing water lines to freeze. Keeping your water lines from freezing and bursting is not easy, but here are some tips to help you avoid a water damage restoration situation.

1. First, go down to your basement and locate the main valve that turns off the water supply to your outside faucets. The reason for this is that when your faucet and pipe freeze, the ice can continue running inside, causing more significant damage. By turning off the water supply, there is no water to freeze and swell up, reducing the risk of bursting pipes.

Frozen water lines in spring are a major cause of water damage in Louisville, KY. If you don’t want to make a water claim on your home insurance policy, you may want to follow these tips.

2. Second, install a faucet cover on your outside faucets. These covers can be found at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, and other stores. Putting on the cover is very simple. Inside the cover, you will find a plastic line going through the cover with a loop that goes onto the faucet.

Attach the cover and pull it tight from the outside. The cover helps keep the cool wind away from your water line. While this cover works well, remember that if temperatures drop very low, there is still a chance your faucet could freeze.

For better application and tips, consider calling your local plumber. Despite this disclaimer, I highly recommend using these covers, as I use them at home to avoid dealing with water damage restoration issues and potential water damage claims.

3. Third, insulate your water lines with foam. You can find this foam at the same places as faucet covers: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon. This foam, designed to prevent condensation, works excellently to prevent pipes from freezing.

In my experience, using this insulation foam is necessary, especially if you cannot turn off the water supply. Installing this foam is easy; it’s already pre-cut and slides on easily. The challenging part is insulating water lines in a crawl space, which can be messy. If you prefer not to handle this yourself, call your local plumber.

Conclusion

As a homeowner or business owner, you are responsible for the maintenance of your property. The most common cause of water damage claims in spring here in Louisville is burst water lines. To prevent this from happening, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the water valve that feeds water to your outside faucets.
2. Install faucet covers on your faucets.
3. Insulate your water lines with foam.

If you prefer not to deal with this yourself, call a plumber for assistance. If you experience a water damage situation in Louisville and need help, please don’t hesitate to call Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration at 502-365-6779.

Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration is known for professional carpet cleaning and area rug cleaning in Louisville, but our technicians are also certified in water damage. We have the latest equipment and tools to assist you with any water damage you may have. Hopefully, these tips will prevent you from needing our services. Good luck!

How Do You Know If Your Sump Pump Is Working Properly?

Being a water damage restoration company in Louisville allows us to see and deal with many issues most homeowners don’t encounter every day. The most common issue for water damage in Louisville, KY, is the failure of sump pumps. Your sump pump can fail to work for many reasons, and that’s what I want to cover here. Having a sump pump failure on a rainy day could cost you several thousand dollars.

Let’s review how your sump pump works and what its function is. Sump pumps are designed to be in water and pump the water out of your basement. You may ask yourself where this water comes from. It’s very simple. All the water we get from a rainy day drains down around your foundation and goes under the concrete slab in your basement. If we get a lot of rain, this water will start rising up, and your sump pump pit will start filling up to the point where your sump pump will begin pumping this water away from your foundation walls. This is a quick explanation of how your sump pump works.

If your sump pump isn’t working properly, you will have what is called water backup. Many insurance companies sell water backup endorsements for your policy. If you don’t buy this coverage separately, you could be in trouble. Most of the time, when something like this happens, you will be spending over $7,000 on average. Water backup from your sump pump will often have a very drastic impact on your home. When you call a company like Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration to assist you with water damage, most of your flooring will need to be removed because this water is heavily contaminated and polluted. Baseboards and drywall that were contaminated will also need to be removed and disposed of.

The first thing is knowing what a sump pump is and where you can find it. Let’s begin with where to find your sump pump. If you don’t have a basement, you don’t need to worry about sump pump issues. If you want, you can skip this article, but I still recommend you read it because you could help a friend and save them the headache of going through a terrible water damage situation that could be prevented by knowing how to maintain or check that your sump pump is working correctly.

As mentioned, if you don’t have a basement, you are fine. But if you do, let’s find your sump pump. Look for a dark hole that is most often in a corner, behind a door, or in a closet. If you have an unfinished part of the basement, check there first. You will find PVC pipes or other pipes coming out.

Now that you’ve found it, the first thing is to make sure your sump pump is plugged in. Your sump pump works with electricity. If you unplug your sump pump by mistake and don’t plug it back in, I guarantee you that a water backup is about to happen in your basement.

Let’s make sure your sump pump is connected to the electricity and that the outlet has power.

After your sump pump is plugged in, let’s review how it operates. Your sump pump has a switch that varies in shape and form. Most of them have a floating switch. If you take a bucket of water and dump it in the hole or tank, you should hear the sump pump running. If you’re not afraid to use your hand, you can raise the floating piece up, and it should start the pump.

Another overlooked issue is dirt in the bottom of the pit (tank). Many of these pits have never been cleaned in the past. This dirt could clog your sump pump.

Now that we have checked your sump pump and confirmed that it’s working properly and the pit is clean, we need to ensure that the sump pump is dumping the water in the right place and far enough from your foundation. Your sump pump has a line attached to it that you need to make sure is not broken. If it is broken, I recommend you call your local plumber, and they can fix it for you.

You will need to find where this line is dumping all the water. This line should be at least 2 feet away from your walls. By being away 2 feet, we know this water won’t flow back in. If your line is too close, all the water that is being pumped out will come back in with the rest of the water from the rain. Eventually, your sump pump won’t be able to keep up with the water flow, and you will have water backup into your house.

I hope this article is helpful to you, and if you need any assistance with water damage in Louisville, please give Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration and Restoration a call at 502-365-6779.

In Louisville, KY, we deal with a lot of situations where your house or business could end up flooding. These could be natural reasons such as a lot of rain over a few days and water just starting to come into your home, or The Ohio River deciding to flood your house. Other reasons could be out of your hands, like a sump pump failure or a water leak in your water heater tank. But what are the do’s and don’ts after a flood in Louisville? Very simple: follow our recommendations.

Safety First After a Louisville Flood

The first thing is the safety of you and your family. If you have water in your basement or any other part of your house, be aware that water and electricity aren’t friends. Make sure this water hasn’t touched or gotten to any outlet or electrical receptacle. If it has, do not go into the water. Call a professional.

Another important safety precaution is to avoid as much as possible contact between your body and the water. Water that runs through the ground is considered black water. In your yard, there are many contaminants and pesticides that have made this water very dangerous.

What To Do After a Louisville Flood

• Remove as much excess water as you can by mopping and blotting. If you have a shop vacuum, use it.
• Disconnect all your appliances from the electricity.
• Take some towels and wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items. This will prevent color transfer onto flooring.
• Remove wet bed sheets.
• Look around for wet boxes and dispose of them if they are not salvageable.
• Put toys in boxes.
• Remove and prop up wet upholstery and cushions.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
• Turn on the air conditioning for maximum drying in summer. Set the fan to auto.
• Make a sign saying, “Do Not Enter” and explain to your kids to stay out.
• Remove colored rugs from wet carpeting. You don’t want permanent bleeding everywhere, plus it can damage the area rug.
• Move valuable art objects to a safe and dry place.
• Gather loose items from floors. If possible, box them up.
• Remove all your decorative wall items.

What NOT To Do After Flooding in Louisville

• Don’t pretend you can handle this situation with a shop vacuum from Home Depot. You need professional help.
• Don’t hire or trust the first person or company that shows up at your door. Do your research or call your insurance company and ask for a referral or any close friend.
• Don’t leave wet fabrics or clothing in place. Hang furs and leather goods.
• Don’t leave books, magazines, or other colored items on wet carpet or floors. Take your books to a dry area.
• Don’t use televisions or other household appliances. Disconnect them.
• Don’t turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet, and keep out of rooms where ceilings are sagging.
• Don’t turn any light switches if your walls are wet around them.

A flooding situation is a big stress that some people have to go through in their lives. I hope you are not one of them, but it’s always good to educate ourselves in case it ever happens. It’s better to be on the side of people who know what to do rather than those who ask, “What am I going to do now?”

Don’t forget, if you have to go through a flooding situation in your life, Rodriguez Cleaning and Restoration is here to assist you and help with any water damage in Louisville you may have. Give us a call at 502-365-6779; we are available to you 24 hours a day.

For Business Owners, CEOs, HR Directors, General Managers, or Anyone in Charge of Keeping the Company Running or Employee Retention

Please stop looking outside or taking seminars to learn best practices to improve productivity or employee retention. Improving the productivity and retention of your employees is not a difficult science. The answer is right in front of you.

You are probably saying, “How can a carpet cleaner teach me or talk about productivity or employee retention?” There is no secret or magic. The answers are in your company with your employees. If you talk to them or pay attention to them, they will tell you, or their actions will speak for themselves.

I recently worked at two different places where the employees weren’t very happy with their employers. I’m not talking about how much they were getting paid. I’m referring to the way they were treated and their work environment conditions.

The first company is a manufacturing company where they have several hundred employees working in an assembly line making parts for cars. They get paid from $12 to $30 an hour. Some of them are paid well, and some others are getting a decent pay, but their complaints weren’t about pay. It was something else. I will explain.

When you work in an assembly line, most of the time you work for 8 hours. After your first 2 hours of work, you get a 15-minute break, and two hours later you get a 30-minute lunch break that is assigned for lunch. Your break time starts counting when you stop working. You have to walk to your break station or room. When you get there, most people warm their food before eating it. Don’t forget they get 30 minutes from the time they stop to the time they have to start.

If you come out for a break with 50 people at the same time and there are only two microwaves to warm the food of 100 people, and you have to wait, how would you feel?

If on top of this, your table is dirty and your break room looks like trash, your 30-minute break that you are taking to relax and rest is turning into a bad and unpleasant experience.

If you are the owner or general manager of a company like this one, you know that training, retaining, and hiring new employees is very hard and costly. Why not take care of those hard-working employees that keep your company alive? Finding new employees will cost you more in the long run if you keep losing your qualified and trained employees.

If you are part of the management team, don’t be afraid to come out to your supervisor or the person in charge and mention the issues that you see. Unhappy employees don’t benefit anybody.

Unhappy employees don’t produce and perform as well as happy employees working in a clean place with all the tools and conditions to get the work done, as well as a comfortable place to rest during their break time.

If you have 20 minutes to have some good lunch and talk to your friend, you want to sit in a comfortable and clean place.

You Can Save Your Oriental Area Rug by Knowing How to Do a Bleeding Test

If you are an area rug owner, you understand the cost of replacing a rug or how a gifted rug can hold sentimental value beyond any monetary amount. Knowing how to maintain your rugs can save you from the unfortunate experience of damaging them or having to buy a new one. The first step in any cleaning or spot removal procedure is knowing how to perform a bleeding test on your rugs.

What is a bleeding test? It’s quite simple. A bleeding test involves testing the solution or chemical you plan to use on your rug to see if it will cause color bleeding. Once colors start running, fixing the issue becomes challenging.

Here’s how you perform the test:

1. You need white towels and paper towels. White is crucial because if you use a colored towel, you might get bleeding from the towel itself onto your rug. For instance, if the rug is blue and the towel is blue, how would you know if it’s the rug bleeding or the towel color transferring?

2. After obtaining your white towel, apply some of the solution you plan to use on it. If you intend to use soap and water, test the soap as well.

3. Find a discreet area on your rug for the test—preferably not the center. Look for areas with bright colors like red, blue, or yellow.

4. Place the towel with the solution facing down on one of these bright colors. If possible, test a few colors in the same area. Apply some pressure with your hand or a heavy, flat object to help the solution penetrate the fibers. Wait for 10 seconds to see if any color transfers to the white towel.

5. If there is no bleeding, you can use the spotter but remain cautious as it could still bleed later. If you see color transfer, avoid using that spotter as it might damage your rug.

If you need to test another spotter, choose a different area and avoid testing multiple spots on the same rug. Test only one color at a time.

I hope you find this article helpful. If you need assistance with area rug cleaning in Louisville or carpet cleaning in Louisville, please contact us at 502-365-6779.