Carpet cleaning service in Birmingham, Goldfinch Specialist Cleaning & Associated Services provide a top cleaning service experience for its customers. We also clean upholstery from sofa cleaning, curtain cleaning, leather cleaning and wall fabric cleaning our upholstry cleaning service is second to none. Oven cleaning can be very difficult, it is dirty and some chemicals used can give off smells that restrict brathing, call Goldfinch today for your oven clening service, we promise the result you would expect. We cover Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Edgbaston, Harborne, Mosely, Shirley, Erdington, Great Barr, Smethwick, Oldbury and local districts. Carpets in places of work tend to end up dirty from day to day wear and tear so if you're keen to give your workplace or office space a spring clean or the cheapest of make-overs check out the guide to carpet cleaning services in Birmingham. These organisations offer a range of services including Carpet Cleaners, Carpet Cleaning Machine, Stain Removal. Let these Birmingham contacts guide you to the information about Carpet Cleaning you need.

0121 288 1780

HINTS AND TIPS

Consumer Advice About Cleaning Technicians

Advice on how to avoid Rogue Traders

There are many good, honest, law abiding carpet cleaning businesses with a good knowledge of practical cleaning solutions, health and safety issues and their legal obligations and there are those who are less than all of those things.
Whilst it has to be acknowledged that not all good carpet and upholstery Cleaning Technicians belong to the National Cleaning Technicians Association, the consumer should consider using carpet and upholstery cleaning technicians who have undergone and passed a training program like that of the NCCA and whose insurance credentials have been checked as meeting the minimums consumers should expect.
Here are some key issues which may help you decide how you chose a Cleaning Technician:

• NCCA members have taken and passed exams in the subjects of carpet and upholstery cleaning.
• IICRC registered technicians have taken additional exams in additional subjects
  (but may also have taken IICRC carpet and upholstery cleaning exams).
• Woolsafe members have taken and passed exams in the specific field of wool fibre technology.
• NCCA members have insurance cover for
  a. Public and employer liability insurance
  b. Treatments Risk or Products Liability
  (this is the insurance cover for the item being worked on)
• One good final check before you let a technician into your home is to ask for Method Statements, Risk assessment and COSHH sheets or MSDS’s for each and every chemical solution on his van no matter how safe they may be. (COSHH – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) (MSDS – Material Safety Date Sheet) If he has none on his van he is in serious breach of Health and Safety law. It is not good enough to have these at the office. They must be on the van.

Always Check

Always check your carpet and upholstery cleaning technicians credentials:

• Ask for a copy of their Treatments Risk (or Products Liability) Insurance policy cover note.
• Ask for their NCCA membership card or other NCCA identification.
• If in doubt contact the NCCA office or look up the NCCA’s website to validate the technicians membership.
• All NCCA members have a membership number which is required to be displayed with the NCCA logo and registered trademark. If they do not, contact the NCCA office or look up the NCCA’s website to validate the technicians membership.
• The NCCA logo cannot be used by any Cleaning Technician who does not meet the NCCA’s current membership criteria. Membership criteria are intended to ensure that businesses in this industry meet minimum standards for the consumer. Cleaning Technicians claiming that they were previously trained by the NCCA or that they were former members of the NCCA should not be using the NCCA name or logo to promote their business.
• Ask for Method Statements, risk Assessments and COSHH or MSD sheets.

Remember, there will always be rogue traders who will try to convince you that they are trained technicians and affiliated to organisations like the NCCA, Woolsafe and the IICRC. The above checks should cover you adequately.

Insurances

Many Cleaning Technicians go into this business because it seems an easy business to get in to. This would not be a million miles from the truth but as with most things, there is much more to these things when you look into them.
Other than the fact that Health and Safety law applies to all businesses, the law also requires a business to be insured. Unfortunately, most small businesses believe that public liability insurance is all they need. What they often forget or do not realise is that insurance cover for the potential financial losses incurred by the consumer for damage done to items they are commissioned to work on needs separate cover. That level of cover is optional and the lack of it means that where this insurance cover is not provided, in the event of a claim, the company and the customer have to come to a settlement which sometimes means going to court.
All members of the NCCA must provide details of their insurance policy to the NCCA every year to have their membership renewed. The specific insurance cover they are required to submit proof of is known as “Treatments Risk” or “Products Liability Insurance”.

Is “Products liability”/”Treatments risk” enough?

In our view it is not. The typical carpet cleaning business will take out the minimum. Here is a check list which ensures our cover is adequate for our customers. (Please note that these are specified in our insurance policy).
Dove Professional Cleaning Service Treatment Risk/Products liability Insurance.  Policy covers:

• Carpet Cleaning
• Commercial Carpet Cleaning
• Upholstery Cleaning
• Curtain Cleaning
• Leather cleaning
• Transportation of curtains to and from customer site
  (single article limit of £2,000, total value limit of £5,000)
• Oriental rug cleaning
• Transportation of oriental rugs to and from customer site
  (single article limit of £5,000, total value limit £10,000)
• Storage of customer curtains and rugs (limits as above)
• Application of carpet and upholstery treatments (including protectors,
  flame retardants, dust mite treatments, anti-static treatments and insect proofing)
• Carpet repair
• Carpet re-installation
• Tile Cleaning

We carry a copy of our policy in each van for customer inspection. If we come across work which is outside our insurance cover, we contact our insurers with the specific details of the job and increase our cover accordingly.
Protect your investment in your soft furnishings and your property. Check your tradesman’s credentials. Don’t take their word for it.

CARING FOR YOUR CARPET

Why have your carpets cleaned regularly?

Our clothes need to be regularly washed to keep them fresh, clean, hygienic and stain free don’t they. We also know that if stains are left on clothes for too long before washing, that some stains can become fixed and will then remain after washing.  The same is true of our carpets. Of course we are not suggesting you have your carpets cleaned as regularly as you wash your clothes but you will appreciate the point. We believe that cleaning your carpets every 12-18 months will keep them in tip-top condition, especially if they are light coloured. Soil, grit and grease are the major causes of reducing the life of your carpet fibres.  This dirt also enables harmful mites and bacteria to set up home in the carpet, and did you know that 80% of all allergies are caused by dust mites and their excrement?
Unfortunately vacuuming alone will not effectively remove all the dust and dirt out of your carpet. Vacuuming alone removes only the top layer of dirt; the lower layer of dirt remains and the soil, grit and grease are trodden deeper and deeper into the pile.

A neglected carpet can contain up to four times its own weight in dirt! In the days before fitted carpets you would have taken your carpet outside at least once a year and beat it within an inch of its life to produce clouds of dust from it; you may even have washed and scrubbed it! Fitted carpets have put an end to all that exercise so we now have to get carpets professionally cleaned to achieve the same result. Nearly all modern carpets are cleanable and it’s a fact that the more often your carpets are cleaned, the more they will retain their new, clean, bright and pleasant smell – stains are simply easier to shift if they are not left for years.

Prevention

Place mats or remnants at all entrances to your home. These will catch much of the transitory soil that comes in with your shoes. Mats will help prevent those unsightly darker areas near your doors.

Regular Attention

Vacuuming, daily or at least twice a week, is the best way to keep your carpet looking new. A good rule of thumb is to vacuum once per week per resident and animal so, for example, 4 people, 1 dog and 1 cat= 6 times weekly. Upright brush and beater bar vacuum Cleaning Technicians are most effective.

Periodic Cleaning

A thorough deep clean, six monthly or annually at least, will remove dirt accumulated in depth and spruce up heavywear areas.
Major Cleaning

Once every two or three years will rejuvenate your carpet and make it look as good as the day it was laid down.

Remove Spills Immediately

With protected carpets liquids take longer to sink into the pile and this provides a better protection.

Mattress Cleaning

Taking care of your home often means having carpets and area rugs cleaned frequently. One area that us often overlooked is the mattress(es) in your home.

With a very real problem of having dust mites in virtually any bed that you could possibly ever look at aside from other potential problems, it is a great idea to have your mattresses cleaned occasionally. For a price much lower than actually replacing your mattresses you can have all of the mattresses in your home cleaned to ensure that you are improving your health while you sleep.

What happens when your mattress gets dirty?

How do you prevent dust mites and other allergens from interfering with your rest?

What routine maintenance does a mattress need?

Here's How:

1. Every six months, flip your mattress over. To provide even wear, flip the mattress so that the top is now on the bottom, and turn it so that the foot of the mattress is now at the head. Depending on the size of your mattress, this can easily be a two person job.
2. Cover the mattress, to protect it and extend time between cleanings, consider purchasing a mattress cover to protect the surface of your mattress. Choose a washable cover that is easy to remove and replace on your mattress. Some covers are even designed to reduce dust mite allergies, and reduce the need to vacuum your mattress.
3. Remove dust from the mattress surface. Dust, dander, and dust mites build up in your mattress. Even those of us without allergies can begin to notice dust and dirt in our mattress. Vacuum your mattress using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If someone does have allergies in your home, you may need to vacuum more frequently and/or purchase mattress covers.
4. If the mattress surface becomes dirty or soiled, use an upholstery shampoo. Following the directions exactly, use an upholstery shampoo to clean dirt and soil from your mattress surface. Or, mix a mild detergent with water until suds form. Apply the dry suds only to the soiled area using a sponge. Wipe the area with a sponge that has had warm water wrung from it. Allow the area to dry thoroughly.

Tips:

1. Do not allow the interior padding of the mattress to get wet.
2. If it's warm outside, you can dry a mattress quickly outside. You can also use a fan blowing across the mattress surface to insure that it dries quickly.

What You Need: CALL GOLDFINCH 0121 288 1780

• Vacuum cleaner with upholstery attachment
• Upholstery shampoo
• Mattress cover
• Mild detergent
• Water
• Sponges
• Fan

STAIN REMOVAL TIPS

These tips are usually very effective if you use them exactly as described.  However you will not get the best results if the stain is old and has already been treated with a supermarket cleaners.  The cleaners you can buy off the supermarket shelf will usually ‘set’ the stain and although it may remove some of the stain, it is likely that the stain will re-appear some time later. Once a stain is set with a supermarket cleaner it will be much more difficult for a professional carpet cleaning service to remove

• Do not over wet into backing materials
• Always test any detergent on an inconspicuous area of carpet prior to treating a stain
• Use detergents at recommended dilution ratios
• Scrape up or blot up any access prior to treatment
• Never rub or scrub
• Do not use inappropriate detergents on carpets or upholstery i.e. (washing up liquid, wash powders, household bleach, disinfectants)
• Always work from the out side of the stain inward to avoid spreading
• Always apply the cleaning fluid to the absorbent spotting material not directly onto the carpet or fabric
• Encourage quick drying
• Deal with stains as quickly as possible for increased chances of success
• Keep the fabric or carpet as dry as possible.

Greasy Stains (i.e. Chocolate, Butter, Lipstick, some Oily Food stains, some Ink)

• Apply small quantity of Surgical spirit to some cotton wool or Q-tip (cotton bud).
• Using the lightly soaked cotton wool apply to the edges of the stain working inwards to the centre.
• Gently press (Blot) either Terry towel, or kitchen roll, and repeat as necessary until the stain no longer transfers.
• Do not allow penetration into the back of carpeting or foam filling materials!
• Some fabrics may darken initially during this process.
• Using a detergent solution on cotton wool, dampen the area and follow up by blotting with kitchen roll or terry towel.
• Dry, using hair dryer, continually moving over the damp area. (This will help to prevent water marking)

Water Based Stains (i.e. Tea, Coffee, Fruit juices, Wine, some Basic Food stains)

• Soak up immediately using absorbent material, or suck up with a wet pick up vacuum.
• Re-wet the area using tepid water on a small piece of sponge or cotton wool.
• Blot with dry absorbent material Terry towel, kitchen roll, (Repeat as necessary…)
• Dry with hair dryer keeping the dryer moving all the time, (this will help to prevent watermarking).

Dried In Stains Detergent Solution:

• Two litres of tepid water + a quarter of a teaspoon ONLY of carpet shampoo + one eggcup full of (white vinegar)
• Rewet the stained area using the detergent solution applied on a piece of cotton wool.
• Blot using kitchen roll or terry towel as above.
• The final procedure for carpets following the wetting and blotting procedures should be as follows: - Place 5-6 layers of kitchen roll on the affected area and place on top a telephone directory.
• Allow to dry over 24 hours, this will absorb any stain in the base of the fibre’s that are likely to wick up to the surface during the drying process. Whilst the stain removal guide may be simple and basic, it will assist in the professional’s chances of success should you find expert assistance required. If followed it should help prevent some quite common and expensive DIY stain removal damage.

Whilst this stain removal guide may be simple and basic it has many advantages over a supermarket stain remover product. Many high street stain removers are made to cover a wide variety of stains and can therefore set a stain into the carpet fibres rather than remove it. In addition, many work on a bleaching principal that may harm the carpet colour. The tips above are a safer alternative and will therefore assist a professional Cleaning Technician should their assistance be required.

KEEPING A HEALTHY HOME

• Put mite-proof covers on all mattresses.

• Regular high filtration vacuum cleaning, (at least weekly). Remember most vacuum filters only remove 50 to 70% of material. HEPA filters will remove up to 99.7% of the material; not just dust mite faeces, but also all types of other allergens, like animal dander, dust and pollen.

 

• Cleaning of carpets, upholstery & mattresses every 6 to 12 months (depending on the severity of the allergy and no. of people and pets in the house)

• The application of specialist preventative treatments on carpets and soft furnishings.

 

• Washing all bed linen and soft toys in hot water weekly.Dust mites love warm, humid conditions, above 70 F (21 C) and 50% humidity,
• so keep the thermostat in the house below 70 degrees and
• install a dehumidifier in the bedroom.

Protected Carpets and Warrantees

Most leading carpet manufacturers that supply to the domestic market has some form of protection applied to the carpet at manufacture. Carpets might be sold with protection and warranted for up to five years. However, protection does not stop soiling or prevent your carpets from getting stained. The soil and/or stain will sit on the piles until removed. The longer the carpet is stained or soiled the more difficult it becomes to clean, in some cases the stain marks will remain permanent. Permanent stain marks can only be remove by using aggressive bleaching agents and then the carpet can be re-dyed. It is vital to treat heavy soiling and spills as soon as they occur and not to allow long dwell time as this will allow the stains to penetrate the carpet fibres. The protector will greatly delay the penetration tile allowing you time to deal with the spill long before it dries.

In order to protect your warrantee the Cleaning Technician should carry out the following checks:

• The effectiveness of the protection isn't been reduced by their cleaning chemicals
• Check to ensure they know which chemical is compatible with the treatment already on the carpet (silicone or fluorochemical)
• Approach cleaning to reduce the lost protection