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Insurance Claim Payment Process

Deductible:

The deductible is the part of your claim that your Insurance Company does not reimburse you for. This payment goes toward the restoration of your home and is due prior to starting the work. It can be paid by a check made payable to “Healthy Indoors” or by a credit card.

Insurance Company Check:

Once the estimate has been approved by your insurance company a check is usually sent to you. This check will be payable to you and to Healthy Indoors and will be endorsed by you at substantial completion of the project or at a prearranged stage of the project.

Mortgage Company:

Larger claims will also be made payable to your mortgage company as they have a vested interest in your home. Checks that include your mortgage company will require your participation to have them endorsed in a timely manner.

Mortgage companies will only release all the funds at the completion of your project or portions of the funds at prearranged stages of completion. Each mortgage company has their own set of requirements before they will release these funds.

Although it is your responsibility to have these funds ready in a timely manner, Healthy Indoors will be glad to assist you in this sometimes confusing process. To assist you we will need the name of your mortgage company (or companies if there is a second lender), their customer service telephone number, and your loan number. Additionally, we will need a letter of authorization from you to allow us to deal with your mortgage company on your behalf.

According to the IICRC Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration (IICRC S500), there are three categories of water that cause damage in buildings. They are summarized as follows:

Category 1 Water

– That which is clean at the releasing source and does not pose a hazard if consumed by humans. Category 1 water may become progressively contaminated as it mixes with soils on or within floor coverings or building assemblies (walls, decking, subflooring). Time and temperature, which promote the growth and amplification of microorganisms in water can cause Category 1 water to degrade. Examples: burst water pipes, failed supply lines on appliances, vertically falling rainwater.

Category 2 Water

– That which begins with some degree of contamination and could cause sickness or discomfort if consumed by humans. As with Category 1 water, time and temperature can cause Category 2 water to become progressively more contaminated.

Category 3 Water

– That which is highly contaminated and could cause death or serious illness if consumed by humans. Examples: sewage, rising flood water from rivers and streams, ground surface water flowing horizontally into homes. There are two ways in which water enters a building as a result of wind storm damage: The first involves falling or windblown rainwater that enters as a result of damage to roof components or wall assemblies. The second involves horizontally traveling ground surface water (Category 3) containing silt and soil contaminants that infiltrate into structures, generally through doors or around foundation walls. This ground surface water (storm surge) may accumulate to a depth of several inches or several feet. When structures are partially submerged or remain substantially flooded for weeks, far more elaborate procedures usually are required. Most household microorganisms (fungi, bacteria) typically require five conditions for germination, growth, amplification and dissemination. Generally, they include:

organic food source, especially cellulose (e.g., paper, wood), which are found in abundance in construction materials
moisture, even high humidity (67% RH plus)
moderate temperature - 68-86°F/20-30°C
stagnant air
time – several hours to several days

Anything that can be done to control or minimize these optimum conditions will prolong the time required for microbial growth.

Leaks under the sink, slow draining pipes, cracked tile or missing grout, soft or stained walls and floors, leaks under and around the base of the dishwasher, and moisture behind the refrigerator.

Lock and secure your property when not occupied to prevent looting. Keep in mind that alarms may malfunction if the electricity or telephone service has been interrupted.

Start with the toilet; check the water lines, the floor around the toilet, the tank and the toilet rim. Make sure no leaks are visible. Then inspect the Shower and Bathtub. Inspect the tiles, the grout, drain and visible plumbing. Confirm that all seals are tight and dry. Be attentive to discolorations or soft areas around the bathtub walls.

Check the outlet pipe to make sure it is not clogged or frozen. Follow the pipe and confirm that water are directed away from the property.
Check that the pump is clean. Plug in the pump and remove the lid (if there is one). Use a flashlight and look into the pump and see that the inlet pipe is clean and free flowing.
Test the pump by pouring at least 5 gallons of water and pumping it out. Be sure to pour the water in a way that will simulate the average flow into the pump. Force the pump to turn on and off 2-3 times and watch the action of the on/off switch while listening to the pump.

Generally, there 3 important red flags for water damage, originating in the refrigerator:

Moisture behind or under the refrigerator including on the coils in the back of the refrigerator.
Leaks from hose connection and seals. (commonly found in the icemaker's water supply line)
Growth of mold is a major sign because it indicates an ongoing problem that must be treated immediately. This problem is usually detected in the drain pan if your refrigerator has one.

If your hardwood floors are the sand and finish type, then we can usually save them. This is the best method because it prevents you from needing a patch down the road and they usually noticeable.

This is ultimately your decision. You should consider all safety issues, odors, electricity, noise from equipment, etc. If you are vacating your premises for any length of time, consider the following: forward your mail to your temporary residence, stop newspaper and other deliveries, notify utility company, cable company, etc. of temporary suspension of services.

Assuming your books were soaked in clean water for less than 24 hours and mold is not present, you will have to start by prioritizing salvage order: collection books and valuable books must be dried before all other books. The best method for paper drying is freezing. Insert the books into plastic bags and place in the freezer. To prevent pages from adhering to each other, place a baking sheet every 20-30 pages.

Not necessarily. Dishes, cooking utensils and food preparation areas can be sanitized, disinfected and then reused. Throw away wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers, since it's nearly impossible to safely clean them.

We recommend that you make a list of items (including food items) that are determined to be non-restorable. It is best to have a copy for yourself as well as your insurance company.

Cash
Checkbooks
Flammables
Gasoline cans
Medications
Personal documents
Pets
Stamp/Coin collections
Valuable jewelry
Valuable Paintings
Weapons/Ammunition

Not necessarily. This is a question that is best answered on a case-by-case basis. In the event of a sewage back-up, any material that has been touched by that water must be disposed of, including carpet. In other types of water losses it depends on several factors. Most of the time, we are able to save the carpet from replacement.

Dangers are not over when the water goes down. Do not endanger yourself or your family after a water event. Keep children and pets away. Try to protect yourself and your family from stress, fatigue, and water-related health hazards.

Follow these basic safety rules:

Determine Structural Stability
Cut off power supply
Turn off water supply
Turn off gas supply
Beware of animals
Use protective gear

DO:

Have a professional plumbing contractor eliminate the water source.
Call a professional water damage restoration company immediately for help! Damage from water and bacteria growth can begin within just a few hours.
Remove as much water as possible from floors by mopping or blotting with clean white towels.
Turn off circuit breakers supplying electricity to wet areas if appropriate. Unplug and remove any small electrical devices located on wet carpet or other wet surfaces.
Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings that are not attached. Do not remove wall-to-wall carpet.
Hang draperies and pin up furniture skirts to prevent contact with wet carpet.
Wipe furniture and prop up wet cushions for even drying.
Place aluminum foil under legs of wood furniture (especially antiques).
Remove small furniture items to prevent rust or stains and to expedite restoration.
Remove books, shoes, paper goods, fabrics, potted plants and other items that may stain the carpet (be sure to check under the beds and in closets).
Move photos, paintings, art and any high-value items to a safe, dry location.
Open drawers and closet and cabinet doors to speed the drying process.
Make plans for a restoration crew to move large furniture items onto dry carpet, linoleum, garage or storage area.

DON’T:

Don’t use your home vacuum because electrical shock may result as well as damage to the vacuum.
Don’t use TV’s or other appliances on wet carpet or floors.
Don’t place newspaper in the traffic areas because the ink transfers easily.
Don’t walk on wet carpet more than necessary in order to keep from spreading damage.
Don’t activate the HVAC system if it has been directly contacted by the water or it may spread contamination.
Don’t disturb visible mold.

Yes. Healthy Indoors will perform water damage services for any loss. Healthy Indoors has the knowledge, people, and equipment to do the job correctly, no matter the size of the job.

Healthy Indoors is qualified to handle any type of water damage including sewage overflow, leaking pipe, icemaker lines, dishwasher or washing machine hoses, rising water from heavy rains and tornado losses.

Most structures can be dried in three days or less. However, when the moisture goes undetected for a prolonged period of time this can take longer to dry.

Many times, taking a do-it-yourself approach to water restoration only compounds the problem because it’s difficult to accurately diagnose the scope of the damage. There are also less experienced water restoration companies out there that don’t fully understand the proper steps and precautions to take, and leave the customer with an even bigger problem than they had originally. The use of non-commercial equipment (like a shop vac) will not properly extract water from the carpet and pad. It is important to properly dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours.

Insurance Claim Payment Process

Deductible:

The deductible is the part of your claim that your Insurance Company does not reimburse you for. This payment goes toward the restoration of your home and is due prior to starting the work. It can be paid by a check made payable to “Healthy Indoors Cleaning” or by a credit card.

Insurance Company Check:

Once the estimate has been approved by your insurance company a check is usually sent to you. This check will be payable to you and to Healthy Indoors and will be endorsed by you at substantial completion of the project or at a prearranged stage of the project.

Mortgage Company:

Larger claims will also be made payable to your mortgage company as they have a vested interest in your home. Checks that include your mortgage company will require your participation to have them endorsed in a timely manner.

Mortgage companies will only release all the funds at the completion of your project or portions of the funds at prearranged stages of completion. Each mortgage company has their own set of requirements before they will release these funds.

Although it is your responsibility to have these funds ready in a timely manner, Healthy Indoors will be glad to assist you in this sometimes confusing process. To assist you we will need the name of your mortgage company (or companies if there is a second lender), their customer service telephone number, and your loan number. Additionally, we will need a letter of authorization from you to allow us to deal with your mortgage company on your behalf.

This is ultimately your decision. You should consider all safety issues, odors, electricity, noise from equipment, etc. If you are vacating your premises for any length of time, consider the following: forward your mail to your temporary residence, stop newspaper and other deliveries, notify utility company, cable company, etc. of temporary suspension of services.

When recovering from fire damage, most of your items can be salvaged, disinfected, and cleaned. However, you will need to pay attention to some safety rules when trying to determine what to keep and what to discard. Be sure to document everything you throw away.
Food

You will have to be very careful when dealing with food. If food is burnt or even partially burnt, discard it. Discard food that has been exposed to heat, smoke or soot. The high temperatures of fire and its byproducts can make food unsafe. Do not use any canned foods where the can has bulged, is badly dented or has rusted.

Refrigerated Food
If your refrigerator was not damaged in the fire, check its content. Confirm that the food is still cold and that no soot penetrated it. If in doubt, discard the food.

Your refrigerator will keep cold for 4 hours if it is well sealed. In case that the power was turned off during the fire and the refrigerator was turned off for more than 4 hours, discard the food.

Frozen Food
The food that was in the freezer can be used if it still has ice crystals on it and if it still feels cold and hard. If not, discard it. Again, whenever in doubt, discard the food.
Medicines and Cosmetics

Discard medicines and cosmetics if contamination is suspected. Inspect medicines and cosmetics carefully to make sure that they are clean of soot, dust, and all other chemicals that might have been in use to extinguish the fire.
Clothes and Textile

Clothes and textile can often be cleaned and disinfected. Discard these materials only if burnt. Be extra cautious with baby and children clothes.
Other Content

All other content can be reused after you make sure that it is well cleaned and disinfected and that it is dust and soot free.

No. however, you will have to be very careful when dealing with food. Throw food if it is burnt or if it has been exposed to heat, smoke or soot. In addition, do not use any canned foods if the can has bulged, is badly dented or has rusted.

You can keep refrigerated food if your refrigerator was not damaged in the fire. Your refrigerator will keep cold for 4 hours if it is well sealed. In case that the power was turned off during the fire and the refrigerator was turned off for more than 4 hours, discard the food.

Frozen food can be used if it still has ice crystals on it and if it still feels cold and hard. Whenever in doubt, discard the food.

No. however, you will have to be very careful when dealing with food. Throw food if it is burnt or if it has been exposed to heat, smoke or soot. In addition, do not use any canned foods if the can has bulged, is badly dented or has rusted.

You can keep refrigerated food if your refrigerator was not damaged in the fire. Your refrigerator will keep cold for 4 hours if it is well sealed. In case that the power was turned off during the fire and the refrigerator was turned off for more than 4 hours, discard the food.

Frozen food can be used if it still has ice crystals on it and if it still feels cold and hard. Whenever in doubt, discard the food.

We recommend that you make a list of items (including food items) that are determined to be non-restorable. It is best to have a copy for yourself as well as your insurance company.

Cash
Checkbooks
Flammables
Gasoline cans
Medications
Personal documents
Pets
Stamp/Coin collections
Valuable jewelry
Valuable Paintings
Weapons/Ammunition

Lock and secure your property when not occupied to prevent looting. Keep in mind that alarms may malfunction if the electricity or telephone service has been interrupted. If windows or doors are busted they will need to be boarded up for security.

While it is possible, it is not recommended. This is one of those instances where what you don’t know can hurt you. Restoration is a scientific discipline that is practiced by trained professionals. If not done correctly you might be creating hazardous health conditions for you and your family. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will pay for you to hire a professional restoration contractor to return your property to its pre-loss condition.

DO:

Call for professional help as soon as possible. Corrosive byproducts can cause irreversible etching.
If the temperature is above 60 degrees, open windows to ventilate the home.
If you have to turn off your water, take steps to prevent your plumbing and/or heating supply pipes from freezing.
If the electricity is off, remove perishable foods from your refrigerator and freezer. The odor created by spoiled food is usually impossible to remove. Leave the doors propped open.
Discard any open food packages.
Keep a listing of anything you have discarded and receipts for any expenses you incur in protecting your property. Most likely, your insurance claim representative will ask for these items.
Vacuum loose dry soot smoke particles from carpets. Make sure the vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter to prevent redistribution of fine soot. Avoid walking or tracking on carpet if possible.
Close doors on affected areas to localize smoke odors as much as possible.
Change the furnace or air conditioner filter if the blower is operating. Tape damp cheesecloth over air registers with masking tape to capture loose soot in the air.
Clean Formica, chrome, porcelain and aluminum fixtures to prevent permanent tarnishing or etching.

DON’T:

Don’t touch anything with your bare hands. Oils from your hands can cause additional damage.
Don’t use any TV, stereo or electronic appliances until they have been checked by a technician.
Don’t use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.
Don’t attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture.
Don’t wipe or attempt to wash ceilings or other absorbent surfaces. Incorrect cleaning could compound the soot residue.
Don’t consume food items exposed to smoke or canned goods that have been subjected to excessive heat.
Don’t use upholstered furniture if possible.

A "do-it-yourself" approach to sewage and septic cleanup is NOT encouraged. The sewage backup restoration process involves a series of steps, to be taken in a specific order, and that need to be done right the first time.

The sewage will need to be pumped out of the affected area and everything that was touched by the sewage needs to be considered contaminated. Carpeting, rugs, clothing, textiles, upholstery, mattresses and any other items that have come into contact with sewage-based flooding should be thrown away and replaced.

Mold appears even faster following cases of sewage flooding or backup. Mold aggravates the problem exponentially, increasing the difficulty of proper remediation, and adding an additional level of health risks since mold spores inhaled in large concentrations may prove extremely hazardous to your health.

Every surface touched by sewage will need to be cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized. This procedure may need to be repeated several times to make sure that all contaminants have been removed.

FROM THE IICRC/THE CLEANTRUST:

Here are the key principles homeowners should know about sewage back-ups:

Sewage contains a variety of pathogenic – disease causing – fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Anyone who works on sewage losses must have updated vaccinations, including one for Hepatitis B.
Sewage exposure is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including anyone under two or over 60, those who are pregnant, ill, recovering from surgery, on prescription drugs or chemotherapy, or are AIDS victims.
It is not safe to stay in a building that’s flooded with sewage unless the contaminated area can be completely sealed off and placed under controlled air flow so that there will be no cross contamination of unaffected areas.
Highly absorbent sewage-saturated materials, such as carpet, pad, upholstery, bedding, wicker, paper or even fabrics that can’t be washed in hot water (130°F/54°C) for at least 10 minutes, must be contained and disposed of properly. This goes for sewage-saturated drywall, insulation and several other structural materials too. There’s simply too great a health risk involved if any of these materials are dried in place and cleaned only.
Only the most highly trained professionals should attempt sewage remediation work. Then, a “third party” indoor environmental professional can provide post-remediation verification or “clearance testing” to ensure that the home or building is safe to re-occupy.

Solid Flushes
The most common cause of sewage backup is a blockage of the lateral service pipe between the home and the city main. This is usually caused by solid objects, accidentally flushed down a household drain.

Structural Defects
Different structural defects can develop overtime and eventually cause a major damage to the system, leading to a serious overflow that will require a complete reconstruction of sewer lines.

Root infiltration
Tree roots are a major cause of backups. Tree roots can enter the service pipe at joints and travel a long way, causing blockages along the way.

Stinky sewage back-up and overflowing drains are a very common cause of damage to homes and businesses, especially those located in flat areas or near the bottom of slopes. Many policies now exclude coverage for the clean-up and repairs, but for a mere $20 a year you can buy a “Back-up of Sewer or Drain Endorsement” that gives you up to $10,000 in coverage. The catch? A $1,000 deductible. But hey, that’s still easy math.”

Exposure to sewage or its products may result in diseases such as: Gastroenteritis, Hepatitis, Occupational asthma, Weil's disease, Allergic Alveolitis. In extreme cases exposure to sewage can cause fatal damage to the liver, kidneys and blood, and infection of the skin or eyes.

Raw sewage is mainly gray or black water. It often contains the organic waste and wastewater produced by household and industrial sources. It can contain everything from soap to solid waste, human excrement, industrial effluent, and debris.

DO:

Report the damage to the police as soon as possible. They will need to collect evidence and take photographs.
Once the police have determined that your home is safe to enter, create a list for both the police and your insurance company of everything that is damaged or missing. Be sure to make a copy for yourself.
Call for professional clean up help as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
Use a shop vacuum to remove glass particles from carpet and upholstery.
Remove any debris from carpet or interior walls.
Scrape or blot carpets and furniture.
Wash any egg or other residues from the building exterior using water.

DON’T:

Do not clean up any of the mess until after the police tell you that it is okay to do so.
Do not try to operate electrical appliances that appear to have been tampered with or damaged by the vandals.
Do not attempt to clean up any chemical stains including ink or paint.
Do not use traditional household cleansers on your upholstery, carpeting or other fabrics.

Mold removal is not a “do it yourself job”. Mold removal requires professional chemicals, equipment and training. Treating mold with household chemicals such as bleach can cause mold to spread and create more costly issues in your home. Contact Healthy Indoors for professional mold removal.

Each Healthy Indoors technician is trained on proper mold removal / mold remediation procedures in accordance with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) S-520.

When removing mold, all work is performed to the same industry standards, regardless of the type of mold. The location of the mold growth, however, may determine the removal methodology.

For example, commercial mold removal, may require additional considerations for building operations and occupant restrictions that a remediator may not encounter on a residential project.

If you feel your property owner or landlord not been responsive to concerns you’ve expressed regarding mold or mildew exposure, you can contact your local board of health or housing authority. Applicable codes, insurance, inspection, legal, and similar issues about mold generally fall under state and local (not federal) jurisdiction. You can also contact your county or state health department about mold issues in your area to learn about what mold assessment and remediation services they offer.

Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.

Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.

For more information on mold, visit www.epa.gov/mold

If we are able to get out to your property in a timely manner and begin the drying process immediately, you significantly reduce the risk of developing mold.

No, bleach will only remove the visible mold, which will probably visually re-occur within 10-14 days. Anti-Microbial chemicals must be properly used to kill mold.

No, mold will continue to grow until it’s completely killed and removed.

Exposure to mold can cause health effects in some people. Some people are more sensitive to mold then others. Mold exposure causes various symptoms including nasal and sinus congestion, stuffiness, eye irritation, respiratory problems, throat irritation, skin irritation, and/or headache.

There is no defined time frame to predict when mold will grow in carpet. For any material to support common indoor mold growth, it must:

be organic,
be damp or wet,
have a moderate temperature (68-86ºF),
be in a stagnant air environment, and
have these conditions present for several days.

Most tufted carpet is made of plastic face yarns and backings, and synthetic latex. There is nothing organic to support mold in the carpet itself. Therefore, mold cannot technically grow on carpet. However, average household soil is about 40% organic (12% cellulose, 12% protein, 10% oils, 6% food stuffs); therefore, mold can grow on the soil in carpet given the right conditions listed above.

However, if carpet is kept clean and dry, there is little or no possibility for mold growth. Even with soiling and normal household conditions found in most homes, it takes considerable time for mold to grow on carpet soil, and then only if dampness is present.

Mold growth may occur in your home if there is sufficient moisture because mold spores are everywhere. Be on the lookout for these common sources of moisture: flooding, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, drainage problems or condensation resulting from poor or improper ventilation.

Call Healthy Indoors and have one of their IICRC trained technicians investigate the situation. A mold problem can usually be seen or smelled. Mold can be a concern in the home and should not be allowed to grow. Extensive mold contamination may cause health problem, as well as damage to your home.

Color Variations: Slight color variation may exist from side to side. This is a normal characteristic and may be more evident at the seams. Your installer should take care to make sure seams are not placed in the center or high profile areas of the rooms.

Dyelot Variations: Color and/or texture may vary from dyelot to dyelot. Two dyelots should never be seamed side by side, however they may be used in areas separated by other flooring surfaces or on stairways.

Fading/Color Loss: As in all textile products, carpet is subject to color changes over time. This can be due to a variety of things, but is usually caused by exposure to ozone, direct sunlight, certain cleaning agents, benzoyl peroxide and other household items. Window treatments can go a long way in protecting your carpet from harmful ultraviolet rays.

Matting/Crushing: Some degree of matting and crushing is unavoidable, especially in high traffic areas and pivot points. Extra care in vacuuming these areas will go a long way in decreasing the degree of noticeable crushing. Indentations from furniture or heavy objects are inevitable. Utilizing furniture coasters under the legs of heavy furniture will help minimize this condition. Brushing the affected areas with your hand or fingertips will usually hasten the recovery of the crushed fibers.

Roll Crush: This condition is caused by the weight of the roll on itself, and generally occurs during transit from the manufacturer to the installer. Roll crush marks are characterized by width-wise lines that appear darker when viewed from one direction, and then appear lighter when viewed from the opposite direction. Roll crush cannot be prevented and will usually dissipate on its own with normal use and frequent vacuuming. In the most extreme cases, the crush marks can be corrected with the application of steam to the face of the carpet by a professional carpet cleaner.

Seams: Depending on the dimensions of your room(s), one or more seams may be required to complete the installation. Seams are never invisible, however certain types of constructions are able to minimize their appearance. Visibility of seams is not a manufacturing defect.

Shading: Shading is a change in pile direction, often caused by footprints and vacuum marks, that results in what appears to be a change in color. This is actually caused by the light reflecting in different ways, depending on which way the nap is laying in a particular area. Fibers that are laying down will reflect light differently than those that are standing up. This is a normal characteristic of cut pile and cut/loop patterned carpets.

Shedding: Shedding is a normal characteristic of new carpets and will decrease over time with frequent vacuuming.

Sprouting: Occasionally, a buried tuft works its way to the surface and stands up higher than the rest of the carpet tufts. Simply snip the sprouted tuft with sharp scissors and vacuum as usual. Never vacuum carpet with a visible sprouted tuft as it may get caught on the vacuum and cause a snag.

Wrinkles: Wrinkling (sometimes referred to as “buckling”) can sometimes occur after the carpet has been installed for a period of time. This is usually the result of improper carpet cushion, or the installer not following the recommended installation guidelines found in CRI-105. The CRI-105 guidelines can be found at www.carpet-rug.org

Yes...winter, spring, summer and fall!

Winter is great because you're stuck inside for months, living with everything that gets tracked in on your carpet.

Spring is great because it can reduce the dust and pollen in your carpet. And if you have allergies, this is a great thing.

Summer is great because heat can bring with it unpleasant odors caused by bacteria thriving on humidity. This will be eliminated by having your carpet professionally cleaned and disinfected.

And Fall is great because the kids are back in school. This makes for another perfect cleaning opportunity and we can clean up after a summer of kids in the house.

FYI: Any holiday is also a prime time for cleaning. Chances are that you'll probably have family over and what better way to impress them than your fabulously clean house!

DON'T GET RID OF THE DOG!

If you are experiencing odor problems as a result of having pets in your home, give Healthy Indoors a call for a FREE EVALUATION of the situation. We can advise you of you of your best course of action.

Tips for Urine Spots:

(1) If you have a pet that is prone to urinate on the carpet, take a quick walk through your house as soon as you get home each day. The quicker you get to the accident - the better.

(2) Never use all purpose cleaners on urine! You may permanently set the spot.

To Clean the Spot: Mix 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water and clean with a white terry cloth towel. If you have a small extraction machine use it to extract the area.

If you have any trouble - Call Healthy Indoors at 845-418-6012.

An unbelievably low price could be a questionable sign. Dirt-cheap prices are too good to be true. You may be setting yourself up for bait-and-switch and at the least, lots of up-charges. These promotions are primarily to get your attention and for them to get their foot in your door. If you’re quoted one price over the phone and the technician once he’s at your house gives you a whole different price, tell them you are not interested. You are absolutely under no obligation to hire them.

Good ventilation will do a lot of good, open windows when the weather is good. In cold weather, turn up the heat and partially open a window to allow humid air to escape. In warm weather remember that evaporative coolers add moisture to the air, refrigerated air removes moisture from the air. Use ceiling fans and other fans to speed up the drying.

You will get the best results in having your carpets cleaned if you prepare in advance.

Before we arrive, please have a place for us to park our cleaning van, street is ok if you have a sidewalk leading to the door. The shorter the vacuum hose run, the better.

Make sure someone will be there to let us in at the scheduled time, if leaving the door open, please leave specific instructions of work to be done, areas to be cleaned, contact information and other pertinent information.

Please plan to be out of the rooms that are to be cleaned.

Keep children and pets out of work areas for their protection. Have in mind that the door will need to be left open wide enough for our hoses, in case you have pets that you do not want to go outside.

Remove all breakables off furniture to be moved. If you can't move the items but want to us to move the furniture, please be reminded that we will not be responsible for any breakage.

Let us know of problems with furniture, broken/loose legs etc. or items you do not want moved. Note: We do not move high risk items such as pianos, grandfather clocks, curio shelves, electronics, book cases etc.

Let us know of any particular problems and areas of concern on the carpet or upholstery to be cleaned.

Yes, however, you need protection on your feet so as not to re-soil the carpet since the carpet is damp. Carpet is more susceptible to soiling when it is damp. We provide booties for this purpose. We recommend limiting traffic for 24 hours.

When you purchased your carpet and furniture, you did not select the cheapest, but you probably choose the highest quality available for your budget. Knowing that you get what you pay for, “to good to be true” carpet and upholstery cleaning rates usually aren’t a true value. There are many honest and reliable companies in your local area. Healthy Indoors's rates are comparable with all other companies offering the same high quality service. Since we charge by the square foot, as recommended by the Carpet and Rug Institute, you are only being charged for what you choose to have cleaned. Our rates are simple and easy to understand. When comparing prices, be sure to compare the services provided for that price.

We will never start a job without your cost approval!

Indentations from furniture re-arrangement are a normal phenomenon in carpet. Sometimes, the situation is self-correcting when the furniture is moved and the carpet backings and pile are allowed to re-acclimate. In other cases, vacuuming coupled with light brushing can bring up the indented areas. In extreme cases, the indentation can be covered with a damp towel and steamed with an iron for a few seconds, followed by brushing while warm to "resurrect" the pile in that area. Nylon carpet pile (about 70% of residential carpet) responds particularly well to this procedure.

There are, however, limitations brought on by the type of pile fiber. If the pile is made of non-resilient olefin, as in olefin Berber or level-loop olefin commercial carpet, the indentation may be permanent. That's a characteristic of the fiber. This is why non-resilient olefin often is combined with resilient nylon in several popular carpet styles.

FROM IICRC.ORG

There is no defined time frame to predict when mold will grow in carpet. For any material to support common indoor mold growth, it must:

be organic,
be damp or wet,
have a moderate temperature (68-86ºF),
be in a stagnant air environment, and
have these conditions present for several days.

Most tufted carpet is made of plastic face yarns and backings, and synthetic latex. There is nothing organic to support mold in the carpet itself. Therefore, mold cannot technically grow on carpet. However, average household soil is about 40% organic (12% cellulose, 12% protein, 10% oils, 6% food stuffs); therefore, mold can grow on the soil in carpet given the right conditions listed above.

However, if carpet is kept clean and dry, there is little or no possibility for mold growth. Even with soiling and normal household conditions found in most homes, it takes considerable time for mold to grow on carpet soil, and then only if dampness is present.

FROM IICRC.ORG

The IICRC S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaningspecifies:

Section 7.5, Drying
... When cleaning carpet, it is highly recommended that drying occur within six to eight hours or less: however, drying time must not exceed 24 hours. Failure of the professional to implement drying procedures could result in a variety of after-cleaning problems. Often, occupant cooperation is needed to expedite drying.

With normal temperature and humidity coupled with use of your heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the carpet should be dry in much less than 24 hours. If it stays damp longer than that, the opportunity for microbial growth and associated odor arises.

FROM IICRC.ORG

The following steps should be taken when dealing with carpet in a high-traffic area:

It's a good idea to keep sand, grit and grass clippings off walkways outside entries to prevent inward tracking of these abrasive soils.
Purchase a properly sized entry mat (the bigger the better, but there must be room for at least two steps to sufficiently wipe soil from feet before encountering the installed carpet). Nylon face, vinyl back for better moisture and oils absorption, combined with the resiliency necessary to collect a quantity of particle soil. The IICRC suggests a rental mat, since that guarantees frequent maintenance. Place entry mats on hard surfaces rather than on carpet where they can trap moisture or cause plasticizer migration.
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum; daily, especially after major events. The sooner you collect soils from the surface, the easier it is to remove them. For most carpet, you should use an upright vacuum with brush agitation, unless your canister vacuum is particularly well designed. The wider the head, the more efficient.
Use high-efficiency double-lined poly-fiber collection bags. This reduces periodic maintenance such as dusting of furniture, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter exchange.
Typically, deep cleaning should be accomplished on at least a semi-annual basis, with no more than two entry and high-traffic area "rinse" cleanings between the deep cleaning. This is dependent on traffic and daily maintenance as well. At a minimum, some attention should be given to primary entry areas on a quarterly basis.
If spots are treated immediately, most will respond with plain warm water and very little mild detergent added.
Make sure the HVAC system is slightly positively pressurized as well (air going out when doors are opened, rather than being sucked in). Proper air exchange rates can be calibrated according to ASHRAE regulations for the building with a trained HVAC contractor.
Ensure proper air filtration through the HVAC System. High-efficiency pleated filters, rather than inexpensive fiberglass filters, are recommended.

From IICRC.org

Various methods of cleaning have different functions, both in interim maintenance and restorative cleaning.

According to a survey conducted by Cleanfax, a cleaning industry magazine, some 88.6% of the professional carpet cleaners are using hot water extraction as their primary cleaning method. Dry foam cleaning was used by 1.5% of the professionals surveyed.

Second, both Shaw Industries and Mohawk, who together manufacture over two thirds of the world's carpet, recommend hot water extraction cleaning.

Whatever method you choose, it is important to use an IICRC-Certified Professional for your cleaning work. To find one in you area, click here.

From IICRC.org

If you have light colored carpet, you may have experienced these dark lines that appear on the carpet. This soiling is called filtration soiling because it comes from air passing through the carpet as it is attempting to get through the crack between the carpet and the baseboard or under a closed door. As the air passes through the edge of the carpet pile, this microscopic soiling is deposited there (hence the term filtration soiling). This occurs over a significant period of time and is not noticed until a build up has occurred.

This type of soiling is difficult to remove because the soil particles are so fine that they penetrate deep into the carpet pile, sometimes into the backing of the carpet. Can it be removed? Sometimes. With special products, time and effort, reasonable results can sometimes be achieved. To help prevent filtration soiling, vacuum and wipe the edges of the carpeting on a regular basis.

A Two-step Solution

With today’s stain-resistant carpet, treating spots and stains has never been easier. The key is to act quickly! The longer you wait, the higher the probability that a spill will become a permanent stain. No carpet is completely stainproof. So to knock out spots, give them a one-two punch.

Step One: Absorb the Spill

Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or plain white paper towels (no prints or colors). Use of a printed or colored material may transfer ink or dye to your damp carpet.
Start at the outside of the spot and continue toward the center to prevent the stain from spreading. Continue step one until the area is barely damp. Semisolids, like food spills, may need to be scooped up with a spoon. Solid, dried bits can be vacuumed up. Warning: do not scrub or use a brush. Scrubbing and brushes can damage the carpet. Fraying and texture change is the likely result.

Step Two: Treat the Spot

Use a CRI Seal of Approval carpet cleaning product. Though these have been laboratory tested, you should still pretest any cleaner on a scrap of carpet or in a hidden area of your carpet.
Follow the product’s directions carefully. Apply a small amount of the cleaner to a white cloth and work in gently, from the edges to the center. Blot; don’t scrub. Never use a brush. You may need to do this several times to remove the spot.

When cleaning stains and spills, don’t become overzealous. Mix the cleaning solutions according to the directions. In truth, more is not better. Don’t use too much water; try to keep the carpet as dry as possible. And always remember to pretest the product on an inconspicuous spot of carpet.

What if you don’t have a CRI-approved carpet cleaner? Try one of these homemade remedies:

Use plain water. Surprisingly, water often works better than untested carpet cleaners do.
Use a detergent solution. Mix 1/4 teaspoon of a clear (nonbleach, nonlanolin) dishwashing liquid with one cup of warm water. Never use laundry detergent; it may contain bleach or simply be too harsh.
Use a white vinegar solution. Mix one cup white (not red wine or cider) vinegar with 1 cup of water. White vinegar (5 percent acetic acid) is sometimes effective on tannins (weak vegetable dyes found in tea and coffee), and it leaves no residue. However, be careful because acids can set some other dye stains.

Proper vacuuming is the easiest and most effective way to keep your carpet clean. It may come as a surprise that something as simple as regular vacuuming can also have the largest impact on the air you breathe. Removing loose soil while it remains on the carpet surface prevents dirt from being ground into the carpet pile and can help preserve the cushiness of your carpet. Keep in mind green cleaning starts with vacuuming.

How to vacuum

On carpet, use slow, repetitive front-to-back motions in an overlapping sequence. A quick once over doesn’t do much. On the other hand, don’t press down or make too many passes over the same spot. Instead, move slightly to the left or right about every four strokes. To get the most out of your vacuuming regime, remember these few easy tips:

When vacuuming, don’t ignore those corners and crevices where dust builds.
“Top-down” cleaning saves you the step of vacuuming again after dusting. Dust blinds, windowsills, and furniture surfaces first and then vacuum away any fallen dust.
Remember to remove and replace or empty vacuum bags when they are half to two-thirds full.

Understanding the attachments

Attachments allow vacuums to do more than clean carpets. They can tackle many other projects, such as cleaning bookshelves and other items that tend to collect dust. Your particular vacuum may feature some of the following attachments:

The all-purpose or universal brush works well on books and shelves.
The crevice tool (long and thin) reaches into narrow slots and corners.
The dusting brush details items that need a softer touch.
The radiator brush cleans radiators and narrow spaces.
The upholstery nozzle is good for vacuuming chairs, sofas, cushions, drapes, mattresses, and fabric furniture covers.

Setting the right vacuuming frequency

As a rule of thumb, you should vacuum at least once a week with a CRI Seal of Approval/Green Label vacuum cleaner. However, the more foot traffic over your carpet, the more you need to vacuum. The general formula is:

Vacuum daily in high-traffic or pet areas.
Vacuum twice weekly in medium-traffic areas.
Vacuum weekly in light-traffic areas, using attachments at carpet edges.

Vacuum care tips

For the best cleaning results, periodically inspect your vacuum keep it in tiptop shape and functioning properly:

Keep the instructions that came with your vacuum and refer to them periodically.
Keep hoses and attachments free from obstructions. Most vacuums that are discarded as nonfunctional often are only clogged somewhere in the unit. Learn where these likely places are from the manufacturer’s instructions.
Grip the handle, not the hose.
Keep brushes clean (for example, remove tangled hair) and replace them when worn. Typically, worn brushes are stiff, and they cause surface texture change on carpet.
Empty containers or replace bags when half full. (Just as you would not top off a car’s gas tank until it overflows, you would not want your vacuum bag to spill over.)
Look for rough edges or bent metal on your machine that can snag carpet.

1. All spots are not created equal.
All spots should not be cleaned with the same product. For example, urine spots that are dried should be cleaned with an "acid side" spotter due to the fact that the pH of urine changes within hours of drying. Oil or grease spots require a solvent based spotter and do-it-yourself traffic area cleaning is best approached with a dry compound material. That leaves just food and general spots for the general spotter.

2. Using the wrong product can actually cause a permanent stain.
Many over the counter products are high in alkaline content and can actually "set" the stain. In addition, some tend to leave heavy residue that cause spot to re-soil quickly.

3. Spot cleaning is not a substitute for professional traffic area cleaning.
Leaving traffic areas without professional attention for long periods of time will allow abrasive soils to damage carpet beyond remedy.

1. Regular foot traffic. Over a period of 6 months to 1 year, depending on the traffic, a significant amount of protector can be removed from your traffic areas and needs to be reapplied.

2. High Alkaline Cleaner. Some uneducated carpet cleaners use harsh chemicals on the carpet that will strip it's protection.

Unfortunately there is probably as much confusion in the carpet cleaning industry about carpet protectors as there is about cleaning. Some carpet cleaners cause a great deal of confusion by giving out false information or intentionally misrepresenting the product.

A nylon stain-resistant carpet is made with two protective properties: The first is an acid dye blocker that is basically a clear dye that fills the extra dye sites in a fiber. This helps to keep "foreign" dyes (such as red dye in a beverage) from penetrating the carpet fiber. The second property is called a "flourochemical" It is commonly known as 3M Scotchgard or DuPont Teflon. This property helps keep spillage from actually getting to the acid dye blocker, but it's main job is to resist dry soil. By resisting dry soil, less soil bonds to the carpet, therefore being picked up by your vacuum or cleaning. Making sure that you have a sufficient amount of protector on your carpet will help keep the soil from bonding to the carpet. Once it bonds to the carpet, it acts like sandpaper on your traffic area. Once the traffic area yarns are broken down, there is no way to bring them back to their original state.

5 Reasons You Should Always Get Protector...

1. Reduces permanent stains. Unprotected carpet doesn't repel spills as well as protected carpet. If you can remove spills more effectively, you can avoid permanent stains.

2. Helps save your traffic areas from becoming destroyed. Traffic area soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This damaging soil can easily bond to an unprotected carpet. By applying protector, you will increase the life of your carpet dramatically.

3. Makes spots easier to remove. The easier a spot is to remove, the less cleaner you will have to use and the less time it will take. Many spots can be removed with just water.

4. Makes your next professional cleaning more effective. Having protector applied to your carpet will enhance your next cleaning. More soil will be removed the next time your carpet is professionally cleaned.

5. Helps avoid costly service calls. Carpet protector helps you to remove more spots than you could without protector - you may be able to save yourself a minimum charge.

By having protector applied to your carpet, your carpet will stay cleaner, longer.

Be careful using rugs or runners over carpet in high traffic areas. Doing so may cause a permanent soil line on your carpet! Along the edge of the rug or runner gets exposed to traffic, soil and light while the carpet under the runner gets no light, no traffic, and no soil. The result: When you remove the rug or runner, there will be an obvious square and the worn area will not be able to be restored to it's original condition. To prevent this condition, clean your traffic areas regularly, therefore eliminating the need for runners or rugs.

The science of indoor air quality is very interesting and relatively new. In the past, the focus was on the quality of the outside air and the interest was in lowering emissions of all types into the air.Since we now spend more time indoors - an average of 90% of our time - indoor air quality has become a concern to the EPA, as well as government and private health organizations.Following the energy-saving efforts of the 70's and 80's, buildings and homes are now much more air-tight, leaving little opportunity for diluting the indoor air with fresh air from outside. Indoor air has thus become more polluted.

But what's the connection between indoor air quality and carpets? In the past, physicians recommended that their asthma and allergy-suffering patients remove carpeting from the home. It was erroneously thought that carpeting exasperated their conditions. Recently, the EPA performed a study of hundreds of homes, schools and office buildings and concluded that the choice of carpeting as a floor covering was actually beneficial in the fight against asthma and allergies. When scientifically tested, the air in the breathing zone above carpets was found to contain fewer allergens than the air above hard surfaces.

Carpet tends to collect and hold the allergens out of the air, where they remain, until the carpet is vacuumed or professionally cleaned. In contrast, allergens that settle on hard surface flooring tend to be redistributed to the breathing zone with normal foot traffic or the simple act of running a broom over the flooring surface. One unfortunate result of the EPA's study is that we now know that many families removed carpeting from their homes in an effort to reduce allergy symptoms, only to find that they gained no improvement in their conditions. Their carpeting was an asset, rather than a detriment, to the quality of their indoor air.

In concluding that carpeting is a benefit to indoor air, the EPA now recommends that carpeting be cleaned at least every 6 months - in most homes - to rid the carpeting of these allergens. A carpet

that is not regularly maintained has a reduced ability to collect indoor air pollutants.

How Can You Reduce Indoor Allergens?

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! This cannot be stressed enough. You should vacuum at least twice a week, more often if you have pets. Vacuuming helps rid your carpeting of dust, dust mite feces, animal hair and dander, human hair and dead skin, mold spores, dead bugs and abrasive sand and soil. Make sure that you use a vacuum cleaner that has a high efficiency HEPA filtering system and ensure that the brush setting is low enough to agitate the carpet fibers.

Don't sweep your hard surface flooring. Sweeping redistributes allergens into the air. Vacuuming your floors, followed by a damp mop or swiffer, will help keep the air your family breathes cleaner.

Adopt a no shoes policy in your home. This will keep outdoor pollutants from entering the main areas of your home.

Follow these simple tips, and not only will you have a healthier home, but your carpeting will last longer also.

That is an old myth we have heard hundreds of times. However there is some truth to that statement. Many people who use a soap or shampoo based cleaner may notice that there carpets get dirtier faster once they clean them. That again is due to the fact that the soap residue that is left behind from these types of cleaners attract dirt to the carpet and therefore the carpet does need to be cleaned more often to maintain its clean look. Using our products, you never have to worry about soapy residues, and therefore your carpets will not re-soil after the first cleaning.

Everything that enters our homes in the air, everything that spills, everything that gets tracked in on our shoes settles to the bottom of our home. It lands on the carpet.The light dusty bits of soils are easily removed by conscientious vacuuming. The more tenacious and sticky soils stick to the carpet and they need professional cleaning to dislodge and remove them.

Some people try to lessen the problem by taking their shoes off. This simply changes the source of the problem. The soles of our feet leave an oily residue just like the palms of our hands. Pets also contribute to the problem. Some pets even have oil glands in the pads of their feet. So what can you do to protect your carpet? Here are 3 easy ways to lengthen the life of your carpet.

HAVE A WALK-OFF MAT AT THE ENTRANCES TO YOUR HOME: Since some of the oily residue that gets to your carpet comes in on your shoes, a walk-off mat is a good idea. It's important to get an absorbent walk-off mat. There are somethat are made to have a smooth finish. These absorb nothing at all. A good mat will have fibers that can trap oils and soils as well as grit before they get into your home.

WASH YOUR WALK-OFF MAT: It stands to reason that if the walk-off mat is doing its job, it will get pretty dirty. Once in awhile when you are washing the car, you can soap up and scrub the walk-off mat. You will be amazed at what comes out of it as you rinse it out. All the grime that you see coming out, was stopped from getting to your carpet.

COMBAT COOKING OILS: Cooking is the other source of oils that can settle on your carpet. If you have a vent over your stovetop, it's a good idea to use it. Some of these vent the cooking vapors outside your home. Others run the vapors through a filter and release them back into your kitchen. In either case, you will get the most effectiveness if the filter of your vent is clean. Most of the filters are dishwasher safe so occassionally wash your filters or replace them.

Would you drive your car for 100,000 miles without changing the oil? Of course you would not.To keep your engine in good working order, you change the oil and do a tune up once and a while, right? Your automobile is a significant purchase and you want to maintain that investment.

Your carpet is the same way. In fact, your flooring in general represents a significant investment and needs to be maintained properly. What are the warranty requirements? How often should carpet be cleaned? What are some of the things you should avoid?

1. Check the Warranty. Copies of specific warranties on your carpet purchase may be available from your carpet retailer. Stain resist warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years.

ALL STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE REGULAR CLEANING AND IMMEDIATE SPOT REMOVAL.

2. Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum! It is said that the three most important rules for maintaining carpet are vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum your carpet often. Once or twice a week at least. Vacuuming removes the sharp soil that can cut and slice the fiber causing premature wear. Much of this soil is not visible to the eye. Remove any loose particles such as loose food, leaves, pieces of crayon, bugs, etc. as these items can cause a spot on the carpet.

3. Have Your Carpet Professionally Cleaned. Professional cleaning by a professional, certified firm should be done at least every 12 months according to 3M and major carpet manufacturers. Heavy traffic areas may need it more often. Manufacturer's warranties require professional cleaning at least every 11-18 months to retain texture retention warranties.

Rule of thumb: Clean your carpet before it looks visibly soiled.

4. 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 residue that leaves a sticky residue behind that will make your spots return!

5. Have Carpet Protector Re-Applied. 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 your protector reapplied each time you have your carpet professionally cleaned.

Drying times may vary depending on the pile (fiber) of the carpet.Normal drying time is between three to six hours. We suggest you turn on ceiling fans or floor fans to aid in the drying process. Any air circulation will speed up the drying time.

There is no simple answer for this question. But on average, it is recommended that your carpets be cleaned a minimum of once per year. Some situations call for more frequent cleanings (kids, allergies, pets, etc.) - but once a year should be the minimum.

Healthy Indoors is committed to the highest order of education and training. Our company is involved in a number of educational processes. We also regularly attend educational courses, certification schools, conventions and study trade journals and books related to our industry. This insures that you will get the latest cleaning technology applied to your job.

You will get the best results if you prepare in advance.

Before we arrive, please have a place for us to park our cleaning van, street is ok if you have a sidewalk leading to the door. The shorter the vacuum hose run, the better.

Make sure someone will be there to let us in at the scheduled time, if leaving the door open, please leave specific instructions of work to be done, areas to be cleaned, contact information and other pertinent information.

Please plan to be out of the rooms that are to be cleaned.

Keep children and pets out of work areas for their protection. Have in mind that the door will need to be left open wide enough for our hoses, in case you have pets that you do not want to go outside.

Remove all breakables off furniture to be moved. If you can't move the items but want to us to move the furniture, please be reminded that we will not be responsible for any breakage.

Let us know of problems with furniture, broken/loose legs etc. or items you do not want moved. Note: We do not move high risk items such as pianos, grandfather clocks, curio shelves, electronics, book cases etc.

Let us know of any particular problems and areas of concern on the carpet or upholstery to be cleaned.

No. An advantage to using Healthy Indoors is our honest reputation in the community for over 20 years. We can adapt to your needs. Many clients choose to personally meet us at the job (or have a friend or neighbor do so) and then leave when we are ready to begin cleaning. Other clients leave a key and instructions for the technician. And some choose to be home during the cleaning. No matter what your preference, our technician will still provide the same honest and quality service and speak with you personally about your concerns, pricing and instructions for proper drying.

Our guarantee to you is that if you are not completely satisfied with the service experience you receive from our company, we will rush back to your location at no charge and no obligation to make things right. If you are still unimpressed, we will offer a complete refund.

Healthy Indoors has been caring for the finest floors and fabrics since 1996. We are experienced in all types of fibers and soiling conditions, no matter how unusual they may be. We are experienced in all methods of cleaning. Healthy Indoors is known for being able to solve cleaning related problems that no one else can. This insures that whatever your situation is, we will be familiar with it.

Healthy Indoors's cleaning process includes 9 important steps. Many cleaners don't use these steps leaving a soaking wet mess behind. Following these 9 important steps insure that you get maximum soil and maximum spot removal without over-wetting or harming your carpet and upholstery.

Healthy Indoors's 9 Step Cleaning Process

Step 1: Pre-Inspection
The carpet or upholstery should be inspected and tested to inform you of the expected results and any potential challenges. This inspection should include identifying the fiber type as well as any potential permanent stains.

Step 2: Furniture Moving
Find out what furniture is recommended to be moved and what is included under the regular pricing structure and what stays in place.

Step 3: Pre-Conditioning Traffic Areas
In this step, a solution is applied that loosens the soil and spots for more effective removal.

Step 4: Pre-Treat Spots
Some spots require special solutions and special care for complete removal and to avoid "setting" the stain.

Step 5: Pre-Grooming
The carpet or upholstery pile is now gently massaged to further loosen the soils so that aggressive, harmful cleaning is not needed.

Step 6: Extraction
Now that the soil has been properly "suspended", it can be extracted without over-wetting or leaving a sticky residue behind.

Step 7: Specialty Spotting
Stubborn stains sometimes require specialty stain removal processes. Because many cleaners do not train themselves, they do not know about these processes. Those who do sometimes gouge customers to use these processes because they offer a low price they intend not to keep.

Step 8: Post Grooming
The pile of the carpet or upholstery should then be "finished" so that it dries and cures in the proper direction.

Step 9: Post Inspection
A thorough walk through should be done to insure that you are completely satisfied with your cleaning job.

For longer carpet life and fewer permanent stains, have Carpet Protector applied - Click here for more information!

WARNING: Untrained Carpet Cleaners Use 1 to 3 of These Important Steps, Over-Wetting Your Carpet and Upholstery and Leaving a Sticky Residue Behind.

At Healthy Indoors we offer our exclusive 9 step cleaning process.
Call now to experience the difference!
845-418-6012

In-Plant Rug Cleaning is recommended for Oriental Rugs and loose woven rugs. They should not be cleaned on location like wall to wall carpet. Healthy Indoors cares for the finest to the most basic rugs from around the world. We will pick your rug up and bring it to our special cleaning plant where it will receive our thorough cleaning process to get maximum soil and spot removal. Having your rug cleaned in our plant allows us to give it several treatments for a more thorough cleaning, controlled drying, and the use of various tools that are not available on location.

Pre-inspection: We will determine as much as we possibly can about the type of rug and inherent qualities that may affect cleaning. We will outline the expected results and cleaning “prescription”. Our company will come to your home to pick up your rug.

Dust Removal: Woven rugs, especially hand knotted rugs are designed to hide dry soil. A few years ago, the Eureka company did a study and found that a 9 x 12 could hide 87 pounds of dirt! We use a variety of techniques to “dust” the rugs from the front and back. We use a machine called a Wolverine Rug Duster to remove the dry soil. This is the most important step in cleaning any textile.

Pre-Spotting: Any potentially difficult spots will be pre-treated with special solutions to increase chances of removal. The fringe is also pre-treated for maximum soil removal.

Surface Cleaning: Depending on fiber content and soiling type, the rug will be pre-treated to emulsify the soils. Most rugs are cleaned with an Oriental Rug Shampoo that is especially designed to get maximum cleaning while protecting sensitive natural fibers.

Immersion: Depending on the type of rug it will be rinsed with extraction equipment on both sides or washed in a wash pit designed especially for Oriental Rugs.

Rug Finishing: Once the soil is rinsed away, the rug is dried flat or hung to dry in a controlled environment. Proper drying is essential to avoid unnatural shrinkage. When the rug is dry, it is combed and finished with soft groomers made for specialty rugs.

Call Healthy Indoors Today at 645-418-6012 for a Free Quote or to Find Out More About Area Rug Cleaning!

Rugs deserve the same care as wall-to-wall carpet and, in some cases, require special attention.

Washing rugs — If your rug is small and the label says “machine washable,” shake the rug outside first and then put it in the washing machine at the recommended temperature. Use warm water (90 to 105 degrees) and a mild detergent. Tumble your rug dry at the lowest heat setting.
Beating larger rugs — If your larger rug is easy to pick up, shake it outside first; then put it over a clothesline and beat it. Next, take the rug inside and vacuum it. If the label says dry clean only, then roll it up and take it to a professional rug cleaner. Save time and aggravation by calling first to see if the cleaner does rug cleaning — many do not.
Vacuuming area rugs — Area rugs with fringe require special technique. Use gentle suction and start from the center of the carpet, vacuuming toward the fringe and being careful not to catch the strands in the beater bar. Lift the carpet edge to vacuum beneath the fringe.
Caring for Oriental, Turkish or Persian rugs — Clean imported rugs according to your carpet manufacturer’s specifications or bring in a professional cleaning service. Be gentle with fringe. For heirloom-type rugs, you need professionals.

A 9x12 area rug can hold 87 pounds of soil without looking dirty!

A study by the Eureka Company revealed that a 9x12 area rug can hold 87 pounds of soil without looking dirty. Most oriental rugs are made with wool fibers that naturally hide soil. Hand-knotting helps even more. This explains why old oriental rugs retain their beauty. However, dry soil is damaging to rugs so besides regular vacuuming, be sure to have your rugs cleaned on a regular basis.
Part of Healthy Indoors's rug cleaning process is dust removal with our Wolverine Rug Duster. The Wolverine Rug Duster is amazing at removing dry soil.

A frequent deep cleaning of your upholstery will ensure longer life of your furniture. From heavily soiled to light cleaning, our cleaning process is designed to restore your furniture as close to its original condition as possible. We can clean all types of upholstery, even the most delicate of fabrics.

Our Upholstery Cleaning Process

Step 1: Pre-Inspection
Our technician will perform special tests to determine the content of your fabric. The content will determine what type of cleaning solutions and techniques will be used. We will also point out any potential permanent stains or areas of concern.

Step 2: Area Preparation
We will prepare the area where the upholstery will be cleaned to protect your surrounding furnishings.

Step 3: Pre-Vacuum
All textiles should be vacuumed thoroughly before cleaning. This step will remove dry soils and any loose particles from cracks and crevices.

Step 4: Pre-Treat
Depending on your fabric, a special solution designed for your fabric type and the soiling condition will be applied to "emulsify" the soil.

Step 5: Pre-Spot
Any potentially difficult spots will be pre-treated with special solutions to increase chances of removal.

Step 6: Soil Extraction and Rinse
The soil is then extracted from the fabric with a gentle, controlled rinse.

Step 7: Post Spot
Any remaining spots will be treated with special stain removal products.

Step 8: Post Groom
The upholstery will then be prepared for drying with a gentle combing of the fabric.

Step 9: Post Cleaning Inspection
Our technician will review the cleaning results with you to insure that your expectations have been met or exceeded.

Good ventilation will do a lot of good, open windows when the weather is good. In cold weather, turn up the heat and partially open a window to allow humid air to escape. In warm weather remember that evaporative coolers add moisture to the air, refrigerated air removes moisture from the air. Use ceiling fans and other fans to speed up the drying.

If you want to find out how much soil is actually on your upholstery that "looks" clean, simply take a white terry cloth towel and put it over the end of your vacuum attachment hose. Turn the vacuum on (be sure that you don't let the vacuum suck up the towel). Gently massage the fabric with the cloth. You will have a round dark spot which is embedded soil in the fabric. Get your upholstery cleaned today!

The science of indoor air quality is very interesting and relatively new. In the past, the focus was on the quality of the outside air and the interest was in lowering emissions of all types into the air.Since we now spend more time indoors - an average of 90% of our time - indoor air quality has become a concern to the EPA, as well as government and private health organizations.Following the energy-saving efforts of the 70's and 80's, buildings and homes are now much more air-tight, leaving little opportunity for diluting the indoor air with fresh air from outside. Indoor air has thus become more polluted.

But what's the connection between indoor air quality and carpets? In the past, physicians recommended that their asthma and allergy-suffering patients remove carpeting from the home. It was erroneously thought that carpeting exasperated their conditions. Recently, the EPA performed a study of hundreds of homes, schools and office buildings and concluded that the choice of carpeting as a floor covering was actually beneficial in the fight against asthma and allergies. When scientifically tested, the air in the breathing zone above carpets was found to contain fewer allergens than the air above hard surfaces.

Carpet tends to collect and hold the allergens out of the air, where they remain, until the carpet is vacuumed or professionally cleaned. In contrast, allergens that settle on hard surface flooring tend to be redistributed to the breathing zone with normal foot traffic or the simple act of running a broom over the flooring surface. One unfortunate result of the EPA's study is that we now know that many families removed carpeting from their homes in an effort to reduce allergy symptoms, only to find that they gained no improvement in their conditions. Their carpeting was an asset, rather than a detriment, to the quality of their indoor air.

In concluding that carpeting is a benefit to indoor air, the EPA now recommends that carpeting be cleaned at least every 6 months - in most homes - to rid the carpeting of these allergens. A carpet that is not regularly maintained has a reduced ability to collect indoor air pollutants.

How Can You Reduce Indoor Allergens?

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! This cannot be stressed enough. You should vacuum at least twice a week, more often if you have pets. Vacuuming helps rid your carpeting of dust, dust mite feces, animal hair and dander, human hair and dead skin, mold spores, dead bugs and abrasive sand and soil. Make sure that you use a vacuum cleaner that has a high efficiency HEPA filtering system and ensure that the brush setting is low enough to agitate the carpet fibers.

Don't sweep your hard surface flooring. Sweeping redistributes allergens into the air. Vacuuming your floors, followed by a damp mop or swiffer, will help keep the air your family breathes cleaner.

Adopt a no shoes policy in your home. This will keep outdoor pollutants from entering the main areas of your home.

Follow these simple tips, and not only will you have a healthier home, but your carpeting will last longer also.

The causes and effects of allergies have long been known and can be a serious health threat. Still allergies seem to be on the increase. They are an unwanted response of the immune system resulting ininflammation of the eyes and nose (rhinitis), lungs (asthma) and skin (eczema). It is estimated that allergies affect some 40% of the population at some time and the percentage is on the increase.

One controllable culprit in the battle with allergens is the house dust mite, a microscopic insect which is found in our indoor environment. The bedroom is particularly vulnerable for allergy sufferers as, we spend one third of our life in bed and a good deal of other time dressing and preparing for the day.We shed skin scales (which is food to the dust mite) into our sleeping environment collected by the linens, pillows, mattress and carpet. All these areas are ideal breeding grounds for the dust mite.

It is the house dust mite waste, and not the mites themselves, that triggers asthmatic and allergic attacks. Research has revealed this trigger is a microscopic protein in the mite excrement called Der p1.
Mites live on carpets, pillows, upholstered furniture, blankets, mattresses, in the air handling system, etc.
Over 7,000 can fit on a fingernail. The average dust mite is 0.5 mm in length, not visible to the naked eye.
A dust mite molts several times during its life producing 200 times its weight in waste and will lay 300 eggs. Each miteproduces 40 to 100 feces pellets per day. The mites' droppings are coated in an enzymatic slimy substance, which after drying become mixed with other particles forming household dust.
To help deactivate the allergen found in dust mite droppings, clean all textiles in the home. MasterBlend ® Dust Mite Anti-Allergen can be used on carpet, furniture and in the final rinse cycle when laundering bed linens. MasterBlend ® Dust MiteAnti-Allergen will remain effective for up to 4 washes.

To reduce dust mite feces, clean your carpet, upholstery and rugs today!