Five Step Carpet Care of Asheville NC provides rug and carpet cleaning services at the most affordable price in Asheville NC.

7 Reasons NOT to Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner

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We’re always advising readers on the benefits of professional carpet cleaning here on the blog. Of course we are! We believe in what we do, and we want your business! But, that having been said, it must be noted that professional carpet cleaning is NOT for everyone. Here is a list of reasons why you might not want to hire a carpet cleaning service.

 

  1. You don’t have carpets. If your home does not have any carpets, it would be kind of silly to hire a professional carpet cleaner.
  2. You might lose your dog. If your original carpet color matches your dog’s coat color, then having your carpets professionally cleaned might not be for you. That gray cast that your carpet takes on when it is dirty might be the only thing keeping you from a frightening dog camouflage situation like this:
  3. That pizza sauce stain is your friend. Maybe you don’t get out much. We’re not here to judge. If you have named the stains on your carpet, given them their own coffee mug, and taken to having long conversations with them in the evenings, then a carpet cleaner is probably not the professional you need to see.
  4. All your friends will want to sleep on your floor. This is one of the biggest risks of having your carpet cleaned. Once your friends see how luxuriously clean and soft your carpet is, they might start making excuses to come over for a visit—and end up napping on the carpet.
  5. You are an alien blob who floats through the air.If you never use your carpet, then it probably won’t get dirty, and therefore it doesn’t make sense to clean it. So if your alien biology precludes you from having feet or otherwise coming into contact with your floor, then you’re off the hook for carpet cleaning.
  6. You’re a wizard. If you’re Molly Weasley, then you definitely don’t need carpet cleaning services. You have a wand, possibly a house elf, and a dozen spells up your sleeve for all manner of home cleaning emergencies. In fact, maybe you should consider starting your own magic carpet cleaning service for Muggles.
  7. You have a symbiotic relationship with dust mites. 

    Perhaps you have some kind of reverse bubble-boy syndrome. Instead of experiencing allergic reactions at the tiniest exposure to environmental contaminants, you actually require mass exposure to these allergens in order to remain healthy. In that case, you should keep your carpet dirty. For your health.

 

If none of the above reasons apply to you, we’d be happy to clean your carpets! (If you live in the Asheville, NC area, that is.) Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or send us a message today!

 

Risks of DIY Carpet Cleaning

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diy carpet cleaning risks

In order to save money, many homeowners choose to handle household maintenance tasks on their own, rather than hiring professionals to do the work. These days you can find a tutorial on the internet for how to DIY just about anything—from pest control to small engine repair and yes, even carpet cleaning. It may be tempting to save a few dollars by renting a machine and cleaning your own flooring. But is doing it yourself worth the potential risk to your carpet or area rug investment?

Do-it-yourself carpet cleaning is often discouraged by carpet and rug manufacturers because improper techniques and inappropriate cleaning solutions may cause problems that could void the carpet’s warranty. Common issues that may arise from improper DIY carpet cleaning include mold and mildew growth, backing separation, and fading or discoloration.

The most prevalent of DIY carpet cleaning mistakes is overwetting. If you use too much water in your cleaning efforts, the carpet will take much longer to dry, which can potentially lead to fungal growth or even water seepage into your subfloors. The problem is it’s not always self-evident to the homeowner how much water and/or detergent to use, or how long to leave a steam cleaner in position. A blunder during this phase of the carpet cleaning process can be very costly indeed, which is why the majority of homeowners choose to hire a reputable carpet cleaning service.

Another culprit behind DIY disasters is improperly formulated carpet cleaning solutions. Cleaners and detergents that are not formulated correctly for your carpet may strip it of its stain-resistant treatment. Worse, some solutions contain bleach or optical brighteners that literally dye your carpet to cover up the stains instead of removing them. Some improper formulations can also destroy the fiber of your carpet or rug, leaving it looking matted or frayed.

Consumer Reports has found that when it comes to carpet cleaning, pros do it best. Although a professional cleaning may be a little more costly than renting a machine from your local supermarket, the benefits that you get from having someone experienced do the work far outweigh the extra cost.

The message here is “DIY Your Carpet Cleaning at Your Own Risk!”

If you do choose to clean your own carpets, you should take the time to do your research before beginning. Find out exactly what type of cleaning is recommended by the carpet manufacturer, and the follow the directions of the detergent and/or steam cleaner precisely. Always spot-test an out-of-the-way corner of your carpet before cleaning it, to prevent discoloration issues. And if you will be renting steam cleaning equipment, ask the rental provider to demonstrate its use before taking it home. During the demonstration, listen closely for out-of-the-ordinary clunking noises and check the test carpet for fraying and loose fibers.

If, on the other hand, you decide to go with the safe bet, give your local professional carpet care expert a call. If you live in the Asheville, NC area and are looking for quality carpet cleaning services, look no further than Five Step Carpet Care. Give us a call at 828.237.3237 or use our contact form to get in touch with us today. You might be surprised by how much you can save by hiring professionals to get the job done!

A Dog Owner’s Guide to Clean, Healthy Carpets

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It’s often said that carpet and dogs don’t mix, but that’s not necessarily true. While some pet owners eschew carpets and rugs because of the inevitability of pet stains, there are actually several benefits to having carpets in a dog-friendly home.

With carpets, you don’t have to worry about scuffs and scratches on the floor from doggy claws, like you would with wood floors. And carpet provides a slip-free surface that keeps puppies and elderly dogs from losing their balance and slipping down the hall. Another great benefit is the sound-muffling quality of carpet, which is great if your dog likes to make midnight security rounds. Otherwise you’ll probably get used to being awoken by the clickety-clack of claws at an indecent hour of night.

It’s true that attention to detail with regards to vacuuming is more of an issue with carpets than hard floors. While you’ll likely be vacuuming the same amount regardless of what type of floor covering you choose, carpets need a bit of extra care to ensure that all of the dog hair and dander is lifted out of the carpet pile.

As far as pet stains go, our advice is to keep young, not-yet-potty-trained pets kenneled or kept in hard-floored areas of the house when not supervised. Same goes for elderly dogs who may be more accident-prone. But with dogs, accidents are inevitable. Whether it’s urine stains, muddy paw prints, or broken potted plant, eventually a dog-related stain will happen. And when they do, rest assured Five Step Carpet Care can get them out at a reasonable cost and without harsh chemicals that pose health risks to your furry companions.

Our unique five step cleaning process eliminates stains and odors all the way down to the mat of the rug or carpet. And we do it without the use of bleach, detergents, perfumes, dyes, or enzymes. So if you live in the Asheville, NC area and have dogs in your home, you’ll probably want to keep our number on the fridge!

(By the way, it’s 828.237.3237.)

How to Protect Your Carpets Between Cleanings

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protect your carpet

Your carpets represent a substantial investment in your home. Carpets protect the subfloor beneath. They add comfort, color, and warmth to a room. They provide a barrier between your bare feet and the cold floor in the winter months. Carpets do many jobs in our homes, and they’re not cheap to replace.

Periodically having your carpets professionally cleaned goes a long way toward ensuring that they’ll remain both functional and attractive for as long as possible. But there’s more you can do to keep your carpets clean, lush, and beautiful for years to come.

Here’s a list of simple of Do’s and Don’t when it comes to maintaining your carpet investment.

DO

  • Place welcome mats at ground level entry areas to contain dust and soil tracked in from outside.
  • Clean these mats regularly.
  • Ask family members and guests to remove their shoes at the door.
  • Implement a regular vacuuming schedule (daily for most businesses dealing with the public; weekly for homes; twice weekly for pet owners.)
  • Vacuum room edges and under furniture every second or third time you vacuum.
  • If you have pets, bathe and brush them regularly to reduce hair, dander, and dirt in the home.
  • Avoid bringing juicy or sticky foods into carpeted rooms.
  • Serve beverages to children in cups with tight-fitting lids.
  • Spills happen. When they do, act fast to mitigate the stain. The longer you wait, the more likely the stain will set in the fibers and absorb into the carpet padding. This can lead to odor and mold growth.
  • Keep a small remnant of your carpet for testing new spot cleaners or other cleaning solutions before using them on the installed carpet.
  • Have your carpet professionally cleaned for maintenance (Yearly for homes, more often for businesses.)

DON’T

  • Vigorously scrub a carpet stain. This is an ineffective practice that will actually push the stain farther down into the carpet while fraying the carpet fibers. Blot instead of scrubbing.
  • Use the wrong cleaning product. To avoid permanent damage or discoloration, make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
  • Use deodorant powders incorrectly. Deodorizing powders can leave gunky residue on your carpet, which can become more and more noticeable with repeated use.
  • Rent faulty carpet cleaning equipment. Unfortunately, rental equipment is often improperly maintained. Sometimes rental machines can do more harm than good.

With proper maintenance practices, you can get the most out of your carpet for many years to come! If you live in Western NC and are in need of one-time or regularly scheduled carpet cleaning for your home or business, give us a call at 828.772.1824 or use our contact form to get in touch today!

 

Carpet Cleaning Service in Arden NC

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carpet cleaning arden nc

Looking for a good carpet cleaning service in Arden NC? Your search is over!

Five Step Carpet Care is Arden’s most trusted carpet cleaning company, for several important reasons. Our customers say they love our friendly crew, our prompt service, and our thoroughness and professionalism. They also like that we show up when we say we’re going to and never leave a mess behind.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that when we’re done cleaning your carpets, they look clean and vibrant as new, and they smell fresh, too. (We can even tackle hard-to-clean pet stains, and we actually get the odor out!) Or that our cleaning solutions are green, sustainable, and completely non-toxic for your family, pets, and the environment.

No matter the style or fiber of your carpet, and no matter what kind of stain, our exclusive five step process will get them clean with no damage to the carpet itself. Check out some of our before and after photos to see what we mean.

We’d love to show you what makes Five Step so special. If you’d like us to make you our next satisfied customer, give us a call at 828.772.1824 or drop us a line via our contact form.

Clean Carpets for Christmas!

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Are you hosting guests at your home this holiday season? Maybe you’re planning a Christmas or New Years party, or just expecting family for Christmas dinner. Preparing your home for guests can be stressful at any time of year, but especially in December, when most of us have so many other demands on our time. From gift shopping to meal planning to putting in the extra hours at work to wrap those projects up before taking time off for the holidays, you’re probably stretched pretty thin. Not to mention that all you really want to do when you have a few minutes to spare is sit in front of the fire and stuff yourself with Christmas cookies, not deep cleaning the living room!

But there is one item you can cross off your list, and that’s the carpet and rugs. Our team of friendly pros can get your carpets looking sparkling new, and lightning fast. We also offer a convenient rug pick-up and drop-off service, so you can get your area rugs and even fine oriental rugs cleaned without even stepping outside the front door.

And, as always, our cleaning solutions are 100% green and sustainable, so you can pamper your home with no uncomfortable environmental guilt!

Even if you’re not hosting any gatherings this holiday season, having immaculately clean and vibrant carpets and rugs in your home is a wonderful way to start the new year off fresh. You might consider making carpet cleaning a New Years resolution for your home!

If you live in Asheville, NC, or the surrounding area, and you’re looking for top-notch, professional carpet cleaning, give us a call at 828.772.1824 or drop us a line using our contact form. There’s still time to get those carpets and rugs looking spotless before Christmas!

 

 

Best of the Five Step Blog!

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Greetings, readers! The leaves are turning in Asheville, and we are loving the fall weather. Hope you’re enjoying it, too!

This week, we thought we’d do a round-up of all the best and most informative blog posts we’ve published on the Five Step blog over the last year. From tips for hiring a carpet cleaning service to the worst advice we’ve ever heard about carpet cleaning, we’ve touched on a lot of topics over the years. So, without further ado, here are 8 of our best all-time blog posts!

5 Signs You Should Invest in Rugs

5 Upholstery Cleaning Myths, BUSTED!

The Worst Carpet Cleaning Advice We’ve Ever Heard

worst carpet cleaning advice

What Does Spring Cleaning Have to do with Rugs and Carpets?

spring cleaning rugs

New Years Resolutions for Your Carpet

new years resolutions

Asheville Pet Odor Removal

asheville pet odor removal

What’s that smell???

Carpet Care for Small Business

small business carpet care

Tips for Hiring a GOOD Carpet Cleaner

asheville, how often should i have my carpet cleaned

 

Our Five Steps Are What Sets Us Apart

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A lot of customers ask us, “Five Step Carpet Care? What are the five steps all about?” Well, we don’t make staircases and we haven’t created any new dance moves lately. The “five steps” refer to our unique carpet cleaning process that, along with our reliability and professionalism, make us Asheville’s best carpet cleaning company. If you’ve hired us to clean your carpets, then you know from experience that our five steps work! But you might still be mystified. What are the five steps?

We always aim to be honest and transparent with our customers. Unlike some companies, who will only answer questions about their process or cleaning solutions in vague terms, and who promise to get out stains and odors, only to have them re-emerge from beneath the carpet a few days after they leave. We don’t mind telling you exactly what our five step process entails, because we have nothing to hide! Our cleaning solutions are every bit as clean and honest as we are with our customers.

Our green carpet cleaning solution is non-toxic, biodegradable, colorless, odorless and hypoallergenic. It contains no soap, bleach or enzymes. That means it’s safe for your carpets and healthy for your kids and pets. Also, we use a lot less water than our industry competitors. This means lower risk of shrinkage and color fading, and it’s much more environmentally friendly and sustainable than the water intensive processes most other companies use. Since our cleaning solution is soap-free, your carpets will stay clean longer, as there is no residue left over for dirt and grime to adhere to.

At Five Step Carpet Care, we believe that honesty is the best policy, and that if we only use the most environmentally friendly cleaning products, we can afford to be honest about what we use. We believe that the health of our clients, their pets, and the environment is more important than our bottom line. So without further ado, here are the famous “Five Steps”!

  • STEP 1: A professional soil extractor is used to remove deep down dirt, dust and allergens.
  • STEP 2: Non-toxic cleaning solution is applied to carpet fibers with special attention given to problem areas.
  • STEP 3: A professional rotary activator is used to loosen and lift deeply embedded soil and stains from the carpet. At this step, we also use hot water extraction if necessary.
  • STEP 4: A machine with a special 100% cotton bonnet is used to remove any remaining soil and pollutants. It also accelerates drying.
  • STEP 5: Carpet pile is groomed to give it the new carpet look and feel. Furniture is placed back to its original position with special protective pads.

And that’s it! Not so complex, and it really works! If you’re looking for green carpet cleaning in Asheville, NC and the surrounding areas, give us a call at 828.772.1824 or use our contact form to drop us a line today!

Best Carpet Cleaners in Weaverville NC!

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carpet cleaning weaverville nc

Why do our clients think we’re the best carpet cleaners in Weaverville NC? We could tell you all about how effective our cleaning process is, or how friendly and professional our staff is, or how our cleaning solutions are all 100% green and safe for your home and the environment. We could tell you it’s our industry knowledge that gives us a superior edge, or how customer service is what makes us shine, and all of that would be true! But we think you’d rather hear it from our customers themselves.

So we’re devoting this blog post to some of the great testimonials we’ve received from WNC homeowners and businesses over the years. Take a look at what our customers have to say about Five Step Carpet Care!

“Scott Finney and the Five Step Carpet Care team are hands down the best carpet, rug and upholstery service I’ve ever used. Their customer service, quality of cleaning and punctuality are consistently first in class. I’ve used them for my home as well as my health care office and it’s important to me and my patients that they use green products that are safe for the environment. Their philosophy that the customer comes first is clear in every aspect of working with this company and I’ve referred them to numerous coworkers and friends. Thanks Five Step for making my life easier and my house and office smell better!”

Dr. Larry Golson of Envision Eyecare

“Top notch service from the first phone call – to walking in our front door. Scott was so personable and made the whole experience easy. He was professional and his work is flawless. Very happy customer!”

Juliet, Homeowner

“We love Five Step Carpet Care and depend on Scott and his team for all our carpet cleaning needs (which were considerable with a particular feline companion we had… we’d highly recommend them to any and everyone!”

Mitchell, Homeowner

If you need carpet cleaners in Weaverville NC, give us a call at 828.772.1824 or use our contact form to get in touch with us today. Or if you just want to keep in touch, go like our Facebook page for carpet care news (and, okay, a few cat memes).

Carpet Care for Small Businesses

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Let’s talk about carpet care for small businesses!

carpet care for small businesses

If you own a small business, you know how overwhelming it can be to make sure that everything gets done. Product and service delivery, hiring, billing, customer service, marketing, equipment maintenance, payroll, and taxes have all got to be completed on schedule. And with all of those demands on an entrepreneur’s time, it’s understandable that some other things always seem to get put off until later.

Why is Professional Carpet Care So Important?

Getting your carpets professionally cleaned can often be one of those “back burner” tasks. But if your small business location has carpet, it’s important to keep it looking fresh and clean—especially if you receive customers at your business location. But aesthetics are not the only concern. Your health, as well as that of your employees and customers, is also a factor.

Over time, carpets accumulate pollutants that can become a health hazard. Some of these pollutants, such as mold spores, pollen, and dust, are sufficiently combated with regular vacuuming. But others–like bacteria, viruses, chemicals and pesticides–can only be extracted with professional cleaning. These contaminants can be transferred onto carpets from foot traffic, drafts from an open door, spills, or even sneezes. In order to keep your business location’s carpets beautiful AND healthy, it’s a good idea to commit to routine cleaning.

How Often Should I Have My Business’ Carpets Cleaned?

But how often should you have your business’ carpets cleaned? Well, that depends on what kind of business you are running. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:

• If you do not receive clients at your location, and you have relatively little foot traffic, you can probably get by with yearly professional cleanings.
• If your business location does receive clients, or has moderate to heavy foot traffic, two to three cleanings a year are recommended.
• Restaurants, hotels, and nursing homes should have carpets cleaned more frequently in order to maintain a healthy environment. Monthly cleaning is recommended.
• Elementary and high schools should have carpets cleaned on an every three to six months schedule.
• Carpets in kindergartens or day care centers require extra attention. Young children are built low to the ground and attract a lot more dirt and dust than adults, as well as bacteria and viruses. Their developing immune systems are also much more susceptible to illness from bacteria or viruses. Therefore it is recommended that daycare centers have carpets professionally cleaned monthly.
• During a period of epidemic disease (such as flu): schools, hotels, nursing homes, restaurants and daycare centers should commit to rigorous weekly cleaning.

Vacuuming and Protection for Your Carpets

In between cleanings, keep your business’ carpets looking great by sticking to a routine vacuuming schedule. When having work done inside your location, put down adhesive carpet protection strips where the heaviest foot traffic will be. It’s also a great idea to place welcome mats both inside and outside of the main entryway for customers and employees to wipe their feet on before entering the space. When small spills or stains occur, you can blot (not rub) with a dry paper towel to remove as much of the moisture as you can. Don’t use spot cleaners on your carpet unless you have tested them in an out-of-the-way location first to ensure they don’t result in fading or damage to the carpet fiber. Finally, be aware that attempting to clean your business’ carpets on your own can result in a voided manufacturer’s warranty.

We hope this blog post helped you make an informed decision about carpet care for your business! If your business is located in the Asheville, NC area, give Five Step a call or contact us for your carpet care needs.