| Longview firm upgrades carpet cleaning services With a more than $100,000 investment in equipment and training, Floor Medic owner Andy Breaux said his Longview-based business will be able to supply service not offered anywhere else in the region. Breaux and his enterprise recently joined a group of about 45 specialty service providers with patented centrifugal carpet cleaning equipment that can handle hand-woven Oriental and other varieties of rugs up to 14 feet wide. He said the next closest varieties of equipment are in Austin and New Orleans. The inside of the stainless steel centrifuge spins carpets at 1,000 revolutions per minute with approximately 50 Gs of force, Breaux said. When the first spin is complete, the drainage often comes out the color of a cola soft drink. Additional cycles continue the cleaning process until the cleaning solution comes out clear. "We test each rug for bleeding and dye migration, and provide customers with carpet buying tips on our profile," he said. "First we take the rugs to the inspection and dusting station — a dry rug can hold pounds of grit per square foot — anything from dead skin cells and bacteria to dirt." In addition to the investment in the Polish-made carpet cleaning centrifuge, Floor Medic is also adding drying towers and drying rooms to dehumidify the rugs and get them completely dry, Breaux said. "Once out, we groom them," he said. "Now we can have about a four-to-six hour turnaround and have the carpet back to the customer in a day," Breaux said. "It used to take seven to 10 days." "This is the best way to clean pet-soaked and soiled carpets," he said. Breaux said the new process cannot be beat for high-dollar, hand-woven and signed Oriental rugs that tell stories when looked at closely, "Many of these carpets are works of art really." "We've always cleaned carpets in a pit, and that's all right, but this is so much better," he said. Breaux has attended training in Europe while his staff has received certification in the latest cleaning techniques. Breaux has been in the floor care and carpet business for 16 years and has operated as Floor Medic for the past five years. Breaux said he anticipates handling an influx of wholesale work from other cleaning firms from Shreveport to Dallas. "We hope to be cleaning 20 to 30 rugs per day and think there is a real market for our service," he said. Floor Medic also provides emergency water extraction, tile and grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning, marble, travertine and concrete polishing along with sealing and floor waxing. |
Monday, 20 February 2012
Longview firm upgrades carpet cleaning services
