Most big problems start as preventable small ones. Such is the case with filtration soiling.

If you’ve noticed the carpet in one or more rooms of your house is black or dirty around the edges, you’ve probably wondered what’s causing it and how to clean it up. This housekeeping headache is called filtration soiling, and it’s caused by poor air circulation. If air is being forced into a space faster than it’s being pulled out by the HVAC system, it’s forced to find a different way out of the room. Often, that alternate route is underneath closed doors and through the gap between your carpet and your trim.

As time goes on, your carpet serves as a filter for this air, trapping all the pollutants into its fibers. Over the years, serving as an air filter takes its toll on your carpets and you’re left with unsightly, dirty reminders of the pollutants in your home’s air.

How to Clean Filtration Soiling

If you’ve attempted to remove filtration soiling yourself, you’ve probably discovered it is not easy to clean up with ordinary housekeeping tools. This isn’t your everyday dirty carpet and a vacuum cleaner is little match for the mess. But you’re not out of luck. Sams Carpet Cleaning has a safe and reliable solution for removing most filtration soiling with the tools in our carpet cleaning arsenal.

Filtration soiling is so difficult to remove because many of the pollutants in your air are either water- or solvent-soluble. So cleaning agents that work on some of these pollutants won’t work on another. We often need to apply multiple treatments to remove the soiling caused by them.

Preventing Filtration Soiling

The first step to preventing filtration soiling is to address air quality. Having your air ducts professionally cleaned by the Sams team will eliminate potential pollutants your air might be picking up as it travels through your walls in the HVAC system. Filters can also go a long way toward improving air quality. Ensure that you change your furnace filter at least once every 90 days. If the air isn’t dirty, there will be fewer pollutants for the carpet edges to filter out.

Next, it’s time to think about pollutants you or your family may be adding to the air circulating through your home. Smoke from wood burning fireplaces, cigarettes or candles is a major culprit. Surprisingly regular use of cooking oils can also be a contributor. Ensuring surfaces are dust free and carpets are vacuumed regularly will also help remove potential pollutants from your home.

Finally, just keeping the interior doors in your house open can make a big difference. The more freedom air has to move, the less likely it will be to look for alternate pathways. Open doors will allow air to pass from room to room and should go a long way to preventing filtration soil.

It’s important to know that filtration soiling is not a sign of a dirty home. This common occurrence can happen in even the tidiest of homes and replacing the carpet is not the only solution. If you’ve spent years trying to remove filtration soiling yourself or you’ve resorted to moving furniture around to cover it up, give us a call. The Sams team is your secret weapon in the battle with filtration soiling.

Have you ever spent a considerable amount of time in a building you felt you were allergic to? You were likely experiencing a reaction to the building’s air quality. Americans spend, on average, 1/3 of their lives at work. Employee morale and engagement are critical to retaining a high functioning and happy staff. Keeping them healthy should be at the top of your priority list.

Office air quality has always been important to consider. But the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on how we work has made it a front and center priority for companies. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the steps you can take to improve the air quality in your building.

Improve Air Circulation

Take a walk around your office building and look at your vents. Are any of them blocked, preventing the free flow of air through your facility? Desks, boxes, bookshelves, or any other items blocking a vent can have a major negative impact on the proper circulation of air. If air is not allowed to flow, it doesn’t get filtered by your HVAC system. Similarly, your HVAC filters need to be checked and replaced frequently. A dirty filter allows dust and debris to compound behind it and settle into air ducts.

Clean Your Office Frequently

Regular cleaning removes allergens from surfaces, lessening the chances that they can become airborne and make your employees sick. Many companies schedule regular professional cleanings to minimize pollutants and avoid them contributing to poor office air. Frequent cleaning will also help identify spills and food rot that could be adding mold and mildew to the air.

Control Humidity

Dust mites, mold, and other allergens thrive in overly dry environments. Maintaining a proper humidity level of 30-50% prevents pollutants from travelling as freely as they do in dry air. Consider using standard humidifiers or a whole office humidifier built into your HVAC system to keep humidity at the appropriate level.

Create an Indoor Green Space

Plants are natural air filters. They naturally absorb pollutants, stabilize humidity, and produce clean oxygen. Of course it’s also important to recognize that some people have allergic reactions to some plants. If you’re not able to add plants to your office space, opening windows when the weather allows it is another great way to inject your office building with clean, fresh air from time to time.

Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned Regularly

None of the other suggestions we’ve made will do you much good if you don’t address the unseen areas where air travels through the walls of your building. Dirt, dust, and debris build up in air ducts more than you would imagine, restricting airflow and creating potential health problems. Sams specializes in cleaning office air ducts. We deploy a truck-mounted system with a rotating brush that removes debris from your air ducts and collects it in the truck outside. We can also deploy an E.P.A.-approved anti-microbial disinfectant designed to inhibit the growth of mold, mildew, and other odor-causing bacteria.

Successful companies recognize that their employees are their most valuable assets. Its hard for them to live up to their full potential in an environment they feel is making them sick. Make their wellness a priority by taking these steps to improve the air quality in your office building.  Call Sams at 636-949-8229 or schedule an estimate online to have someone walk through your facility with you, understand your concerns, and provide you with a maintenance proposal to get your air ducts cleaned and keep your team healthy.

Water is the fundamental building block of life on earth. It’s our planet’s most abundant resource and we literally can’t live without it. But if you’ve ever discovered water damage in your office, you’ve likely spent time cursing its mere existence.

Bursting pipes, summer storms, and faulty appliances all can lead to water damage. Regardless of the cause, the end result is a problem you want to address quickly. Commercial water issues can be especially problematic because most office and commercial buildings are not occupied 24 hours a day. So the lag time between when the event occurs and when the damage is discovered can sometimes be significant and lead to larger problems. In this blog post, we’re going to explain the actions to take when you discover water in your office or commercial building.

Step 1: Identify the Source of Your Office Water Damage

This is a ‘safety first’ situation. Before you even think about cleaning up the mess, ensure that electricity is turned off and you’re using proper gear like gloves and water boots to investigate the cause of the water issue.  If your water damage was caused by a storm, it will likely be pretty clear to you. But if it was caused by a burst pipe or a leaking appliance, it may be less obvious.

Step 2: Stop the Inflow of Water

Once you’ve identified the issue, you need to take steps to prevent more water from damaging your office and creating a bigger problem. If it was storm damage, this could be difficult and dangerous to do before the storm passes. You may be better off waiting.

If it’s a pipe that’s burst, your first step toward mitigating the issue is turning off the water main. Then call a plumber immediately. The plumber will come into your office building, identify the burst pipe, and fix it.

If you’ve identified a faulty appliance, determine whether or not it has a water supply. If it does, stop the flow of water to the appliance and remove the water supply. If it doesn’t, you’re likely dealing with a refrigerator or freezer. Before moving the appliance out of the area, soak up as much standing water as you can from inside of it. If you attempt to move it without removing any water contained inside, you could end up with a bigger issue on your hands. Once you’ve stopped additional water from leaking, it’s time to decide if you want to repair or replace the appliance.

Step 3: Remove Any Valuable or Susceptible Materials from the Area

While stopping the water from damaging your office building, you also want to manage the rescue of any material from the debris that has sustained water damage or is in danger of sustaining damage. Before you do, check out our Quick Action Safe Water Clean-Up Tips at the bottom of this page.

Focus on items susceptible to water damage. This can include computers and other tech components, important files and paperwork, wooden furniture, or anything else that doesn’t play well with water. Get it out of the space and into an area where it can begin the drying process. Remember that after a water issue, there will also be increased moisture in the air. That moisture can be just as damaging to your space and materials as standing water.

Step 4: Call Sams for Office Water Damage Restoration

If water damage isn’t dealt with quickly, the potential for far more serious damage is high. As you work on the rest of these measures, you want to contact the professionals at Sams. We offer water damage restoration services 24 hours a day, every day of the year.  We work with all insurance companies using required industry standard software to mitigate your water damage. We have exceptional relationships with St. Louis area insurance companies and can guide you through your claims process. And if your company’s insurance policy doesn’t cover water damage restoration, we will quickly provide you with a competitive proposal.

Time is of the essence when dealing with office water damage, so our team’s first move is a thorough inspection and assessment. We’ll provide an honest and complete picture of the extent of the damage and the work needed to repair it. We then remove and dispose of debris and move furniture as needed to mitigate additional damage.

We use specialized tools to detect moisture in building materials, extract water from the damaged area, and apply anti-microbial disinfectant to prevent mold and mildew. Throughout the process we use our structural and drying equipment to minimize the potential for mold growth, keeping you informed the whole time. Once the area is completely dry, we can provide carpet repairs as needed and advise on required construction repairs.

There’s nothing pleasant about discovering office water damage. But it’s good to know there’s help available when you do. Contact Sams at 636-949-8229 24/7 to reach a team member available 24/7 to answer the call to provide reliable and safe water damage restoration services for your office or commercial building.  We cannot stress enough that our team members are there for you every step of the way during this crisis, even if it is in the middle of the night or early in the morning.

It’s happened to all of us. You decide to rearrange a living room or bedroom. You slide a dresser here and a bed or sofa over there. You love the new layout, but your furniture’s left little reminders of where it used to be in the form of indentations in your carpet.  Or perhaps you’ve moved into a new home only to find the sellers’ furniture left you little reminders that you’re not the first person who has lived here.  

No matter the situation, you want those little reminders gone, and you’d like to know how to get indentations out of your carpet once and for all.  

The good news is there are several at-home remedies for carpet indentations that can work. In this article we will detail four strategies for removing carpet indentations, and the most likely way to fix it if these remedies don’t work for you.  

Tip #1: Get Indentations Out of Carpet with a Vacuum 

Let’s start with the least invasive solution possible. You’ve probably already tried this. But in case you haven’t, it’s a good place to start. Using a vacuum cleaner can help to bring indented areas of your carpet back to life. First, use your fingers to try to loosen up the fibers. Then attach the hose to your vacuum cleaner to apply strong suction to both the indented area of carpet, and the carpet around it. For less stubborn indentations, the vacuum might do the trick. If it doesn’t, move on to another potential solution.   

Tip #2: Remove Carpet Indentations with a Hairdryer 

This tip requires two things: a traditional hair blow dryer and a spray bottle full of water. Spray the carpet indentation with enough water to saturate it. Then use the hairdryer at the hottest setting to dry the wet carpet indentation. You should hold the hairdryer 4 to 6 inches away from the carpet, to avoid burning it. As you dry the carpet, use your fingers to fluff it up. The hair dryer can do for your carpet the same thing it does for your hair, removing flat areas and bringing back its volume. 

Tip #3: Get Rid of Carpet Indentations with Ice Cubes 

This is the true “budget” method for removing carpet dents. If you have ice cubes, a sponge, and a nickel, you have all the supplies needed to employ this method to get indentations out of your carpet. Simply place an ice cube (or several ice cubes, depending on the size of the indentation) on the area you’re trying to revive. Let the ice melt in the dented area. The carpet will soak up the water and begin to rise. Use a sponge to blot away extra water, and then gently lift the indented carpet with a coin. 

Tip #4: Use an Iron to Steam Away Carpet Indentations  

Soak a clean white cloth with water, and then wring out the excess. Lay the damp white cloth over the indentation in your carpet. Set your iron to a medium heat setting and hold it several inches above the damp cloth for up to a minute. Then use a coin to gently brush the carpet fibers back up.  

Some people report success with this method even on the very difficult dents. But you must be careful. You run the risk of burning your carpets and causing severe damage if you put the iron on the wet cloth. 

The Most Effective Solution: Have the Carpet Professionally Cleaned to Remove Indentations 

One of the above solutions might work for you. But there’s one solution that’s most likely to work: a professional carpet cleaning from Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repairs.  Not only will the Sams team do their very best to remove the indentations in your carpet left by heavy furniture, we’ll also remove years of dirt and wear to restore the carpet in the entire room (or your entire home). If you’re moving in or rearranging a new space, let the Sams team make the carpeting a clean and beautiful canvas for your home or room design.    

It’s important to note that not all indentations can be removed. If the carpet is old and furniture hasn’t been moved in a long time (10 or more years, for instance), the indentations may be permanent. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. There are other ways to fix the situation with carpet repairs. Or, you may need to replace the carpet altogether.   

Have any questions? Ready to schedule your professional carpet cleaning? Call the Sams team today at 636-949-8229 or schedule online! We’ll leave your home with fresh, clean carpet without all those pesky indentations from your furniture. 

It has never been more common to have a pet friendly work environment. Many companies are jumping on to the trend and for a good reason. There is a great deal of evidence on how a pet friendly workplace can benefit employees and, in turn, their employers.

Pets in the workplace boost morale. They have been shown to reduce stress, bring coworkers together and help foster teamwork. The addition of cats and dogs extends beyond morale to the productivity and even the pockets of employees. Studies show that when employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work, they no longer have to pay for doggie daycare or walking services and don’t have to worry that Fido is trapped inside all day. In addition, customers enjoy the opportunity to interact with the pets in your workplace when they come to visit! It can enhance their experience and build positive sentiment about your company.

The benefits are clear, but it is important to keep in mind that a clean and inviting office is key to a thriving business. If you have made the choice to allow pets in the office, then making sure that your carpets and furniture are clean is essential.

Clean up any pet accidents immediately

There is no time like the present when it comes to stain and odor removal and even long-term damage. Blot up any moisture immediately to prevent damage to the carpet padding and sub flooring that lies beneath. In many cases, moisture will penetrate those layers, so you’ll want to call in our Sams team professionals to extract the debris and perform repairs as necessary.

 Make rules!

It’s important to have rules for all to follow and understand.  It’s not safe or practical to have pets that cannot adhere to basic rules or tend to cause continuous damage. If a pet is a repeat offender, it’s probably in the best interest for the pet to stay at home.

Schedule regular cleanings

This is the most important method for assuring that the office environment is well kept. Be sure to point out where accidents have occurred, and pet urine may be lingering below the surface so that it can be treated appropriately. Regular cleanings will not only take care of any tough to handle stains but will also remove hair and dander that will not budge with a vacuum. It will also remove unwanted odors and create a welcoming atmosphere for employees and customers.

At Sams we love our furry friends and we are proud to clean many pet friendly offices with our safe and effective methods. We would love to help you to make your offices a place filled with tail wags and smiles. Give us a call at 636-949-8229, or schedule your cleaning online today!