Carpet Cleaning After the Holidays – Where Do You Begin?

by Mark Kirkwood
Owner, Kirkwood's Sweeper Shop

Although the holidays are quickly becoming a distant memory, your house still may have some “little memories” from family, friends and holiday parties that are left on your carpets. Your carpets always seem to collect the remnants of all that holiday traffic in your home.

You may be thinking about hiring a professional carpet cleaner but prices for that service can be very high – especially when you can follow our Kirkwood Holiday Cleanup Tips to do it yourself with ease and at a much lower cost.

Tip #1: Address the Big Stuff First. It’s just good time-management! Many studies show that successful people perform their least desirable and toughest tasks first. Whether it is red wine, turkey gravy or milk from the bubble making contest at the kids table, these stains often need to sit in a cleaning solution the longest. And the carpet cleaning experts at your local Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop can recommend the right "green" carpet cleaning products for your specific stain needs – and we’ll give you the personal advice you need to do the job right.

Tip #2:  Don’t Forget the High Traffic Areas. These are places in your home that all visitors walk through. These areas would include the entry way, the path to the bathroom and, of course, the path to the dinner table! These areas of your carpet are generally the first to show signs of wear.
Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop rents carpet extractors, including a Rug Doctor, that are perfect for cleaning up these areas. Or you can choose to purchase your own steam vacuum from Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop that is right for your home so you always have it ready for future stains. Regular do it yourself carpet cleaning is a great investment that can help your carpets last longer.

Tip #3: Know What Products to Use for Each Type of Stain. Each stain should be treated individually. It is generally not a good idea to use the same stain remover product for red wine as for pet urine. The different molecules in these substances require proper treatment to rid your home of them permanently. Again, Kirkwood’s team of carpet cleaning experts has the expertise and the right products to meet your needs.

There’s no need to wait for a spring cleaning to get a start on taking care of your carpets. And waiting can just make those little stains become bigger problems as they get ground into your carpets.

Keeping your carpets clean adds beauty to your home – and it doesn’t have to be hard or expensive work. Visit a convenient Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop near you to erase the bad memories of holiday parties from your carpet so you can remember all the good times with families and friends long into the year.

Mark Kirkwood is proud to continue a family tradition that began when The Kirkwood Family entered the vacuum business in 1969. Today, Mark and his brother Bob Kirkwood operate a total of nine vacuum cleaner stores in Ohio and Kentucky under the Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop banner. With the continued support of our valuable team members, and loyal customers, we hope to serve your vacuum sales and repair needs -- and infrared heater needs -- for many more years.

Infrared Heaters: A Cost Effective and Green Heating Alternative

by Mark Kirkwood
Owner, Kirkwood's Sweeper Shop

With winter in the Midwest predicted to be colder than normal and heating costs continuing to rise, many people are looking for ways to stay warm at home without breaking their budget. Since we tend to spend 80 percent of our time in only 20 percent of our house, it’s really inefficient to just turn up your thermostat and heat your entire house and then deal with a rising gas and electric bill. So is there an alternative?

At Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop, we recommend a cost effective alternative for our customers – an infrared zone heater.  An infrared zone heater lets you stay cozy and comfortable where you spend most of your time. You can move it where you need it, and you don’t waste money to heat the whole house. When you turn down the furnace and use an infrared zone heater, your heating costs actually can go down.

How Do Infrared Heaters Work?

Infrared heaters work differently than the other types of heaters you may be considering for your home or office. A combination of industrial grade infrared heat tubes and cured copper are the key ingredients to an infrared zone heater. Infrared heat tubes transfer heat to copper cylinders.  The illustration above shows the simple steps involved in infrared heat:

1.    A whisper-quiet fan draws air from the room, through a washable filter.
2.    The air is drawn into the heat chamber.
3.    Moisture in the air absorbs the infrared heat when it passes around and over the copper cylinders.
4.    This moist warm air is moved out into the room, where it warms you and all objects in the room.

This transitive heating process works in a manner similar to the way humidity and sunlight combine to create a heat index in the hot summer months.

Healthy, Quick Heat That Fills Your Room

Infrared heaters produce heat quickly, unlike other typical space heaters. So they are especially useful when you come in from the cold and want to warm up fast.  Hot coils are wrapped over the heat source so heat is transferred evenly. The heat is reflected by a polished metal so it extends out for several yards, creating a gentle, comfortable source of warmth.

Infrared heaters also are healthier, because they do not reduce humidity or the oxygen in a room.  Again, a typical space heater can dry out your sinuses and skin and cause static electricity. Infrared heat can even promote healthier blood circulation.

 
“Green” and Cost Effective Heat

With an infrared heat, there is no carbon combustion, no toxic-by-products, no open flames and no fuel lines. In summary, infrared heaters don't add anything to the air, and they don't take anything from the air.

And since infrared heaters warm only specific rooms, you don't waste energy heating an entire house There's also no need to preheat a room since these heaters work instantly. Nearly 100 percent of the heat created is transferred out, so you can get efficient heating for a very low cost.

There’s also very little maintenance for an infrared heater. Since there are no moving parts, there's no motor to wear out or lubrication required. At Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop, we only recommend that you periodically clean the reflectors to keep your unit working perfectly.

Attractive design

The infrared heaters we offer also feature a choice of furniture-like wood finishes that compliments the look of your home – and that’s a huge difference from the eyesore of typical room heaters.  

Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop has a large selection of infrared heaters to fit your needs and budget. You can visit one of our conveniently located, Greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky stores, pick one up today and be warm tonight!

Mark Kirkwood is proud to continue a family tradition that began when The Kirkwood Family entered the vacuum business in 1969. Today, Mark and his brother Bob Kirkwood operate a total of nine vacuum cleaner stores in Ohio and Kentucky under the Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop banner. With the continued support of our valuable team members, and loyal customers, we hope to serve your vacuum sales and repair needs -- and infrared heater needs -- for many more years.

Central Vacuum Systems Provide Proven Allergy Relief

by Mark Kirkwood
Owner, Kirkwood's Sweeper Shop

With winter around the corner, many people think that the days of dealing with allergies are over – but nothing could be further from the truth.

Although most of allergy attention is directed toward pollen and other outdoor allergens, what is inside your home— dust, dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens—are allergy triggers for more than 25 percent of us. And the combination of spending more time indoors as the weather gets colder along with today’s more energy efficient and tightly sealed homes make the problem worse, since it’s tough to get the allergens out of your home.

But there is an answer to this growing indoor allergy problem, and Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop is proud to be the most experienced Greater Cincinnati company to offer this solution. A Central Vacuum System from Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop REMOVES all of the dust, dirt and allergens from your home. And Central Vacuum Systems do not recirculate any exhaust air into your home, providing a truly cleaner home for you and your family.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends frequent deep cleaning to eliminate allergens from your home. Carpets and upholstered furniture should be vacuumed one to two times a week.

A Central Vacuum System from Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop makes this household chore manageable with the most powerful, easy-to-use – and quietest -- vacuum money can buy. By comparison, portable vacuum cleaners are heavy, noisy, and they blow dust all over your house. And Central Vacuum System prices start at only $599 for a do-it-yourself vacuum system.

Clinically PROVEN Allergy relief -- up to 62% improvement!

Use of a built-in Central Vacuum System, which blows no air into the room, is a highly effective method for reducing dust mites and other indoor allergens and improving indoor air quality. With a motor up to five times more powerful than a conventional vacuum, a Central Vacuum System captures more dust, dirt and allergens than an upright vacuum. It also moves all of the dirt and allergens in your home to a central collection container in your garage or other convenient area of your home.

Independent clinical studies have shown up to a 62 percent improvement in allergy symptoms when homeowners used a Central Vacuum System instead of a conventional vacuum to clean their homes.

Central Vacuum Systems Improve Indoor Air Quality

Unlike conventional vacuums that can recirculate dust, a Central Vacuum System removes 100% of contacted dirt, dust mites, pollen, dander and other allergens and carries them away from living areas—to help improve indoor air quality.

And you don’t have to have a new home to install a Central Vacuum System. Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop can install a Central Vacuum System in virtually any home or business. We routinely install Central Vacuum Systems in existing homes and new construction. We also install Central Vacuum Systems in commercial businesses such as hair salons, veterinary clinics, restaurants, medical and dental offices, and day care centers.

Vacuum Experience Counts!

Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop has been installing Central Vacuum Systems since 1974. With thousands of successful central vacuum installations, we have the experience to engineer and correctly install the right equipment, to ensure years of trouble-free service.  Everything from the selection of the best quality equipment and materials, right down to the little details like nail guards, pipe hangers, fire rated wire, and proper tubing cutters, make all the difference. We have a proven track record of installing Central Vacuum Systems that our customers love.

Now you can breathe easier knowing you've found a great way to improve your indoor air quality. Delight in the numerous convenience features and whisper-quiet operation. Call today for your Free Estimate – 513-612-6100 ext. 104.

Mark Kirkwood is proud to continue a family tradition that began when The Kirkwood Family entered the vacuum business in 1969. Today, Mark and his brother Bob Kirkwood operate a total of nine vacuum cleaner stores in Ohio and Kentucky under the Kirkwood’s Sweeper Shop banner. With the continued support of our valuable team members, and loyal customers, we hope to serve your vacuum sales and repair needs many more years.

If you are considering any one else to install or service your Central Vacuum System, ask them if they have over 80 years of combined experience – and ask them if they have hundreds of references for systems that have been working properly for close to 30 years.

Cleaning Tips

Find the Vacuum for You

Canister or upright?  Central vacuum system or not?  Is HEPA that important?  It can be difficult to navigate all of your options and find the perfect vacuum for you.  You really should give some thought to the following three considerations when buying a vacuum:

• Your Home
• Your Lifestyle
• Your Budget

Your Home

It's important to consider the layout and the types of surfaces in your space.

Layout: How many floors are in your home?  If it's multi-story, consider the weight of the vacuum.  If it's too heavy, you may have trouble maneuvering it up flights of stairs from one floor to another.  For a single-story home, uprights are a great choice.

Also, if you have stairs, consider a vacuum that has the flexibility and tools or attachments to give you the best clean for your steps.  For a multi-story home, look at light-weight canister vacuums or central vacuum systems. Both van be carried easily up and down stairs.  Their maneuverability and longer hoses are also best for cleaning steps.

Surfaces:  Are the surfaces in your home consistent or mixed?  For example, do you have mostly carpet or most hard floors, like hardwood or tile?  Understanding the types of surfaces in your home can help you choose a better fit when buying a vacuum.

For mixed surfaces or mostly hard surfaces, central vacuums offer a great way to clean both surfaces easily and without the weight of most uprights or canisters. Canisters are also great for mixed floors because of their attachments, which are made specifically for cleaning hard surfaces.

For homes with mostly carpet, consider uprights.  Uprights are built with high carpet-cleaning power.  Also know that there are some types of carpet that require special needs.  For example, if you have frieze (California Shag), look for a vacuum with height adjustment.  For long shag carpet, you may need to remove the brush roll to avoid jams.

 

Your Lifestyle

Once you've considered your home environment, it's time to think about the way you live in your home.

People:  Do any of your family members have allergies or other sensitivites that relate to air quality?  If so, consider vacuums for which HEPA filters are available.  Learn more about HEPA filters to find out how they help.

Also, consider a vacuum with a bag system, rather than bagless.  Bagless systems just don't have the same power to catch dust and particles as vacuums with bags.

Pets:  For homes with pets, like dogs and cats, look for a vacuum with exceptional brushing action and air flow. Brushing action helps lift hair and dander from surfaces, while air flow sucks it up and removes it for good.  Visit our article on pets and vacuums for more pet mess vacuuming tips.

Your Budget

Once you've found the type of vacuum you're looking for, think about how much you want to spend.  Keep in mind that a good quality vacuum, if cared for properly, should last 10 to 15 years.  Consider this:  a cheapie $150 vacuum has an average life of 18 months, therefore your annual purchase cost is $100 per year.  If you buy a good $600 vacuum with a bag, it's average life is 15 years; it's annual purchase cost is only $40 per year.  Which of these two vacuums is the least expensive?  Which one will deep clean your expensive carpeting best?  Which one will improve your indoor air quality?

While you don't need all the bells and whistles, don't be afraid to invest in a vacuum that has the tools, power, filtration and any other attributes you need to get your whole-home clean.

Cleaning Tips

Shag - Wonderful Shag

Shag carpeting, a symbol of the 1970’s (along with long hair on men), has been resurrected and today is frequently called frieze (pronounced freez-zay), California shag or California burber.  Better carpet fibers and improved manufacturing techniques have created a carpet with good looks and better durability than the old shags.  However, shag carpet demands the correct type of vacuum cleaner as you can literally destroy a vacuum, and even the carpet itself, with the wrong selection.

One of the challenges of having a shag style carpet is that if you were to actually read the manufacturer’s warranty, you might find that the warranty will be voided if you use a vacuum cleaner with a spinning brush roll.  Carpet fibers are really quite durable on the tip.  However, with shag, the fibers lie down rather than stand up, and the brush will actually scrape fibers off of the sides of the yarn and sooner than later wear it out. 

One of the nasty little secrets of the situation is that while this is true, your carpet can’t really be cleaned without some sort of agitation.  Some manufacturers make tools that appear like a rake and have good success with removing some items stuck in the carpets.  But in the end, there is a reason that vacuums have brushrolls that spin - because they do the best job of agitating, brushing and grooming the carpets.

Some of the varieties of shag may be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner with a brushroll, but it’s absolutely essential that there is a manual height adjustment and that it is used on the highest setting so that the brushroll touches the tips of the fibers and does not dig down into the side of the yarn.

For longer shag, a canister with a straight suction nozzle, or an upright vacuum where the brushroll can be turned off, is the right choice.  In addition, the old-fashioned tool called a carpet rake is also recommended for grooming the carpet and fluffing the yarn strands before vacuuming.

Shag is pleasant to look at and comfortable to walk on.  The return of shag may be short lived because of its cleanability issues.  Think twice before you buy any shag carpet and buyer beware.

Cleaning Tips

Pet Hair Vacuuming Tips

Tips for Finding a New Vacuum

Pet Hair

If you have pets in your home, then no doubt you have dealt with cleaning up the hair they leave behind.   Suction-only vacuums are rarely a good choice for this problem.  That's because pet hair gets hooked microscopically, like Velcro, in the carpet fibers and often continues to stick – even with strong airflow.

What is the best vacuum for dog or cat hair and dander?  Look for a bagged vacuum with high filtration.  As a rule, you should use a vacuum that incorporates a powered spinning brushroll technology.  Instead of just sucking at the hair, the moving bristles physically pull the hair up and away from the carpet fibers allowing the high airflow to 'whoosh' the fur away. 

Therefore along with high filtration, you must also consider great agitation (brushing action) and high airflow.  Not every vacuum will have the agitation and airflow necessary to consistently remove pet hair plus have high filtration. Only the better vacuums will truly deliver superior results year after year. 

Tips for Using your Existing Vacuum

If you just want to add more pet hair cleaning power to your existing vacuum, we have an idea for you, too.

For most vacuum cleaners (made in the last 15-20 years) you can attach something called a ‘turbo nozzle’ to your hose and use it like any other attachment.  They're powerful because, unlike other attachments, they have brushrolls to really agitate and pull dust, dirt, and even stubborn pet hair away from a surface.  Think of them as a way to extend the functionality of your full sized vacuum.

They're perfect for places your full-size brushroll can't go like carpeted stairs, upholstery, car interiors and more.  For a really good handheld turbo nozzle,  VacuumSweeperShop recommends the Rug Rat and the Cirrus Pet Vacuum for you floors.

Tips for Other Pet Messes

Pet urine and vomit are commonplace problems and can be remedied.  Try Uric Acid Eradicator to eliminate both the stain and the odor.  Also, try these tips for removing pet urine and odor.