Coleman Clifford – Professional Carpet Cleaner
To follow up on our previous Blog about carpet cleaning and how to keep your floors free of Covid-19, I wanted to get some more background information about the man behind the curtain. I was able to connect with Coleman, our go to carpet cleaning resource, a few questions about how he got so knowledgeable and skilled in this service. He handles all of our carpet cleaning and fiber protection in the local area. Read below for more info about carpet and rug cleaning! For more info about our cleaning services, visit https://carpetworkroom.com/repair-cleaning/
Q: How did you get started as a carpet cleaner? Where did your interest come from?
A: I’ve been cleaning carpets and upholstery since middle school. I’m second generation in the industry. After going to college and grad school at Quinnipiac University I taught 7th grade social studies for a year. I was laid off, and my father had some health issues so I went back to work for him for 2 years or so. He was ready for a change so I decided to go out on my own and I’ve been running my own company for 9 years now. Specifically, I began working closely with the Workroom for about 6 years I think…
Q: What areas do you serve as a carpet cleaner?
A: I travel all around New England. I spend most of my time in Boston, Metro West, South Shore, Cohasset, Cape Cod and the islands, Dartmouth, and Newport, RI.
Q: What type of vacuum cleaner should I use for my carpets?
A: There are a lot of factors to consider – from price to weight, etc. that may impact someone’s opinion on this. For the standard homeowner I’d recommend a Cleartrak Workhorse, or the Shark vacuums are good value if you’re looking for something cheaper and lighter.
Editor’s Note – If you have wool carpet you should never use a vacuum with a beater bar!
Q: Are there any other reasons to have carpets cleaned other than getting the dirt out?
A: All of the soft surfaces in your home act like a filter for the air. So along with the normal soils, oils, spots, and stains we’re always trying to clean, we should also think about the dust, dust mites, pollen, germs, viruses, pet dander, other allergens, etc. Regular cleaning has shown to remove a lot of this and has proven to improve the air quality of your home.
Soil is also abrasive. So as you walk on a dirty carpet the fibers can become scratched and damaged. Think of it like rubbing sandpaper on a smooth surface. When the fibers get scratched, they’ll reflect light differently (poorly) and a clean carpet may still have shadowy traffic lanes due to damage.
Cleaning your carpets regularly will make them last longer and look much better rather than letting them get to the point where they’re visibly dirty before you have them cleaned. It may also have a positive impact on your health.
Q: What types of carpet cleaning would you recommend? What do you offer? (I have seen from Youtube videos, a steam cleaner, a technique using a lot of water)
A: I value education and am qualified and experienced using many different techniques and “styles” of cleaning. That being said 90% of the time I use Hot Water Extraction Cleaning (commonly referred to as “steam cleaning”). Sometimes VLM (very low moisture) cleaning, encapsulation cleaning, or absorbent compound cleaning are more appropriate based on the fiber type, job set up, type of soiling, etc.
Q: What type of carpet cleaner equipment do you use?
A: I use portable carpet extractors that are versatile enough that I can easily clean in a luxury penthouse apartment in Boston’s Seaport District, in a Brownstone in Beacon Hill that has no nearby parking, or a commercial job that requires the doors to be locked and secured while I work.
Q: How often should carpet be cleaned?
A: The magic number for MOST people is annually but it really depends. If you have 3 kids, 2 dogs, and a cat then maybe it’s twice a year or even quarterly. A high traffic stair runner maybe needs to be done every other month. I reach out to most of my clients with annual reminders and the majority of them stick to the once a year schedule. Some like spring cleaning, some want me to come while they’re away on summer vacation, others prefer back to school, or right before the holidays but most are in that once per year window.
Q: If someone is asking about getting slime out of carpet, what are the best home remedies for this type of situation?
A: Slime is a tough one. There are many different “recipes” for slime out there. Many include glues, food coloring, dyes, glitter, and all kinds of other crazy ingredients. Gel hand sanitizer may break down the glue portion but you still may have the bright colored stain. Unfortunately this may end up being permanent. Synthetic dyes are the most difficult to remove – even for a professional – especially if you have natural fiber carpets (wool, silk, etc.). The problem is that to remove synthetic dye stains you need to use harsh dye removers which can damage the dyes in the carpet causing color loss and make the situation worse than the original stain.
To see the all fascinating work Coleman does, check out his Instagram page right here! https://www.instagram.com/cliffordfinefabriccare/
