How to Make your Carpet Last Forever

It is a proven fact that a good looking carpet is the most important component to a homes appearance and replacing a carpet is expensive. You want your carpet to last as long as possible. Use the following tips to extend the life of your carpet:

• Padding is important, ideally no more than 7/16-inch thick, unless your carpet came with it attached. Also use pads under small rugs, and rotate them from time to time.
• Use in the hallways to protect the carpeting underneath.
• In areas that get a lot of sun exposure, keep your drapes or curtains closed to prevent fading or browning.
• Leave dirt outside. You may feel a bit uneasy about asking guests to remove their shoes, but by leaving footwear at the door, you keep the dirt out. In addition, take the time to sweep your home’s sidewalks, and at the very least invest in heavy-duty doormats to prevent excess dirt from entering the house.
• Confine all snacking to the kitchen. Your family may protest this rule, but it’s the only way to prevent spills from staining your carpeting. Sauces, chocolate and juices are lethal to your carpet’s aesthetic value. If food does find its way to your carpet, be sure to clean it up immediately.
• Run the vacuum often. In high-traffic areas, carpets should be vacuumed daily. In less-traveled areas, vacuum one to two times per week. Vacuuming often will remove damaging dirt from the fibers. Buy an upright vacuum fitted with beater bars.
• Keep your socks on. While walking without shoes will help to make your carpet last longer, you shouldn’t walk on your carpeting with bare feet. The oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.
• Change the room’s layout often. To break up the same old traffic pattern and to avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, move your furniture around. This will create new foot traffic and your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.
• Call in the professionals. You should hire a reputable carpet cleaning company to service your carpets at least once or twice per year. Make sure they have the equipment that won’t leave detergent in the fibers.

Pet Urnine Treatments

Missoula residents love their pets. I happen to be a dog lover myself. Probably about 75% of my customers are pet owners so its inevitable that I run into pee problems on a daily basis.

Treating pet urine issues is done on a case by case basis. There are many factors that go into urine cleaning that include: animal size, age, breed, diet and illnesses such as kidney problems.

If you have a new puppy or small toy dog then the urine is mostly likely on the surface and clean up is relatively easy. I can get most urine out of a carpet with just a standard carpet cleaning.

Now big dogs are a different story, big bladders mean big problems. If a large dog empties its bladder on one area of a carpet then it mostly soaked into the pad. This requires a deep cleaning treatment.

Deep Cleaning Treatment:

First, I saturate the area with a special solution that is made for urine and odor removal. For a 1 x 1 square foot area I will pour at least one half gallon onto the carpet. I want to make sure it soaks through the carpet and into the pad. I then let it sit for 10 minutes.

Second, I suck it back up with a “Water Claw”. This tool is smaller version of the device used during flood clean up.

Last, I soak and agitate the are with enzymes. These are actually living enzymes will eat urine crystals, feces and vomit. When all their food is gone they die and can then be cleaned up with a home vacuum.

Extreme Cases:

Sometime a deep cleaning is not enough because the urine has soaked all the way to the floor boards or concrete. In this case we would need to pull the carpet, replace the pad and seal the sub floor.

This will usually take care of the problem. Now it should be noted that in some rare cases (usually with cat urine), the entire carpet and pad will need to be replaced. It just depends on the quantity and severity of the mess.

If you have pet urine issues give me a call to see what works best for you.

Joe 406-214-6504

Why Green Carpet Cleaning?

Questions? Call 406-214-6504

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Protecting the Indoor Environment

Most of the conventional cleaning products on the market are petroleum based and have dubious health and environmental implications. Petroleum based chemicals are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in medical research include:

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Adult and Child Cancers
Neurological Disorders
Immune System Weakening
Autoimmune Disorders
Asthma
Allergies
Infertility
Child Behavior Disorders

Protecting the Outdoor Environment

The dumping of carpet cleaning wastewater onto the street, into the storm drain or onto open ground is environmentally unacceptable. We live in a time of increased awareness of how our actions affect the environment. We are conscious of “chemicals” in our everyday lives and even the average citizen has become a self-appointed ecology cop. A whole raft of “departments” from Fish & Game to Environment Protection is showing more and more concern over these activities.

The Solution

Methods exist that insure for safety and responsible disposal, but most carpet cleaners don’t adhere to these methods because the time and effort just doesn’t make financial sense. The real solution lies in the products themselves. We now have effective cleaning agents that are 100% biodegradable and hypoallergenic. The wastewater can be easily disposed with minimal effects on our health and the environment.

Green Seal Certified Products

How do you know that the cleaning agent is actually safe? The answer is simple: Make sure it has the Green Seal approval. It says that a product or service has been tested according to science-based procedures, that it works as well or better than others in its class, and that it has been evaluated without bias or conflict of interest. The Green “Seal of Approval” has come to stand for reliability, fairness, and integrity.

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Green Seal is one of the most respected non-profit organizations in the US. It is dedicated to protecting the environment by partnering with manufacturers and transforming the marketplace.

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Removing Candlewax from Carpet

I just came across this entry on Yahoo Answers. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Joe 214-6504

“We don’t know about the rest of you, but this is certainly a problem we’ve faced before. A search on “candle wax carpet” verified that this question is quite common.

We speak from personal experience when we tell you this quick and easy solution offered by About.com works wonders:

1. Let the wax harden, then scrap off the excess with a dull knife.
2. Place part of a paper bag, a sheet of newspaper, paper towels, or a clean cloth over the wax.
3. UsingI  a warm iron, press gently on the paper bag. Be careful not to leave the iron in one place too long or you may burn the carpet fibers.
4. Voila! The paper bag will soak up the melted wax.

To remove stains left from colored wax, try gently dabbing the stain with a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol.”CA

Article in the Missoulian

The Missoulian did an excellent article on our business in the August edition of InBusiness Monthly. The only complaint I had was the incorrect phone number and web page at the end of the article.

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Click here to visit online version at Missoulian.com

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Small and simple suits Green Carpet Cleaning owner

By STEVE MILLER

Joe Burnich and his wife Diana wanted to be sure that the carpet cleaning process they used in their Green Carpet Cleaning business would be safe for their young daughter Camila when she played on the rug. MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missouli

Letting a child crawl on a carpet freshly-doused with cleaning supplies is something that most cleaners wouldn’t recommend, and most parents wouldn’t dare allow.

Joe Burnich fits both these descriptions, but when he cleans the carpets in his apartment, his 1-year-old daughter is free to wander where she pleases.

“She’s crawling in that stuff and I feel safe,” Burnich said.

That’s because Burnich only uses Green Seal-certified cleaning products to get the job done in his house, and if he has his way, many others homes as well.

Burnich’s startup business, Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning, breaks away from the traditional carpet cleaners – from the products and equipment he uses, even down to his business philosophy.

And, so far, it appears to be working pretty well.

“I’m actually overwhelmed,” Burnich said, adding that he’s booked for several weeks in advance. “I can’t believe the response I’ve gotten from people.”

That response might be due to the fact that Burnich uses safe, non-petroleum-based cleaning products (petroleum cleaning supplies, Burnich said, could lead to adult and child cancer and other ailments). Not to mention, he also charges $10 less than the competition as a way to get his foot in the door and show his customers what he can do.

Although a fresh face on the carpet cleaning scene, Burnich doesn’t plan to make his mark through sheer numbers and manpower; in fact, he prefers to keep things simple, for now at least.

Unlike most cleaners, Burnich doesn’t feel the pressure to squeeze in as many jobs as he can in a day. Rather, he takes his time on each house to ensure that the he’s doing a thorough and complete clean.

“People want to get in, out, and onto the next job,” Burnich said, but “since I’m the boss, I want to decide how long to take on the job.”

Though he might not zip through the jobs as fast as his competitors, he said that the equipment he uses allows him to remove more dirt and extract more water.

Burnich uses a Rotovac system, with three spray jets, vacuums, and a rotating scrubbing head, which pulls up 30 percent more water. And since the cleaning products are odor-free, there’s no ventilation required, he said.

“A lot of people don’t want to clean in cold weather,” Burnich said, but now, his customers won’t have to wait for the carpet to air out.

To power his equipment, Burnich uses a portable electronic generator that he brings with him into the homes, as opposed to using a truck-mounted system which can sometimes be a gas guzzler. He also drives a full-sized mini van to get from job to job – a practical choice considering he only needs to transport himself and the gear, as opposed to several coworkers.

Though Burnich would eventually like to add a helper to the mix, at the moment, he wants to keep it “small and simple”

“I can’t trust someone to do the same quality work that I do,” he said.

That doesn’t mean that Burnich is flying solo, however.

While Burnich is out cleaning houses, his wife Diana takes care of the logistical side of the business, such as scheduling appointments and managing finances. Occasionally, she does go on the cleaning trips, but stays home much of the time to be with their young daughter Camila.

Actually, the idea for the business came about when she was pregnant with her daughter. Both knew that they wanted to use safe cleaning products for their child and, sure enough, that search prompted the idea to not only use Green Seal products for their own home but for others’ as well.

“Kids especially have their face right in on the carpet all the time,” he said.

“Using those products, you can see the difference,” his wife said, and added that with other cleaning supplies, “the smell is strong.”

In addition to a safety concern, Burnich, who recently moved from Missouri to be near his widowed grandmother, wanted a job that was both rewarding and low-stress – both tough sells in this economic climate.

“Finding a job in this economy isn’t easy,” he said.

But with this unorthodox approach and top-of-the-line product, this leap of faith has already paid off for the Burniches.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Burnich said. “I jumped in and it blew up.”

For more information, visit MissoulaGreenCarpetCleaning.com or call 214-6504 to set up an appointment.

Steve Miller is a senior studying print journalism and English literature at the University of Montana who is interning at the Missoulian this summer. He can be reached at 523-5259 or at steve.miller@missoulian.com.

Material Safety Data Sheet

A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. An important component of product stewardship and workplace safety, it is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill handling procedures. The exact format of an MSDS can vary from source to source within a country depending on how specific is the national requirement.

MSDS (material safety data sheets) are a widely used system for cataloging information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures. MSDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product. MSDS can be found anywhere chemicals are being used.

There is also a duty to properly label substances on the basis of physico-chemical, health and/or environmental risk. Labels can include hazard symbols such as the European Union standard black diagonal cross on an orange background, used to denote a harmful substance.

An MSDS for a substance is not primarily intended for use by the general consumer, focusing instead on the hazards of working with the material in an occupational setting. For example, an MSDS for a cleaning solution is not highly pertinent to someone who uses a can of the cleaner once a year, but is extremely important to someone who does this in a confined space for 40 hours a week.

In some jurisdictions, the MSDS is required to state the chemical’s risks, safety and impact on the environment.

It is important to use an MSDS that is both country-specific and supplier-specific as the same product (e.g. paints sold under identical brand names by the same company) can have very different formulations in different countries; a product using a generic name (e.g. sugar soap) can also have a formulation and degree of hazard which varies between different manufacturers in the same country.

The 10 Commandments of Carpet Care

1. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. Most of the wear of carpeting is caused by dirt. Oily soils attract more oily soil and frequent vacuuming will reduce soil buildup. sd 2. Get at stains quickly, 99% of all stains can be removed by one cleaning agent or another if they are cleaned in the first few days. The longer a stain chemically reacts with the carpet the harder it will be to remove it. sd 3. Test carpet before scrubbing, extracting or spotting. All carpets are different. Some carpets are very sensitive to acid type cleaners and will lose their color quickly. Other carpet dyes are sensitive to harsh alkalis. sd 4. Use appropriate spotters starting with the mildest. Do not use harsh spotting agents unless absolutely necessary and always neutralize high alkaline or high acid cleaners after use. sd 5. Never dig or brush spots. The proper procedure is to scrape the spot towards the middle and then tamp the spot into the white towel or cloth using a brush or other tamping devices. A meat tenderizer makes a great tamping tool. sd 6. Do not overuse detergents, shampoos or spotters. Too much detergent will result in residual left in the carpet that even thorough vacuuming may not remove. sd 7. Do not overwet carpet. Our carpet detergents are chemically active enough so they do not need a tremendous amount of wetting. Over-wetting can cause brownout, carpet shrinkage, adhesion problems and all other kinds of nightmares. sd 8. Extract residual if possible. Rotary scrubbing will clean the carpet fibers the best by encapsulating dirt and detergent residue, which powders off the carpet. Periodic extraction will flush out this dirt and other organisms deep in the carpet. sd 9. Never “coat” a dirty or spotty carpet. After scrubbing or extracting a dirty carpet, if you are not satisfied with the results, do not apply a coat of carpet protector as this will result in “gluing in the dirt” making it harder to remove it the next time. Either re-scrub or extract the carpet or leave the carpet until the next cleaning cycle before you coat. sd 10. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. It is so important it deserves two recommendations.

Call now for an appointment with Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning at 406-241-6504

How to Prepare Your Home for Carpet Cleaning

Here are some suggestions for you to prepare that will help both of us:

• Please remove any small items such as dining room chairs, magazine racks, floor plants, etc. from any areas that are going to be cleaned.
• Please remove all breakable items from furniture which will have to be temporarily moved, cleaned under, and placed back.
• Please pin up any full-length draperies so that they will be at least 6 inches off the floor.
• Please pin up any skirts on upholstered furniture, which may be touching the carpet.
• Computers, electronics, china cabinets, large beds, sectional sofas, entertainment centers, antique and fragile furniture cannot be moved. However, carpet underneath such items can be cleaned where sufficient room is available, or we can edge right around the base.
• During the pre-inspection walk-through, please advise us of any special requirements to follow when moving your furniture such as weak legs, loose tops or previous repairs.
• Also, call attention to any spots or stains which may require special techniques.
• Please put your pets in a safe, quiet place where our cleaning won’t disturb them.
• For safety sake, be sure to keep an extra close eye on your curious little ones.

Before and After Pics from Arrowhead Drive Missoula

Our new customers were very pleased with the carpet cleaning job we did on Arrowhead Drive in Missoula. The house was subject to children at play so it was no surprise that we found not only dirt, but also markers, food, spills and even soapy residue from a bubble machine. We were most happy with the clean up of the heavy traffic areas you can see from these before and after photos:

This is the carpet after it was cleaned by Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning.  We let the cleaning agents dwell a little longer on the dirtier traffic lanes.   This allows our green cleaning agents more time to break the oily or sticky bonds with the carpet.  With the Rotovac, and dwell time many of the stains come right out without having to use special spot removing tricks.

Make an appointment with Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning by calling 406-214-6504.

Report from the Montana SBC

Katherine Roggeveen, an intern with the Montana Sustainable Business Council, did an outstanding job researching some questions I had proposed to the council back in June.

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I now have even more confidence in the products I am using. Thanks Katherine!

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Product Certification – Background Information

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The process of searching for a “green” cleaning product becomes one of great difficulty with the overwhelming presence of eco-labels, product certification, and greenwashing overtaking the marketplace. When analyzing the certification process, there are three levels of certification ranging in levels of credibility: first party, second party, and third party.
space •    First party: First party certification is self-declaration by the company producing the product. The company sets its own standards and certifies that their products measure up to the standards set. Third-party assessments are rarely used to check credibility of claims and, if they are used, these parties are chosen by the organization itself. No external test data or verification processes are required.

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-Example: GreenSpec Directory

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space•    Second party: Second party certification describes an industry-based association that an individual organization belongs, that provides the standard, label, or set of criteria for certification that a product, process or service may aspire. The lab or organization conducting the testing or auditing, if chosen to do so, may be a third party or independent agent against an industry-managed standard, and is therefore dictated in part by a group of vested interests.

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-Examples: ENERGY STAR, WaterSense, Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

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space •    Third party: Third party certification is considered the leadership standards, providing opportunity for market transformation and greater assurance that marketing claims truly reflect the products’ “green” capabilities. This level of certification describes a product, process or service that meets specified, industry-independent criteria or standards according to the verification and review by an impartial industry-independent agent. Verification is performed through a certifying body conducting independent data reviews, auditing, and/or testing in accordance with industry-independent standards or criteria. To ensure credibility of third-party certification, the testing lab or certificating body must not be an extension or subsidiary of the company requesting the certification.

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-Examples: Cradle to Cradle (C2C), Green Seal, GREENGUARD                 Certification Program, and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).

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Source: Primary Green Product Standards and Certification Programs: A Comparison. 2009. Air Quality Sciences, Inc. 29 June 2009. http://www.aerias.org/uploads/2009.03.WP.GreenProdCertProgCompare.pdf

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When searching for any type of green product, third party certification is the most credible and unbiased source of certification.

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Green Seal Product Certification

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Being a third-party certifying organization, Green Seal is a reliable source for “green product” certification. Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that identifies and promotes products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. Green Seal uses an open consensus-based process to develop its standards and relies on outside funding to support this process. How does a product become Green Seal certified?
•    Requires up front payment of all fees as a part of the application process.
•    Utilizes a life-cycle approach, which means it evaluates a product or service from the creation of the materials used in the product, to manufacturing and use of the product itself, to recycling and disposal of the product.
•    After products are evaluated and found to be in compliance with the applicable Green Seal standard (Green Seal Environmental Standards for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners: http://www.greenseal.org/certification/gs37_iicleaners.cfm), the manufacturing facility is visited to ensure the current product is representative of future production. Manufacturers must keep extensive records to demonstrate continued compliance with this requirement.
•    Once certified, products are subject to annual monitoring. Manufacturers are required to demonstrate that their products meet each standard’s specific criteria, including providing test results.

**Green Seal is also recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED 2009 Rating System Certification. **

Overall, Green Seal is a reliable source for green purchasing because:
•    Third party certification
•    Independent
•    Testing required (performed by outside, non-stakeholder or organization affiliated assessor).
•    Follow up and rigorous bookkeeping and adherence to standards.
•    Standards change as needed to comply with environmental changes (requiring manufacturers to change their practices/products to still adhere and be able to use the Green Seal label).

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Source: Primary Green Product Standards and Certification Programs: A Comparison. 2009. Air Quality Sciences, Inc. 29 June 2009. http://www.aerias.org/uploads/2009.03.WP.GreenProdCertProgCompare.pdf

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Greenest Carpet Cleaners – Assessment of Procyon Cleaning Products

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As of August 29, 2008, Green Seal has issued a revised edition of GS-37, Green Seal’s Environmental Standard for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners. Products certified under the previous editions of GS-37 have until November 29, 2009, to comply with the revised standard. (For more information about re-certification requirements, see: http://www.greenseal.org/certification/forms_fees.cfm).

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Procyon Plus

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The carpet cleaner Procyon Plus is currently certified under the revised standards for GS-37.
Procyon Plus:
-Received the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval.
*Identifies effective carpet cleaning solutions and equipment that clean carpet right the             first time and protect a facility’s carpet investment.
Source: Commercial Customers: Seal of Approval Products. Carpet and Rug Institute. 30 June 2009. http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/cleaning-and-maintenance/seal-of-approval-products/index.cfm
-Meets the current Green Seal environmental standards for industrial and institutional cleaners     based on its reduced human and environmental toxicity and reduced volatile organic     compound content (VOC).
-Complies with OSHA’s HAZARD Communication Standard.
*Ensures that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are evaluated, and that         information concerning their hazards is transmitted to employers and employees. The             transmittal of information is to be accomplished by means of comprehensive hazard             communication programs, which include container labeling and other forms of warning,             material safety data sheets and employee training.
Source: Hazard Communication. 1996. United States Department of Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 3 July 2009. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10099.
-Received the approval of IAQ (Indoor Air Quality).
*The IAQ and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulate                 formaldehyde, a specific VOC, as a carcinogen. In order to be approved as adhering to             IAQ standards, a product must be mitigated if the present formaldehyde level is higher             than 0.1 ppm and does not except the Permissible Exposure Level of .75 ppm.
Source: An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality. . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 30 June 2009. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html#Standards%20or%20Guidelines

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Procyon Plus is a smart and reliable product to use in your green carpet cleaning business.

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Procyon Extreme!

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The carpet cleaner Procyon Extreme! is currently not certified under the new GS-37 Green Seal standards. Although the MSDS shows the Green Seal Certification, it is only because the manufacturer has until November 29, 2009 to make the necessary changes to adhere to the new requirements.
Procyon Extreme!:
-Is currently still certified under the IAQ’s seal of approval.
-Complies with OSHA’s HAZARD Communication Standard.
-Complies with the previous GS-37 standard.

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The use of Procyon Extreme! is not a bad choice in your carpet cleaning business but it would be worth while to make sure that this product does make the necessary changes to become re-certified or to look for a current product that is updated in certification. For a list of certified products under the new GS-37 see: http://www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/i&icleaners.cfm)

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Reliability of MSDS Documents

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A material safety data sheet is intended to be a reference document that reflects the most accurate and current information about a specific hazardous chemical product that is available at the time the MSDS is developed. It is the chemical manufacturer’s (or the responsible party’s) obligation to ensure that the information contained on an MSDS is accurate and meets the requirements of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). A MSDS must:
•    Represent an up-to-date reflection of current scientific information related to the hazardous chemical or product as of the date that the MSDS is prepared. (The MSDS would be in violation of the HCS if the dates required by the standard were not included on the document).
•    Be updated whenever the required information on the data sheet changes. The updated data sheet must then be sent with the next shipment of the chemical to the downstream user.
A MSDS is valid until the information is superseded and a new MSDS is issued to the purchaser with the next order/shipment. As the duty of learning about and staying up-to-date about current scientific data on hazardous chemicals falls on the manufactures, importers, and distributors of the chemicals, it would be illegal for MSDS to be out-dated and incorrect in the information they present. Therefore the MSDS documents provided by Procyon are reliable and accurate documents as they abide by OSHA’s HCS and represent only the most recent knowledge.

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Source: Clarification of the Requirement to Provide Accurate and Current Hazard Information on an MSDS. 22 June 2009. ILPI’s Interactive Library of OSHA MSDS Regulations and Interpretations. 28 June 2009. http://www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/I20080418.html

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Testing Indoor Air Quality

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If you believe that there is an air quality problem in an indoor environment, Indoor Air Quality Testing should not be the first move. This is because:

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•    There Are No Standards
•    There are no appropriate standards for indoor air quality (IAQ) in environments such as schools and residences.
•    There are some industrial standards for permissible exposure limits for certain chemicals used in manufacturing and other work place settings.
•    There are no standards for indoor levels of molds. This because there is great variability in people’s reaction to mold. Also, there is no scientific support for designating a particular mold measurement “safe” or “unhealthy.”
•    The most current ventilation guidelines for acceptable indoor air quality are just that – guidelines. They are not enforceable unless they are part of the building code.

•    The Lack Of Enforceable Standards Makes Interpretation A Tricky Business
•    It is difficult to interpret the results of air testing.
•    Testing as a first response does not usually lead to an answer or solution. Very often air testing is conducted as an impulse reaction to a reported IAQ problem.
•    Background Exposures – Most IAQ pollutants (mold, particles, and volatile chemicals) are present in buildings at “background” levels. These contaminants are present in most buildings without causing adverse health effects. Testing indoor air will therefore always find something, usually background that does not have significance for reported health complaints.

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Therefore, DO NOT TEST IF:
•    The results cannot be interpreted
•    Results will add no meaningful information
•    Someone simply wants the air quality tested

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Steps to do before testing air quality
•    Walk through the building using your eyes, nose, and common sense to identify potential problems.
•    Look at general cleanliness (or lack thereof) in each of the areas you inspect.
•    See if building services can substitute cleaning agents that have less of an odor (“low emitters”) than the stronger odor-producing ones that may be in use.
•    Take note of where carpeting is used. How is it cleaned, and how often? Does it ever get wet from flooding, roof leaks, etc, and if so, how quickly is it dried out?
•    Walk around outside of the building and look for potential pollution sources.
•    Look for locations of fresh air intakes and exhausts. Are they too close together, allowing exhaust air to be sucked back into the building via the intakes? Are the intakes located near dumpsters or where busses, trucks or cars idle?
•    Look at how the building is set on the land. Does the land slope downward towards the building, allowing rainwater to pool along the foundation? Is the building located on former swampland or landfill? Is there a high water table or underground stream under the building? Is landscaping too close to the building?
**Most of the time, a building assessment should be enough to identify basic problem areas. Once these areas have been identified, you then may decide to call in the professionals.**

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As an additional first step, there are things you can do yourself:
•    Develop proactive risk communication
•    Do routine scheduled maintenance, especially on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems
•    Remove pollution sources
•    Substitute low emitting products whenever possible
•    Fix all leaks promptly!
•    Remove and discard all porous materials damaged by water. This includes ceiling tiles, carpets, furnishings, and even wallboard.

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Indoor Environmental Testing Can be Beneficial
Once a problem has been identified, the solution may be unclear. There are many solutions, and air sampling may be one of them. Other important steps to fixing the air quality problem will include:
•    a building walk through
•    taking a history of the building and any past and present maintenance problems
•    history of building usage and land usage on the property and surrounding neighborhoods
•    review of architectural and mechanical blueprints
•    interviewing maintenance staff
•    anything else that would add information about the physical structure of the building and the activities that go on in and around the building.
•    interview the building occupants. Ask for their help in identifying problem areas.
When all of the practical steps and investigations described above have been conducted, there may be a place for air testing. Air testing may be used to confirm or refute a highly suspected source that is uncovered during the walk-through inspection.

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Air testing is most useful when a specific contaminant or contamination source has already been identified as a likely culprit, and quantitative data are needed to:
•    Document the degree or extent of the hazard, or
•    Document different locations in a building where elevated levels or severe conditions exist.

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Air testing may also be useful in a qualitative manner when trying to differentiate between several suspect chemicals or sources.

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Indoor air testing may be useful when:
•    It is part of an overall evaluation
•    When the data is interpretable
•    When the data has a descriptive component that helps to illustrate its place in the overall evaluation
•    NEVER alone

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After completing the steps above, you may find it necessary to hire one or more professionals. It is important to remember that varied problems may require more than one type of specialist.

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When You Have To Call In A Consultant
•    Discuss the problem with your local health director, and enlist their help with risk communication to all of the people involved. He/she may also be able to help you select the right kind of consultant for the job at hand.
•    Review the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) consumer brochure:
Guidelines for Selecting An Indoor Air Quality Consultant. Go to
http://www.aiha.org/Content/AccessInfo/consumer/GuidelinesForSelectingAnIndo    orAirQualityConsultant.htm
•    Have a clear understanding of the problem, so that you can direct the consultant properly.
•    Make sure the consultant explains the scope of the project up front – what they can and cannot do. Communicate this to all of the people involved so they will have a realistic expectation about the process.

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Source: Indoor Air Quality Testing Should Not Be The First Move. 1 August 2006. Connecticut Department of Public Health-Environmental & Occupational Health Assessment Program. 4 July 2009. http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/ieq_testing.pdf

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Some resources for air quality testing & air cleaning devices

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•    U.S. EPA – Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html#How%20is%20the%20Performance%20Measured

•    U.S. EPA – The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Suspect

•    Health Goods – Indoor Air Quality Testing (an example of some air quality testing kits)

http://www.healthgoods.com/shopping/Home_Test_Kits/Indoor_Air_Quality_Testing.asp

•    American Industrial Hygene Association (AIHA) – Guidelines for Selecting an Indoor Air Quality Consultant (a great resource explaining how to: investigate problems, determine scope of the problem, locate sources of chemicals and allergens, looking for HVAC problems, when to call a professional, types of IAQ testing professionals, how to find the best consultant, and steps for solving IAQ problems)

http://www.cal-iaq.org/guide_aiha_9901.htm

Before and After Photos for Kara on Hillview

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“Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning did an amazing job! When we moved into this rental house there were stains that we thought were permananent, but Joe got all of them out. I would recommend him to any and everybody. Its the best job for the best price in town! Thanks Missoula Green!” – Kara, Missoula

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Here are the before and after photos for Kara’s living room carpet:

Before and After Pics Daly Drive

Dr. Vicki Watson had a hot water tank leak in her basement. She was afraid the carpet was lost and would have to be disposed of. As you can see from the before and after pictures we were able to remove the black stains and save the carpet. Thanks Vicki! And this is the after cleaning with our Rotovac and Green cleaning agents.

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For your toughest carpet cleaning problems call

Missoula Green Carpet Cleaning in Missoula

406-214-6504

Joe and Diana Burnich.