Green Solutions was incorporated January 10th 2010  as Harrisonburg's First Green Cleaner and it has been an amazing ride.  It is hard to believe that four years has gone by but here we are starting our fifth year.  I offer a big “thank you” to everyone that rallied to help launch our little business.   Many friends and family have given equipment, used our services, told their friends and spread the word any way they could.  Everyone has counted in the cause to move forward.

I want to thank my brother for pointing me in the right direction in this line of work.  He has been there, done this, still doing it, and has all the t-shirts to prove it.

I also want to thank my daughter, Alex.  She will jump at the change to go to work with me, as long as she gets paid a percentage!  Alex has assisted in the cleaning of over 40,000 square feet of carpet and has seen more student housing than a college student!

I mostly want to thank my wonderful wife, Carole, for diving in with both feet and becoming an amazing business partner.  Her marketing talents surpassed everyone expectations and her phone skills are untouchable in this industry.  She has been my secret weapon that the competition just can’t duplicate.

Small business is always a challenge and Green Solutions is no different.  We have new bridges to cross as we expand our rug cleaning operation under a second name that will be known as Harrisonburg Rug Cleaning.    Carole has started her own career as a Real Estate Agent with Kline May Realty and so I am answering the phones now.  I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to listen to Carole talk to many clients and I now try to emulate the master.

Every year we grow but how do we handle the volume and keep the quality.

More bridges to cross.

I guess we will see.

Thank you

Barry Click

Please, never scrub your carpet!

Professional carpet cleaners have many tools for the trade.  We carry a truck load of wands, hoses, rags, buckets, buffers, black lights, moisture sensors, cleaning agents, spotters, vacuum cleaners and sprayers.  That is just for carpet cleaning.  Let’s not talk about upholstery or Oriental rug cleaning.  However, there is one thing that we almost never use.

We almost never use a brush.

The lowly carpet “scrub wand” as it is known, has no brushes.  It has a smooth stainless steel lip at the suction end.  No real scrubbing there.

We carry a brush with our spotting paraphernalia, but it is only to be used to tamp the spotting agent into the spot.  So what is the deal!

Ok, here is the reason why.  Carpet fibers will fray and permanently distort if you scrub or rub then too much.  If you are trying to remove a spot, do not scrub.  It does not help much anyway, trust me.  If you scrub and are lucky enough to remove the spot, there will be a permanently visible distorted area of carpet that cannot be fixed by cleaning.

So what do you do?  This is why you hear so much about “blotting”.  Apply you favorite spotting agent and give it time to work.  Then put a clean dry rag on top of the spot.  Step on it with your shoe and firmly press down.  Do not rotate your foot or “scrub”.  Remember, you are blotting which uses the rag to draw the cleaning agent and the spot out of the carpet.   Remember, never scrub your carpet.

You can also read my earlier blog post about using a wet dry vacuum to remove pet spots.  This can work for any spot and requires no scrubbing.

Barry Click

Green Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning LLC

540-705-6171

www.GreenSolutionsCleaning.net

www.CarpetCleaningHarrisonburg.com

www.Harrisonburgrugcleaning.com

"Green Guard": Our carpet protection!

The other day a client called and scheduled to have their couch cleaned.  I had been there over a year ago for carpet cleaning and thought maybe it was time again.  

However, I got a surprise when I saw the carpet.  It looked great!  What had happened?  Where were the kids and the dog?  Where were the spots and traffic lanes that should be there by now?  How can I make a living if you do not have dirty carpet?

And then I remembered!!!  The client had purchased the Green Guard Carpet Protection when I was there last.  They paid a little extra last year, but wow, is it paying off now.  The carpets looked great and even the carpeted steps looked fantastic. 

Our company, Green Solutions, has been established since 2010 and we were one of the first to use “Green Guard”.   I have had time to see how it really works and have used it personally around my own home on carpet and upholstery.  Yes, it really is as good as it sounds.  

Remember to ask about Green Guard the next time we clean anything for you and consider the small difference in price.

By the way, the client who had their couch cleaned………… Yes, they wanted Green Guard on it!

Barry Click
Green Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning LLC
and
Harrisonburg Rug Cleaning
540-705-6171
www.Greensolutionscleaning.net
www.carpetcleaningharrisonburg.com
www.HarrisonburgRugCleaning.com

Several strong thunder storms and wind storms found
their way to Harrisonburg and the surrounding counties this summer. 
We received several calls after each storm for oriental rugs that had
been affected by the storms.  So
let’s talk a little about what to do with a storm damaged rug or just a
waterlogged rug.


The problem with rugs is that everyone is made different.  Unless you are an expert, you just don’t know what materials you are dealing with. So, you have to treat every rug as if it is a hand knotted oriental rug that was made sixty years ago with vegetable based dyes!  

The average person that has had water damage to their home is
busy enough with emergency water removal, insurance companies and life get complicated fast.  The rug is quickly forgotten about.  A few
days go by and it can be ruined by mold, mildew and dye bleed. 
In this area of the country, the rug is usually in the basement were the
water could get to it and the basement is the one place were nothing is going
to dry on its own.  The rug must come out of the home for dying. 
Mold and mildew become an issue quickly regardless of what type of rug it
is.  No matter where it is in the home, it must be removed.  So if
you want to move it yourself, here is how to move correctly. 

First, plan your route out of the house.  
A large rug needs to be ROLLED, never folded, so plan how you are going
to move through the house to the outside.   Remember, the rolled rug is going
to be as long as the rug is wide.  
  
Second, find a clean dry painter’s drop cloth that is as big or
bigger that the rug.  Put it on top of the rug covering the entire rug.  

Third, if it is a large rug, find an object that you can roll
inside the rug for support.  A
clean construction 2X4 is a simple item to use. 

Forth, stand at one end of the now covered rug. 
Place the 2X4 on the end of the rug from left to right in front of
you.  Now roll the rug starting
with the 2X4 first so it is inside the center of the rolled rug. 
The reason for the 2X4 is so a larger rug will not buckle while you are
moving it. The reason for the drop
cloth is dye bleed.  The drop cloth
separates the rug and keeps it from touching itself inside the roll. 
This controls or at least absorbs the dye bleeding. 
However, once it is rolled, the clock is ticking.  

Fifth, please get this rug to a professional or at
lease outside in the sunshine.  I will tell you a secret!  If you or
a neighbor have a trampoline, take the rug to it and roll it out! 
Trampolines are one of the best rug dryers in the world. 
Just keep the kids off of it!!


At this point you really should call a pro. 
If you have home owner insurance, the professional rug cleaning should be covered.   A full professional
cleaning soon after the water intrusion should not cost any more that a normal
rug wash unless there was a ton of sediment in the intruding water. 
If mold, mildew and odors start to occur, the price could skyrocket.  So make a call and let someone else take care of this problem before it becomes an expensive issue. 
After all, this is why we pay insurance premiums as much as we hope we do
not need to use it.


Feel free to call me if you have any question about how to care
for your rugs.


Barry Click
Green Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning LLC
and
Harrisonburg Rug Cleaning
540-705-6171
www.Greensolutionscleaning.net
www.carpetcleaningharrisonburg.com
www.HarrisonburgRugCleaning.com