270+ voters have spoken!
For Carpet Cleaning in Santa Cruz County you just can’t go wrong with Connoisseur!
They got the Bio Fuel percentage wrong though..
We use the B5 fuel available at USA Gas at the corner of 7th and Soquel
Around our home we love the Sebo X4 upright. It’s a beautifully German engineered piece of equipment.
Built to last forever, extremely well filtered (S class), very easy to use and goes from hard floor to carpet with no manual adjustments. An active on board computer assure that the brush roll is always at the right height for what ever flooring is being cleaned. A real nice feature is that it lays completely flat for getting underneath beds and furniture. A joy to use.
Watch the video!
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Our vacuum of choice at work (these days, check back later) is the Shark Navigator.
We need to be able to see the amount of dry soil we are removing from our customer’s carpets so we can better gauge just how thorough a cleaning will be needed. A clear cup style vacuum tells us volumes about the life a carpeted floor lives. If we fill up the dirt cup 3 times in (which is quite often) one room we know we’ll have to spend extra time and measures making sure we clean as deep and effective as possible. If we remove just a few strands of loose fiber and one pop corn kernel we’ll know not to “over clean” that area. Seeing what we remove also helps us recommenced better vacuuming techniques or possibly just a better vacuum to the home owner.
We love the Shark Navigator for it’s ease of use, only 15 pounds!, it’s build quality and it’s amazing performance.
We’ve tested all the available Dirt Cup (bag-less) vacuums and and not even the mighty Dyson can match all the Navigator has to offer. While it looks tiny on the shelf compared to all the other vacuums you’ll see in the store we find that it out cleans the vacuums weighing twice as much. Thanks to a very efficient and unique air flow design it never looses suction as the cup fills up and filter maintenance is a breeze. Standard accessories include an extra set of filters, a great upholstery and stair tool, an extra long crevice tool and more.
We have been torturing ours at work for a couple months now and it hasn’t missed a beat. With metal in all the high stress areas rather than plastic, a very easy to clean and empty (although a bit too small) Dirt Cup and it’s ease of use around furniture, the Shark is a real deal.
Currently $159.00 at Costco!
Watch the video
(edit) At four months will manage to kill the brush roll motor on this NON Commercial vacuum. Keep in mind that we used it about 230 times before it gave out.
If you vacuum your home once a week, that’s 4 plus year of service. That vacuum has a two year warranty and both Bed Bath and Beyond and Costco will take it back if it fails prematurely. We brought ours back to BBB and they swapped it for a new one no questions asked.
Yelp is the hottest national business review site on the web today. Umpteen thousands of home owners are searching out service companies, restaurants, night clubs, hair saloons and everything else under the sun that get positive comments left from users like you and me.
Yelp's front page
Some of our reviews..
We promise you can trust your neighbors to steer you in the right directi0on when it comes to a quality carpet, tile & upholstery cleaning service
Combining the aesthetics of the finest suede with advanced performance specifications, Ultrasuede® is the world’s most exclusive ultra-microfiber fabric. It is engineered to provide ultimate luxury over a wide range of applications.
From fashion to furnishings, aircraft cabins to yacht interiors, casual footwear to industrial hardware, the most demanding designers insist on Ultrasuede® for their most challenging and creative applications.
That’s because no other fabric offers Ultrasuede’s unparalleled combination of luxury, appeal, performance and ease of care.
Ultrasuede® comes in a range of weights, thicknesses and finishes to meet the unique demands of literally hundreds of products.
Well that is what the salesmen will tell you anyways..
Ask any experienced professional Upholstery Cleaner and you most likely will hear a different tune.
While most Micro Fibers do clean up nice they can be a bear to spot clean by end users with out leaving water rings once the piece is soiled over the whole panel. Ultra Suedes and the like also tend to tear and scratch easily and the thinner weight fabrics are easily damaged by pet’s toenails. Don’t believe the claims that these new “miracle” fabrics are un-stainable either. Synthetic dyes can easily become part of the permanent landscape if not cleaned up quickly.
Generally, microfiber is a mixture of polyester and polyamide (a nylon by-product) available in a mixture of 80/20, 75/25, or 70/30 etc polyester and polyamide ratios. Microfibers can be available alone or mixed with usual denier man-made fibers as well as with natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk even rayon too. Micro-fibers are made from polyester, nylon, rayon and most recently acrylic. They also can be blended with other fibers including Lycra spandex. These mixtures improve the look; adorn and the performance of the fabric. Micro-fibers can be woven or knitted into a wide range of fabrics such as satin, faille, crepe, twill, taffeta and broadcloth. A variety of microfibers and its finishes improves the appearance and experience like silks, sand washed, or a leather and feather look. Generally the blends the contain a natural fiber will not clean up as well as a purely synthetic composition.
Be very careful not to use any sort of solvent based cleaning agents on these fabrics that have a backing involved in their construction. Open the zipper on a cushion and inspect the back, if you don’t know what to look for, stop and use only water based spotting agents as the solvent products will cause delamination of the backing material and leave bubbles on the fabric surface
Here is a well used piece that lives it’s life in front of a television set (which is a death sentence for any upholstered furniture when kids or husbands are around)
heavily soiled arm, before.. (notice the cat scratches down low)
and after..
Enjoy your new and improved “Micro” furniture but don’t expect it to last generations like your Grandmother’s Davenport did..
I still have to wonder if anyone actually reads carpet cleaning blogs..
I posted this last year and only a few found the coupon..
Lets try again, $25 off any of our on location services. Minimum charge for your area applies.
Not to be combined with other discounts.
Simply print out this:
And then call 831 476 9721 to book an appointment.
This popular fish house has us out 4 times a year to keep their restaurant looking and smelling fresh and healthy..
before..
after..
We regularly clean carpet at a variety of popular Santa Cruz restaurants. Assuming we can come out during day light hours, we would love to clean yours too.
Paula and I have been die hard vegetarians since our early teens and have lived the “green” lifestyle way before it ever became fashionable.
We choose to run our business the same way we live. As toxin free as possible and choose our products based on the least offensive odors and with no potentially irritating residues. We’re heavily into recycling and composting and we’d always encourage you to keep your old carpet and furniture clean and healthy instead of taking it to the landfill because of a few stubborn spots..
In our cleaning truck we use as much bio fuel as possible and of course run our routes with as little wasteful driving as we can. Our truck’s shelves are loaded with what we like to call “edible cleaning agents”..
Our cleaning services do not irritate asthma and allergy sufferers. In fact, we have had many customers tell us that their symptoms were actually alleviated after we cleaned their carpets and upholstery!
Dust mites and allergens in your home will be reduced, which means a better night’s sleep for you and your family.
You will have peace of mind knowing that your children and pets are safe while playing on your carpets.
Your can enjoy having a fresh and clean home.
Here are some links to a few of our favorite “green” products.
http://www.bi-o-kleen.com/carpet.htm
http://www.afmsafecoat.com/products.php?page=5
http://www.soapfreeprocyon.com/
And of course, our favorite eco friendly cleaning supply store right here in Santa Cruz..
http://www.greenspacecompany.com/
Connoisseur uses a 4-step process to revitalize your floor surfaces. This process not only restores your floors to their original beauty, but with its fungicides, bactericides and mildicides built into the Grout Perfect Color Seal formulation it insures sanitation for many years.
1.A non-toxic neutral cleaning solution is applied to the grout lines and worked into the pores to loosen embedded dirt and oils.
2.The solution and soil is then washed off with our tidy high pressure, contained rinsing system.
3. After forced drying, Grout Perfect® Color Seal is applied to grout by hand with apatented brush to insure an even application.
4.The final step is to clean or buff the entire surface to remove any cleaner or Color Sealer residue from the tile. Your floor will be ready for use in just a few hours.
Soiled Commercial Bath Room Before and After..
And another...
Residential Bathroom Before..
And After...
Color Sealing will fix mix matched grout colors, fading, deep staining or if you’re just tired of that 1970′s Avocado Green and would like a nice Summer Wheat instead.
All pets will make a mistake now and then. Isolated “puddles” are a cinch to clean up with our Water Claw sub surface extractor.
With the "Claw" hooked up to our powerful vacuum, deodorizing is as easy as 123 (456)
If the accident just occurred please refer to our spot cleaning guide @
http://www.connoisseurclean.com/spot.html
Then give us a call if you feel like you did not get it all out. If the damage is from an old accident, make sure to point it out to us when we’re out to perform your normal carpet cleaning.
Don’t fret, we really love your pet!
the real answer is, all of them..
Don’t buy into the “our method is best” advertising you’ll find all over the Internet and Yellow Pages.
Comparison of Carpet Cleaning Methods
There are four basic methods for cleaning carpet:
* Carpet Shampooing
* Dry Powder Method
* Bonnet Cleaning
* “Hot Water Extraction/Steam
Carpet Shampoo Method
The theory in the shampoo method is to generate a lot of foam in the carpet, allow this foam to dry, have the resulting residue attract the soil, and vacuum up the residue and soil the next day.
Because of historical past resoiling problems, carpet shampoos will frequently also have an anti-resoiling additive such as a resin or polymer to reduce this resoiling tendency.Today’s carpet Shampoos (often called Encapsulation Solutions) offer terrific results with no resoiling what so ever if done correctly.
Three primary types of machines are used for this process:
* Cylindrical Foam
* Dual Cylindrical Brush
* Rotary Shampoo
The Cylindrical Foam Shampoo machine uses an air compressor to create dry foam before the foam is applied to the carpet and the carpet is then agitated with a revolving cylindrical brush which combs the foam through carpet pile. This method will leave dirt trapped in the carpet pile. Carpet must be thoroughly vacuumed before and after cleaning.
The Dual Cylindrical Brush machine usually has an onboard shampoo tank that disperses the cleaning agent across the carpet as the brushes work it into the pile. Embedded debris is usually “dug” out of the carpet at the same time. Post vacuuming is a must. Matted or distorted pile can be rejuvenated with this method.
The Rotary Shampoo method uses an ordinary rotary floor machine (the same kind used for stripping wax), sprays shampoo onto the carpet from a dispensing tank, and a rotary brush whips the detergent to a foam. Post vacuuming is needed as well to remove dried shampoo and soil.
Dry Powder Method
In this method, dry absorbent compound (containing small amounts of water, detergent, and solvent,) is sprinkled over carpet or worked into the carpet with a machine. This purpose of this cleaner is to attract and absorb soil. Mechanical agitation from a brush works the cleaner through the carpet.
These products usually contain an absorbent carrier, water, detergent, and solvent. The theory is that the liquids dissolve the soil and this soil/detergent/solvent mixture is absorbed into the carrier and is then vacuumed up. They are often used with a detergent prespray in heavily soiled areas.
The absorbent cleaner most commonly is organic, but may also be polymers. The compound is supposed to absorb the dislodged soil and is then vacuumed away. Carpet must be thoroughly vacuumed before and after cleaning.
Very thorough vacuuming should be used to ensure that most of the carrier comes out of the carpet. With the extremely fine powder types, indoor air quality can be reduced. If a white powder starts appearing on shoes and cuffs of pants, too much was used and it was not thoroughly vacuumed up. A common problem is for this white powder to reappear after wet extraction cleaning.
This cleaning method has the advantage of no drying time for interim maintenance, since little water is used. This makes if a common maintenance cleaner.
Host®, Capture®, Love My Carpet®, Arm and Hammer®, and Carpet Fresh® would be included in this category.
Bonnet Method / “Carbonated Cleaning”
This method is sometimes called “dry cleaning”, which is a misnomer, since water is used.
Bonnet Shampooing is simply an adaptation of hard floor spray buffing to carpets.
This method for carpet maintenance consists of the use of a rotary or oscillating brush adapted with a stiff brush or drive block designed to drive wet, damp or dry pads. The carpet can be sprayed with the cleaning solution and/or the pads can be soaked in the cleaning solution and squeezed lightly before placing the pad under the driving brush.
Sometimes, carbonated water is used to (in theory) give better soil suspension and bring down the pH. Companies using this method frequently use “scare” tactics to convince consumers that extraction cleaning or steam cleaning will destroy the carpet.
This method is best for light use commercial glue down carpeted areas where children and bare feet will not come in contact with the carpet. Used as a interim cleaning method it can keep your business flooring looking good between more thorough Extraction cleanings.
Steam Cleaning
This method is often called “Hot Water Extraction” or “Steam Cleaning” and is the cleaning method nearly all carpet manufacturers and carpet fiber producers recommend.
This is the only cleaning method classified as “deep cleaning”. All the others are considered “light surface cleaning” because they are incapable of removing soil deep in the pile. Also, all other methods leave large amounts of cleaning agent in the carpet after cleaning.
The maintenance brochure published by the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, Shaw Industries, recommends this method, because its own research indicates that it provides the best capability for cleaning.
This method is frequently called “steam” cleaning due to the fine spray of water used to force dirt out of the carpet which is sucked up by the vacuum slot immediately in front of the spray. Seldom is real live steam used, however. This process consists of spraying a solution of water and detergent into the carpet pile and recovering the water and soil with a powerful vacuum into a holding tank. This can be done from a truck-mounted unit outside the home with only the hose and floor tool brought inside, or by a portable, system brought into the home or office.
From a health standpoint, the truck-mounted system is preferred because the dirty air and humidity are exhausted outside rather than recirculated around the house. Additionally, truck-mounted systems usually are more powerful than portable units and do a much better cleaning job and get the carpet dry more quickly.
With some truck-mounted systems (called PTO’s), the vehicle itself must run in neutral during the cleaning and in many others a separate engine (sometimes with a propane or oil-fired heater) is used to power the unit and heat the water.
Depending upon the equipment, temperatures may range from cold tap water to boiling hot water and even super heated water over 240 degrees F.
General Comments
The choice of the proper cleaning system is extremely important. Some systems leave residues which promote re-soiling and defeat the whole purpose of cleaning. Some methods actually damage the carpet fibers and shorten the life of the carpet. Check with the carpet manufacturer for recommendations.
Carpet Cleaning Frequency:
If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be easier and more successful. Allowing the carpet to become overly soiled may result in irreversible damage. It is a common myth that cleaning the carpet before it is absolutely necessary will cause it to get dirty faster. This goes back to the days when the shampoo methods were the most common.
Carpet in a typical household should be professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months depending upon the number of residents, amount and type of activity, and whether the carpet is light or dark color.
Professional Carpet Cleaning versus “Do-It-Yourself” Cleaning:
The maintenance brochure published by the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, Shaw Industries, recommends professional carpet cleaning over “Do-It-Yourself” because of the potential problems that can occur from using rental equipment – such as yellowing, overwetting, fiber tip damage, severe resoiling, overuse of detergents, etc.
Most rental units available do not adequately clean and may actually damage the carpet.
Make sure to hire a cleaning company that offers all of these methods. In some cases it takes a combination of two or more methods to achieve the best results. The best “Multi Method Cleaners” in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Scotts Valley or Capitola are, you guessed it.. Connoisseur.