Caravan Upholstery Cleaning For A Healthy Holiday

Caravan upholstery cleaning is probably not at the top of your list.  But it should be if you have a caravan or motorhome that has been locked up since last year. Chances are as soon as you open the door cleaning will zoom up your list to the highest priority.

Stale food and cooking smells linger in upholstery and are very difficult to remove without the proper equipment. Stains where drinks were spilt, or where greasy hands touched add up to a generally less than fresh ambience.

It is essential to use the correct cleaning method for the specific type of fabric and the upholstery beneath.

DIY Caravan Upholstery Cleaning Can Go Wrong

If you take the covers off yourself and put them in the washing machine you run the risk of shrinking and not being able to get the covers back on.

Over-wetting the upholstery can also lead to shrinking or stretching and damp smells.  The exact opposite of what you are looking to achieve.

Our technicians use a variety of cleaning methods and solutions that will remove wine stains, grease from sun creams, sand and dirt.  But more importantly, when we clean your caravan upholstery, we also remove bad odours caused by bacteria, viruses, moulds and fungi.

Give your family the experience of settling into a freshly cleaned caravan for a happy and healthy holiday.

Give us a call for a quote and get your caravan and motorhome upholstery deep cleaned, sanitised and smelling like new.  If you do this before the end of May we’ll give you a 20% discount*.

You can drop your upholstery off at our workshop in Aldridge, or we can collect it from you at no extra cost.  We will remove stains, deep cleanse and sanitise all your caravan upholstery and deliver it back to you dry and ready to use.

Click to see all our current caravan upholstery cleaning offers or check out our other upholstery cleaning solutions.

We are corporate supporters of St Giles Hospice and we give a donation for every job we do.

*Offer ends 31st May 2022.

Carpets Get Dirtier After Cleaning Fact Or Fiction?

The Trouble With Bubbles

As your carpet and upholstery cleaner in Lichfield we can tell you this is a fact!  Carpets and upholstery do get dirtier after cleaning. But this only applies to the easily hired DIY equipment you get to clean carpets and upholstery yourself. This is because the cleaning solutions they use are detergent based.  Professional carpet and upholstery cleaners in Lichfield, like us, stopped using this kind of solution about 15 years ago.

Detergent based cleaning solutions clean well but they leave a sticky residue. This attracts soiling, so the carpet or fabric gets dirty quicker. For example, washing up liquid is a detergent-based cleaner so rub some on your finger and let it dry. It leaves behind a tacky residue.

Why Carpets Shrink & Upholstery Smells

The only way to get rid of the tackiness is rinsing. If you use too much water you risk dampness damaging your carpet or upholstery. The result of this is we get calls saying, my carpet has shrunk or my furniture smells.

Fifteen years ago, when we had no choice but to use detergent-based cleaners, it was a trade-off whether we wet the carpet to get the bubbles out or leave the detergent in the carpet which would attract more soiling.

How Your Carpet And Upholstery Cleaner In Lichfield Gets The Best Results

Your professional carpet and upholstery cleaner in Lichfield steers well away from detergent-based cleaners.  We use micro splitter solutions instead. These are detergent free and are therefore better for the environment.  It’s also better for children and pets and self-neutralising to pH7.

We also clean at much lower temperatures using less heat which is better for the environment. And our machinery sucks water out so your carpets are dry enough to walk on when we leave.

It’s also worth saying that using cleaning products you buy in the supermarket, washing up liquid or washing powder can make your stains and soiling worse.  If these products have been used our ability to remove the stain falls dramatically.  Our best advice is to always get our advice.  It’s free and we are always available to answer questions or give a no-obligation quote. Please contact us.

Knight & Doyle are your expert carpet and upholstery cleaners in Lichfield and are Woolsafe approved. We are corporate supporters of St Giles Hospice and give a donation for every job we do.

Streetly Sofa Cleaner Applauded

Why was the number one Streetly sofa cleaner, applauded? Simple. Its because we saved a client a lot of money by expertly cleaning their sofa, which meant they didn’t have to get a new one.  In addition with the cost of living rising no one can afford to waste money.

Saving upholstery from the tip means we save our clients money, it’s part of our job and we do it all the time.  This means our clients are absolutely amazed at what we can do.  This blog sets out examples of carpet and sofa cleaning in Streetly. Jobs that have literally saved our clients hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.

In addition to residential homeowners, we work for landlords and commercial businesses including bars and restaurants. Above all it doesn’t matter whether we are cleaning a sofa for a hairdressing salon, or chairs in a church if we can save the client money, we do.

Streetly Sofa Cleaner Commercial Cleans

The image below shows seats we saved at a bar. The chairs were in storage and heavily soiled, as a result of hand grease and drink spills. We were able to completely remove all the soiling and staining.

Streetly Sofa Cleaner Residential Cleans

Hand and head grease mean the Streetly sofa cleaner has to work extra hard on headrests and armrests. Human grease is the number one cause of furniture soiling.  Dye transfer causes a lot of soiling too please see our separate blog on this.

Look at the hand grease image below. Because hand grease builds up gradually you don’t notice it until you turn a cushion over. This results in a phone call from people who think they will have to buy a new suite.

This is wrong because we use a wide range of different cleaning methods and the capability to remove the grease from the upholstery. Our technicians are well trained and we pride ourselves on being the best Streetly sofa cleaner, this means we save our clients the expense of new furniture.

Carpet Cleaner Streetly Relies Upon

We save heavily soiled upholstery, we also save carpets and rugs. For example, the rug below is valued at £9,000 but it was smoke and soot damage in a house fire. It’s made from Tibetan silk and wool. We used our fine fabric cleaning expertise to fully restore it.

In conclusion, look at our Gallery for more examples of furniture and carpets we’ve saved from the rubbish tip. And above all, why as the Streetly sofa cleaner applauded for our work. We believe it is much better for our clients and the environment if we can bring expensive things like home furnishings back to life.

Please contact us for a no obligation quote.  All our advice is free of charge and we are always happy to help.

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner in Lichfield for Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is steeped in cultural and religious significance. As your expert carpet and upholstery cleaner in Lichfield we shed some insights.

Why Do We Spring Clean?

Scientists think we spring clean because humans produce more melatonin during the winter, which makes us sleepier.  So we tend to want to get cosy and stay warm. In the spring we produce less melatonin and have much more energy. So, it may be a mixture of feeling more awake and with the sun shining, a natural response to rejuvenate our homes.

Studies have shown that a clean home makes us feel happier.  But the traditional idea of spring cleaning has its roots in religious and cultural beliefs.

Religion & Spring Cleaning

Prior to Passover, Jewish law says that the home must be chametz free.  Chametz are foods that contain leavening agents, such as yeast. Jewish people must not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. Even overlooked crumbs lurking in hard to get to places down the back of the sofa count.

Nowruz is another religious celebration where deep cleaning the home before-hand is very important. Nowruz is celebrated in the Middle East, Central Asia and all around the world.  It falls on the first day of spring and is the first day of the Persian calendar. Before Nowruz can commence a cleaning ritual is performed.  This is known as Khaneh-Tekani, which translates to “shaking house”.  The entire house is deep cleaned. Especially, things that don’t usually get cleaned such as carpets and furniture.

World Culture & Spring Cleaning

In Guatemala on 7th December they celebrate Quema del Diablo. Which translates to “burning the devil”.  Just like grime, pathogens and other nasties he lurks under the bed, in corners, deep down in carpets and furnishings and in clutter. To get the devil out of your house Guatemalans sweep their rubbish outside and set fire to it. Thus cleansing the home before the holy holidays arrive. Ok so not exactly in the spring, but this just shows the importance of cleaning the home, across the world.  Now to China.

Chinese new year marks the end of winter. And there is a cleaning ritual that takes place before the first day of the new year. A thorough deep clean of the home rids it of any bad luck from the past year and makes space to fill the home with the good luck that will arrive during the new one.  Rooms are swept from the entrance to the centre.  All dirt and rubbish are taken out of the back door, because the front door is reserved for the good luck to come in.

Your Local Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner in Lichfield Makes Spring Cleaning Easy

At Knight & Doyle we do much more than you would expect from a professional carpet and upholstery cleaner in Lichfield.  If you really want to remove the chametz from your carpets and upholstery.  Make room for good luck to enter or shame the devil with impeccable cleanliness we can help. We have the trained technicians and equipment for all your carpet, hard flooring and upholstery cleaning needs. Please contact us.

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner in Lichfield With The Right Expertise

Whether you are spring cleaning your home for Passover, or Chinese New Year we offer competitive prices and all of our quotes are without obligation.  As well as being your local residential carpet and upholstery cleaner in Lichfield we specialise in commercial work too.

We are Woolsafe approved and use Woolsafe approved products.

We Support Dementia Friends

We support Dementia Friends and our team has received dementia friends training. Dementia Friends, is an iniative run by the Alzheimer’s Society aiming to change the perception of dementia. It also gives members of the public the chance to learn how to support people living with dementia.

As local carpet and upholstery cleaners in Lichfield we work in a lot of people’s homes. We decided to do the Dementia Friends training so our clients can feel comfortable asking us to give a quote, or go and do a job in the home of someone living with dementia.  As individuals we wanted to know more, so we can do more to support people and their families.

What We Learned

The training took about an hour and a half, and was delivered by Rebecca Head, a solicitor at Lichfield based firm Four Oaks Legal Services.  Rebecca has been a Dementia Friends Champion for many years, and she took us through the training in a way that was easy to understand.  She allowed us to ask questions and discuss our experiences of meeting people with dementia. This combination of formal learning, discussion and a couple of fun exercises really got the key points across.

The training covered five key messages.  We thought the most important message as this. It is possible to live well with dementia. This is a great comfort as it is predicted that a million of us in the UK will be living with dementia by 2024.

The other messages were. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain.  Its not just Alzheimer’s that causes dementia, other diseases, such as Parkinsons lead to it too, and there is not just one type of dementia. Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. This surprised us as we were guilty of assuming that only older people were affected.  We were also surprised to learn that its not just about memory loss.  Dementia can affect how a person thinks and solves problems.  For example, they may struggle doing everyday tasks like folding up clothes, or paying at the supermarket checkout.  So, having some empathy and patience when we see someone taking a bit longer getting served will help them, and keep our blood pressure down! And finally, and this is another big one.  There is more to a person than the dementia.

How We Support Dementia Friends

The kind of things we have put into practice include. Making a point of involving the person living with dementia in the conversation when we go to give a quote for carpet cleaning in Lichfield.  People must feel involved in their own life. Our technicians make a point of speaking to them when we go to do the job. Our technicians are mindful that they may need to move into another room, so we make sure they are safe. We do everything we can to be flexible and accommodate any special requests their family may have.

Another big lesson we learned is that even if a person can’t communicate very well, or they don’t remember who we are.  They will remember how we made them feel.  We want all our clients to feel special, and know we care.  Whether they are living with dementia or experiencing any other challenge in their lives. You can be assured will always be tactful and caring.

The Next Step

As Dementia Friends each have personal actions we committed to during the training.  Knight & Doyle as a business has an overall action, to spread the word about Dementia Friends, which is what we are doing in this blog!  If you want to become a Dementia Friend you can contact Tracy at Four Oaks Legal Services to arrange a training session with Rebecca. Or you can follow this link to the Dementia Friends website.  The training is completely free of charge.

We have a login to Dementia Friends, giving us access to videos and other information so we keep up to date.  We will be developing our relationship with the Alzheimer’s Society, so watch this space.

For all your carpet and upholstery cleaning in Lichfield please contact us for a no obligation quote or just some advice, we are happy to help.

Open For Emergencies Over The Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Knight & Doyle team.

Thank you to all our wonderful clients who have supported us this year.

If you do have an emergency, please call us for advice before you try to clean it yourself. We will always respond to an emergency. Our advice is free and all our quotes are without obligation.

OPENING TIMES

Christmas Eve – Open for emergencies

Christmas Day – Office Closed

Boxing Day – Open for emergencies

27th December – Open for emergencies

28th December – Open for emergencies

29th December – Open for emergencies

30th December – Open for emergencies

New Year’s Eve – Open for emergencies

New Year’s Day – Open for emergencies

1st January – Open for emergencies

2nd January – Open for emergencies

3rd January – Open for emergencies

4th January – Office Open

The Carpet Cleaning Lichfield Trusts

Carpet Cleaning Lichfield

Doing carpet cleaning Lichfield trusts starts with how we quote.  We prefer to visit in person to give you a quote. This is because every carpet and every property is different.  For example, if you have restricted access to your premises, this is not a problem. But, so the job runs smoothly we can plan in advance. We can bring a smaller van. Or we can send an extra person to carry the equipment. Or take longer hoses. This doesn’t mean you pay more.

We plan the job and do it as cost-effectively as possible to get the best results.

Our number one priority is customer service, that’s why we are known for carpet cleaning Lichfield trusts. We won’t let you down. The reason people get let down by other companies is usually that the quote has been done from a photograph of the carpet. As a result, any special requirements have not been taken into account. The client has had time off work, doesn’t get their carpet cleaning done and is very frustrated.

Right Processes, Right Results

Providing carpet cleaning Lichfield trusts is also about doing a great job. Some carpet cleaners limit themselves to one cleaning method. For example, Dry Carpet Cleaning.  On the face of it that sounds great, the client thinks it will take less time and dry faster. However, Dry Carpet Cleaning is only suitable for maintenance cleaning. Not your annual deep clean.

At Knight & Doyle we offer a wide range of carpet cleaning methods, including Dry Carpet Cleaning. When we come to give you a quote we will be able to recommend the right process to get the right results.

Technical Training For Carpet Cleaning Lichfield Trusts

Our industry is very scientific. Our technicians are trained to correctly identify the type of carpet and the backing that needs to be cleaned.  They are trained to identify the kind of stains to be cleaned.  This is very important.

Mould and bodily fluids such as blood, urine and vomit need to be treated correctly. Would you believe that dog and cat urine is very different? Our technicians are also trained in the use of our cleaning solutions and methods. This training is ongoing.

Courtesy & Follow Up

We are a family business and we select our technicians very carefully.

They go above and beyond to be courteous and caring and do a fantastic job. How do we know this? We follow up with a courtesy phone call to our clients to make sure they are completely happy with the work we have done. Many of our clients come back to us year after year. Often commenting how respectful our technicians are and that they feel safe having them in their home or business. An example of going the extra mile is we’ve recently received Dementia Friends training.

As a business, we work hard to provide carpet cleaning Lichfield trusts. Please contact us for free advice on carpet, flooring and upholstery cleaning. Our quotes are free and without obligation.

We are Woolsafe approved.

Woolsafe logo showing accreditation to clean wool carpets and upholstery.

The Rug Cleaner Lichfield Loves

rug cleaning

Being the rug cleaner Lichfield loves is an accolade we are very proud of. We are also proud of the training our technicians go through. So whether they are working on a valuable oriental rug or something from Ikea your rug will be returned looking amazing.

To put your mind at rest. The cost of using us, the rug cleaner Lichfield loves, is exactly the same for an expensive or less expensive rug.  Because the process is exactly the same. Some rug cleaners may inflate their prices depending on the value of the item. Or where you live.  We don’t.

Rug & Furniture Restoration

For many years we have been partners with a major furniture restoration specialist.  They call on us to tackle the more difficult jobs. For example, smoke or water damaged oriental rugs and furnishings. All valuable antique rugs need very gentle cleaning. We never use machines on these or any other kind of rug. The proper way to clean rugs is by hand. Yes, it’s time-consuming, but we always use the right process to get the right results.

The biggest challenge when cleaning antique rugs is colours can run or bleed into each other. We train our technicians to firstly identify the fibre. Determining whether it is natural fibre or synthetic. And secondly to do a colour test.

Another challenge is rug fringes, which are often delicate. Because we clean by hand rug fringes are specially treated. They are not cleaned in the same way as the rest of the rug.

Another Reason We Are The Rug Cleaner Lichfield Loves

Smells can occur during the rug cleaning process. Especially wool rugs. Clients love us because we come and collect the rug. Clean, sanitise, deodorise and dry it in our workshop.  Then deliver it back.

For commercial clients and schools, we can collect rugs on a Friday.  Then deliver them back the following Monday.

Top Tips For Rug Cleaning

  1. Always get professional advice before you try cleaning rugs yourself. Our advice is free of charge.
  2. To keep rugs cleaner for longer prevent them from getting dirty:
    • Thoroughly vacuum on both sides to remove dirt and debris
    • Vacuum regularly
    • Get them professionally stain protected
  3. Don’t use off the shelf carpet cleaner from the supermarket. This causes professional rug cleaners like us the most problems.

For more information see our Rug Cleaning page.

We are Woolsafe approved.

Woolsafe logo showing accreditation to clean wool carpets and upholstery.

The Most Caring Carpet Cleaner In Lichfield

Our Marketing Manager left her desk and had a morning on one of the vans. Returning to the office she said “We must be the most caring carpet cleaner in Lichfield.”

Hi, I am Karen, and it’s me writing this blog. And that’s right, in my opinion, the most caring carpet cleaner in Lichfield is us. This is why. I work in the office but, last week I spent a morning out in the van.

We went to the home of an elderly lady to clean her lounge carpet.  She was an existing client and really pleased to see Rich. She recognised him immediately.

Being The Most Caring Carpet Cleaner In Lichfield Starts With How We Look

All of us wear our Knight & Doyle uniform. So people know exactly who we are. We have Knight & Doyle Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning branded vans. This shows people they are dealing with a reputable company. The St Giles logo we are very proud to have on our vans is another badge of reliability. Because the hospice wouldn’t deal with any Tom, Dick or Harry.

Customer Care In Action…

We always move the furniture for our clients and are always very respectful and courteous.  So when Rich did this, it was no surprise to me.  What made me very proud was the way Rich decided to tackle the job.  This lady was a bit unsteady on her feet. We needed to move her out of her comfy recliner chair in the lounge so we could clean her carpet.

Fetching a chair and cushions from the dining room, we put them in the kitchen. Using her walking frame gently helped her into the chair and made sure she was comfortable and safe. And had a magazine.

We had to get her back into her recliner chair as quickly as possible. So Rich decided to do the job in sections.  This took us longer, but her safety and comfort was the most important thing. Moving her recliner and coffee table we did a third of the room first.  Put the recliner back exactly where it had been, and the coffee table. Everything was strategically placed for her to reach essential things. Like the telly remote!

We got her back into her recliner chair as soon as we could.  The back door was open to help the drying process. So we wrapped her up in a blanket and got on with the job as quickly as we could.  It was well planned that I was helping Rich that morning.  I did all the junior tasks. Like emptying buckets of wastewater down the drain in the road. Never down a client’s sink! I also failed at winding up all the pipes and wires in just the right way – but I will learn.

…Even Making Sure The TV Worked

When the lady’s carer arrived, we gladly moved things out of her way so she could carry out her tasks without any hindrance, she only had a few minutes. Before we left, we made sure the telly was plugged in and working as we had had to move it to clean the corner of the room.

This was really important to this lady, she had a tradesperson before who had really messed up her telly, which is her main form of company. Rich and I were only too pleased to make sure everything was working and put back exactly right.

Why Being The Most Caring Carpet Cleaner In Lichfield Matters So Much

Our technicians are sometimes the only person our elderly clients will see that day. Rich has told me of several instances where he has had to help someone. Or even once call an ambulance as he was the first to find someone after a fall.

Although jobs may take us longer, we always have time for a chat. Some of our clients we know pretty well because they use us every year without fail. We really appreciate their loyalty. And make sure their loyalty is rewarded. Pop across to our Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Offers Page to see how.

In my role as Marketing Manager, I follow up after every job with a courtesy phone call. I love chatting with our clients. Just last week a lady told me she had used us since 2012. Another lady told me all about her daughter who lives in Devon. I know that I am sometimes the only friendly voice our clients may hear that day. From start to finish good old fashioned customer care is what matters to us at Knight & Doyle.

Cleaning carpets and upholstery is what we do, but it is the way that we do it that makes us the most caring carpet cleaner Lichfield

Dry Carpet Cleaner In Streetly – What You Need To Know

dry carpet cleaner streetly

Are you looking for a dry carpet cleaner in Streetly? If so, our first question is why? This is because dry carpet cleaning is not always the best way to clean your carpet.  Dry carpet cleaning should only be used for lightly soiled carpets. We recommend it for maintenance cleans, not for removing heavy dirt and stains.

Some carpet and upholstery cleaners only use one cleaning method. So, you may have been told by a dry carpet cleaner in Streetly it’s what you need. At Knight & Doyle we always visit the home or business property to see the job. This is so we see exactly what the carpet is made of the stains and the level of dirt.  By doing this we can tell which cleaning method, or combination of cleaning methods will be suitable to get the best results. We would never recommend dry carpet cleaning for an annual deep clean.

Dry Carpet Cleaning & Pet Stains

If you are considering using a dry carpet cleaner in Streetly to treat pet stains or bodily fluid stains, think again. Dry carpet cleaning will not remove urine, blood or vomit. It will spread the stain over a wider area.  It will look and smell clean when the technician leaves, but the smell will return once the carpet is dry.

Should You Use A Dry Carpet Cleaner In Streetly?

We will never tell you your carpet needs cleaning if it doesn’t. Our honest approach is what brings our clients back year after year.  Our quotations are completely free of charge and without obligation and because we invest in the best cleaning techniques, we have seven different cleaning methods to choose from.  This also means that we have many combinations of cleaning solutions to ensure you get the very best results.

These are the cleaning methods or combinations of cleaning methods we have at our disposal.

  • Dry Carpet Cleaning for carpets not heavily soiled / regular maintenance
  • Upholstery Dry Cleaning for delicate or non-colourfast fabrics
  • VLM Cleaning for upholstery that’s dry in minutes
  • Hot Water Extraction Cleaning for stubborn stains and heavy soiling of carpets
  • Encapsulation Cleaning for heavily soiled and greasy carpets

Contact us for experienced dry cleaners in Streetly, get a no-obligation quote and honest advice.

Woolsafe logo showing accreditation to clean wool carpets and upholstery.