Imagine wearing the same T-shirt every day for a year.
This is what Shen Schulz, president and CEO of Environmental Carpet and Air Care, compared to not cleaning upholstery in a year.
With a focus on indoor air quality and environmental health, Environmental Carpet and Air Care uses biodegradable, nontoxic products to clean carpets, upholstery, area rugs, air ducts and much more. They use a high pressure, high steam truck-mounted carpet cleaning system that cleans at 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Whatever gets brought into your house, whether by your shoes or through the windows and vents,” Schulz said, “the idea is to get that dust out of your house.”
Not vacuuming often enough is the biggest mistake that people make when it comes to carpet care, causing dirt particles to get in between the carpet fibers and wearing it out, Schulz said. High traffic areas, including walk-on and walk-off mats placed outside and inside the house, require more frequent cleaning.
“It takes an average of 10 steps to scrub the bottom of your feet,” Schulz said. “High traffic areas need to be cleaned every three to four months, while the rest of the house should be cleaned every nine to 12 months. The dust and allergens need to be removed.”
Schulz strongly recommends spot cleaning for maintenance. “We have a carpet spotter that we call ‘Malibu Magic’ that doesn’t have soap in it,” Schulz said. “It has minerals.”
Environmental Carpet and Air Care offers an eco-friendly choice of alternative cleaning products that are nontoxic, biodegradable and produced from renewable resources that are designed for the health of the home and are safe for children and pets.
“Some people are highly chemical sensitive,” Schulz said. “They can’t even walk down the cleaning aisle because of all the detergents and chemicals. So we don’t use those types of products. It costs us more money, but we do it because we care.”
The company website includes a “home remedies” section that illustrates how to remove the most common stains, including alcohol, coffee, greasy foods, gum, tar and other substances from carpets.
For pet urine, Schulz suggests first to blot it out with a towel, and then spray one part vinegar to 10 parts water on the carpet until they arrive to rinse it out thoroughly. Using that spray will stop it from becoming a permanent stain.
“We want the community to know how to take care of this stuff themselves and have a healthy home,” Schulz said.
Schulz does not recommend using the carpet cleaning machines because it leaves too much soap residue behind, which is a sticky residue that attracts dirt.
Southern California is expected to have a strong El Niño season this year. Schulz has a message for the Malibu community: “Don’t worry about getting mud on your carpet. Let it dry and it will vacuum right out. Call us for ‘Malibu Magic’ spotter. We’ll be happy to make a home delivery and give you a free estimate.”
An entrepreneur since age 15, Schulz grew up in Malibu and attended local schools. His first business was a local car wash, which had the first and only legal permit for a car wash in Malibu. He sold it and got into the carpet cleaning business after the 1993 Malibu wildfires and the 1994 El Niño because of the great need for it.
“We saw greater service capacity in a carpet cleaning business,” Schulz said. “We also felt better about helping people in their homes with allergies by removing dirt and bacteria rather than just cleaning and making a car shiny.”
Environmental Carpet and Air Care operates three trucks with a staff of five experienced and certified workers. Schulz’s mother, Michele, is the office manager and manages all the scheduling.
“One of my greatest joys is when I see someone at the supermarket and they give me a hug expressing their deep joy and gratitude for what a great job my crew did saving their carpet from a stain,” Schulz said.
For more information about Environmental Carpet and Air Care, visit environmentalcarpetcare.com.
