Tag: shade cleaning

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Website Re-design in Progress

Coming Soon!

ADVANCED ON-SITE H.Q. – I’ve long since come to lament how cluttered this site looks. Part of the problem, I’ve been advised, is the small font employed by the original design. Add that to the wrap-around images, and it comes off busier than a stampeding herd of zebra.

A trend among web developers has been to leave lots of “white space” on their pages. I’ve sampled hundreds over the last year, and less truly is more. Toward that end I think the sidebar with links to recent and archived content must also go. At least on primary pages. Newly posted blog-style pages may retain this feature.

As is all too often the case, the author of the site’s current design has disappeared. So there can be no easy tweak. Everything must be built from the ground, up. With a little help I hope to publish a new, simpler, and much easier to read site in August.

Above is a screenshot of what we’re projecting the initial page load of the new design to look like.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Curtains Cleaned. In Place!

Curtains Cleaned in Your Home!

IBIS C.C. – The owner of this lovely home wanted her curtains cleaned. She put it off for a looong time because she thought they’d need to be taken down. And that seemed daunting. Never mind, inconvenient.

In the process of searching the web for a qualified service she ran across the SERVICES page at advancedon-site.com. Listed among all the other window covering related entries, was “Takedown and Storage”. Now, the intent behind that offering has always been as prep for larger projects like painting, remodeling and window/door retrofits. Takedown is no longer necessary when the objective is simply to get your curtains cleaned. Or any fabric window covering, for that matter.

The entry immediately above “Takedown and Storage” says it all. Titled “Cleaning”, it includes the statement, “…without removal from the opening.” The homeowner was intrigued, but doubtful. How could such a procedure be effective?

She called to ask about the method used. I happily explained it in detail, and encouraged her to check my glowing reviews. She soon called back to schedule service. Happy ending.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Job: Roman Shades Cleaned

Roman Shades Cleaned

Roman Shades Cleaned in Your Home!

LAND’S END, MANALAPAN – That’s right! If you need your Roman shades cleaned, I’m Dave Smith and I’m your man.

Located near a cooking environment, the pictured shades acquired a greasy film over a period of 20 years. Naturally that film attracted dust.

Still, it wasn’t evident until one of the shades was lowered. As it unfurled, the hidden inner folds were revealed to be dust free. Protected from airborne contaminants the entire time.

Well, when the homeowner noticed this she knew it was time to have them cleaned. Her dry cleaner referred me and everything happened pretty quickly after that.

Full disclosure: For thorough drying, shades like these need to remain unfurled at least 16 hours after saturation. As I was not invited to stay overnight, the featured photo was taken before cleaning.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Attention: Property Managers

Attention: Property Managers

CRYSTAL POINTE – Attention property managers, and rental agents! The foregoing photo shows a property transitioning between occupants. The owner’s agent wished to freshen it up. Suspecting these drapes to be the source of a faint musty odor, she requested my cleaning service. Voila! No more odor.

Any number of nasty contaminants can defile window coverings. Mildew, tobacco smoke, pet hair and associated oils, cooking grease, things that get on little fingers, candle soot, just to name a few.

Previously drapes needed to come out of the opening and go to a dry cleaner. Now, they’re just as effectively cleaned in place! Along with the shades and top treatments dry cleaners could never accept.

When a change in decor is desired and cost is no object, replacing soiled window coverings is a no-brainer. To have replacement forced on you due to misadventure is another matter entirely.

While cleaning expensive window fabrics is no minor operation, its cost is generally less than twenty percent that of replacement. Furthermore, it prolongs life expectancy!

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Service: Regular Cleaning of Fabric Window Coverings

Service: Regular Cleaning of Fabric Window Coverings 

PRESIDENTIAL PLACE (BOCA RATON) – Pictured, is a waiting area off the kitchen of an upscale condominium belonging to a long-time, loyal customer. She’s had me schedule regular cleaning of fabric window coverings throughout her home for nearly 10 years now.

Her Hunter Douglas Silhouettes, especially, are prone to the unsightly collection of dead insects inside their vanes (fabric louvers). One or two tiny ones here and there are not necessarily that noticeable. However, the buildup increases over a two or three year period and I inevitably receive the call.

Some homeowners request regular cleaning due to concerns over allergens trapped in their window fabrics. Others are simply obsessive about cleanliness.

I’ve even made repeated visits to a private home whose Muslim prayer room contains an eternal flame. It’s an oil lamp that continually throws off small amounts of black soot, which over time builds up on the home’s snow white Silhouettes. In as little as 6 months they begin to appear dingy. After a year, downright grimy! My ability to reverse the condition (below) keeps me in good standing.

Black soot removal in progress.

Notes & References

 Silhouette’s manufacturer recommends a thorough cleaning every 3-5 years, to prolong life expectancy. This is a good rule of thumb for any fabric window covering.

Though not always visible to the naked eye, pollutants in the air are ever present. Some possess the ability to break down fabrics. Check out this TIME magazine feature to learn about some of the components the dust in your home may contain.

Info on avoiding Black Soot through an investigation into what causes it, can be found at this link.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Project: Dry Cleaning Cellular Shades

Project: Dry Cleaning Cellular Shades

VILLA LOFTS – Dry cleaning cellular shades becomes necessary when blackout material lines the inside of each cell, or when certain fabric protectants are present.

Known alternatively as honeycomb shades, and less frequently accordion shades, a vast majority of cellular shades can be wet cleaned. The shades pictured above are one exception. (Sorry, not the best photo ever.)

Applause Blackout Shades

Manufactured by Hunter Douglas, Applause® blackout shades are highly coveted for their ability to block ambient light in bedrooms and home theaters, while at the same time provide an extra layer of insulation against heat or cold at the window.

High-rise condominiums with ocean-views are another popular application. The brilliance and heat of morning sunlight can be significantly magnified as it glances off the ocean’s surface. Its sheer intensity has been known to severely damage household fabrics.

The penthouse in the above photo belongs to an ADVANCED ON-SITE customer at a prestigious North Flagler address. Concerned about sun damage to tapestries on the opposite wall, she purchased the Hunter Douglas product several years earlier.

One look at the photo reveals just how effectively the shades block bright sunlight, as seen streaming in at a different angle through light filtering shades at left. The shade fabric does not in and of itself possess such capability. It’s the thin metallic foil laminated to the inside of each cell that gets the job done.

Solutions and Caveats

Water compromises the process used to bond foil to fabric during manufacture and for that reason Applause® must never come into contact with it. Dry cleaning cellular shades involves the use of a solvent that, although fluid, contains no water and therefore preserves this bond.

However even dry cleaning can further aggravate a condition arising from previous exposure to moisture. One customer was dismayed to learn that a water stain on her shade was a clear indication that it had already sustained damage. Damage that even with proper handling would only get worse.

Possible sources of moisture shade owners should be aware of and guard against include humidifier use in close proximity, morning dew entering through an open window (rain too, of course), and even condensation forming on metal window frames when the temperature outside is vastly different than that of the interior.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Service: Removal of Allergens from Household Fabrics

Service: Removal of Allergens from Household Fabrics

FRENCHMAN’S CREEK – Removal of allergens from household fabrics is an important step toward reducing the incidence and severity of symptoms. Let’s hear that again. Removal of allergens from household fabrics is important, nay, critical to reducing the frequency and severity of allergy symptoms.

Pictured above is the dinning room of a beautifully appointed residence belonging to a long-time customer. The home could easily be the subject of a Good Housekeeping feature. By turns luxurious and practical.

The two children enjoy personalized bedrooms, each with its own bath. Connecting the rooms is a common work space for studying and creating. Unfortunately both the daughter and her younger brother suffer from acute sinus issues. For years their mother learned everything she could about potential means of alleviating the near constant discomfort.

On hearing of our ability to safely and effectively clean any fabric window covering, on-site, she requested the service immediately. During our initial inspection it was mentioned that upholstered furniture can be cleaned using the same process. Accordingly, the project’s scope was expanded.

A week or so later the homeowner called to express delight over the difference in her kid’s quality of life. She wished for all fabrics in their rooms to be re-cleaned annually. We’ve returned eight or nine times now. Additionally the entire residence is serviced every third visit.

The Facts

Experts agree, household fabrics are to allergens as kitchen counter tops are to bacteria. However there’s a major difference in that fabric items cannot simply be wiped clean with disinfectant.

Being permeable, fabric allows air currents to carry tiny particles deep within its fibers. Over time, any such material can acquire an amazing volume of unwelcome guests. These can then be released back into the air by a number of different factors. Subsequent air currents, billowing caused by direct contact, and even well-intentioned vacuuming.

Previously, only carpets and some upholstered items could be easily cleaned in the home. Draperies on the other hand needed to be taken down, transported to a dry cleaner, then put back up on their return. Sometimes at great inconvenience to their owners.

Other window coverings like shades and top treatments couldn’t be cleaned at all! At least not thoroughly. Until the “on-site” method, the very one we use, became widely available 25 years ago.

For deep cleaning that simply cannot be achieved through vacuuming, call (561) 644-4091.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Job Photo – Paint Removal from Drapes

Requested Service: Paint Removal from Drapes

OAK HARBOUR – A property manager previously unknown to us learned through a mutual contact that paint removal from drapes is possible when an attempt is made within days. Actually, while it’s best to get after it immediately, we’ve removed paint that was said to be 2 years old.

The paint transfer shown in the ‘Before’ image above was on the order of 1 month old by the time we arrived. Several drapery panels occupying the same room had been tied back prior to commencement. Unfortunately, all were released before the paint completely dried. Several others had paint transfer on them as well.

The ‘After’ photo shows the same area shown in the ‘Before’ photo, but following successful removal of the offending substance. Given the fact that repeated spot treatments and mechanical action must be applied in specific sequence, the time spent on just this one panel amounted to approximately an hour and a half.

It’s imperative anyone attempting to remove a substance like paint understands just how much mechanical action can be used without changing the drape’s appearance. Too much, and its fabric can become abraded. Much the same as new shoes are scuffed against rough surfaces.

Latex wall paint presents the best chance of success, as far as complete removal is concerned. Oil based paints, and especially enamels are much more stubborn. Alas, removal of epoxy coatings is not possible at all.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Job Photo – 05/26/18

Requested Service: Hunter Douglas Silhouettes Cleaned

LOBLOLLY PINES – For aesthetics and functionality this homeowner could not have selected a better window covering for her master bedroom window openings. Elegant look with light filtering properties even as it provides visibility, during the day. Then, with a flip of the vanes, that all important privacy at night. 

One drawback is that insects have a tendency to crawl between the fabric layers and die there. (TIP: Use canned air to blast those critters out.) In this case there had also been a roof leak, causing water stains hither and thither.

Having been thoroughly satisfied with our work on previous projects, the property manager reached out. We’re so thankful for such continued confidence in our abilities.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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Job Photo – 03/22/18

Requested Service: Luminette Cleaning

This Singer Island homeowner had a very large and expensive Luminette by Hunter Douglas installed over a sliding glass door opening. (pictured) A few weeks later he hired a marble polishing company to service his floors.

The polishing process threw small amounts of a gritty compound up onto the Luminette’s face. Needless to say, the owner was very upset. That is, until he learned of our capabilities. Now he could have it restored to original condition at a fraction of the cost to replace it!

Thankfully the polishing company did the right thing. They absorbed the cleaning cost. However that’s not always the case. Which sometimes has the effect of rendering our service even more valuable.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

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