We’ve always known that our fearless leaders, Jeff and Susan Sams, were a great couple, but we think Streetscape Magazine got it right when they named them a Dynamic Duo! Jeff and Susan are featured in the Fall issue of Streetscape Magazine where they discuss their experience as married business owners. It’s not always a walk in the park, but Jeff and Susan lean on each other’s strengths to help balance them out and create a strong, successful team.
In this article, you get an inside, behind the scenes look at how Sams Carpet Cleaning got its start, how Jeff and Susan met, and important lessons they’ve learned over their 30+ years in business. And of course, they discuss the importance of being involved in the community and the Sams Family involvement in St. Charles County.
We love our St. Charles community and we feel incredibly blessed to be included in Streetscape magazine this month along with other wonderful local St. Charles businesses. You can read the full article in the latest issue, now available! You can pick up a copy at any of THESE locations or check it out online HERE.
A big thank you to Amy Armour and Streetscape Magazine for this featured article on Jeff, Susan and Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs! Be sure to pick up a copy for yourself today!
It’s officially Spring, and with Easter right around the corner, this is a time to spiritually reflect on families gathering and spiritual awareness in our lives during the Easter season. For us, it’s a time to gather with our families and remember the meaning of Easter. At Sams, we clean for many churches, including all religious denominations and affiliations, but we recently cleaned for Grace Church in Maryland Heights, which is always a wonderful experience, with the nicest staff.
A church the size of Grace Church has thousands of visitors each week between their Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday services, worship groups and prayer meetings, bible studies and activities, which means that their floors need some attention. That’s where we come in! We cleaned the church, office space and guest house to ensure the carpets and tiles were clean, shining bright and healthy.
Grace Church is all about the community. Their congregation is made up of countless small groups that meet with different agendas but one mission, to build each other up. It is our mission to provide a service for these people and to help them to enjoy their space and maintain its pristine condition.
If your church, worship space, office or building is in need of a cleaning (from carpets to tiles to air ducts to water restoration, stain removal and more), we would be happy to help! Give us a call today to schedule your appointment or to learn more about our services.
Look down! That’s what your customers tend to do when they enter your business. Studies have shown this to be true, so when they look down, what are they seeing? Is it sparkling tile that’s free from debris and residue, or has your tile seen better, cleaner days? Remember when you built your business, and you took time and great care to choose just the right tile, design and color? It’s probably pretty important to you that it stay that way, and the Sams team can help you out!
Have the dingy days arrived?
Chances are, you have many feet touching your floors on a daily basis, and traffic in your business can be pretty hectic at certain times of the day. Spills can happen quickly. Muddy shoes can bring the outside in. You name it, it probably has happened on your tile floor. But why does it get so dingy looking? There are a few common reasons for this:
Tile and grout are very porous, meaning dirt is absorbed easily. As people walk on it, dirt can get even more ground in, and discoloration follows. Your once ivory tiles are now 50 shades of something dirty.
Routine floor cleaning, particularly sweeping and mopping, will remove surface soils, but as time passes, this process will leave residue that becomes embedded into the tile and grout. While this step is important to perform on a daily basis, it’s not enough for the long-term life and beauty of your tile floors.
It’s a fact that commercial buildings see a lot of footprints, which leads to dirt, wear and tear. High traffic areas will be the first to reveal their dirty side, and when it comes to restrooms, you know what kind of spillage may happen there!
It’s true – to make your tile and grout sparkle, you’ll need more than just a sponge. How we tackle it, and how frequently you’ll need us, depends on many factors, so we’ll help you determine what’s best for your particular situation.
The Sams process involves a thorough procedure which penetrates deeply into the surface of your tile and grout to eliminate dirt, mildew, and other contaminants. But before any machinery touches your floors, we’ll perform an inspection to identify any damage we may need to address, or any areas of special concern you may have. We’ll sweep and vacuum to remove loose dirt and dust, and then apply a pre-conditioner to break down oils and stains. That’s something a mop and sponge – or even consumer grade floor cleaners – can’t do!
Here’s where the muscle comes in. Your floors are scrubbed with high-powered brushes to remove stains and even get rid of traffic patterns that appear in the tile over time. You know, like that “track” of dirt you can see going down the hallway. Everybody gets them, and Sams can take care of it! Finally, we perform a pressure cleaning process with a rotary hot water extractor. This leaves the area clean, fresh, and something you can be proud of! We can even apply sealant to help prevent future stains.
Regular Care for your Tile and Grout
Ongoing activities such as daily vacuuming, sweeping and mopping, as well as quick attention to spills and stains will help extend the life and looks of your tile floors. But there’s only so far you can go with a broom and scrub brush. Sealing the tile grout is great for keeping moisture and dirt from penetrating into the floor. You will be so amazed at how much easier it is to clean spills off your floors once the grout has been sealed. Let Sams do the dirty work for you! Not only will you get a beautifully clean floor, you’ll get the Sams experience of the best technicians, the highest quality cleaning products and processes, and service you can count on. We appreciate an opportunity to be welcomed into your business!
If you haven’t seen our Discover St. Charles video, grab a cup of coffee or a bowl of popcorn, and get to know us! We had a wonderful time with Discover St. Charles and we appreciate the opportunity to highlight our business.
Now, we know it’s a long video and not everyone has 23 minutes to spare, so we decided to highlight some of the key topics discussed in the video. Here are the areas: Our Start, Services, Water Restoration, Oriental Rugs, Air Quality, Story Time and the St. Charles and St. Louis Community. Let’s dive in!
The Making of Sams:
First of all, a questions we are often asked: how did you get your start?
It all started in 1985, a year after Jeff got out of school. He saw a need for the carpet cleaning business and took it upon himself to make it happen! He rented a machine and started cleaning the houses of friends, family and neighbors. He saw a big difference and the happiness and joy he saw on the faces of customers, that’s when he was hooked. Jeff became interested in learning more about carpets and the carpet cleaning business. He went out and got certified, became an expert on cleaning carpets and the construction of carpets. After a couple years, Jeff was able to purchase a truck mounted system.
In the beginning, it was just Jeff, his mom and dad! You can definitely say it has always been, and will always be, a family business. At that point, he started hiring great employees who helped him to build the company and continue to grow.
Jeff and Susan met in 1985 and got married in 1990. When they first met, Susan was going to school to get her bachelor’s degree and was gaining experience in the corporate world. As the family business continued to grow, Susan and Jeff decided to take a risk and for Susan to join the Sams team, full time. She was able to bring her knowledge and skills to the company through marketing and the management side of the business. Susan loves networking and going out into the community, talking to customers, speaking at events, etc., and was a major asset to the team.
“When Susan joined the business, she began networking and made a massive improvement in the company. She was out there every day promoting, and is still out in the community promoting Sams Carpet! She has assisted with marketing and growing the company. Thanks to her, we have grown our business to the next level,” said Jeff.
We are now up to 32 employees with different roles, ranging from carpet repairs, carpet cleaning, office managers, operations managers, and more. Without them, we wouldn’t be as strong, and we feel incredibly lucky to work with such a talented group.
Over the years, the needs and wants of the St. Charles and St. Louis community have changed, and it was important to us as a business to grow and meet those needs. We have added services over the years to best serve our clients and we will continue to grow in order to provide the best for the community.
Our Services:
We service throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, and we treat our customers so that they can be part of our family as well. After all, it means a lot to us that you opened up your doors and homes to us and we want to treat you like family. We are open 24/7, 365 days a year. We are here when they customer needs us. They don’t need us a month from now, they need us yesterday and that’s why we built this company to provide those services when an emergency or situation comes up.
This is one of our services that many people don’t know we offer! In case of water damage, we should be your first call. So what does the process look like?
After giving us a call, we send a technician out, within minutes, to your house or business. The technician will get inside, assess the severity of the situation and get a crew out to begin work.
The sooner we get the carpet and furniture dry, the better chance we have of saving your belongings. We will set up drying equipment to help dry out the space and then we will run testing, including moisture readings, to find out exactly how much moisture is in the air and in the walls so we know where the place the equipment and how much equipment is needed. Once we set everything up, we come back on a daily basis to monitor the equipment and ensure we get everything dry.
Once everything is completely dry, we put back the carpets, the furniture, replace the drywall, re-stretch the carpets, clean the carpets, etc. The quicker we get everything dried out, the best chance you have of no mold or serious damage.
Water restoration is something you hope to never deal with, but in case a disaster occurs, now you know who to call!
Air Quality:
Not only do we want to take care of your carpets, but we also want to take care of the entire living environment inside your home or business. We often receive phone calls from people with allergies who are looking to improve their air quality. We come in and not only clean the air ducts, returns and vents, but clean the entire system, which will greatly improve the air quality. At Sams, we have a great, high quality brush system that runs through our truck and goes through your system to extract everything. It brings it outside so that we are not generation anymore dust or allergens inside your home.
After doing construction or remodeling your home, you should consider having your air ducts cleaned out. All that dust and building material has found a way into the system and will build up, causing problems. Even for new build houses, this is an important step to improve the air quality.
Fine Rug and Area Rug Cleaning:
French Town Rug Cleaning Company is a division of Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repair that focuses on the proper care and maintenance of your fine rugs. We know that your rugs are exposed to wear and tear, and over time, spot cleaning and vacuuming is just not enough. That’s where we come in!
FrenchTown Rug Cleaning is one of the few fine and area rug cleaning companies certified as a Master Rug Cleaner, which is the gold standard in training and certification for rug cleaning professionals. We have a rug cleaning plant here, in house, so we will treat each and every rug by hand, with care. From $200-$20,000+ rugs, we clean them all!
So what’s the process to cleaning a fine rug? First, we determine what kind of rug it is so we can determine the best course of action for cleaning it. Depending on the type of fibers and how well it’s put together, we will determine the best cleaning method. It’s a process, each and every rug is hand cleaned, which takes longer because of the care behind cleaning them.
After cleaning, we send them to our drying room, then wrap them up and deliver them back to our customers. We offer pickup and delivery of the rugs, or you can drop them off to our store, whatever works best for you! We have a 10-15 day turnaround on rug cleanings.
Not only are these rugs usually expensive, but they can also be antiques, handed down from generation from generation. We’ve had rugs that people have told us the family history. “I’ve had this rug my entire life, and I’m going to now pass it on to my son. We want to wrap it up and send it to New York.” The history and story behind each piece is truly amazing!
Storytime:
Speaking of stories and history, over our 30 years in business, we have heard many funny, and horrible stories. We often receive the panicked phone call when a bottle of wine has been spilled on the carpet, when a can of paint falls down the stairs or a dog tearing up the house.
One of the phone calls we receive the most often is from kids who call us to clean up the carpets before their parents come home from out of town. Looks like they hosted a real wild party and are looking to cover their tracks!
Restoration stories always stick out to us. We once received a call from someone who came home from being out of town, and when they pulled into their driveway, they could see water pouring out from under the front door. The washing machine on their second floor broke, and water was rushing throughout the house. When we get those phone calls, the panicked, emergency situations, our first goal is to calm the customer and reassure them that they will be taken care of.
St. Charles and St. Louis Community:
We LOVE our community! It has been amazing over the years to see the support the community has given to us as a small, local business, and we look to help other local businesses to grow. Susan is a member of the Greater St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, and was previously the Chairman of the Board. As our business continues to grow, we want to help our community. Participating and volunteering our time is important to not only us, but also to many of our employees.
Business relationships are important to us. We have built a great relationship over the years with local businesses like Lindenwood University, the Peabody Opera House, Scottrade Center, and more.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know us on a more personal level and allow us the opportunity to dive deeper into a few of our service areas. Interested in learning more or scheduling an appointment? Give us a call! And don’t forget to check out our current specials.
While you’re staring at the ripped seams and the stains that won’t remove themselves, you should be contemplating the carpet cleaning or repair company that will be best to contact. If you don’t take anything else from Sams, remember this remedy – utilizing a good, professional carpet repair service company is the care and commitment your carpet needs. There are a few reputable recommendations that you should look for when determining what carpet service to use. At Sams, we give you assurance that you’ll be fully satisfied with a job well done. We are committed to technical excellence and friendly professionalism. Very often, it’s difficult for a homeowner to determine if a professional has the ability to do a proper job. For this reason, Sams recommends only hiring trained technicians to ensure satisfactory service. To further assist in the selection process, Sams has put together a list to aid you through your home’s restoration period.
Choose a Company That Fights Health Hazards
Don’t just pick up the phone when your kids decide to drop their popsicles on the floor, but schedule routine visits with your cleaning service to prevent airborne pollutants from becoming a problem. Good carpet cleaning doesn’t just do away with stains, but good cleaning rids your carpet of contaminants to help with your breathing and overall home health. Sams understands that sometimes it’s the things you can’t see that causes problems in your home. More dirt than you can imagine builds up and interferes with your air circulation. Look for a company that employs experienced technicians that cater to the importance of designation and how to attain it.
Consider the Carpet Cleaning Process
As a homeowner, you have several options when choosing the type of carpet cleaning method you feel is suitable for your space. Some cleaning companies utilize particular cleaning patterns, such as steam cleaning treatments, that call for a drying time. Other companies may use a dry treatment that allows you to walk on the carpet when the process is done. At Sams, we apply the latest technology to make sure that your carpet is pre-treated for stains or smells. We perform a water rinse to remove residue to ensure that your carpet stays cleaner longer. Before our team leaves, we will groom the carpet pile to assist in the drying process. Choose a company that accommodates your family during the process.
Hire Certified, Trained and Skilled Technicians to Treat Your Home
Your home is a significant investment and you want to hire a company with a qualified trained team to make sure your warranties and life of your flooring is good for many years to come. But you also want convenience that you can count on, and that’s exactly what you’ll receive when you call Sams. We only ask for one thing when you contact us: allow us to take the responsibility and stress off your shoulders. The company you use should supply you with a skilled team to get the job done and get it done right! At Sams, we are committed to excellence and professionalism with every visit that is scheduled. Not only are we equipped with the best equipment and techniques, but we are covered. We are Insured and Bonded, and a Certificate of Insurance is available upon request. Call around and get quotes from several companies, and inquire about whether they’re insured or not.
Now that your search is over, we encourage you to give us a call. Sams can ensure you ease when using our services. We don’t just care about your carpet, we care about our people and your home. We take invitations to our customers’ homes or businesses seriously, because we understand home is where the heart is.
You might notice on our website that it says that we are “insured and bonded, and a Certificate of Insurance is available upon request.” Sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, right? Wrong. It’s important, even though it might just sound like some fancy, legal fluff. Here’s why.
You are inviting people into your home or business. You want to protect yourself, correct? You have car insurance in case you’re in an accident, you have home owner’s insurance in case of a fire or break in, and you have health insurance in case of medical emergencies. It’s all about protecting yourself, your family and what’s most important to you. So naturally, why wouldn’t you want to hire someone who is insured?
When hiring a company to come into your home or business, be sure to ask them if they are insured and if they can provide a Certificate of Insurance. Not only will a reputable company be happy to provide the Certificate, but they will also feel good knowing you’ve done your research and know what to look for in a good company. All parties can feel a sense of relief knowing they are protected.
Whether you’re looking to have the carpets cleaned at your house, carpet repairs at your office, pet damage cleanup or water damage cleanup/repair, rest assured that we have your back and will take care of you. We love cleaning and repairing carpet, fine rugs, tile and grout, air ducts and more, but most of all, we love doing it well. You’ll feel the pride in our work and the joy we find in serving you.
Give us a call to learn more or to schedule an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you, and serving you!
We still can’t believe it, but we have been voted the #1 Carpet Cleaning Company every year since 1996! Will you help us make #1 for the 20th year in a row?!
We are humble for the recognition that we have received and the continued support and business relationships we have built with our customers. It’s thanks to you that we have not only made this list every year, but have been able to grow and flourish in our community.
The Best of St. Charles list, distributed by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, is a great way to have fun and recognize your favorite companies, restaurants, business owners and communities. Why wouldn’t you vote? You can even write in names of companies who you might not see on the list and give them recognition for being THE BEST. The categories include Business, Community, People, Restaurants and Services. You can find Sams Carpet Cleaning under SERVICES>CARPET CLEANING.
Voting is open until November 11, 2016, so be sure to get your votes in before the poll ends. You can vote once per day per sub-category, so mark your calendars, set your phone alarms, write yourself a note, do whatever it takes and go back daily to vote! We appreciate your vote, but even more, we appreciate your business and friendship over the past 20 years and we look forward to the next 20, 40 and 60+ years! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
For us at Sams Carpet, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a big deal. In the past, we have participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to support Jeff’s sister Tammy and other breast cancer survivors with the “Tammy O” Team.
One in eight women in the United States alone will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. To break that down, an estimated 246,660 women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and more than 40,000 will die. Even more, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. These are some extremely scary numbers that no one wants to see. What do we want? We want a cure. We don’t want to ever hear a loved one say, “I have cancer”.
Thankfully, death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1990 thanks to better screening and early detection, increased awareness and improving treatment options thanks to funds raised by people like you.
For the month of October, our wonderful team have been wearing pink Breast Cancer shirts as a reminder to be tested and to help raise money to fight for a cure. We have to say, they look pretty great, right?
To learn more about Breast Cancer Awareness, how to help or about screening, you can visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org. In honor and in memory of those who have battled Breast Cancer, we think of you this month and your incredible strength.
1988 Château Lafite Rothschild. A Gulfstream Six airplane. Literally any floating vessel. Your fine rug.
Sure, these investments may seem extravagant, but numerous people have spent gazillions on each one. Imagine spending $14,000 on a bottle of wine that ended up being, and we’re quoting here from the Susie and Peter Masters of Wine Website, “Frankly disappointing.”
You, however, are a savvy investor. You pick your spots, and then you go for it. The next thing you know, you’re having a Cabernet Sauvignon party to show off your new Karastan Rug.
“The Karastan is an heirloom!” you tell your hair stylist.
“We will pass the Karastan to our children!” you gush to the cashier in the grocery store.
And you speak the truth: it really is an investment, a physical, beautiful keepsake to pass down through future generations of your family. You can almost picture your grandbabies learning to crawl on it during Sunday dinner at your kids’ house.
Like any investment, however, it needs to be nurtured, cared for, maintained. Because life happens. Dirt happens. Pets happen… sometimes all over your rug. After a while, no amount of blotting, vacuuming or Botox on your part will rescue it.
And that’s where we come in. At FrenchTown Rug Cleaning, a division of Sams Carpet Service, we’ve been about the business of caring for, and in some cases resurrecting, your investment. For decades, we’ve specialized in rejuvenating the finest rugs on earth: Indian, Persian, Turkish… and yes, your Karastan.
We have turned the science of rug cleaning into an art. We inspect everything by hand. We clean everything by hand. We can even provide protection against the not-really-housebroken Yorkie your neighbor brought over to your rug-warming cocktail party.
A rug truly is an investment… an investment in you, and in the future generations who matter to you. They are meant to endure and to bring joy to all who enter your home. We are here to care for that investment and to offer you peace of mind that we will treat it as such.
In order to maintain your rug and ensure it maintains its value, and pristine condition, here is what we at FrenchTown Rug Cleaning will do to restore your investment to its original glory.
First Things First
Like the start of any journey, the first step is always the simplest, but one of the most critical. We begin by thoroughly inspecting your rug. We will know pretty quickly our dos and don’ts, and what method will work best.
Next we tackle what you can’t see: the ground-in, stuck-to particles that have been quietly robbing your rug of its brilliance. Picture your great grandmother in the old country with her vintage rug beater. Only cube it… and then put it on steroids. That’s our Rug Badger System. This step can remove so much dirt that you didn’t even know was there.
Then we hand-clean your rug, fringes and all, with our unique cleaning technology process. Color and softness are restored in no time. This is a process that we don’t take lightly, a hand cleaning process that makes all the difference!
We dry the rug in a humidity and temperature-controlled environment.
We inspect it again. If it’s not good enough for us, we know it won’t be good enough for you, so we’ll repeat any steps necessary to meet our satisfaction.
And that’s it. You can either pick it up, or have it delivered. Just like that, your rug is restored and ready to be passed along to a loved one, or back to the living room to be enjoyed by all! Give us a call today to learn more or set up your cleaning, 636-949-8229.
Spills happen. We are all human, as much as we would like to pretend we are perfect, we are bound to laugh a little too hard and spill a glass of wine. A child is bound to turn around too quickly and knock over their milk. An overly excited dog might run into the room and track muddy paw prints. Life is busy and hectic, and we’re bound to need a little touch up here or there. C’est la vie. And that’s where we come in to help.
If you have a little stain or spot in the carpet, here are our tips to treating it yourself at home. Of course, do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or feel like the stain just might be out of your control. Here are our do’s and don’ts for treating stains and spots in your carpet or upholstered furniture.
Don’t Wait
Immediately pick up any solid spills and soak up any liquid with a clean white towel. NOTE: It’s important to ALWAYS use a clean white towel to insure that no dye from the towel stains the carpet. Remember, we are trying to treat a stain, not cause another.
Don’t Scrub
Gently blot carpet to avoid pushing the stain deeper into the fibers. When blotting, blot from the outside of the stain going inward, as blotting outward can spread the stain to a larger area. This is what we are looking to avoid!
Don’t Over Saturate
You don’t want to add to much water to the area, this could saturate the carpet backing, causing further damage. This also goes with any cleaner, be sure to use a small amount and never saturate. We recommend keeping water or cleaner in a spray bottle for a fine miss and to avoid over saturating the carpet or upholstery.
Be Careful With Any Cleaning Product, Use a Test Area There is too much uncertainty with cleaners and how they might react to your carpet or upholstered furniture, you don’t want to take that risk! Be careful with any product by reading the label and using only small amounts first in a test area to make sure it’s not setting your stain and can be removed. Reach out to a carpeting professional for their cleaning agent recommendation or to purchase a professional cleaner. All Sams’ customers receive a bottle of our “Outta Sight” spot remover after a cleaning, which is perfect for those pop up, “uh oh” moments! Trust your gut and use water first to soak up the stain, and from there, use the Outta Sight cleaner to treat the area. Be sure to use any cleaner lightly, you want to use a gentle hand and touch, too much could harm rather than help.
Don’t Let The Area Air Dry
You might think it’s best to just set it and forget it, but in this case, letting the area air dry can cause rings and dimples. Take a dry cloth and place it over the wet area. Then add a non-staining, heavy object over the cloth and let it dry overnight. The weight will help keep the carpet flat and from rippling, saving you a headache down the line.
Hand brush or vacuum area post stain removal
This is an important step to plump up the carpet and help to revive the area. With a little fluffing, the carpet should be rejuvenated and thanking you for a job well done.
Of course, give us a call if you have any questions or would like us to give that stain a closer look. We would be happy to help!
For more information on Spots and Stains, be sure to check out the Spot/Stain Removal section of our website HERE.
FrenchTown Rug Cleaning Co. recognizes different fibers, constructions, and types of rugs. We apply custom cleaning techniques and procedures that minimize concerned areas in all types of specialty rugs, while returning them to a clean and refresh condition.
