Phuket Post :: Article

Who would have a carpet in these climes?

Tropical locations, with the ever-present risk of mould, fungus, bugs and the serried ranks of other creepy crawlies, not to mention the plethoric number of dogs and cats, seem to be a less-than-ideal location for floor coverings made from wool, silk or nylon.

Add to the mix of possible calamities the disastrous duo of children with paints and � worse, much worse � tired and emotional adults swigging back a glass or two of Chโteau Margaux � and a once pristine shag-pile carpet can look slightly worse for wear.

Completely shagged, I suppose.

Rugs, too, can suffer a similar fate.

The investment in the rug � be the floor covering Persian, Anatolian, Kurdish, Caucasian, Central Asian, Chinese, East Turkestan or Tibetan in origin � can then seem a waste of money if one of those all-too-common accidents involving sump oil and a mandolin occurs.

Upholstery and curtains are almost as likely to suffer the slings, arrows and HP Sauce of outrageous carelessness, as are the seemingly hardier floors fashioned from wood or stone.

To utilise a terrible, and outmoded, clich้ � acceptable if done in an ironical way � from Ghostbusters �Who you gonna call?�

Chem-Dry (Thailand), with offices along the bypass road, would be a good choice.

David and Richard Arell hold the Thai franchise for this unsung emergency service from the US.

David begins by saying, �Chem-Dry as an entity is 30 years young. It started in America and has since expanded into 50 countries.

�My brother, Richard, and I are the master franchisors for Thailand and we operate right here in Phuket. We also sub-franchise to the rest of the country,� he added.

David explained that the Chem-Dry cleaning system focused on soft furnishings � carpets, killims, rugs, curtains and other fabrics, but has expanded into caring for hard surfaces, such as tiles, marble, wood and granite.

�We can work with all surfaces � just name it � but the bulk of our focus remains on carpets and furniture. Business is, however, expanding in other areas,� noted David.

He said that an area of expanding business is in mattress cleaning, in both hotels and homes.

There was a joke � when the word �mistress� had an impact � along the lines of: �What is a mistress? The thing that comes between a mister and a mattress

David blows a myth out of the water by saying that carpets are quite popular in Thailand, saying, �But there aren�t � by comparison � as many fitted or wall-to-wall carpets as you might find in the UK America, but there are a tremendous number of Oriental and Persian rugs here in Thailand.

�There are also a surprising number of more modern wools and nylons that people have made into specific decorations for rooms,� said David.

�Persian and Oriental carpets require a different cleaning process, one that is far more labour-intensive � they are cleaned mainly by hand � than other types of traditional carpet.

�Persian and Oriental carpets are generally made of silks and fine wools, which are laborious to clean � particularly the older ones.�

But what of standard carpets?

David said that the method employed most often is the �Hot Carbonating Extraction (HCE) Cleaning system�.

A bemused look evidently passed over this interviewer�s face. Each of the words on its own made sense, but together as a phrase?

David is perhaps used to such looks of bemusement, for he began to explain HCE before I could ask what he meant.

�The Chem-Dry system uses an active carbonating solution, a little like soda drinks but with a lot more bubbles � and it comes in only one flavour!

�It has zero flavour and zero calories; you wouldn�t want to drink this stuff even though it is made from all food-grade components. It�s called �The Natural� and it is natural. It won�t harm pets, babies or adults, or plants,� said David.

�It�s completely safe, but very tough on odours and stains.�

David explained that combining heat and carbonation is not as easy as it may sound.

�The problem is,� began David �if you heat a carbonated solution, the bubbles quickly dissipate. Just look at a glass of soda left out in this climate. One minute bubbles, the next � gone.

�Chem-Dry has created a patented technology that actually allows carbonated bubbles to exist in a hot solution,� he said.

There is a moment where asking him what the patented technology is seems a good idea, but one supposes that the answer might be as closely-guarded a secret as Colonel Parker�s, sorry, I mean Sanders� recipe of 11 herbs and spices .

David continued, saying, �Two separate solutions are heated to 190บF, which is perfect for cleaning.

�These two solutions are combined just as they hit the carpet fibre. The result of combining these special solutions is an even more powerful carbonating reaction which produces millions of effervescent cleaning bubbles.�

He said that the hot bubbles �explode� dirt and stains from the carpet and lift them to the surface where high vacuum pressure sucks them away.

The efficiency of the bubbles allows Chem-Dry to use a fraction of the moisture used by traditional cleaning methods.

�And less moisture means that the carpet dries out far more quickly, which in a climate such as this � where mould and fungus can grow alarmingly swiftly � is an added bonus. All in all, it takes around two hours to clean an average-sized carpet.

�We always vacuum � or �hoover� � loose dirt away first before beginning the HCE,� said David. �And, in a similar way to the vacuum-cleaner advertisements on TV, we do show our clients the liquid containing what was been cleaned from their carpet. It�s grey to� mud in colour.�

For many people who contact Chem-Dry Thailand, it is usually the first time they have had their carpets cleaned.

�Actually, the fist time they have had them cleaned here. Carpets, especially old Orientals and Persians, are often quite precious items and people to move � even around the world with them. They may be to new to Chem-Dry Thailand, but not Chem-Dry as a global concern.

�Chem-Dry is well-renowned in more than 50 countries, and people from abroad moving here that have used the company�s services before have good name recognition,� said David.

He suggested that the renown that Chem-Dry is famed for is not shared by other cleaning companies on Phuket.

�Yes, there are a number of folks that run around the island offering carpet and furniture cleaning � but with varying degrees of success,� says David.

Listening to David chatting away about cleaning carpets with such authority makes one think that his entire working life has been in the business.

Not so.

David was an IT professional in New York, spending, as he said, ��hours each day commuting to work and then home.�

Richard, however, was an engineer, primarily construction management, in the Midwest and all over the States.

Chem-Dry Thailand came into being around seven years ago.

Richard visited Thailand first as a consultant.

�I like what I saw, came back on vacation a few times and eventually brought David along. He fell in love with it too � and that was that.�

Richard said that the pair had considered franchises as a business opportunity for a number of years, before plumping for Chem-Dry and Phuket.

�We considered opening in Chiang Mai or Bangkok,� began David, �but, well, Phuket is a lifestyle choice.�

Who could argue with that?

Richard and David Arell may see the dirty side of life in Phuket, but � wait for it � come out clean every time

Visit www.thaichemdry.com for more information.