ABC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

This month's topics are:   

MISCELLANEOUS

ABC RCAD - What is it?

'Hotel Horrors'

WOOD FURNITURE

Removing Furniture Scratches

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Addendum to Spider Myths debunked-The Legend of the Christmas Spider

Specials

RCAD Special Discounts

ABC on Facebook

Our Latest Video

If there is a topic you would like us to cover in one of our upcoming newsletters, please call us at  607-272-1566 or contact us by clicking here.

 ABC - RCAD

WHAT IS IT?

In the 1970s, our customer information database was carefully handwritten and kept on index cards in a file cabinet. Each year we painstakingly addressed hundreds of postcards to our customers explaining our services, reminding them to make cleaning appointments, offering discounts on some of our services, etc.

As we entered the 1980s and our customer base continued to grow, we knew we needed to adopt a more efficient way to keep our records in order. After checking out computerized databases, we finally settled on an industry specific computer program to keep our database secure and to allow for significant growth.

Sometime during that early computer phase, we began offering a special discount every January, February, and March. These are traditionally slower times for the carpet cleaning industry. We called it our Regular Customer Annual Discount or RCAD.

After just a few years, our regular customers began to look forward to those special discount months. By 1982, our regular services had expanded to include oriental and area rug cleaning, upholstered furniture cleaning, tile and grout cleaning and grout sealing, as well as carpet cleaning.

The RCAD had become our special way to thank our regular customers with special discounts once a year. About 10 years ago, we changed the name of the RCAD to the Regular Customer APPRECIATION Discount and extended the discounts to friends and families of our customers as well.

RCAD FOR 2018

JANUARY 2nd thru MARCH 31st

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CARPET CLEANING 

20% Off for the entire period.

See our FAQs on Carpet Cleaning here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JANUARY RCAD

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE CLEANING

20% Off 

See our FAQs on Upholstered Furniture Cleaning here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FEBRUARY RCAD

TILE & GROUT CLEANING

25% Off

 and

COMMERCIAL CARPET CLEANING

25% Off

See our FAQs on Tile & Grout Cleaning  here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARCH RCAD

ORIENTAL & AREA RUG CLEANING

30% Off 
See our FAQs on Oriental & Area Rug Cleaning  here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW YEAR!

 Services Paid by Cash Qualify for an EXTRA 5% Off

CALL ABC at 

607-272-1566 

for more information.

'HOTEL HORRORS'

'Hotel horrors' can be used to describe a real phobia of hotels for many of us who have heard those awful rumors of germs everywhere, not to mention bed bugs!

Especially during the holidays, when we tend to travel far and wide, staying in a hotel may become a necessity. If you are a frequent traveler and have a phobia that could be called 'hotel horrors,' you may even come to suspect 4 and 5 star hotels!

When it comes to staying in hotels anywhere, 'fore-warned is fore-armed!' 

Below is a checklist to help you and the hotel staff make your stay a pleasant and memorable one and hopefully resolve your 'hotel horrors' phobia...

HOW TO BANISH 'HOTEL HORORS'

#1 CHECK FOR CLEANLINESS

• Put your suitcases in the bathtub until you have checked the luggage rack and the bed for bedbugs. It is unlikely bedbugs would be in a bathtub. The video below shows how to check for bedbugs in a hotel or motel room.

(Click  here for a video on How to Avoid Bedbugs in Hotel and Motel Rooms)

Remember...when you are traveling on public transportation, you could be bringing bedbugs into a room from your luggage as well as picking them up from a hotel room. It is a good idea to keep your luggage away from the bed during your stay, just in case.

• Walk through to make sure the bathroom and the rest of the room has  been cleaned well. 
• Have all the trash cans been emptied?
• Pull the sheets and covers down to make sure there aren't any stains or stray hairs.
• Make sure you disinfect the TV remote before you use it. This is one of the most germ-laden items in a hotel room and can easily spread infectious diseases.

#2 CHECK FOR YOUR SAFETY

• Make sure you know how to operate the deadbolt lock on your door and always use it, especially before going to bed.
• If you are traveling alone, let the hotel staff know you are not expecting any guests. Make sure to call a family member of friend to let them know where you are and that you have arrived safely.

• Get to know the layout of your room and find the light switches before going to bed. Also check the placement of the furniture. If you happen to awake in the middle of the night, you won't chance stumbling around in the dark.

#3 PLAN THE AMENITIES OF YOUR STAY

Please continue reading here for more tips on how to banish 'hotel horrors' phobias.

REMOVING FURNITURE SCRATCHES

15 DIY TRICKS

Removing furniture scratches, the ones that make your furniture look old and tired, can add years to the useful life and appearance of your wood furniture. 

There are many DIY tricks you can use to cover those unsightly marks, depending on the color of the wood, the depth of the nicks and scratches, and the materials on hand.

You may want to try one of the DIY tricks listed below for removing furniture scratches:

#1 CAR POLISH

Use very lightly so as not to remove any of the furniture finish.

#2 COFFEE

Coffee can be used in either of 2 ways for removing furniture scratches on dark woods:

• Strongly brewed coffee can be painted onto the scratches with a cotton ball. Wipe off the excess with a paper towel. 
• Another way to use coffee is to rub the coffee grounds into the scratches with a cotton swab.

#3 CRAYONS

This is one of the best ways to match the color of furniture wood and it works very well for scratches that are deeply set.

If you cannot find a close match to your furniture color, you can mix crayon colors together by grating part of the crayons into a bowl. Place the bowl in a pan of boiling water to melt the wax. Drip this wax into the scratches and smooth it with a butter knife.

#4 EYEBROW PENCIL

This procedure is good for small scratches. Use an oil-based eyebrow pencil to color in the scratches.

#5 IODINE

The procedure for using iodine for removing furniture scratches from dark wood is similar to that of using coffee. Paint some iodine on the scratch with a cotton ball or swab and wipe the excess with a paper towel.

#6 LEMON JUICE

This procedure works well for small scratches. Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and vegetable or olive oil. Rub the scratches in one direction until they disappear.

#7 MARKERS

If you can find a marker that matches your furniture's color, you may be able to successfully hide those unsightly nicks and scratches.

#8 MAYONNAISE

You may have already heard of using mayonnaise to remove white rings from furniture. 

The purpose of using mayonnaise for removing furniture scratches is the oils contained in the mayonnaise will expand the wood and fill the scratch.

The procedure is to cover the scratches with mayonnaise. Do not wipe the excess away for 2 to 3 days.

#9 MINERAL & PUMICE

For more information and more tips, please continue reading here.

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER

Last month's newsletter contained an article about spiders. This is an addendum to that article.

To those of us who live in areas where spiders are treated as scary monsters and nuisances, it may be surprising to know that in some parts of the world, spiders are considered in a much more kindly light and ornaments in the form of spiders are considered mainstays of the Christmas celebration.

This is largely due to a European folktale, The Legend of the Christmas Spider, and is a lovely way to introduce to our children the concept of spiders as benevolent creatures.

Although there are several versions, the Ukrainian legend describes a poor family who did not have enough money for decorations for their Christmas tree. While the children were sleeping, spiders spun webs of silver all around the branches of the tree. When the family awoke on Christmas morning, their tree was filled with shiny silver webs.

There are, of course, variations on the theme. Some suggest it was Santa Clause or Father Christmas who turned the spider webs into silver or gold. Even the sun coming in the window on Christmas morning has been given credit for changing the spider webs into gold and silver.

In these areas of the world where the legend of the Christmas spider is repeated, spider ornaments and silvery tinsel on the trees have become Christmas traditions. To these people, if a spider web is found in the home on Christmas, it is considered to be a sign of good luck.

If you would like to tell The Legend of the Christmas Spider at Christmas every year and start a tradition of displaying spider ornaments in your own home, they can be found at online stores such as Amazon and Etsy. Also, be sure to check out Pinterest for DIY ideas.

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ABC Oriental Rug & Carpet Cleaning Co. 

Since 1971 

(607)-272-1566

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