Ocean City, Maryland (October 18, 2006) --- The O.C. Floor Gallery, the Delmarva area’s leading flooring and window treatment company, is offering homeowners a checklist of professional flooring advice to help protect against the wear and tear of parties and celebrations often associated with the holiday season.

The checklist is intended to provide homeowners and other party hosts with some handy tips to clean up the food and drinks that can often spill to the floor during holiday celebrations. It also cautions against using certain
cleaning agents and spot removers that are no more effective than water, and, in some cases, can cause more damage to flooring than the spill itself.

“Soaps and detergents can leave a sticky residue that can attract soil and other harmful elements to carpet fibers, leaving the carpet even more vulnerable to stains,” stated Scott LeClaire , President, O.C. Floor Gallery. “Here, sand
is also a factor,” LeClaire added.

O.C. Floor Gallery offers the following tips for carpet cleaning:

Remove spills immediately. The longer it stays, the harder it is to remove.

Dry Spills: Remove as much of the substance as possible using a spoon, brush or spatula. Vacuum thoroughly to remove loosened particles. Pouring liquid into a dry spill can create new problems.

Wet Spills: Blot with a clean, dry, absorbent white cloth or paper towel to transfer the spill from the carpet to the cloth. Absorb any remaining moisture by placing several layers of paper towels over the damp area and weighing them down with a heavy object.

Always blot—never rub or scrub. When blotting, work from the outer edge of the spot or spill toward the center to avoid spreading the spill.

Vacuum areas of the carpet that get light traffic once or twice a week, more for high traffic areas.

The checklist also includes safety tips for homeowners to avoid the potential dangers of candles, overloaded extension cords and special holiday lighting that can unexpectedly ignite window treatments, carpets, and area rugs.  The O.C. Floor Gallery, is reminding property owners to be fire safe at home and avoid the dangers of using candles, electric heaters or other room-warming devices on or near window treatments or other flammable materials. The reminder is coupled with a warning to avoid running electrical extension cords under rugs and carpets.

“Avoiding fires can be as simple as preventing them,” stated Chris Williams , President, O.C. Floor Gallery. “The use of extension cords under rugs or carpets is one sure way to cause them,” Williams added. The warning is listed on an electrical fire safety checklist developed by the National Fire Protection Association, which states that extension cords should NEVER be used under rugs or carpets, or across doorways.

The O.C. Floor Gallery, designated as an exclusive Mohawk Industries “Floorscapes” dealer, is the only flooring and window treatment company in the Delmarva area to offer special discounts and floor care incentives as part of Mohawk’s Anniversary Month savings extravaganza entitled “The Fairest of All Flooring Sale .”  In addition to offering  0% interest, special financing, and, 90-days ‘same-as-cash,’ the O.C. Floor Gallery is also providing customers with an exclusive floor care maintenance package that maximizes performance and warranty guarantees on its entire line of carpets and area rugs.

“The best thing we can do to take care of our customers is to help them take care of one of their biggest investments: their homes,” said Williams, who cited the automotive industry’s record of providing vehicle service and maintenance as a commitment to customer satisfaction.

“We do our customers a terrible disservice if we sell them a new floor and then do nothing to help them take care of it. Our goal is to keep them happy for the life of the floors.”

The O.C. Floor Gallery provides professional cleaning services for carpets and furniture, using flooring technicians who are trained and certified to operate state-of-the-art equipment to clean and maintain flooring and upholstery. Consumers are warned against the ‘do-it-yourself’ approach that can damage or ruin fabrics and materials beyond the damage of dirt, sand and soil.

For more tips on floor care, cleaning and maintenance, please contact the O.C.
Floor Gallery’s consumer alert toll-free hotline, 1-800-990-OCFG, or visit the
company website (under construction)
www.ocfloorgallery.com

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