Cleaning For The Cause Kick-off

September is usually the month when we kick-off the new football season. This September, Neighborhood Chem-Dry is having its own kick-off as we proudly participate in the "Cleaning for the Cause" program sponsored by Chem-Dry. For every can of World Famous Spot Remover sold during the months of September and October, $1.00 will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Additionally during September and October, Neighborhood Chem-Dry will make a donation for each scheduled carpet cleaning if you mention "Cleaning for the Cause" when scheduling your appointment. If you would like to make a direct donation yourself to this worthy cause, please give us a call at 469-248-6388. And, look for future posts for updates on how you can contribute.

The mission of the National Breast Cancer Foundation is to save lives through early detection and to provide mammograms for those in need. This mission includes: increasing awareness through education, providing diagnostic breast care services for those in need, and providing nurturing support services. Breast cancer is one of the leading health crises for women in the United States. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. There is currently no known cure for breast cancer, and its early diagnosis is critical to survival.

As the owner of Neighborhood Chem-Dry, I am honored to work with the Chem-Dry organization and to support the "Cleaning for the Cause" program.  This program if very personal for me.  My mother was a breast cancer survivor, and her illness deeply affected our family.  It is my hope that I can pay tribute to my mother, Laretta Whitworth, by giving back through the "Cleaning for the Cause" program.

Thank you for your support of "Cleaning for the Cause!"

Mark J Whitworth, Owner
Neighborhood Chem-Dry
469.248.6388

Don't Miss The Bus . . . For A Clean House Use These Back To School Tips From Neighborhood Chem-Dry.

For most families, the start of a new school year is hectic and filled with activities that make it a challenge to keep an orderly, clean home.  Here are some tips that may help you remove some of the most challenging back-to-school stains.  If these don't work, consider giving Neighborhood Chem-Dry a call at 469-248-6388!  We will use our safe and non-toxic cleaning solutions for a deeper and longer-lasting carpet cleaning.

Crayons -- vacuum all crayon particles out of the area.  The remaining small crayon bits that have adhered to the carpet fibers can be removed by placing a brown paper bag over the area and applying a heated iron to the bag for 10-15 seconds.  Repeat, if needed.

Water Colors --using a paper towel, blot the stain with warm water, pressing gently to draw up as much paint as possible.  Next, mix two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup cold water in a spray bottle, and spray the solution over the stain, letting it sit for two-to-three minutes.  Blot up more of the water color stain with fresh paper towels.  Then, mix one tablespoon of clear liquid dishwashing soap with two cups of water in a spray bottle, and spray the stain.  Blot the final traces of the paint with fresh paper towels.  Finally, rinse the soap out of the carpet with tap water, and dry the area with a white towel.

Mud -- Don't be too quick to scrub the stain.  Instead, allow the mud to dry, and then vacuum the area.  Next, mix 1/4 teaspoon of a clear liquid dishwashing soap with two cups of water, and use a white towel to gently dab the spot repeatedly until the stain is gone.

Neighborhood Chem-Dry is always looking for ways to give back to our community, and we encourage you to provide school supplies for disadvantaged children.  Neighborhood Chem-Dry recently donated crayons, markers, and pencils to the Network's "Tools 4 School Project."  They were very appreciative and are always in need of additional donations.  To make a monetary donation, please go to:  www.thenetwork.org, or contact them at: 

Network

741 Sherman Street

Richardson, TX 75081

972-234-8880

www.thenetwork.org or info@thenetwork.org

HAVE A GREAT 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR!

Neighborhood Chem-Dry Segues into Commercial Cleaning

My wife, Laurie, was joking with me that this picture makes me look like Paul Blart/Mall Cop -- ready to hop on his "Segway" and patrol the area.  But, in a way, I did segue into commercial cleaning in July as I was able to clean the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Dallas Park Central Hotel.  I was particularly excited that I was offered the Westin job because this is the first hotel Laurie and I stayed in after we were married!  It is a beautiful hotel with many fond memories for us.

 

My cleaning was focused on 23,000+ sq. ft. of ballroom/meeting space, and I was able to use my Chem-Dry expertise on not only routine carpet cleaning, but also on some heavy-duty stain removal, including:  multiple food and coffee stains, areas with tape/glue residue, and other miscellaneous stains of unknown origin.  I was pleased to be able to restore their much-used carpet back to the Westin standards through my tried and true Chem-Dry cleaning methods.  I enjoyed working with Chase Marstella, and I appreciate his willingness to work long hours so that we could complete this project on time.   Many thanks to the staff at the Westin; they were top-notch, and I enjoyed working with them. 

 

Now is a great time to take a closer look around your home...do you have some tough or stubborn stains (perhaps pet-related?) on your carpet, area rugs, or even upholstery that need removing, but you aren't sure how to tackle them?  If so, give me a call, and I will be happy to get to work on restoring the condition of your items as well.  And, if you're looking for a nice staycation getaway this summer, please consider the Westin Park Central Hotel!  Visit http://www.westindallasparkcentral.com for more info or to make a reservation.

 

In Honor Of My Dad Larry Whitworth

When the subject of my dad, Larry, comes up with family or friends, I almost always hear, "He was a really good guy!"  I really feel my dad made a difference in our small town of Rexburg, Idaho.  He was an insurance agent for State Farm for many years, and he received calls day and night to help people with their car accidents, home emergencies, and other personal problems associated with their insurance coverage.  My dad was a very spiritual man as well and enjoyed serving in our church. He was also a Boy Scout leader, and I know those in his Troop really looked up to him.  He was definitely an inspiration to me as I worked to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

My dad was also very generous and giving.  He enjoyed the outdoors and was willing to share his boat for church youth activities.  He was an excellent water skier.  In fact, I was a little jealous that he could ski slalom, as well as backwards, but I could never reach his level!  He was also an amazing fisherman and spent as many weekends as possible at the lake.  I also remember him giving money to those in need, and I remember dropping off Christmas goodies to less fortunate families.  I am sure he also did a lot of service and giving that I did not even know about.  He was a humble man, and I don't ever remember his bragging.

I also remember my Dad being very strong, physically.  I am sure he had great strength from growing up on a farm and from performing the hard labor associated with that.  He told me that sometimes he would work all day and be so tired that he did not even eat dinner but instead went straight to bed.  My dad enjoyed sharing his love of running with me as well, and I appreciate his being my physical fitness “coach.”  One year we were part of the running and jogging program with the Ricks College PE department.  Monday through Saturday we ran together in the morning until we had both run over 250 miles during the program.  He also encouraged me when I was on the swim team by driving to and attending my swim meets, by supporting the team financially, and by serving as an officer/meet chairman.    

Now, as I have started my own business with Chem-Dry, I admire him even more!  It has become perfectly clear to me why he spent so many long hours building his business.  I know he was honest in all his business dealings, and what a great example I have to follow as I build my own business and as I strive to follow in his footsteps to provide for my family, to serve in the community, and to help others.  

 

My dad showed his ultimate strength when he battled, and eventually succumbed to thyroid cancer at the way-too-young age of 55.  Cancer has affected my family very deeply, as I also lost my mother to cancer.  In honor of Father's Day, and in honor of my father, I will be making a donation to Stand Up 2 Cancer.  I want to be a part of finding a cure for this horrible disease.  If you, too, have been affected in some way by cancer (or know someone who has), I invite and encourage you to visit www.standup2cancer.org to make a donation.  Click on the "Get Involved" tab…choose "Start a Team"…then Browse Teams – put “Stand Up For Larry” in the search box and click "Go."  Thanks for your support, and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the dads out there!

Happy Mother's Day From Neighborhood Chem-Dry

Dedicated to my mother Laretta Whitworth

THANKS TO OUR MOTHERS...

"A mother's love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking."    -- Helen Rice

Mothers do so much for their children and believe in them when others don't.  When I was in high school, I had aspirations of being a professional singer.  My mother approached the high school choir director, Mr. Power, to see if it would be possible for me to take private lessons.  I don't think the choir director was very impressed with my abilities, and he didn't offer any options.  My mother continued to help me reach my goals by approaching a college choir director, Mr. Clyde Luke, who was a professor at the local junior college (Ricks College, which is now BYU-Idaho) in the small Idaho city of Rexburg where we lived.   He agreed to work with me and to help me improve my vocal abilities.  I worked with him for several months and practiced the skills he taught me.

 

Towards the end of the school year, there was a vocal competition at our school.  I entered and prepared a solo to sing.  I was a little surprised when I entered the room to present my solo and saw that Mr. Power's wife was to be the judge of my solo.  After I sung my solo, I remember Mrs. Power telling me that she enjoyed it and that I should consider taking private lessons...and that her husband was available for those lessons.  I have to admit, it gave me great satisfaction to tell her that I was already taking private lessons at Ricks and that I would not need to take lessons from her husband. 

 

I am very thankful to my mother that she was interested enough in my goals and desires to find a way for me to develop my talents.  It took a sacrifice of finances and time on her part to provide me with the opportunity of taking voice lessons.  I went on to join the Ricks College Acappella Choir, which I thoroughly enjoyed during my first year of college.  There are other similar stories like this from my life when my mother encouraged me to pursue my dreams and to accomplish my goals.

In honor of Mother's Day Neighborhood Chem-Dry would like to offer special pricing on our Carbonated Hard Floor Surface Cleaner.  The normal price is $9.99, but during the month of May the price will be just $5.99.  The Hard Floor Surface cleaner is to be used with Chem-Dry's "The Razor" hard floor cleaning mop.  The hard floor cleaning system with the washable/reuseable microfiber cleaning pads can be used on most types of hard floor surfaces such as tile, vinyl, linoleum, laminate, and finished wood floors.  It is great at removing dirt from hard surfaces around your home.  If you would like to know about the other Household Solutions offered by Neighborhood Chem-Dry that can help you save time and money when tackling your household cleaning chores, or to purchase all Household Solutions, please call Mark at 214.680.7659, or email me at info@neighborhoodchemdry.com

 

 

Additional Earth Day Contest Pictures

I wanted to add a picture of Erin Halligan the first place winner of the Bowie Earth Day  Art Contest.  I also included better pictures of the artwork so that you can see the great work that Max and Zoe  did.

Neighborhood Chem-Dry Sponsors Earth Day Art Contest At Bowie Elementary School

by Mark J. Whitworth - Owner/Operator In honor of Earth Day, Neighborhood Chem-Dry recently sponsored an art contest for the students at RISD's James Bowie Elementary School.  The theme of the contest was "I Can Keep The Earth Clean By...".   The winners were announced last Friday the 19th -- 1st place was 6th grader, Erin Halligan; 2nd place was 4th grader, Max Nathan; and, 3rd place was 2nd grader, Zoe Lehman.  Erin was on a field trip that day so I didn't get to meet her, but I enjoyed meeting Max and Zoe, seeing their beautiful artwork, and presenting them with their Target giftcard prizes!  Max drew a picture of himself picking up trash at the beach to keep the earth clean, and Zoe drew a picture of herself riding a bike to reduce pollution and save fuel -- both great representations of the Earth Day theme!   Many thanks to ALL the Bowie participants, to Principal Staci Low, and especially to Kim Page, Bowie's Art Specialist, for her great help in coordinating the details and in judging the entries.  Above is a photo of Max, Zoe, Ms. Page, Ms. Low, and I with their winning designs.    If you're looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day today along with Neighborhood Chem-Dry, here are ten suggestions of how you can show your love for our planet! 1)  Plant a tree in your yard as a family.  Trees reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and more shade trees in your yard = reduced energy bills!  2)  Make a bird house, and fill it with birdseed.  Watching birds is both fun and entertaining. 3)  Sit down with your family, and set goals on ways to conserve energy and to recycle. 4)  Plant a garden.  This can be as easy as planting herbs in a pot on the patio. 5)  Go on a hike or walk.  Try to slow down and enjoy the nature you see. 6)  Clean-up litter at a local school, church, or other community area.  This is a quick way to improve the appearance of your neighborhood. 7)  Plant flowers around your home or neighborhood.  Planting wildflower seeds is an inexpensive way to beautify an area. 8)  Prepare an Earth Day-themed meal, and invite friends and family to join in the fun. Provide a plant as a party favor for each guest to take home and plant in their own yard. 9)  Drop off recyclable items to a local recycling facility.  You just might be rewarded with some extra change for buying treats. 10)  Have your carpets & upholstery cleaned by Neighborhood Chem-Dry.  You wouldn't add soaps detergents, phosphates, or other harsh chemicals to our air, lakes, streams, or forests, so why add them to your carpet, area rugs, or upholstery?! Only Chem-Dry uses "The Natural."  Call Neighborhood Chem-Dry to schedule your appointment at 469.248.6388 or visit our web-site www.neighborhoodchemdry.com