130 Cecil Malone Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850
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Welcome to Our Monthly Newsletter
This month's topics are:
COVID-19
CARPETING
MISCELLANEOUS
CONSIGNMENT RUGS FOR SALE REMINDER
FEBRUARY RCAD DISCOUNT SPECIAL
If there is a topic you would like us to cover in one of our upcoming newsletters, please call or text us at:
607-272-1566
or contact us
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REMINDER:
Don't forget to keep checking our website for our beautiful
We have a variety of rugs available to view on our website or come into our office!
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LATEST COVID VARIANT
The latest COVID variant, known as XBB.1.5, may possibly soon become the dominant variant in the United States. It is a hybrid version of 2 strains of the BA.2 form of the Omicron variant.
The fall of 2022 saw the emergence of several variants but none of them rose to the top. Today (as of the end of January 2023) we not only have to be concerned about this latest COVID variant, but something is happening in China where there may be as many as 37 million new COVID infections a day. Both events are very concerning.
Here are some questions and answers about COVID XBB.1.5:
IS THIS XBB.1.5 VARIANT MILDER,
OR WILL THE NUMBER OF DEATHS BE AS HIGH AS IT WAS WITH PREVIOUS VARIANTS?
This variant is not mild, and it is also very contagious. However, since so many people have been vaccinated and/or infected, it is possible that we won't see as high a number of deaths as with previous variants, but even 400 to 500 deaths a day is 150,000 to 200,000 deaths a year. This is 4 or 5 times higher than in the worst flu season! We are also expecting to see a lot of hospitalizations and long COVID.
ARE THE ORIGINAL VACCINES EFFECTIVE AGAINST XBB1.5 OR IS THE BIVALENT OR ANOTHER BOOSTER NECESSARY?
The original mRNA vaccines are turning out to be not as durable as was expected. Data from the CDC shows that the bivalent booster greatly reduced the risk of being hospitalized for the pre-XBB.1.5 and the early data shows that it is beneficial against XBB.1.5 but not as effective.
Whether a second bivalent booster may be useful is difficult to determine because only 15 percent of Americans have gotten the first bivalent vaccine.
The newest variants are evolving to evade protection against antibodies. But even with immune-evasive variants, the ability of vaccines to protect against severe disease is still intact. In other words, bivalent boosters will likely be protective against severe disease but will not be as effective against preventing infection.
WILL THE AT-HOME TESTING KITS BE SENSITIVE TO XBB.1.5?
Early data suggests that the at-home COVID testing kits may have significantly reduced sensitivity to the XBB.1.5 as well as some other Omicron mutations such as BA.2.5 and BN.1.
Thus, it is recommended that Americans should get vaccinated, wear masks, and stay at home if not feeling well.
WILL COVID XBB.1.5 RESPOND TO ANTIBODY TREATMENT?
It is possible that the XBB.1.5 variant may not respond as well to antibody treatment, but the drug Paxlovid is expected to be an effective treatment option.
WHERE DO THESE VARIANTS COME FROM?
Please continue reading here for the answer to that question and for more important information on COVID XXB.1.5.
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In This Issue
Consignment Rugs for Sale - New rugs added Regularly
Latest COVID Variant
Cleaning Plant Services
Oriental Rug Washing
Phillis Wheatley
IT'S RCAD TIME AGAIN!!
February RCAD DISCOUNT SPECIAL
Links to Our Services:
WELCOME!
ABC Oriental Rug & Carpet Cleaning Co. has been family-owned and operated in Ithaca and surrounding areas for 50+ years!
Our company is a reflection of our family name and pride.
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CLEANING PLANT SERVICES
ABC's cleaning plant services are performed in Central New York's only Certified Cleaning Plant with a Certified Rug Specialist (CRS) on staff. We are competent and knowledgeable in oriental rug identification, fiber, and construction elements, the type of dye systems used, and the cleaning methods required in order to achieve optimum results without damaging your valuables.
ITEMS CLEANED IN OUR PLANT
Through the years, ABC's cleaning plant services have included the cleaning of thousands upon thousands of rugs, upholstered furniture, luggage pieces, and mattresses. Today we specialize in oriental and area rug cleaning, treatment, and repair. We also clean upholstered furniture that is brought to our plant.
One of our favorite customers has even brought in large and realistic stuffed monkeys for cleaning, which she likes to hang outside on her trees.
From stuffed animals of all sizes to tapestries to fabric bolts as well as many different and sometimes unusual items have all found their way to our plant. Why not just give us a call or text and see if we can clean your treasure!
607-272-1566
ALL WORK DONE ON OUR PREMISES
All services are done on our premises in our own cleaning plant. Certification through the Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS), the National Institute of Rug Cleaning (NIRC), and the Wools of New Zealand Board assures our customers we are extremely proficient in all areas regarding oriental rugs and area rugs and other fine textiles and specialty rugs.
Should your oriental or area rugs need special attention such as repairs, dye removal, etc., our own rug repair technicians are available to give you an honest appraisal and cost estimate for these and other services.
PICKUP and DELIVERY SERVICES
Please continue reading here for information about our pickup and delivery services and areas as well as links to further information on our in plant cleaning services.
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ORIENTAL RUG WASHING
INCLUDING SPECIALTY RUGS
One of the most popular services we provide is oriental rug washing. An oriental rug is a hand-knotted rug constructed of natural fibers. Oriental rugs are from the East while Occidental rugs are from the West. There are oriental rugs that have piles and ones that do not. Kilim rugs are examples of oriental rugs that do not have a pile.
Specialty rugs are also a large part of our oriental rug washing service. They include, but are not limited to, Navaho, Flokati, Hooked, Tufted, Dhurrie, Braid, Karastan, Wilton, Axminster, Stark, Edwards, Fields, and Custom-Bordered Rugs. Both rugs with piles and those without will have varying names based on the region or country in which they were constructed.
Many of the design concepts from oriental rugs have been borrowed from all cultures and bear symbolic meaning. These rugs are true works of art, and many precautionary measures must be taken when we apply our oriental rug washing process to cleaning them.
Our technicians are thoroughly trained in the art of oriental rug washing. It takes a great deal of time, training, and study to understand and identify the complexity of hand-knotted rugs. It also takes years of studying fiber types, rug construction, knotting techniques, dye systems, geographic regions, and cultures.
These variables all have a dramatic impact on the way a rug is treated during an oriental rug washing cycle. Knowing all variables ensures your rug is properly cared for from the moment it comes into our plant until its return to your home.
Understanding and respecting the weavers and their methods of rug construction and the environment in which these rugs were woven allows us to be at the top of a unique list of quality professional firms offering oriental rug washing.
CAUTION: ORIENTAL RUG WASHING SHOULD NEVER BE DONE IN YOUR HOME! Washing a rug requires dusting, cleaning both front and back, controlled drying with proper equipment, and fringe cleaning. This cannot be accomplished at your home or place of business.
ABC's ORIENTAL RUG WASHING PROCESS
ABC's oriental rug washing (including specialty rugs) procedure begins with a thorough pre-cleaning inspection. After we inspect your rugs, we offer as much of the following as may be relative to your valuables:
- Identification of the country in which the rug was made, including a description of the region or city.
- Identification and consultation on any necessary repairs that will prolong the life of the rug.
- The removal of dry particulate matter (dusting), which causes the premature deterioration of rugs.
- Thorough washing and rinsing, adhering to the washing guidelines established by the Wools of New Zealand Board and the National Institute of Rug Cleaning (NIRC).
- Application of moth retardant to deter future damage by moths, if desired.
- Multiple cleanings as required, to achieve maximum results, at no additional charge.
- Fringe treatment and washing to restore the natural color of the fringe.
- Grooming of the pile to provide a proper finish to the rug.
- Drying of the rug in a controlled dry room environment with rug poles to retain shape.
- Application of Stain Protection to repel soiling, if requested. (Extra charge)
ABC's PICKUP and DELIVERY POLICY
Scheduling
Pickups and Deliveries are normally scheduled for Wednesdays.
Customer Concerns
When calling to schedule a pickup, please let us know any concerns you may have, such as pet odors (urine, vomit, dander), insects (moths, carpet beetles), etc.
Authorization of Cleaning
Rugs will be brought back to our office and thoroughly examined by ABC personnel. The customer will be called and asked for authorization before any work can be done.
Deposit Due to Condition
If, at the time of the pickup, it is determined the condition of a rug is questionable and any work done may exceed its value, a $200 deposit will be required before pickup.
If the customer declines the work after the rug has been brought to our plant, a portion of the deposit will be applied as labor and a disposal charge, and the rest will be returned to the customer. If the customer has the rug serviced, the $200 deposit will be subtracted from the final invoice.
If, at any point during the pickup, ABC personnel is unsure whether the rug is worth cleaning, a call will be made to the office.
Scheduled Delivery
Rugs picked up on a Wednesday and cleaned in our plant will be scheduled to be returned the next Wednesday. If additional work, such as moth treatments or repairs are needed, the day of delivery schedule may have to be extended.
Cost
Pickup and Delivery is free (minimum dollar amounts of work to be done may be required). Rugs must be rolled or baled and ready for pickup. A labor charge will be applied to any pickup which requires furniture moving and/or rolling or baling.
Discounts
Rugs picked up and delivered are normally not eligible for any discounts. Please check our latest discounts if you have any questions or call or text our office at 607-272-1566.
ABC's PICKUP and DELIVERY AREAS
Please continue reading here for our delivery areas as well as information on how long your rugs may be in our plant and how you should care for your oriental and specialty rugs between cleanings.
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PHILLIS WHEATLEY
Phillis Wheatley was the first published African American female poet. She led a short, but extraordinary life filled with spectacular tragedy, unlikely fortune, and international fame. Though she died at just 31 years of age, she left an enduring legacy through her art.
EARLY LIFE
Phillis Wheatley was probably born around 1753. When she was a 7- or 8-year-old child in 1761, she was kidnapped from her home in West Africa (possibly Senegal/Gambia) to be sold as a slave.
There was no record of her birth name when she arrived in Boston on the slave ship Phillis, wrapped in a carpet. Since she was too weak to work in the fields, she was sold as a domestic to Susanna Wheatly, the wife of a prominent Boston merchant and tailor, John Wheatley.
LIFE WITH THE WHEATLEYS
Susanna Wheatley, who named the child after the ship on which she was imprisoned, wanted a lady's maid, but what she got was a prodigy! In just over a year, Phillis could speak and read English. The Wheatleys were stunned at her intellect and decided to tutor her.
She lived a privileged childhood with only light household duties. She even had a private room and took meals with the family. John Wheatley was well known as a progressive throughout New England and his family gave Phillis an unprecedented education for an enslaved person, and one unusual for a woman of any race at that time.
As Phillis grew her literary gifts, the Wheatleys promoted her enthusiastically. When she was 11, she began corresponding with preachers and friends. By the age of 12, she was reading Greek and Latin classics in their original languages, as well as difficult passages from the Bible.
When she was 14, her first poem, 'To the University of Cambridge [Harvard], in New England.’ was published, complete with classical Greek references, a sign of her fine education.
Phillis was very strongly influenced by her readings of the works of Alexander Pope, John Milton, Homer, Horace, and Virgil. This led her to the decision to continue to pursue poetry writing. She believed the power of poetry was immeasurable.
In 1768, Wheatley had written ‘To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty,’ praising him for repealing the Stamp Act. As the American Revolution grew in strength, her writing themes expanded to express the ideas of the rebellious colonists.
In 1770, her poetry began to contain Christian themes, when she wrote a poetic tribute to the evangelist, George Whitefield as well as many other poems dedicated to famous figures.
COURT
At first, publishers in Boston had declined to publish her poetry. Many colonists doubted that an African slave could be writing such excellent poetry. Phillis was forced to defend her authorship of her poetry in court in 1772.
Several important people from Boston, including John Erving, the Reverend Charles Chancey, John Hancock, Thomas Hutchinson (the Governor of Massachusetts) and Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver examined her and her work and concluded that she had indeed written the poems. They signed a statement corroborating this.
ENGLAND
In 1773, Susannah Wheatley sent Phillis to England. Even though Phillis’s fame was growing, Susannah felt she would have a better chance of publishing her poems in England. She sent Phillis, escorted by Susannah’s son, Nathaniel, to London where she met many important figures of the day.
Influential people in London were very interested in her poetry and many became her patrons. Her collected works, ‘Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral' was published in London in 1773. This publication brought Phillis fame in both England and in the American colonies. She included the signed statement from her case in court in the preface of that book.
George Washington praised her work and invited her to visit him at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts after receiving a copy of her poem entitled ‘To His Excellency, George Washington.’ She did visit him in 1776. Thomas Paine republished the poem in the Pennsylvania Gazette in April of 1776. A few years later, African American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in a poem of his own.
FREEDOM, MARRIAGE, and DEATH
Please continue reading here for more information about the poetry of Phillis Wheatley and what some critics have said as well as a list of honors commemorating her life and legacy.
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IT'S RCAD TIME AGAIN!!
WHAT IS THE ABC-RCAD?
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.
The RCAD is now known as the Regular Customer APPRECIATION Discount, and we have extended the discounts to friends and families of our customers as well.
SEE BELOW FOR THIS MONTH'S RCAD SPECIAL.
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GREAT NEWS!
GOT QUESTIONS?
NOW YOU CAN TEXT US at
607-272-1566
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FEBRUARY RCAD
DISCOUNT SPECIAL...
30% OFF Area Rug Cleaning in Our Certified Cleaning Plant
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PLEASE CALL OR TEXT ABC at
607-272-1566
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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CLICK HERE to check out our video - It's What We Do!
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The Cleanest Clean You've Ever Seen! |
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130 Cecil Malone Drive
Ithaca, NY 14850
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THANK YOU!!
We look forward to continuing
to serve your textile cleaning & repair needs.
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