130 Cecil Malone Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850
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Welcome to Our Monthly Newsletter
This month's topics are:
COVID-19
- COVID and Immune Deficiency
RUGS
MISCELLANEOUS
CONSIGNMENT RUGS FOR SALE REMINDER
MARCH 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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COVID and IMMUNE DIFICIENCY
Is there a direct connection between COVID and immune deficiency? Can COVID create an immune deficiency in those who contract a COVID-19 infection (severe, mild or asymptomatic) putting us all at risk for future infections? If you follow social media, you may even have seen COVID-19 categorized as ‘airborne AIDS.’
CHANGES IN IMMUNE SYSTEMS DETECTED
Scientists have been studying the effect of COVID on immune systems from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When looking at the blood cells of patients in critical care, those with a severe COVID-19 infection (especially those who did not receive the vaccine) showed significant changes in the generation of their immune cells. This is quite unusual for an infectious disease.
When long COVID was recognized, scientists began to scrutinize the effects of long COVID on those patients. The results were not encouraging. Examples included a decrease in the number of dendritic cells which help decide if a more targeted response is needed by the immune system, an increase in T cells, apparently signaling their exhaustion, as well as accelerated biological aging of our immune system.
But why were scientists finding all these changes? One of the reasons why is that no infectious disease has received the attention that COVID-19 has. If you are looking for something with that kind of concentrated and multidisciplinary attention, you will probably find it!
CHANGES IN IMMUNE SYSTEMS
PUT INTO CONTEXT
A closer look at the workings of the immune system can put these changes into context. For example, our T cells, the most important fighters in our immune response to infection, can become exhausted due to a recuring infection such as in malaria. This exhaustion is a way for the body to protect itself from collateral damage. Finding exhausted T cells does not mean they are never going to be able to protect us again.
Social media sometimes focuses on preliminary laboratory findings that have not been peer-reviewed and can cause needless panic.
The truth is that a temporary change in one type of immune ‘soldier’ (our antibodies and memory T and B cells) does not mean the collapse of the entire army!
THE CLINICAL EVIDENCE
If COVID can create an immune deficiency in our bodies, we must study clinical evidence to find out if a COVID-19 infection can seriously impair our immune systems. If so, we should expect to see other infections in those who have recovered from COVID-19. There is a bit of clinical evidence showing increases in RSV in the US, strep throat, and pink eye in Israel, and increases in autoimmune conditions in Germany.
However, it must be said and understood that severe viral infections will definitely leave the body vulnerable to further infections. This is because it is easier for microbes to get in when our immune system is temporarily damaged by a particularly bad virus.
This is especially true when measures like mask mandates, remote schooling, and restrictions on indoor gatherings are lifted and there is exposure to pathogens all at once. The consequences are even greater for those put in the hospital because of COVID.
But COVID is not special in this respect because being critically ill and in intensive care can also wreak havoc on the immune system. Severe respiratory infections such as the flu and pneumonia can also accelerate dementia, frailty, and metabolic issues.
Please continue reading here more information about this subject and the answer to the question, Is there a direct connection between COVID and immune deficiency?
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In This Issue
Consignment Rugs for Sale - New rugs added Regularly
COVID and Immune Deficiency
Urine Odor Removal
Tea Washing
Elizabeth Blackwell
IT'S STILL RCAD TIME
MARCH RCAD DISCOUNT SPECIAL
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URINE ODOR REMOVAL
URINE ODOR REMOVAL FROM AREA RUGS
If you bring your rugs to our plant for urine odor removal, our unique Decontamination Soak System can completely remove that odor (not necessarily any stains) from certain oriental and area rugs. We are able to guarantee no chemicals or urine odor will remain in your rug. (There is an additional charge for this labor-intensive service).
OUR URINE ODOR (DECONTAMINATION SOAK) PROCESS REMOVES THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR
This urine odor removal system was invented here at ABC Oriental Rug and Carpet Cleaning Co. by Ken Adams (founder and Certified Rug Specialist) and is now used in rug washing plants all over the United States. This process removes the odor by eliminating the source (dissolving the urea crystals), not masking the problem with enzyme digesters or deodorizers.
CAN THIS URINE ODOR REMOVAL SYSTEM BE USED
ON ANY AREA RUG?
No, certain elements of the construction of some rugs prevent us from dissolving the urine crystals. Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) is intended for handmade oriental and occidental rugs and natural fiber (for ex., wool) machine-made rugs.
We are unable to treat area rugs with secondary backings (broadlooms) or rugs with latex adhesive used to apply the secondary backing, such as in hand tufted, some hooked rugs, and olefin rugs. These adhesives do not release the urine once it has penetrated the rug. Therefore, rugs with any glues in their construction can NOT successfully go through the urine odor removal process.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I JUST HAVE THE RUG CLEANED AND
DO NOT ADDRESS THE URINE?
Leaving urine untreated in rugs leads to other concerns besides odor.
- The longer the urea crystals remain in the rug, the darker the urine stain becomes, and the more damage occurs to the foundation.
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Dry rot is a major concern because the growing bacteria weaken the foundation over time. Dry rot can occur undetected until one day a normal vacuuming may be too aggressive and tear the rug.
Although ABC's Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) System and cleaning cannot remove urine stains, it may be able to lighten them, prevent them from becoming darker, and prevent dry rot.
WHY WON'T JUST CLEANING REMOVE THE ODOR?
Please continue reading here for the answer to the above question and more information about urine odor removal.
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TEA WASHING
Tea washing of rugs, also called henna washing, or antiquing, can commonly be found in today’s marketplace, especially with oriental rugs. When people look for a beautiful area rug to grace their home or business, tea washing is an effect that is very inviting.
Tea washed rugs are purposely over dyed with a brown, gold or greenish dye or treated with a chemical to create the effect of making it look older, or to mute the colors to give it a softer look.
But Buyer Beware! Rugs that have an application of tea washing can come with several built-in problems. A wise consumer should learn to recognize a rug that has been subjected to tea washing and be aware of these problems before buying or having the rug cleaned.
WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH TEA WASHING RUGS?
- The chemicals used to tea wash a rug can harbor a really bad odor.
- It is always possible that some people will be sensitive to the chemicals used.
- Most importantly…tea washing is not permanent! The treatment will wear off or wash off over time and it will definitely wear off unevenly.
WHAT IS THE TEA WASHING PROCEDURE?
Although traditionally the tea washing procedure was done by packing rugs in tea leaves, today the process is much different utilizing chemicals or dye treatments to get the same effect.
Rugs will either be soaked or dipped in a chemical or a dye solution or a solution can be sprayed onto the rug. The different application methods, no matter the quality of the materials or how well it is done will affect the way the rug will look when it starts to lose the tea washing treatment.
In a professional rug washing plant like ABC, even the most gentle method of cleaning can remove some of the treatment. Rugs with cotton fringe will lose the tea wash more quickly from the fringe than from the body of the rug.
It is certain that all tea washing will be lost over time from washing, wear, or fading. Unfortunately, there is nothing that anyone can do to prevent this from happening. This is the main reason the consumer or rug owner should learn to recognize tea washed rugs and be aware of the inherent problems.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE TEA WASHING
Please continue reading here for how to recognize tea washing applications on rugs and how ABC can help.
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ELIZABETH BLACKWELL
Elizabeth Blackwell, born in 1821 in England, is most remembered as the first fully accredited female doctor in the United States. But she also played a very important role, both in the US and the UK as a social awareness and moral reformer. She was a devout Christian and an abolitionist as well as a staunch pioneer in promoting education for women in medicine. With her sister, Emily, she founded the first medical school for women.
EARLY LIFE
ENGLAND to NEW YORK to OHIO
Elizabeth was one of 9 children-- two older sisters, 2 younger sisters and 4 younger brothers. Her father, Samuel Blackwell, was a successful sugar refiner in Bristol, England. The sugar refinery was eventually destroyed by fire and when Elizabeth was just 11 years old, she and her family emigrated to New York City.
In New York, Elizabeth’s father was actively involved in abolitionist work. At the dinner table, issues of women’s rights, slavery, and child labor were regularly discussed.
Samuel Blackwell’s attitude towards the education of his children was unusual for the time and included the belief that each child should be given the opportunity for unlimited development of their talents and gifts, even his girls. He did not agree with the notion, then popular, that a woman’s place was in the home or as a schoolteacher. Young Elizabeth Blackwell not only had a governess but private tutors as well.
A few years after moving to New York, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. When Elizabeth was 17 her father died, leaving the family with very little money.
EARLY ADULTHOOD
To find a source of income for the family, Elizabeth and her sisters, Anna and Marian, started a school in 1838. It was called ‘The Cincinnati English and French Academy for Young Ladies.’ The sisters taught many subjects there as well as charging for tuition and room and board.
The school lasted until 1842 when it was closed after Blackwell started regularly attending the Unitarian Church where she was introduced to the idea of transcendentalism. Repercussions from the conservative Cincinnati community resulted in the academy losing too many pupils. Blackwell began teaching private pupils after the school closed.
While attending the Unitarian Church, Blackwell’s interests in education and reform were renewed. She also studied art, wrote short stories, and attended lectures as well as various religious services in all denominations. Women’s rights had also become a very important concern for her.
In 1844, Elizabeth secured a teaching job in Henderson, Kentucky. She found the accommodations and the school lacking and it was here that she had her first experience with the realities of slavery. After only 6 months on this job, she returned to Cincinnati to find a better and more stimulating way to spend her life.
INTEREST IN MEDICINE
Early on in her life, Elizabeth had not been interested in a career in medicine. However, after her experiences with teaching to support her family, she found that the teaching occupation was not a good match for her. Her interest in medicine was sparked after a friend fell ill and let her know that if she had had a female doctor care for her, she might not have suffered so much.
Elizabeth decided she would apply to a medical school. She was able to secure a job teaching music in Asheville, North Carolina to save money for medical school expenses. In Asheville, she obtained lodging with Reverend John Dickson who had been a physician before he became a clergyman. He approved of her career aspirations and allowed her to study the medical books in his library.
Elizabeth’s greatest desire was to be accepted into one of the Philadelphia medical schools. In 1847, she left North Carolina for Philadelphia and New York to personally investigate her opportunities for medical study.
APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOLS
Upon arriving in Philadelphia, Blackwell boarded with one doctor and studied anatomy privately with another. Unfortunately, it appeared she was not welcome into any medical school. It was recommended that she go to Paris to study or disguise herself as a man to study medicine. The reasons given for her rejection were that she was a woman and therefore must be intellectually inferior, and she also might be competition if she showed that she could actually meet the medical school standards.
Blackwell applied to numerous medical schools and was rejected from each one. True to her nature, she did not give up until she was finally accepted to Geneva Medical College in Geneva, New York, originally a separate department of Geneva College, now known as Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She was accepted by the dean and faculty only because as a joke they put her acceptance up to a student vote with the admonition that one dissenting vote would be all it would take to reject her. To their surprise, all 150 male students voted for her matriculation. Thus, in 1847, she became the first woman to attend medical school in the United States.
MEDICAL SCHOOL EDUCATION
Please continue reading here to learn more about the life of Elizabeth Blackwell including her medical studies in London, the New York Infirmary she founded, women she mentored, her attempts at social reform and much more.
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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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MARCH RCAD
DISCOUNT SPECIAL...
35% OFF Urine Decontamination Soak of Area Rugs Cleaned in Our
Certified Washing Plant
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PLEASE CALL OR TEXT ABC at
607-272-1566
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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130 Cecil Malone Drive
Ithaca, NY 14850
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