Carpet Care Tips

Any effort to clean your carpets on your own starts with gathering knowledge – knowledge of the exact material, and knowledge of the correct cleaning methods. Some carpets can endure violent scrubbing and return with a smile, while others are delicate enough to falter under mild exposure to commercial cleaners.

Basic Carpet Care Tips

There's no need to clean a carpet too often and doing so might cause damage. When we say clean, we're referring to an extensive procedure meant to purify the entire carpet. Some people never clean their carpets this way, which is not pleasant to think about.

How often you'll perform a complete cleaning job depends on the amount of traffic and the presence of pets. Since most pets like to run around outside, they have a habit of accumulating dirt on their paws – dirt which they then spread all over your carpet, including those inner layers that are invisible to the eye.

Those of us who only walk over their carpets without shoes, don't eat on them and don't spill anything can get away with cleaning them once every year to year-and-half. Remember that this doesn't refer to vacuuming – you should vacuum as often as possible, and it might not be a bad idea to vacuum several times per week if the carpet attracts a lot of filth.

How you'll clean your carpet depends on the equipment you have access to, the size of the carpet and your preferences. Some like to utilize a commercial steam cleaner, while others prefer soaking the carpet in water.

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The Best Carpet Care Method For You

Using a lot of water mixed with soap or a mild detergent is probably the most efficient way to clean your carpet, provided you have an outlet for the dirty water. Never submerge your carpet in water completely, even if you are able to – it will just make things worse as the carpet will be soaking in the dirt. Scrubbing the carpet is another popular method, provided that the fabric is durable enough. Make sure that the sponge or cloth is absorbent, and avoid dipping it into dirty water and then rubbing it over the carpet again.

Some also have access to a commercial steam cleaner, often as part of their vacuum cleaner. This method produces mediocre results since these machines lack power, and some have also complained that it causes fabric to shrink. Before applying any chemical, always test it out first on an inconspicuous spot on the carpet, even if you intend to mix it with water. Perform this test multiple times if necessary until you are absolutely sure that there will be no negative reaction.

The drying process is another thing you'll want to do pay attention to – leaving a wet carpet indoors can lead to mold very quickly. In the absence of an industrial-grade vacuum, like the one we use as part of our hot water extraction cleaning service, your best bet is to leave the carpet out to dry until you are sure all the moisture is gone, although you'll want to keep in mind that sunlight can cause discoloration of certain delicate materials.

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