There's no question that your daily or weekly vacuuming makes your carpet look fresh and newer but it's not enough to protect your carpet from dirt, debris, and oily film deposits that go with this debris. You can't avoid the oily debris. It comes from cooking vapor, the air, the bottoms of your feet, your pets, and a host of other places. So you'll need to clean your carpets regularly. Follow these carpet cleaning tips to get the best job done. Clean Frequently Carpets should be cleaned every 12 months. This ensures that the oil film doesn't get so thick it discolors your carpets. If you live by yourself or there's just two of you then every 18 months will probably be suffice. If there is more than 5 of you then you'll probably need to do your carpets every 6 months. Hiring A Professional You should consider hiring a professional to clean your carpets. A professional cleaner is trained, that's why he or she is a professional and they will know which type of cleaning is best for your carpet. The professional will come with a heavy duty hot water extraction system which will be used to spray your carpets with water and detergent and then to suck back the water and oil into a tank in their vehicle. Do It Yourself If you decide to rent a steam cleaning machine and do your own carpets you need to realize that the rental equipment is not nearly as powerful as the pro's equipment so you won't get as deep a clean. You also need to realize that some of these machines can damage your carpet so be sure you know what you are renting. Powerless Retail Rentals Choose your retail rental carpet cleaner carefully because many of these lack power meaning you might land up with a carpet that's too wet and not enough power to suck the water up. This could end up damaging your carpet. Make sure you do your research and that you know what you are renting Easy On The Water Pretend like there's a water shortage and use water sparingly. If you use too much water and your carpets are wet for more than 24 hours you can develop mold and mildew growth which is bad for your health. Never mind those interesting odors that seep out of the carpet. Leave No Trace Choose a solution that leaves no or little residue behind. The PH of the cleaning solution should be around 9 and it should always be less than 10. If you are left with that sticky residue your carpets will pick up more residue and pick it up quicker. Wool Carpets Wool carpets are different than the synthetic blends. They require a special solution that is designed for wool and the natural fibers. Make sure the solutions PH is no higher than 8 and no lower than 5. Stop The Stains If your carpets are already treated with a stain resistant treatment you need you use a cleaner that's designed to work with this treatment. Any other cleaner will destroy the stainguard treatment already on the carpets which could cause discoloration and void the warranty. Less Dry Time After you've cleaned your carpet places fans around the room to push air across the carpet. This will reduce the time it takes to dry the carpets and the risk of mold and mildew. If you have a dehumidifier use it to pull the moisture out. An air conditioner will also pull moisture out. Your carpet should be dry in 12 hours or less. Following these carpet cleaning tips will have your carpets looking fresh and clean and it will extend their life. Carpets are expensive so the longer you can make them last the better! |
