The Importance of Good Carpet Care
Carpets add comfort to a home, but if you are not keeping them clean, they could have adverse effects on your family’s health. Uncleaned carpets can hold dirt, allergens, and other undesirables, which can make your family sick. Additionally, if you avoid cleaning carpets, odors will form and cause your home to smell unpleasant.
To avoid these issues, you must clean your carpet regularly and follow all carpet care tips and directions. However, regular carpet cleaning doesn’t have to be tedious or difficult. You can always invest in high-quality professional carpet cleaners to do the work for you. Or, if you’re feeling up to the challenge, try a few of these easy-to-implement carpet cleaning tips to make this chore more manageable.
Different Types of Carpet Cleaning Methods
There are several ways to clean a carpet, and each homeowner prefers one over the rest. So, try each of these carpet cleaning tips and then choose the suitable method for your needs.
- Dry Cleaning
This strategy uses a cleaning agent that is brushed or rubbed into the carpet to break down dirt, oils, and other residues. Afterward, cleaning agents are removed along with all the unwanted debris.
As a bonus, these cleaners also add protection to the fibers to prevent future stains.
However, this method is not ideal for infants or toddlers, as the dry cleaning agent can trigger allergic reactions.
Dry cleaning is usually best left to professional carpet cleaners, as it’s an involved process that takes time to learn.
2. Steam Carpet Cleaning
Steam cleaning is also known as the hot water extraction method. In this process, the rug is treated with a mixture of hot water and a cleaner. Then, a machine is used to suck up the liquid along with the accumulated dirt and grime.
Steam cleaning is safer for pets and children because it does not leave behind residues from the cleaners. Most carpet cleaning professionals prefer this method, and it is a recommended carpet cleaning method by carpet manufacturers.
3. Encapsulation
Encapsulation uses a chemical solution that is sprayed onto the carpet. A machine is then used to work the cleanser into the fibers.
The dirt particles are encapsulated in the solution and begin to crystallize. Later on, the surface is vacuumed to pick up the crystallized particles.
This method will not be effective on extremely greasy or oily rugs.
4. Shampoo
Shampooing utilizes detergents and soaps to get rid of dirt, grease, and stains. This method requires a shampooing machine because it has a powerful motor and brushes to dig out debris deep within the fibers for a more thorough purification.
However, this technique uses a lot of water. The drying time is much longer than steam cleaning, so no one will be allowed to walk on the carpet until it is completely dry.
Prepare Your Home For Carpet Cleaners?
Once you have chosen the method that you think will best serve your family’s needs, you must prepare your home by doing several things
1. Pre-vacuum carpets
Vacuuming your carpet will help get some larger dirt particles off the floor. About 90% of all dirt in the carpet can be removed by vacuuming.
In addition to vacuuming, you should also make sure larger items are out of the way, such as toys, small furniture, clothes, and others. You want your home to be as clean as possible to speed up the process.
It also wouldn’t hurt to vacuum your furniture and drapes as well. For instance, make sure there is no trash or items in between the couch cushions.
2. Move furniture out of the way
Moving furniture out of the way will also speed up the cleaning process. Also will ensure that carpets under the furniture will get cleaned.
Couches, coffee tables, television stands, and other items could be transferred to another room or area.
3. Secure valuables
Valuable items, especially fragile ones, need to be stored safely. The last thing you want is any precious family heirlooms being broken accidentally.
It’s also a good idea to hide away your valuables to avoid theft, especially if you’re hiring outside help.
4. Keep your pets protected
You do not want your fur babies getting into dangerous chemicals and equipment, so make sure you have a safe place to put them during the cleaning.
Put your pets into a separate room where they can be comfortable and out of the way.
You could also send them to a friend’s house or a pet hotel for a day.
How To Identify If Your Carpet Needs a Professional Cleaning?
Many people choose to clean their carpets themselves. Still, sometimes it’s necessary to hire a professional crew to do the job.
Some of the signs you need to hire a professional include:
1. Tough carpet spots/stains
If you have stains that just won’t come out no matter how hard you try, consider getting specialists to help. They will have professional equipment and products that will work better than average store-bought ones.
2. Bad carpet odors
As previously mentioned, smelly odors are an undeniable sign that your floor is overdue for a good cleaning.
If nothing seems to get rid of that rancid smell, it’s time to call the experts. Your guests and loved ones will thank you.
3. Stubborn traffic line
Anyone who has carpet will agree that traffic lines are eyesores. Yet, they are inevitable, especially when you have a large family and pets.
Getting rid of a traffic line can be tricky, so leave that to the professionals since they have more knowledge and better tools. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.
Conclusion: The Importance of Regularly Scheduled and Professional Carpet Maintenance
It may not seem like a big deal at first. Still, the importance of regularly scheduled and professional carpet maintenance is paramount. The longer you put it off, the worse the situation will become and the more challenging it will be to get your floor fully clean.
There’s no reason to put off carpet cleaning just because of a busy schedule. Instead of spending the time and energy carpet cleaning, call the pros to perform a high-quality job. Most professional carpet cleaning companies make it easy to schedule routine maintenance, so you never have to worry about the state of your carpets again.