Regular Carpet Cleaning Tips
Did you know that weekly carpet cleaning can actually reduce the allergens in your home? It's true- Carpeting absorbs more particles in your home then hard surface flooring can, and this keeps them out of the air, which keeps them out of your lungs. It also means that keeping your carpet clean is even more important.
Keeping your carpet routinely clean will increase its useful life in your home, and will keep it looking better between the professional cleanings that are usually recommended between every 12 to 24 months.
Read the warranty that came with your carpeting and check with the manufacturer for any special care instructions. It’s possible that certain preventative measures are required to keep your warranty in force with the manufacturer. This can include routine vacuuming and periodic professional cleaning.
If you have a high-traffic home, you are likely to sweep more often and use stain removing agents due to spills. Be sure to check with your carpet manufacturer to see what types of chemicals and vacuum cleaners are suitable for your carpet, and follow their instructions. Well maintained carpeting can last 20 years or more.
Before you start to sweep the floor, always do a walking inspection to look for items that may be drawn up into the vacuum that should not really go there. Items like small toys, coins and jewelry for example can be found anywhere on the floor, or under furniture. In home office settings, watch out for things like staples, paper clips, push pins, tacks, and rubber bands. All such items like that can cause havoc on a sweeper, suction tubes and bags.
Always check the dirt level in your sweeper bag or canister before starting. If it’s full or nearly full, consider replacing it soon, if not before the next time you sweep.
When vacuuming, start in the corner of a room and work backwards towards the center of the room, always being cautious of pets, children, furniture and other items you may bump into. Working a room “backwards” allows you to see easily the areas you have already swept without walking over the area again. You will also notice on many carpets that you will have light and dark paths as the sweeper moves back and forth across the carpet. This is due to moving the carpet fibers with and against the grain and is perfectly normal.
In commercial cleaning, you will find people vacuuming a room in one direction, East to West for example, then vacuuming the room again in a North to South movement. The reason they are doing this is to further clean the fibers. Most people don’t vacuum this way, but if you want to alternate how you sweep every time, that’s a good idea too. Sweeping across the same carpet in up to 5 passes will obtain the best results, though a double or triple pass is often quite good. If you sweep at half the speed of your walking pace, that's usually a good rate.
Keep in mind that sweeping is not a race, the sweeper actually has to beat the carpet fibers to loosen the dirt so that the suction can remove it. On certain carpets, like high shag carpeting, suction only sweepers should be used. Using sweepers with beater brushes can cause the fibers to unravel and frizz, and shed.
When stains occur, treat them as fast as possible. Don’t forget there is carpet padding under the carpet and for best results. Carpeting often has stain treatments from the factory or from professional cleaners like us that make stains much easier to clean than years past. Sometimes, it can be as simple as blotting the stain with a dry clean cloth or paper towels to lift the moisture off, leaving the carpet clean. Always check with the manufacturer first for care instructions. Check our Carpet Stain Removal Tips page for more information.
When looking at stain treatments, some products are more people and pet safe than others. If that Is a consideration, conduct your research so you can find a product you will be happy with.
As to selecting vacuum cleaners, not all model or brands have the same capabilities. Care should be exercised when selecting a unit that is right for your needs. For you and your family's respiratory and allergy health, it’s more important how much particulate escapes from the cleaner during normal use than what features and hoses it can use. Some manufactures now offer vacuum cleaners with an ultraviolet light that with repeated use on your carpet will kill many of the bacteria and other unpleasant matter living there, between professional carpet cleanings.
Professional Carpet Cleaning using either Deep Cleaning Systems or Deep Cleaning Extractors is truly preferred at least once every 12 to 24 months for all homes. If your home has high traffic, consider cleaning those areas more frequently.