Carpets have been around for a long time, and there are a variety of cleaning methods. However, new methods of professional carpet cleaning have given rise to a lot of myths related to carpet cleaning. These myths have dissuaded people from getting carpets and keeping them clean. A dirty carpet is not just full of dust and grime; it is a breeding ground for germs and diseases. In fact, dirty carpets pollute the air inside your house that can result in various ailments for your family. To keep your family healthy and your home clean, it is necessary to clean your carpet regularly. The following myths may have prevented you from enjoy carpet as your choice of flooring.
Don’t Vacuum Carpets Too Much
When we see small balls of fluff getting sucked into the vacuum cleaner every time we vacuum, we think that we are losing portions of our carpet. However, research has proved that vacuuming does not really destroy your carpet – you can easily vacuum a carpet three to four times a week without losing it for many years. Considering that an average carpet is vacuumed only three to four times a month, it is imperative that you increase the frequency of your vacuuming.
Professional Carpet Cleaning Shrinks Carpets
The days are long over when carpets were made from shrinkable natural materials like pure wool and silk on a jute base. Most carpets today are nylon tied on a synthetic base. Since synthetics do not shrink even in hot water, there is absolutely no chance of your carpet shrinking or losing color due to steaming or hot water extraction. On the other hand, if you have a woolen or silk carpet, then hiring professionals for cleaning it is a better option since they will know what to use while cleaning it so that it loses neither color nor size.
Cleaning A Carpet is a Messy Affair
You may notice that your carpet gets dirtier as you clean it. What you may not know is that this is because of ‘dirty’ cleaning. If your carpet does not get cleaned properly and remains of cleaning chemicals are left in it, then it is bound to attract more dust and grime than it was doing earlier.
Therefore, it is important that the carpet is cleaned properly, and remains of chemicals totally removed. If this is done, your carpet will not pick up any more dirt than it was doing earlier. In fact, getting a Scotchgard coating will ensure that it remains neat and clean for a long time to come. The trick here is to hire a good professional carpet cleaning company that knows its job instead of trying to do it yourself or hiring incompetent, cheap cleaners.
No matter what you do, it may still be difficult to get your carpet as clean as a professional. However, if you want to maintain your carpets yourself, here are some tips.
Heat Helps
Hot water extraction or steam cleaning is far more effective than dry cleaning. If you’re going to clean your own carpets, be sure to use heat.
There are three related factors at work when you clean carpet: heat, dwell time, and agitation. All of these factors work together to leave your carpet spotless. If you can’t your cleaning solution hot enough, let it dwell longer in the carpet and scrub harder.
The Best Carpet Cleaning Tips
Detergent attracts dirt. Therefore, it’s important to rinse out any cleaning solution thoroughly. This is another reason why hot water extraction gets carpet cleaner than the dry methods. The bottom line is that you need to rinse well when you clean carpet.
One way to clean stains is with the use of a shop-vac. It’s not possible to just remove the stain with a shop-vac, but you can repeatedly wash and rinse the area, and suck out the solution each time. This is a more effective method than blotting up the water with cloth, mostly because you won’t have the patience to wash, rinse and extract enough times using paper towels or cloth.
Another carpet cleaning trick is by putting rugs outside and inside the front door -they can catch much of the dirt that people bring in on their feet. This isn’t just about less vacuuming, though. Dirt is like thousands of little blades that cut carpet fibers. The damaged carpet stains more easily then, and it’s harder to remove the stains. An even better practice is to take off your shoes in the house.
Ready to clean? Be sure to vacuum first. Then, if you use one of those portable machines, try and get the water as hot as you can. Dry the carpet quickly, using fans to move the air around. By maintaining your carpet and using these tips, you can lengthen the time between expensive professional cleanings