Maintenance Measures In Between Carpet Cleaning Sessions
The longevity of your carpet, its comfort and beauty, are all on the line, and how you take care of it after it has been cleaned is key. After all, you don’t want to watch the time and resources that have been spent on the task going down the drain. After the professionals have given your carpet a deep and thorough clean, here are measures that you should put in place to continue protecting it:
- Let the carpet dry before walking on it
Don’t be in a rush to allow foot traffic back onto the wet carpet. First, the damp nature of the fibres will cause it to readily absorb dirt that is on the shoes of people as they walk about. Secondly, it will also be more susceptible to polishes and dyes on footwear used. Allow the required drying time- as will be recommended by the carpet cleaning personnel who will have worked on your unit.
The same case applied to moving back the furniture. In fact, it is advised that you put off restoring the sets until 24 hours after the carpet has been cleaned. Cases of dye from the wood legs of the furniture getting transferred to the wet carpet will result in new stain problems. Those with metal legs can even have issues of rust stains. These are avoided by just having a little patience.
- Turn on your air conditioner after the carpet cleaning
The goal of this to speed up the drying process. Increasing the heat level in the interior space will enable the moisture that is on the carpet material to get dissipated faster, shortening the drying time.
- Open up the windows
With the freshly cleaned carpet, levels of humidity will increase in the interior space. This will slow down the drying- but this can be counteracted by opening the windows. However, if it is raining outside- or there are higher levels of humidity outside, then you can leave them closed.
- Use fans
They also aid in the air circulation, helping the carpet dry faster. Whether they are ceiling fans or floor fans, turning them on will help in the process, enabling you to resume using the carpet much sooner.
- Investing in carpet protectors
These are treatments that can be applied to your unit after the carpet cleaning has been carried out. They are developed to reduce the rate of resoiling, by increasing the resistance of the carpet material to dirt. They also come in handy in preserving the structural integrity of the installation.
- Attend to spills the moment they happen
Stains are a lot easier to handle when they are cleaned up immediately they form. The sooner that you can get to them, the better. Allowing the stain to remain unattended to for long increases the chances of it becoming a permanent spot on your carpet, especially for those whose composition makes them chemically react with the fibres of the material. Note that the liquids should be blotted up- not scrubbed. You don’t want to force the stain deeper into the fibres and spread it out on the carpet.
- Vacuum the carpet regularly
This is to keep the dust and allergens in check. While the carpet has a large capacity of absorbing the particles from the surrounding environment and filtering the air, this capacity is not limitless. The higher the concentration builds up, the easier the particles will be to dislodge- where even the simple action of walking will result in the allergens being raised back into the air space, triggering reactions. Vacuum the carpet at least weekly- and more frequently for the high traffic establishments.
- Make use of mats
This is especially for the entrances of the house. Walk off mats reduce the amount of dirt that is being tracked into the room and onto the carpet. Mats should be set up at areas like under the dining table, pet feeding bowl, and similar areas where the risk of spills is high.
- Rotate the furniture
In addition to spicing things up and breaking the monotony with the decor, changing the positions of the different sets of furniture also protects the carpet. After all, they are heavy pieces, and when the weight of the sets are on one section of the carpet, the pile gets too crushed. Rotating the sets minimizes the damage.
What You Should Look For When Hiring A Carpet Cleaning Company
You want to ensure that the task gets done right- especially since your property and peace of mind are on the line. When assessing the different companies and what they have to offer, there are a few things that you should ensure you check out. First, there’s the experience of the company’s previous clients. This can be noted from its testimonials, to the feedback that it receives on the different social media platforms. What other customers have to say about the services of the company will give you a good picture about what you should expect. When going through the online reviews, pay particular attention to how the company handled complaints that were made. Of course, there will be trolls- who should simply be ignored. However, genuine complaints- and the response that they received from the company’s support team, will show the level of care that the company puts in its service delivery.
The track record of the carpet cleaning company also comes into focus. How long has it been in business? Is it licensed and insured? The insurance coverage is critical since it protects you from liabilities in case of any accidents while the carpet cleaning is being carried out. When it comes to the prices, you want to get a detailed quotation beforehand. This is with a complete breakdown of the costs that will be incurred, so that there won’t be any surprises later on. Note that the quotation is best provided with an on-site visit, as opposed to via phone. This is because it enables the personnel to make an accurate assessment of the conditions at your residence, and develop a comprehensive plan of what will be needed to get your carpet truly clean.
