Why Your Carpet Needs More Than Vacuuming
Carpet vacuuming is a routine part of its maintenance. It should be done at least once or twice a week, and for the high traffic places it can even be done daily. While running the vacuum over the carpet reduces your worries about the dirt and grime that has been building up in it, that is not the only measure that is required. Sure, it is important in keeping the unit in top shape, but the carpet needs a deeper clean that gets to the grime that has been left behind within those lush fibres. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why vacuuming the carpet is not enough.
- Vacuuming only removes the loose dirt and debris
The suction from vacuums picks up the particles that that are dislodged from the fibres of the carpet – but leaves behind that muck that is buried within the unit. Even when the carpet appears clean on the surface, with those fresh vacuum lines on it, there could be more than meets the eye. The dirt that builds up over time, getting forced deeper into the carpet pile under the foot traffic of people walking on it – the mounds get larger, latching onto the fibres of the material. Deep cleaning action, where the solutions used are injected into the material and the carpet given a thorough scrub to extract the filth that is in the unit is needed, which is where methods like hot water extraction come in. Here, the mixture of cleaning solution and heated water that is pumped into the unit flushes out the grime, and the extraction system used yanks out the contents for disposal later on.
- Vacuuming leaves behind the stains
Spill accidents are bound to occur, even despite one’s best efforts to prevent them. All it takes is one slip while holding a glass of wine, the mug of coffee on the table getting knocked over, or the over-excited kids spilling their milk and yoghurt, for an unsightly mess to be formed on your unit. Inkblots, soda and beverage stains, all through to particularly stubborn ones like pet urine accidents – these will create spots that clash with the rest of the patterns and styles on the carpet, while also posing a risk to its structural integrity due to the chemical action of the contents on the fibres of the carpet. This is also why virtually every carpet cleaning blog will insist on you attending to spills immediately they are formed. The longer that the spill remains unattended to, the greater the extent of damage onto the unit. Definitely, vacuuming does not fix this. Such situations call for actual stain removing products that will break down the stains, and a deep cleaning that will remove the contents from your unit.
- It doesn’t remove odours
Those lingering odours can be frustrating and unfortunately vacuuming alone won’t aid you here – especially if the cause is stains that have soaked into the carpet, or decaying organic residue that is buried within that lush pile. A deep carpet cleaning, where the source of the odours is got rid of, coupled with odour neutralisers being used in the process, will enable you to ensure that those foul stenches are got rid of, and that they won’t recur.
Get Your Carpet Looking “Like New” With A Professional Deep Clean
You don’t have to watch your interior décor get ruined because of the sorry state of the carpet. a thorough clean will retore its elegant look and feel. Here, it is recommended that you hire the professionals, as opposed to going the DIY route. This is because of the risks involved. For starters, there are different kinds of carpets, and each come with their unique cleaning requirements. From the natural fabric materials to the synthetic variations, you want to ensure that the chemicals and systems used for the task will get the job done without damaging the underlying material. Popular DIY solutions like whipping up an ammonia solution or working with vinegar can end up wreaking havoc on the carpet if you’re using it on an incompatible material. The pH of the chemicals used is key. One of the common DIY mistakes made is working with a product that is too harsh, such that it corrodes the fibres of the carpet – which is not an outcome that you want for your unit.
Another common DIY carpet cleaning blunder is using too much solution for the task. This is perhaps due to the desire to flush out the soiling from the fibres, but in the process one ends up inadvertently overdoing it. This can lead to issues like colour bleeding, or the fabric shrinking. In worse case scenarios, the carpet gets separated from its primary backing. What of the drying? Getting the carpet all soaked up without powerful extraction systems to suction out as much of the moisture as possible can result in the carpet remaining wet for days. Here, a new problem arises: mould. The longer that the carpet remains wet after the cleaning, the higher the chances that mould will develop in it, and an infestation is the last thing you want affecting your unit. The mould growths are unsightly patches, whose colours clash with the rest of the material. What’s more, mould also produces spores and mycotoxins, both of which pose health risks to the household members.
On the other hand, when you hire professional to handle the carpet cleaning task, they come in with powerful equipment and a skilled crew that apply the appropriate methods, and gets the task done in a fraction of the time that it would have taken going the DIY route. The choice of company you hire is key. When looking through the different options, go over their track record, including reviews and testimonials from clients who had previously sought their services. This will give you an idea of what to expect when you bring them in to take care of your carpet.
