Your Carpet Deserves Specialist Care
You took your time to pick the right carpet that accentuates your interior space. From the colours to the patterns and even the material itself, each carpet comes with its unique attributes that make the indoor space pop. That aesthetic effect, the soft feeling underfoot, the warmth that the carpets bring to the rooms in which they are installed – it all needs to be taken care of. You don’t want to have spent all that money setting up the carpet, only to watch it get rapidly deteriorated due to the wear and tear effects of everyday life. Vacuuming and deep carpet cleaning are vital to prolong the life of the installation. Additional measures like applying stain-proofing treatment also come in handy. Here, we will focus on the intricacies of the carpet cleaning process, and how you can get the most value for your installation.
When did your carpet last receive a thorough wash? Even carpet manufacturers recommend having them cleaned by a professional at leave every 12-18 months. Homes with kids and pets and business premises handling high levels of traffic will require more frequent residential and commercial carpet cleaning services respectively. If you wait for the carpet to first begin showing signs of dirt building up, then you will already have waited for too long. This is because the carpet’s own structure makes it good at hiding dirt, with more soiling and particulate matter being pushed deep within the fires and lush pile. In fact, by the time discolouration due to the dirt becomes visible, then the carpet cleaning will have been long overdue.
Are there more people in the building getting allergic reactions? This includes more cases of the sniffles, coughs and sneezes, as well as other respiratory issues like more asthma attacks being triggered. This is a pointer to there being an increased concentration of allergens in the indoor space – and a majority of these are in the carpet, having accumulated over time. Then there are those cases when an odour begins developing. It can range from a musky odours that gradually become stronger – which are caused by the decaying organic matter in the carpet or even body oils transferred from the soles of the feet to the carpet material, all through to instant unbearable stenches like those from urine stains for those households with pets. It all needs to be got rid of to restore normalcy and comfort to the indoor space.
Go Beyond Vacuuming
Vacuuming, while important, relying on it alone is not enough to take care of your carpet. The suction from the vacuum removes the dirt particles that are on the top layers of the carpet – and this leaves behind the deeply ingrained soiling. Dirt that remains in the carpet continues with its abrasive action, wearing down the fibres of the material as people walk on it. Then there are those stains that are formed by the occasional spills, as well as the odours themselves – which can’t be removed by vacuuming. An in-depth cleaning is required, and hiring the professionals to come in and give your unit a thorough wash will restore its fresh look and feel.
When vacuuming, take additional measures like working with a unit that has a HEPA vacuum. These feature high levels of effectiveness in removing the particulate matter from the indoor space, and preventing them from being recirculated back into the air. It ends up being beneficial for the occupants of the building, and the carpet itself, since a majority of particulate matter that would get back into the environment would eventually settle on the carpet again.
Different Carpet Cleaning Methods
Cleaning contractors employ different tactics when it comes to working on carpets. Their effectiveness varies, which is why you should have a comprehensive discussion with the contractor you’re about to hire about the particular carpet cleaning methods they will use. Some of these include:
- Dry powder cleaning
Here, a powder formation is mixed with water and solvent, and the mixture is sprinkled all over the carpet. This clumps up, forming “micro-sponges” which break down and absorb the dirt. The contractor then vacuums up the clumps. One drawback to this method is that it is just effective on the surface soiling, leaving behind the dirt that is within the rest of the structure. However, it allows for quick cleaning, especially in busy areas where downtime needs to be kept to a minimum. A thorough round of deep carpet cleaning will still be required in such environments, since the dirt that remains behind will continue being a threat to the carpet.
- Encapsulation
The contractor starts by vacuuming the surface, then applying the encapsulating formulation. Rotary agitation equipment is then used to whip up the dirt and mix it with the product. The particulate matter is encapsulated by the formulation, and after the required drying time the contents are then vacuumed off. It’s also a low-moisture carpet cleaning method that minimises downtime and allows the carpet to be used immediately after the cleaning has been done.
- Bonnet cleaning
This is also a low-moisture technique, but where the carpet takes longer to dry than the first two – usually within half an hour. The carpet is sprayed with a self-neutralising cleaning agent, and a rotary scrubber works it into the fibres. This scrubber comes with a dry cotton bonnet pad, and the approach is suitable for quick cleaning.
- Hot water extraction
One of the most popular methods of professional carpet cleaning, here you get to ensure that even the dirt that is buried deep within the carpet has been removed. Heated water is pumped into the carpet at high pressure. The mechanical forces alone are enough to dislodge the dirt from the fibres of the carpet, allowing it to be flushed out to the surface. Carpet cleaning agents can be incorporated into the task too, such as spot treatments to assist with the chemical breakdown of the particularly stubborn stains. A high-powered vacuum is then used to extract the mixture of dirt and cleaning agents from the carpet. Depending on the power of the suction, most of the moisture can be removed to speed up the drying, such that the carpet is just left slightly damp, and will have dried completely within the same afternoon that it has been cleaned. The key benefit of this carpet cleaning method is that you get to remove the grime that has been trapped in the carpet, which enables you to enjoy the freshly cleaned carpet for longer, and increases the lifespan of the installation.
The choice of carpet cleaning method will also be dependent on the level of soiling that is involved, the kind of stains that are to be removed, as well as the particular material of the installation that is being worked on. Engaging with a professional for the task will ensure that your carpets get worked on without putting their structural integrity at risk. The professional should be able to recommend to you the ideal method for your situation. This is also why it is important to go through the reviews and testimonials from past clients. Checking out the social media pages of the carpet cleaning contractor, as well as business directory listings with the feedback feature, enables you to gauge the level of satisfaction that previous clients have had with the kind of service that was rendered. When looking at the different formulations, be keen on their impact to the indoor air quality. Will they release fumes into the indoor space? Extra measures on your part such as ensuring that there is proper aeration in the rooms where the carpets are being cleaned will also positively contribute to the process. Will the products be safe for kids and pets? Going through these early with the representative of the carpet cleaning company will prevent disagreements later on.
When it comes to cost, this will vary based on factors such as the size and number of carpets being worked on, the material they are made of since it will determine the cleaning processes to be used, all through to the frequency with which you want the carpet cleaning services to be scheduled. Comparing quotations from different local carpet cleaning companies will give you the expected range that your particular situation will go for.
Insurance is also key. After all, no company can say with absolute certainty that it will not get into an accident during the carpet cleaning. Sure, professionals put in place safety measures to mitigate against these threats. However, having insurance provides an additional layer of protection. Ideally, this is insurance that covers the personnel themselves as they carry out the cleaning, as well as your property. That way, in case of an unfortunate incident, you won’t find yourself facing costly liabilities. Don’t forget to ask about the guarantees that the contractor has for their job. What happens in the event that you’re not satisfied with the services that they have provided? How will you follow it up? Get this clarified at the onset. The quotations should also be in writing, that way you know exactly what you’re paying for, and not just dealing with vague estimates.
Maintaining The Carpet After The Professional Cleaning
Having the carpet cleaned professionally is also an investment which you wouldn’t like to see wasted. You don’t want the freshly cleaned carpet getting soiled quickly, wasting time and resources that you spent in having it cleaned. Here are extra issues that you can factor in to retain that elegant look and feel for longer:
- Allow sufficient time to dry
A general rule is that you shouldn’t walk on the wet carpet. Any soiling that is on the shoes will be readily absorbed by the fibres of the carpet. Sure, one of the benefits of hiring a professional carpet cleaning team is that they implement drying systems to suction out the bulk of the moisture from the material – which leaves it just damp to the touch. This cuts down the drying time from days to mere hours, such that even normalcy can resume in the same day that the carpet has been cleaned. However, before it fully dries, do not allow traffic on it. Additional measures you can take include ensuring that there is ample ventilation in the room, as well as using fans to improve air circulation and speed up the drying.
- Indoor footwear
It’s tempting to walk barefoot on carpets. After all, they are soft and warm underfoot. However, this is not really good for your carpet. When walking barefoot, natural oils from the skin are transferred to it. This grime is sticky, trapping, more dust particles and contributing to an increased rate of dirt build-up within the carpet. With more people walking barefoot in the premises, this effect becomes more pronounced. Instead of having the building’s occupants walking around barefoot, it is preferable that they wear socks or slippers. Note that this should be footwear that is strictly used indoors, not the shoes that are worn outside.
Accidents can happen, despite one’s best efforts to avoid them. That slip of the mug from the hand, nail polish that drips onto the carpet, ink blots – they all cause messes on the carpet, and need to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. The longer that they remain unattended to, the more difficult they will be to remove.
When dealing with spills, remember to blot, not rub. Blotting with an absorbent cloth soaks up the spill, while rubbing causes it to get deeper into the carpet fibres. Spot cleaners come in handy here as well, since they allow you to quickly deal with the sections that have been stained. However, ensure that you only apply carpet cleaning products that have been developed for dealing with the particular kind of material – since natural and synthetic fibre carpets have their requirements.
- Make the vacuuming routine
The carpet builds up dirt round-the-clock. Dust particles settling on the material, soiling that gets tracked onto the premises under people’s shoes, pet fur and dander, fibres from upholstery and other fabrics on the premises, skin flakes and the faecal residue of the dust mites feeding on them – it all piles up in within the caret. Routine vacuuming enables the particles to be removed and reduces the rate of build-up, making subsequent carpet cleaning tasks easier as well.
