Proper Carpet And Rug Cleaning Methods
July 23rd, 2009. Published under Home. No Comments.
For many people, carpeting is a matter of home decoration. But carpets, especially fitted, or wall-to-wall, carpeting, are expensive investments in your quality of life. They can also add value to your home, and it is important to maintain them properly. We all know that simple installation is not enough; maintenance is needed to not only keep your carpet clean but also keep it healthy, free of damage. This article will discuss principles of maintenance with respect to rug or area carpets specifically, though good practices should apply in general to fitted carpeting as well.
As with human health, good carpet health involves a good foundation. A high-quality underlay below the carpet is very important, not only for the better resilience underfoot provided but also because it will prolong the life of your carpet, all other factors being equal. An additional benefit of having a good underlay is that it will help prevent the carpet from slipping or moving underfoot, and thus help prevent accidents.
The bulk of good carpet maintenance practices comprises of frequent vacuuming and cleaning, at least once a week and perhaps even more for highly trafficked areas. The surface of your carpet should be lightly vacuumed in the direction of the pile. Food stains should be spotted, or cleaned, as soon as possible to prevent permanent discoloring. Be sure to avoid excessive abrasive actions so as not to damage carpet tufts.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe and effective cleaning. Most cleaning systems are fine and would not affect your warranty, but if do take care to avoid cationic or high pH chemicals that might impair stain resistance. Chemical-free vapor steam cleaning should be fine in most cases, however. Tougher situations might require shampooing or dry foaming. But while most cleaning will be done yourself, professional cleaning should be arranged annually, even for stain-resistant types. Your carpet should also be rotated once a year to help offset the damage bright sunlight could do to its dyes.
And, last but not least, in cases where storage is a must extended vacations such as year long sabbaticals make sure to clean it and thoroughly dry it before rolling it into brown craft paper. Yes, craft paper; do not use plastic bags as this may allow mildew to form and destroy your carpet’s foundation. Needless to say, a cool dry storage space is also necessary to maintain the integrity of the carpet and its fibers!
Article by William Gold. He writes about proper carpet cleaning methods. If you need carpet cleaners NY and Carpet Cleaning NY visit http://www.ontimecarpet.com they have the best service and prices on the web.