Your Carpet
Carpets Cleaning Principals
A good carpets is a result from daily care. Something small as vacuuming and some stain removal can make a massive difference.
There are four main principles for cleaning your carpets, soil suspension, dry soil removal, extraction and then drying. These are the four steps you always want to follow when cleaning a carpets. If shortcuts are taken the results will not be the same.
First things first, removal of dry soil. Since dry soil is insoluble, using chemicals will unfortunately not break down dry soil. It is vital that you do this step first before adding any chemicals. The only real way to remove any dry soil is using the power of the vacuum. The better you vacuum the better the chemicals do its work.
Soil suspension is the next step you take. This is where you will use chemicals to attach to the soluble soil.
There are 4 basic steps to follow before applying the chemicals:
- Time: It is best practise to add your chemicals using a spray bottel. You should allow it to stand for 5-7 minutes for the chemicals to start breaking down the soil.
- Agitation: Once you have successfully added the chemicals to the carpet, it should be properly applied by scrubbing it.
- Chemicals: There are so many companies that really claim to have some kind of cleaning chemical for you carpets. But sometimes it is a good idea to get a really good, expensive chemical to get the job done right the first time around.
- Temperature: Germs and dirt clean better when heat has been applied. The best temperature is 60 degrees celcius and for every 18 degrees above that, the effectivness of the cleaning is then doubled.
Your final step is the drying process. It is extreamly vital to get your carpet drying with 8 hours or mold and unwanted smells will start to develop.
Flea problems
Flea problem is a common issue when you have pets in the house. Ticks and fleas can also breed in carpets. To prevent this from happening, you can buy a flea powder that has a low toxic level which is enough to kill the larvae but not strong enough to effect the people and pets living in the household. All you are going to need is the power and a broom, all you need to do is sprinkle the power across the floor and spread it with a broom to make sure you get the best coverage and best protection.
Carpet Maintenance / Extend Life Span
A vacuum a day keeps the dirt away. Not only will this just keep the carpets clean and increase its life span, but also it will clean up the dust and help those who have allergies in the household. This will also leave your carpet looking nice and clean as long as it possibily can.
Here are some simple tips for carpet maintenance.
- - Doing a regular vacuum on your carpets will prevent the soil from becomming hard in the pile
- - Find out what carpet you have, some carpets need special vacuum cleaners that comes with a beater bar, rotating brush or a suction only vacuum.
- - If the area has a high volumn of traffic, it is recommended to get a professional cleaning service to come atleast once every 12-18 months.
- - If there are pieces of snags and sprouts, make use of scissors to cut them as pulling them out will just inflict damage apon the carpet.
- - If you by accident burn the carpet, one should simply just use curved fingernail clippers to cut them off. If the area that is burnt is really bad, then it is recommended to patch the area or replace it.
- - Is the dents from heavy furniture bothering you? Use the edge of a coin to stroke the dents. Another method is to use a steam iron or hair dryer. Do not let the iron touch the carpet.
- - Had very bad water damage? It is recommended to contact a professional cleaner to come and dry your carpet from back to front.
Bad smells?
Is there a bad smell in your house thats coming from your carpets? There are fortunately many solutions to this problem.
The most common one is to make use of bicarbonate of soda(baking soda), this is a household item that will save you money. Simply make sure the soda is spread in a even layer on the affected area and allow this to stand for a few minutes or let it stand longer for a good clean. The baking soda simply absorbs the smell and then just vacuum the affected area and your carpet is left with a nice clean smell. Sometimes baking soda just doesn't do the job, then consider doing a foam clean.
Foam cleaners is applied in a even layer on the surface, most foam cleaners comes with instructions to follow as some differ from others.Foam cleaners usually dry into a poweder form that can just be vacuumed and then your carpet is as good as new. If all hope is lost, then consider turning to a professional carpet cleaning company that will use chemicals designed to remove the smell without damaging your carpet.
Cleaning different carpets
Do you know what carpet you have? Then there are different cleaning procedures depending on the carpet type you are using.
Berber Carpet
A berber carpet has big loop piles, this makes it very easy to clean as dirt and any other forms of pollutant cannot penetrate much deeper than the loops they touch. Unfortunately these carpets are prone to show wear and tear alot easier, especially if you a pet that nibbles on the piles that stick out. Sometimes stains can reappear a few days later, then its recommended to approach a professional cleaning service.
Wool carpet
A simple vacuum can clean this type of carpet, but avoid using a rotary brush on wool as the yarn my fuzz. You can remove the grit with going over the carpet at various angels to make sure you get all the dirt out. When cleaning a spill, never use ammonia or any other alkaline with a high concentration as this can damage the wool and ruin the look and feel of the carpet. Home cleaning is not always recommended for wool as it absorbs water better than that of the other types, making it hard to dry.
Frieze Carpet
Unlike your berber carpets, the frieze carpet can hide a greater deal of dirt, because a frieze carpets is make from small twisted fibers that doesn't stand up like any other which makes it very easy to absorb stains and distribute it. The best way to properly clean this carpet and not making it more appealing to the naked eye, is achieved by the means of using a steam or dry cleaning solution.
The pro's and con's of carpets
Pro's
Since the modern day carpets comes treated against stain, it makes it very easy to clean, but remember to wipe up spills as soon as possible as stain guards can only hold for so long. Carpets also have a positive impact onto the environment. It saves energy by providing insulation in winter and summers, it prevents drafts and chills and isolating the heat outside which cuts your electricity bills. Carpets make it a very good choice for a bedroom and study as it reduces the noise levels.
Con's
In carpets the denser the weave of the carpet and the more material used the greater the problems when facing, staining, mildew and moisture absorption thus making not a very good choice for bathrooms.
If you a allergy sufferer, then carpets is not a good idea. The fibers of a carpet catches and holds dust, bugs, bacteria and dirt. If you are asthma sufferer or have a respitory disease, its is visable to look at other options for flooring, or invest some time to keep the carpets as clean as possible.
Unfortunatly when it comes to water damage, it is best to throw out your carpet, as this can develop mold and mildew which can land up making you sick. Although carpets are treated, the stain guards don't agree so well with pets, erradicating the smell that occurs should your dog or cat urinate or defecate can be extreamly difficult.