12 Things To Know About Carpet Cleaning Carpets, there in all of our homes. Of course it's a given thatat some point you will be doing some carpet cleaning. Here are12 things to know about carpet cleaning that will make your lifeeasier.
1. Toxic Most of the products on the market for carpet cleaning are safeand will have a minimal impact on the environment. However someof the carpet cleaning products do contain toxic chemicals whichcan be hazardous to the person using them as well as otherpeople in the house or pets. So be sure to read the labelscarefully before using. Always try to choose a product with theleast amount of chemicals and in the mildest you can find thatwill work.
2. Clean Often It's always best to clean your carpets on a regular basis. Ifyou do not clean your carpets on a regular basis you will needto use a stronger chemical product because the dirt will haveground itself deeper into the carpet and it becomes moredifficult to lift. Cleaning your carpets on a regular basis iseasier on the environment, your health, and it will help extendthe life of the carpet.
3. Use Caution Read labels very carefully. Not only on the product but on anydocumentation provided with the carpet. Should you use the wrongproduct or a product with stronger chemical than your carpet canhandle you could damage the carpet.
4. Hire The Pros If you are not comfortable with cleaning your carpets yourselfor you can't be bothered to rent a carpet cleaning machine, dragit home, and get to work, then hire the pros! There are manyprofessionals that will clean your carpets for a very reasonablefee and give you a guarantee on the work they do.
5. Installation If you are laying new carpets chances are the reason you aredoing this is because you want them to look appealing and accentthe room while at the same time providing functionality. If youinstall the carpet poorly or install the wrong type of carpetfor the area you will have a higher maintenance cost and thecarpets will need to be cleaned more frequently. So make sureyou choose the correct carpets. Regular vacuuming and spotremoval will also lower your cleaning maintenance costs.
6. The Right Underlay The underlay is more important than you might think and isdirectly related to carpet cleaning. You need to match theunderlay to the type of carpet you will be installing. Carpetshould not be placed in areas were water, chemicals or hard toclean products could be spilled on the carpet. Kitchens, copyrooms, lockers, and entrances to buildings are not a goodlocation to place carpets because your carpet cleaning costswill be high. Poor grade underlay will affect how the stainsoaks into the carpet and how difficult stain removal becomes.
7. Stop The Worst The worst soiling on your carpets comes from outside. So if youstop outside soil from coming in contact with your carpet youwill reduce the amount of chemical cleaners you will have touse. Place a large walking mat at all outside entrances Everyfew days you should vacuum the mats this will prevent soil fromentering the carpeted areas of your home. Have visitors removetheir
shoes so that they aren't dragging that loose dirt acrossthe carpets.
8. Vacuum Often Believe it or not daily vacuuming with a good vacuum cleanerthat has good suction and a power head with a brush type powerbar will help to eliminate soil build up and reduce the amountof times you will need carpet cleaning performed. That's becausethe dirt gets picked up before it has a chance to get ground inand soil the carpet.
9. No Drinks Limit the places you allow the kids to have drinks and messyfoods. If you have young children make them stay seated whiledrinking. If you are really concerned about reducing stainingthen don't let any family member's family drink or carry softdrinks, coffee or other food items across the carpet.
10. Act Fast If you can react to the spill immediately and any spots you seewith a good spot remover you will help prevent stain frombecoming permanent and it will save you having to use a carpetcleaner. Be careful what you use to remove stains because if youuse the wrong chemicals you could smear the stain and spread itfurther and deeper into the carpet. Always first try clear coldwater and blotting with a cloth to remove the stain and onlymove on to a stronger product only as a last resort.
11. Toxic Chemicals You should know that carpet spot removal cleaning productscontain some of the most dangerous chemicals found in anycleaning products. If you us these products be sure to weargloves and use the cleaner according to the manufacturesdirections. Avoid all type 4 spot removers because they containTetrachlorethylene which is very toxic to people and pets.
12. Steam Cleaners Steam or rotary cleaners for carpets use a fairly mild productsso they are an excellent choice. But you can still misuse themso follow the directions carefully. If you use this type ofcleaner you will have to be careful that you do not saturate thecarpet with hot water because if you do it will take longer todry and may result in damage to the carpet.
Some of the cleaners supplied with the machines you rent fromthe local store are highly toxic so be sure the room or roomsyou are working in have a good supply of fresh air. Be sure tokeep kids and pets off the newly cleaned carpets until it is drybecause there is always a residue left on the carpets that canbe harmful to kids or pets. Always let the carpets drycompletely and then vacuum right after it is dry to remove anyresidual contaminants.
These 12 things to know about carpet cleaning that will makeyour life easier much easier and keep you on top of the carpetcleaning game.
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John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buyingprocess and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. Tolearn more and receive your free mini-course visit the
carpet &rugs website.
About the author:
John Murray is an award winning interior designer, self taughtknow-it-all and author. He makes the carpet buying processsimple and provides all the tricks and tips to keep your carpetslasting longer, quickly & easily.
