When carpet is purchased many manufactures state that carpet is only warranted if care is provided by professional carpet cleaners. This is becoming more important now that carpet cleaners are able to be rented throughout grocery stores, home improvement and hardware stores. Doing it yourself is not an option for many reasons. That is just one.
The reason that do it yourself carpet cleaners are not an option is because the equipment cannot be properly adjusted. This can cause issues with the amount of detergent verse water released into the carpet. This can lead to a residue being left on the carpet fiber leaving the texture forever ruined. Another problem that do it yourself machines have is that the suction is not great enough to suck out all of the water and will lead to saturation and over-wetting. This then can lead to re-soiling of the carpet, fiber damage and discoloration.
It is best to call in the professionals when tackling a job of the proportion. It is an expensive mistake to make if done incorrectly and not able to be reversed without replacement. To keep carpets fresh in between cleanings a bit of precaution can help. Throw rugs, entrance mats and a shoe free policy can all help with this. Cleaning up spills as they happen with cleaning solutions appropriate for the type of carpet will increase the time between professional cleanings.
There are several options available in professional carpet cleaning methods. It is important that the professional carpet cleaner employed goes through what type of carpet you have verse the method used. Different carpet fibers use unique cleaning methods. The options are; carpet shampooing, dry chemical, absorbent pad or hot water extraction.
The method used for your carpet will depend on several factors. The material, pile, amount of soiled debris and the wear & tear of the carpet will affect the professional’s choice of methods that are to be used on your particular carpet. It is important that the choice that they use does not damage the carpet fibers which will in turn shorten the life span of the carpet. It is also important that a residue/film is not left once the carpet is cleaned. This defeats the purpose of cleaning the carpet as it will easily become soiled once again.
A typical house should have its carpets cleaned every twelve to eighteen months. This will be determined solely on the amount of activity within the home. It is also important to remember the type of activity too. If for instance the home is filled with animals the carpet should be attended to more often as they attract dirt and leave hair residue. Also, the color of carpet is important. Lighter colored carpet is more apt to show dirt where as darker carpets may hide it better. Blends are notorious for hiding grime and therefore can go longer between cleanings. Although it is important to have the carpets attended to before the soil and damage is too embedded within.