Most of us are aware of the basic do's and don'ts of carpet cleaning, but when an emergency arises, we tend to forget everything we knew. By saving a copy of this article to refer to when you decide your carpet could use some special attention, you'll have a handy reference any time you need it.
Keeping your carpets clean starts from the day they are installed. It's important to vacuum carpets at least once every week, especially in areas that see a lot of traffic. Cleaning a carpet isn't just about stains. It's about sucking out all the dirt, dust, and debris that gets on the carpet and works its way down between the fibers. If and when a stain does happen, it's much easier to deal with it if the carpet isn't clogged with dirt and dust.
Frequent vacuuming has the effect of increasing carpet life. Removing the grit and chunks of debris from the carpet fibers will keep them from building up and damaging the carpet.
Most Americans live in homes that are at least partially carpeted. Even so, the majority of people have no clue about the best way to care for their carpets. Dirty carpets can have a devastating effect on having a healthy environment within your home. Not only do dirty carpets look terrible, they also provide a place where germs and bacteria can grow and multiply. It's important for you to learn how to best take care of your carpet in order to maintain a healthy place for your family to live.
Many Different Kinds of Carpeting
Carpet is a general term that encompasses a whole range of floor coverings. Carpets can be made of cotton, silk, wool, or other plant fibers. The cleaning your carpet will need is determined by the material it is made of. For example, don't use heat when cleaning wool carpets, and any product which contains bleach will remove color from them. You have to know what material your carpets are made of before you can determine the best products to use on them and the optimum methods for keeping them clean. If you move into a home which already has carpets, make it your business to find out the fibers they were made from if possible.
An Array of Different Cleaning Products
Just like there are many different fibers used to make carpets, there are also numerous different products on the market designed to clean them. There's more to cleaning a carpet than just getting the carpet wet and then sucking the water back out of it. Carpets have dirt embedded deep down inside them, and in order to effectively clean them, you need to gently and thoroughly remove this dirt. Therein lies the problem.
Hot Water Cleaning Methods
Hot water extraction has been used effectively for many years now. As mentioned above, this is not a good method to use on wool carpets, but it's a good option for other types of carpeting. High temperatures are used to turn water into steam, and the steam dissolves dirt deep down inside the carpet. There are specially-formulated products designed for use with steam cleaning, and they do a good job. After cleaning, heat and fans can be used to dry the carpet, but check with your service provider prior to hiring it to make sure that drying is included in the price you were quoted. Otherwise you may have to pay extra for drying or wait a couple of days for the carpet to dry on its own.
Methods for Dry Cleaning Carpets
People who don't like the idea of having so much water used on their carpets or those who have wool carpeting may find the method of dry cleaning carpets more to their liking. In this type of cleaning, chemicals are applied to the carpet in the form of a foam or powder. These types of cleaners are formulated to dissolve the dirt in the carpet. After the foam dries or the powder sets, it and the dirt are vacuumed out of the carpet with a special vacuum that has extra powerful suction.
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