How to Properly Clean Your Carpet
Carpet can make a room cozy and add texture to your floors, but it also collects lots of dirt and stains. And while regular vacuuming helps, a good cleaning once or twice a year is often enough to keep your carpet looking and smelling fresh. In addition, it’s important to clean your carpet to prevent mold and other health problems. Whether you choose to do it yourself with a machine like this spray cleaner or hire professional cleaners, the right cleaner and method can help your carpet last longer and remove old, set-in stains.
Before you use any Carpet cleaning Adrian, always vacuum the carpet. This will remove most of the larger dirt particles and any that are loose. If you have a small handheld vacuum like a shop vac or one of these portable car vacuums, this is even better. You don’t want to be rubbing those large chunks of yuck deeper into your carpet as you scrub them!
Vacuuming: The Most Important Step
Vacuuming your carpet regularly is the best thing you can do to extend its life and reduce future maintenance. It also helps prevent the build-up of dust and dirt that can suffocate your carpet and cause it to look dingy. Most manufacturers recommend that you vacuum at least once a week, especially high-traffic areas.
Stain Removal: Getting rid of pesky stains is easier than you might think with the right carpet cleaner. If your carpet has a lot of stains, try to remove them as soon as they occur to avoid them setting in and becoming more difficult to remove. A few common stains that can be tough to get out include coffee, red wine, and pet stains.
A carpet cleaner with a built-in stain remover can be very helpful for these types of stains. These cleaners typically have enzymes or other ingredients that break down the stain and lift it from the fibers. The most common types of carpet cleaners are hot water extraction (steam cleaning) and dry cleaning very low moisture. Hot water extraction or steam cleaning uses a combination of hot water, detergent solution, and pressure to thoroughly clean your carpet fibers and extract the dirty water/detergent mixture into a separate tank.
Dry cleaning, on the other hand, uses specialized compounds and machines to clean your carpet with very little water. This can be a great option for older carpet that has become stiff and dingy or if you have an area rug that says “dry clean only” on the label. It can take up to 24 hours for your carpet to dry after a dry clean, but it’s much faster than steam cleaning.
If you do choose to clean your own carpets, be sure to check the manufacturer’s warranty before choosing a product. Many carpets have a manufacturer’s warranty that covers between one and five years. Using an alternative cleaning product could void the warranty. Also, it’s usually a good idea to ask the carpet manufacturer for specific instructions on care and maintenance.