CARING
FOR CARPET
Carpet Maintenance and Cleaning
Carpeting can be one of the most durable investments you
make for your home - provided you care for it properly.
With routine cleaning and basic maintenance, a quality carpet
can last 20 years or more.
Today's carpets are designed to hide soil and even repel
it, thanks to advances in chemical treatments.
However, carpet fibers can still trap and hide dust, dirt,
bacteria and other pollutants. Over time, that can lead
to matting and a general deterioration of your carpet.
Regular carpet cleaning has a number of benefits that we
sometimes forget:
-
It extends the life of your carpet.
- It
gives a fresh, clean look to a room.
- It
makes a room smell better.
- It
eliminates dust and particles that bother people with
allergies and asthma.
Vacuuming
Regular vacuuming is perhaps the easiest and most dependable
way to give your carpet a longer life.
Here's a few tips to keep in mind when you're vacuuming
at home or shopping for a new vacuum:
-
Choose a vacuum cleaner with dual motors, one for suction
and the other for the beater bar that loosens dirt. (Canister
vacuums and 'electric brooms' don't have a beater bar.)
This said, it is not always advisable to use a beater
bar on many types of berber carpeting. The beater bar
can cause snags in the loops of the berber which can cause
carpet fibers to unravel in long lengths.
-
Make sure your vacuum cleaner has adjustable and rotating
brushes that can loosen ground-in soil, and a strong enough
airflow to penetrate to the backing.
- Make
sure the filtration bag is enclosed and adequately limits
particles from recirculating into the air.
- Remember
that vacuum cleaners generally lose some of their suction
power over time, so that cheap stand-up model might not
turn out to be a very smart investment.
Deep Cleaning
Carpet should be deep cleaned (also known as steam cleaning)
at least once every two years. A high-pressure solution
of water and detergent is sprayed into the carpet, and then
the resulting mixture is vacuumed out.
There are a variety of methods of deep cleaning, and hiring
a professional to do the job is always advisable.
Many homeowners, however, prefer the do-it-yourself approach
using rented cleaning machines. If you are steam-cleaning
your own carpet, here's a few pointers to remember:
-
Don't over-wet the carpet, since it might cause the carpet
backing or seams to separate.
- Allow
the carpet to dry completely before walking on it - 12
hours is recommended.
- Provide
proper ventilation or use fans to quickly dry the carpet
and expel any odours from the cleaning solution.
Spot Cleaning for Spills/Stains
It can be very troublesome when you have spills on carpet.
The fibers do tend to trap the contents of the spill.
It is always best to try and clean the spot immediately.
Many off the counter stain remedies, Spot Shot, do get out
most stains. If you have light coloured carpeting you should
test the stain remover in an inconspicuous area first because
it can discolour the area treated. Sponging club soda on
fresh stains can be an effective treatment.
The key to getting out spills from carpeting is to blot,
and not scrub, at the substance. For liquids you wish to
try and absorb as much of the spill out of the carpet fibers
as possible. For other substances you don’t want to
grind it further into the carpet fibers.
As with every type of flooring, it is always best to keep
some of the material left over from the initial installation.
If you have a burn, or spill, that you cannot remove with
cleaning then most materials can be patched.
