Your plush carpets add to the beauty of your home. They finish off the decor of a room and make it warm and inviting. Unfortunately, among the things they invite are a host of impurities.
Dirt and grime settle deep in the pile of your carpet along with hair and dander from your pets. Bacteria and other microbes find your carpet a perfect place to lurk and multiply. While simple food and drink stains are easily apparent, most of the impurities that reside in your carpet are invisible to the naked eye. Over time, these impurities will wedge themselves deeper into you carpet, making them resistant to removal by vacuuming. So what you may think is fresh clean carpet could actually be harboring a host of germs and allergens.
How often should you have a professional clean your carpets? The cleaning frequency for a home depends on several factors, such as the number of persons living in the home, number of children and pets, and whether any occupants are smokers. Outside factors also determine cleaning frequency, such as weather conditions, industrial pollution or dusty conditions, humidity, type of surface on outside entryways, etc. A combination of conditions may require your carpets to be cleaned professionally more often. The main consideration is to clean carpets before they become totally saturated with soil. Dirt builds up in layers, and when a carpet looks dirty you are only seeing the dirt at the tips of the fibers.
The dirt hiding below the surface down near the base of the pile is what causes most damage to carpet. When a carpet is saturated with dirt, the soil has penetrated crevices and has become firmly lodged.
With proper regular care, you can add years to the life of your carpet and help to retain its orginal appearance. The most important thing you can do is vacuum thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas and stay on a regular schedule of professional carpet cleaning.
After having your carpets professionally cleaned, be sure to:
- Vacuum carpets at least once a week: Up to 80% of dirt in carpets is loose dirt that can be removed with regular vacuuming.
- Use doormats: Keep dirt, and especially sand, out of the house and off of the rugs.
- Protect the surface: Have your carpet fibers protected by a protector such as DuPont Teflon Advanced Carpet Protector and Scotchgard.
- Rotate furniture: Premature wear and soiling take place when traffic paths are unchanged.
- Blot up spills: Quickly clean up spills with a dry, clean cloth or clean towel. Protect the area until dry.
Here are some Useful Cleaning Tips that will make your business or home cleaning easier.
- Scuff Marks – Use 3 Tbsp. of TSP (trisodium phosphate – found in the paint department) to a gallon of water to clean scuff marks or crayon marks off walls. Wear gloves, and do not use on semi-gloss or gloss paint or on wood surfaces.
- Blood Stains – Use hydrogen peroxide to remove blood from clothing or furniture. Rub gently.
- Dusting Tip – Use a paintbrush to dust hard to reach places.
- Make a Schedule – Set aside a regular time each week for the family to straighten up the house.
- Candle Wax – Candle wax can be removed from walls or other surfaces with an iron and facial tissue. Set the tissue over the wax and gently iron. When the wax seeps through or the tissue begins to brown, apply a new tissue.
- Chrome – Club soda or seltzer water
- Gum – Use ice to harden the gum and a dull knife to remove it.
- Drying Out Wet Magazines or Books – Place paper towels on both sides of a wet page to absorb the moisture and prevent wrinkling.
- For liquids – blot, don’t rub and use clean cloths.
- Solid/Dry Contaminants – use a flat edge to disturb the substance and then pick up the pieces.
- Specific Stains – apply the cleaning solution to a clean cloth and then use it on the stain.
- Stained areas – work from the outside in to remove the stain. Don’t rub and constantly change clean cloths.
Ask about our exclusive ServiceMaster Advanced Restorations carpet cleaning products:
- Fiber Fresh Spot Remover Kit
- Mini Mighty Pet Odor Removal Kit
- Mighty Mini Spot Kit