Here are some tips from Chem-Dry on how to maintain your carpet. We recommend using the simple tips in this article in order maintain the life of your carpet.
1. Utilise a quality vacuum cleaner
Investing in a good quality vacuum cleaner and ensure to maintain it properly. There are many vacuums on the market
- Ensure the vac is powerful enough to pull the dirt effectively from deep in the pile, not just clean the surface.
- Ensure the vac is equipped with a HEPA Filter – this is crucial and will retain 99.9% of what is picked up and prevents debris from being recirculated.
- Barrel or Upright? – Barrel vacuum cleaners will only provide suction and therefore only take off the surface dirt. An upright vacuum will have a revolving head or “beater” that will lift and separate the carpet fibres, this vibrating action allows dirt to be removed from deeper down in the pile.
- Disposable bags – disposable bags are ultimately better than cloth bags, as cloth bags will quickly become clogged, reducing airflow and giving a poor quality clean.
2. Regular vacuuming
- Vacuuming is the most effective process to extend the life of carpet and ensure the air quality within your premises remains safe to breathe.
- Regular vacuuming with a good quality cleaner will remove up to 80% of the contaminates that are living in your carpet.
- Weekly vacuuming, at a minimum, is important to keep the levels of dust mites and allergens down as well as removing the grit that becomes abrasive to the fibres on your carpet, breaking it down.
3. Entry door mats
By using doormats at each entry point of your premises, soiling can be controlled and larger particles are contained.
4. Rearrange furniture from time to time
A way to ensure your carpet looking good for longer is to rearrange your furniture. This will eradicate regular wear areas such as main walkways etc.
5. Cleaning up spills
It is important to remove the spillage quickly before it penetrates the pile (although it is always best to call the experts), however there a few steps that can be taken before your Chem-Dry technician arrives:
- Work from the outer edge of the spill to the centre, scooping up any excess. Use only plain white absorbent materials to prevent bleeding or colour transfer.
- Apply a small amount of water to assist in soaking up the spill.
- Maintain blotting until all colour has ceased from transferring to the absorbent material – it is important not to rub as it may cause fraying, carpet distortion and even spread the stain further.
- Beware of off-the-shelf products – they may do more harm than good to your expensive carpet! They may leave a residue, set the stain or even worse, bleach your carpet.
Call us regarding our Chem-Dry Spot Remover, a water base aerosol designed specifically for maintaining carpet and upholstery.
6. Cleaning of kitchen and adjoining hard flooring
Maintain the cleanliness of your kitchen and surrounding floors as food droppings and any other obvious mess can be easily transferred to your carpet.
7. Periodic professional cleaning is crucial
Beyond vacuuming, periodic professional carpet cleaning is the most important maintenance step in order to extend the life of carpet and for the health of your family. Your carpets and rugs should be professionally cleaned at least every 12 months. If your premises is encountering high traffic volume, it may be a sound investment to have traffic areas cleaned every 6 months.
8. Protect your carpets
Most new carpets that are installed have some sort of fibre protection added during the manufacturing process. Protectant will increase the life and appearance of your carpet, but over time will wear off, especially in high traffic areas. Chem-Dry’s PowerGuard Protectant is a highly effective and lasting solution of which we highly recommend to reapply after each professional clean.
9. Repair damages quickly
Act fast to avoid extended damage!
