Carpet cleaning is essential to keep your home’s carpeting looking good and smelling fresh. It also helps to extend the life of your carpeting by keeping it dirt free.
Proper maintenance includes vacuuming and spot stain treatments with a commercially available product. It also involves regular deep cleaning with a hot water extraction cleaner. Contact Carpet Cleaning Companies El Dorado Hills now!
A clean carpet is essential to the comfort and health of a home or workplace. However, stains, spills and wear can occur that require more than just vacuuming to remove. Regular maintenance including cleaning by professionals, preventative measures like doormats and removing shoes indoors, immediate spot treatment of tenacious stains and routine inspections can help reduce the frequency of deep cleaning needed.
The type of carpet fiber and construction determines how well it holds up to soil, stains and chemicals. A thorough understanding of the different types can guide the choice of tools, equipment and cleaning methods used to achieve the best results.
For example, wool carpets are natural and highly stain-resistant but require special care in order to maintain their beauty. Nylon and polyester carpets are popular because of their durability and affordability but are less resistant to oils and mildew and may require specific stain treatments. The newer type of fiber called Triexta is an alternative to wool and nylon, offering a good balance of resilience and luxury feel.
Many commercial carpet cleaners have a wide range of chemicals to tackle a variety of staining situations. Some are liquids that can be poured into a machine or applied topically as a spot treatment, like a spray, while others are more concentrated pre-treatment formulas that work best on tenacious stains and odors.
One of the most effective products on the market for tackling fresh or set-in wine stains is the Bissell Advanced Oxy Stain Pretreat. This product can be sprayed on the stain, left to sit for a few minutes and then blotted with a clean cloth to lift the stain. It is also very effective for reducing odors, especially pet urine, which can be a big problem in homes with pets and children.
Another good commercial carpet cleaning product is the Oxi-Gen stain remover. It is a liquid that can be mixed with water or other solvents to create different concentration levels for various cleaning situations. It is safe and non-toxic and works best on greasy, oily or other sticky stains and odors. It is also very effective at removing wine, coffee, tea and other acidic food and beverage stains and odors.
Pre-vacuuming
Vacuuming regularly, addressing spills as soon as they happen, and avoiding walking on your carpet with dirty shoes are essential practices that help to prolong the lifespan of your carpet. However, if you aren’t vacuuming on a regular basis or aren’t making sure to remove all of the debris from your carpet, you could be setting yourself up for accelerated wear and tear and fiber damage. Pre-vacuuming helps to prevent these issues by removing surface dirt, which can cause abrasions, and by loosening deeply embedded dirt that could ultimately lead to premature deterioration.
The benefits of pre-vacuuming extend beyond just preventing premature wear and tear; it also contributes to healthier indoor air quality. Carpets act as a filter, trapping airborne pollutants, allergens, dust mites, and microscopic particles that can contribute to health problems for household members with sensitive respiratory systems. Regularly removing surface dirt and debris allows these contaminants to escape the carpet, reducing the amount of harmful airborne compounds in the home.
In addition, pre-vacuuming can make the cleaning process more effective. Professional carpet cleaners use commercial-grade equipment that is far more powerful and efficient than the standard home vacuum cleaner. In fact, they often use special rotating brushes that get below the surface and can remove a lot more debris than your average vacuum cleaner. However, this equipment can easily become clogged by larger debris, so it’s important to remove as much of the larger material as possible before they arrive.
For very-low moisture (VLM) cleaning, the importance of pre-vacuuming is even greater. Since VLM uses less water than HWE, it’s critical to vacuum and rake the carpet before starting the actual cleaning. This will ensure that all of the soil is removed from the carpet and reduce the chance of mold or mildew.
In many cases, cleaning companies will require that homeowners vacuum before they arrive, and it’s a good idea to ask whether this service is included in the price of your cleaning. If it isn’t, it may be worth looking for another company that does include this as part of their cleaning package.
Extraction
The carpet cleaning process removes dirt and contaminants from deep within the carpet pile. It also helps deodorize the entire carpet, which is especially important in areas of the home that receive heavy traffic. Vacuuming alone often isn’t enough to eliminate odors, as the odor-causing particles are trapped deep in the carpet fibers near the base. A thorough deep clean, including hot water extraction and specialized dry cleaning methods is necessary for the elimination of these odors.
Professionally performed deep carpet cleaning can be done with various types of equipment, including portable electrical units, truck mounts and steam cleaners. The professional will tailor the type of carpet cleaner, detergent formulas and carpet cleaning method to the specific requirements of the client’s carpet. It is recommended that a CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) certified professional be used, to help maintain the manufacturer’s residential warranties.
For deep stains, hot water extraction is usually the best choice. This method uses a combination of high pressure hot water and specially formulated detergents to break down and dissolve thick dirt, mud, pet hair and other contaminants. This method can also fluff up matted carpet fibers, helping them look and feel fresher and softer to the touch.
Other professional carpet cleaning methods include dry carpet cleaning, foam cleaning and encapsulation. Dry carpet cleaning uses a lightly moistened absorbent powder that is spread over the surface of the carpet; it works to trap dirt and grime attracted to the compound. Then, a special extraction tool removes the compound along with the trapped dirt and debris.
Foam cleaning and encapsulation use similar processes, but with different chemical formulations. The chemicals are spread over the carpeting, where they form a bubble that traps the dirt and debris until it is extracted. This method of carpet cleaning is recommended for heavily soiled carpets that need to be cleaned quickly, as it can reduce drying time.
Post-vacuuming
After the carpet cleaning process has been completed, it is a good idea to vacuum once again. Vacuuming after professional cleaning helps clear off the dirt particles and residues accrued at the base of your rugs, ensuring that they are air-dry and look uniform once again. This will also help prevent the formation of dirt spots and non-uniform patterns that may appear once your carpets are fully dried.
This step is important regardless of the type of cleaning method used. However, it is especially important for those who use the dry cleaning method, such as encapsulation. In this process, a chemical is applied to the rugs that encapsulates the dirt, which should then be easily removed through the vacuuming process. However, if the encapsulated dirt and chemicals are not removed properly, they could potentially attract more dirt and cause your carpets to look soiled again.
The effectiveness of your vacuum cleaners will also play a key role in your carpet cleaning results. It is recommended to use a high-quality vacuum with powerful suction that is suitable for your carpet type and cleaning method. You will also want to be sure that you are using a beater bar or rotating brush that is not too abrasive. Agitating the rug fibres too much can damage them, which will leave your carpets with a fuzzy appearance and a loss of their texture.
While you may be tempted to skip this step, it is crucial to vacuum regularly. Rugs are known to accumulate large amounts of lint, dirt, and other debris on a daily basis. Leaving this to become caked in over time is a bad idea, as it will take longer and be harder to remove with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming your rugs on a regular basis will ensure that they remain clean and healthy, as well as increase their lifespan. In addition, this will help keep your family healthy by reducing the amount of dust and allergens in the home. So, make a habit of vacuuming your rugs on a weekly or daily basis to maintain their quality and extend their life.