Keeping Your Carpet Clean

The post Keeping Your Carpet Clean appeared first on Clean Advisor

No matter how hard you try to keep up with it, you floors take a beating. From spills, drips, muddy shoes, and whatever the kids bring in on there shoes, keeping your carpet clean seems like a never ending job. In this article we are going to share some tips on keeping your carpet clean and looking good for years to come.

Vacuum Regularly

It goes without saying that if you want your carpeting to stay clean, regular vacuuming is essential. A lot of people don't realize that dirt is actually very abrasive and damaging to your carpet. The more you walk on dirty carpet, the more you grind the sharp dirt particles into the carpet. This causes damage by scratching and scraping the fibers, which not only embeds the dirt, but also causes wear. So naturally you want to remove any loose dirt particles before they start getting ground into the carpet, causing irreparable damage. And you do this by vacuuming. Some tips from the Carpet and Rug Institute: "To get the most out of your vacuuming regime, remember these few easy tips:

• A quick once-over doesn’t do much. Slow and steady does the trick.
• When vacuuming, don’t ignore those corners and crevices where dust builds.
• “Top-down” cleaning saves you the step of vacuuming again after dusting. Dust blinds, windowsills, and furniture surfaces first and then vacuum away any fallen dust.
• Remember to replace or empty vacuum bags when they are half to two-thirds full. Read the full article here.

But how often do you need to vacuum? Well a good starting point is once a week. However, the more traffic the more often you need to vacuum. Double it for kids and pets. In fact, it would be ideal to run a vacuum over the highest traffic areas daily if possible. Keep in mind, all that work will be for nothing if you don't have a quality vacuum cleaner.

Call a Professional

While you can make a huge difference yourself with vacuuming, eventually its going to take more. Dry vacuuming will only remove so much of the soil, eventually some of it will bind to the fibers. When you reach the point where your carpet looks dirty even after vacuuming, its time to call in a professional. Professional carpet cleaners have the solutions and equipment to deep clean your carpets, bringing them back to new again. This Huffington Post article recommends: "Regardless of how often you choose to use them, our experts agree that professional steam cleaners are hands-down necessary -- you shouldn't attempt to steam carpets yourself. Only steam can effectively lift dust from deep within your carpet, Wilson says -- if left there, it will wear down and rip the carpet's fibers. But only professional machines can truly zap all the steam's moisture from the carpet when you're done cleaning. The results of trying to do it yourself can be sickening." Don't let the price of professional carpet cleaning convince you to try it your. The machines you rent from your local grocery store are simply nowhere near as powerful as the equipment that professional carpet cleaners use. One of the biggest problems with these machines, is that they lack the power to remove all the water used. This can leave your carpet very wet, and for a long time. Another problem is that they leave a lot of chemical residue. A recommendation from SteamPro Carpet Cleaning is that if the homeowner does attempt the DIY method, to "mix your cleaning solution in a pump up sprayer and apply it to the carpet, then use clean water in your machine as a rinse." That way you are rinsing the cleaning detergent, not running it through your machine. This can help prevent cleaning residue. Also, put some fans out to try and speed up drying.

Clean Spills Immediately

No matter how careful you are, spills are going to happen. When it does, make sure to grab a towel as soon as possible. Keep in mind, you want to blot spills, not scrub. Excessive scrubbing can and will damage your carpet fibers. Its also good to use chemicals only as a last resort. This goes back to the chemical residue problem. Any chemical left to dry in the carpet will attract dirt and appear dirty after a period of time. So use the chemicals sparingly, sometimes it only takes a towel and some water to completely clean a spill up. Hopefully this gives you a head start on keeping your carpeting clean. Keep reading the Clean Advisor blog for more helpful tips.        

from
http://www.executivecommercialmaintenance.com/keeping-your-carpet-clean/

Methods of Carpet Cleaning

The post Methods of Carpet Cleaning appeared first on Clean Advisor

There are many different methods used to clean carpets, steam cleaning, dry powder cleaning, bonnet cleaning, and shampoo. But which method produces the best results? Lets take a look at some of the different processes used. Dry Cleaning The dry-cleaning method involves using a powdered cleaning compound. It is brushed into the carpet fibers using an agitating machine. The idea is that dirt will bond to the powdered chemicals, then are removed through dry vacuuming. The downside of this method is that there is no rinsing involved, and there will still be chemicals left in the carpet. Bonnet Cleaning Bonnet cleaning is similar to the dry cleaning method in that it is still lower moisture, but instead of dry cleaning powder a liquid cleaning detergent is used. After the detergent is applied to the carpet, a machine is used to scrub the solution using a towel-like pad. The pad picks up dirt, however this is not ideal because there is no flushing the fibers or rinsing the detergent from the carpet. So again you are left with cleaning residue in the carpeting. However, bonnet cleaning can be a good solution in some commercial cleaning settings. Steam Cleaning Steam cleaning is about the most common and popular method of carpet cleaning. Although the name is a little confusing, as no steam is actually used to clean the carpet fibers. Its actually hot water, though some steam is still produced from the high heat. Steam cleaning typically involves applying a cleaning detergent to the carpet, then agitating with a type of brush. After the cleaning solution has a dwell time of about 10 minutes or so, a tool is used to rinse the carpeting using heated water to remove dirt. Some people think that steam cleaning is chemical free cleaning, but that's not the case. The only real "chemical free" way of cleaning you carpet is to dry vacuum. Hopefully we have cleared up any questions you might have had on different methods of carpet cleaning. Manufacturers prefer the steam cleaning method to uphold your carpets warranty, however lower moisture cleaning methods often are a better fit in commercial settings.

from
http://www.executivecommercialmaintenance.com/methods-of-carpet-cleaning/