When it comes to maintaining carpet, the most important areas to focus on are the foot-traffic lanes.
If ground-in soil is not removed on a regular basis, these traffic areas can begin to wear excessively. Dirt particles are abrasive against the small individual fibers of the carpet as you walk across it.
The second major area of focus is immediate spot removal. Red wine, red beverages, urine, blood, and other “danger” spots can cause permanent staining if they are not treated quickly.
Listed below are several important steps you can take to properly maintain your home’s carpeting.
1. Check the Warranty
Copies of specific warranties on your carpet purchase are available upon request. Stain-resistant warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years. All stain-resistant warranties require regular cleaning and immediate spot removal.
2. Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!
Vacuum your carpet often — at least once or twice a week. Vacuuming removes sharp bits of soil that can cut and slice individual fibers, causing premature wear.
Much of this soil is so small that it is not visible to the eye. Vacuum before the carpet looks soiled. Remove loose particles such as food, leaves, crayon pieces, bugs, and debris because these items can cause spots on the carpet.
For best results, vacuum slowly and from multiple directions.
3. Professional Cleaning
As a general rule, professional carpet cleaning should take place about once a year. Many stain-resistant warranties require professional cleaning at least every two years.
If you have extremely heavy traffic areas, you may need professional cleaning more often. Professional cleaning removes damaging soil from traffic lanes that regular vacuuming has not been able to remove.
Proper professional cleaning should not leave a sticky residue behind.
4. Spot Removal
Immediate spot removal is key to maintaining a clean, healthy, and beautiful carpet. Great care must be taken when performing spot removal.
Please refer to our spot removal tips page for help with carpet spots and spills.
When carpet is new, it has sufficient protector on it, and plain tap water may remove many spots. For spots that do not come out easily with water, you may need a spot cleaner.
We have a spot cleaner that we highly recommend and provide free after our professional services. Carefully follow the instructions on the bottle, and if you have questions, please give us a call.
5. Protective Coating
Residential carpets are usually treated with stain-resistant properties and soil resistors. After two to three years, much of the soil resistor may wear off, depending on traffic.
At that point, you should consider having a professional re-apply the treatment after a thorough professional cleaning.
Soil resistor helps soil release from the carpet more easily when vacuuming, makes spots easier to remove, and helps future professional cleaning be more effective.
Conclusion
At Prestige Carpet Care, we’re dedicated to helping you keep your carpets and furniture upholstery in optimal condition. We will work with you to recommend professional cleaning based on your home, your carpet, and your standards.
Have a carpet care question? Call Bill at Prestige Carpet Care: 408-448-2016.
