Common Carpet Cleaning Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make
There is nothing better than slipping off your shoes after a long day of errands, work, kids, and life and curling your toes into a plush, soft carpet. As we head into the fall chill, a cozy carpet is a welcome site over cold floors. But, really, how often do we appreciate the relaxing comfort our carpet brings us? How often do we really show these surfaces the love and care they deserve? Chances are your carpet’s plush surface has seen its share of abuse, from muddy pawprints to sticky fingers to wayward beverages.
Needless to say, your carpet sees a lot of traffic and requires a little love. However, we often see homeowners, in an attempt to care for their carpet, causing more damage than good. This is why it is essential to know some common carpeting cleaning mistakes you don’t want to make. Many types of carpet boast a lifespan of 20 years when properly maintained. However, many homeowners make common carpet cleaning mistakes that result in your carpet aging quickly and requiring replacement sooner than needed!
Let’s preserve that beautiful, soft carpet together, shall we?
Do. Not. Scrub
This is one of the most significant common carpeting cleaning mistakes you don’t want to make! The wayward wine glass or mug of coffee found its way all over your beautiful creamy carpet. In a desperate attempt to mitigate the stain’s damage, you attack with the full force of your rag! While your intentions are admirable, the reality is that vigorous scrubbing or rubbing actually makes things worse. The brush or rag pushes the stain molecules down deep into the fibers, causing further damage to your carpet. In addition, harsh scrubbing causes the fibers to fray or become loose, which makes them stand out and look worn. This results in premature wearing and your carpet losing its original form. Take a moment to pause before gently blotting the carpet with a white towel instead. Why white? You don’t want the color of the cloth bleeding into your carpet as you blot.
As a general rule, try to blot up as much of the spill as possible before spraying a carpet cleaning solution onto it.
Attack The Stains!
Messes on your carpet are often commonplace and an unavoidable fact of living life. However, addressing stains as soon as you see them will give you better odds of removing them. You can often remove a wide variety of stains with a damp rag if the stain has not yet started to set. However, once dried, a stain will embed into the carpet fibers and become very difficult to remove effectively. But if you have dried stains, do not despair! Often, you can remove at least some of the stain with the right approach.
Buy Walk-Off Mats, Area Rugs, And Runners
Salt, snow, leaves, dirt, water, plants, mold, and dead bugs, can all easily get dragged into your home by oblivious pairs of shoes. So it is a good idea to help protect your inside carpet with a simple mat or area rug. Encourage family members and guests to leave their shoes on the area rug at the door so that tracked-in dirt won’t get on your clean carpets. Try to put mats, area rugs, and runners in high-use areas such as hallways, stairs, and near doors. A small rug is easy to replace and will preserve the life of your carpet.
Resist The Urge To Steam
If you feel your carpets could use a deep clean, you might opt for a home steam cleaner. Wait! Please, back away from the steam cleaner. Wet carpeting is a recipe for disaster. A home steam cleaner often puts excessive water into your carpets. While the machine should extract the water after dispensing it, the reality is they often leave behind a large amount of dirty water and grime. And mold sees a damp carpet as the perfect habitat to procreate. In addition, the wet carpet also damages the fibers and the physical appearance of the rug. Professional carpet cleaners use high-quality equipment that successfully removes as much water as possible from the carpet fibers.
If you opt to use a rental carpet cleaner (like a steam cleaner), follow the instructions to the letter, so you don’t overwet the carpet. In addition, let the carpet dry completely between each cleaning attempt. While it might take several days to allow the carpet to dry completely between each cleaning, this is the best way to ensure a thorough cleaning without causing more damage.
Finally, remember not to put your furniture back right away. We know it is tempting. After all, shampooing your carpet it time consuming and wearing. Sadly, your exhaustion might lead to the hasty decision of putting the furniture back on the carpet while it is still wet. Many furniture finishes are water soluble, meaning the finish will bleed onto the damp carpet, leaving you with more carpet stains.
Put The Spot Remover Down
You can walk into any grocery or hardware store and find a wide selection of hundreds of carpet cleaning solutions. Yet, not all are equal. Sometimes, a certain cleaning solution will be too harsh for your particular carpet and will lead to premature wear. There are specific cleaners that you should use for specific stains. For example, certain cleaners target grease and oil, so they might cause damage to your delicate, cream, shag carpet. The wrong carpet cleaner can even impact your rug’s color. Using the ideal cleaner for the right type of spot or stain is important.
In addition, many of the products on the market are hard on your carpet, your health, and the environment. A hypoallergenic cleaning solution is essential if anyone in your family has respiratory issues or allergies.
Did You Test A Spot?
Carpet shampoo and stain-removing solutions can worsen your stain or spot if you don’t use the correct one. Always test a small, unnoticeable area of your carpet before applying a new solution. You don’t want the cleaning solution to discolor your carpet, making it look stained.
Renting Carpet Cleaning Equipment Isn’t The Best Plan
While the carpet shampooer boasts many wonderful settings and sounds like the perfect solution to your dirty carpet woes, that often isn’t the case. Sadly, most machines are rarely cleaned, meaning you will bring the grime from the last dirty carpet into your house. On the other hand, the equipment the professionals use is always maintained and cleaned after every use.
In addition, while shampooing your carpets might look pretty easy, the reality is that doing it wrong can lead to increased stains, dirt, and mold.
Vacuuming
Let’s talk about your vacuuming habits. Vacuuming too much or too little will pose a concern for your carpet’s overall appearance and longevity. If you over vacuum, especially with a low-end vacuum cleaner, the carpet will lose its soft fluffiness, and the fibers will become damaged over time. If you under-vacuum, the rug will look dirty and dingy. Ideally, vacuum your carpets at least once a week. If your home has pets or children, vacuum every other day. While it might not look dirty, don’t let appearances deceive you! Carpet fibers hold billions of dirt, oil, and dust particles. Regular vacuuming helps keep your carpet and your home healthy!
Don’t DIY
It is tempting to whip up the carpet cleaning solution that Pinterest promises will change your life. However, often these results don’t work and can cause more damage than good to your carpet. For example, dish soap will leave a sticky residue and sink deep into your carpet’s fibers. So leave the deep spot cleaning to the pros!
Maybe Hire A Pro
Now you know the common carpeting cleaning mistakes you don’t want to make! Hopefully, this will help keep your carpet looking fresh, clean, and beautiful for years to come. However, we also know keeping up on your floors can be a big chore. Sometimes, hiring a professional to handle your carpet cleaning needs is easier. That’s when you should call Klean-Co. We offer top-quality carpet, rug, and tile cleaning at affordable prices. So give the best carpet cleaners near you a call to book your appointment today!
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