Carpet Care:
Proper care of carpet and rugs is absolutely vital to ensure that their original beauty and durability is retained for a long time.
- Vacuuming: Light,
loose that finds it's way into carpet has to be
regularly extracted out using a good-quality
vacuum cleaner to prevent soil build-up. Gritty
soil can seriously damage the fibers. A good
beating or brushing action will loosen the gritty
soil and raise the pile to facilitate cleaning.
As for the frequency, one simple rule is to gauge when your carpet begins to show signs of dirt and litter; for areas of heavy traffic you may have to vacuum as often as once a day and for other, more protected areas, once a week may be sufficient.
TIP: For best results, use three to seven strokes of the vacuum cleaner, forwards and backwards, with the last stroke always in the direction of the pile. This ensures a uniform appearance of the surface of the carpet.
- Spot
Removal: All spills MUST be
cleaned immediately. Research by independent
agencies has suggested that upto 90% of the spots
and stains from liquid spills can be prevented if
cleaned immediately.
TIP: Recommended steps for spot removal- All spills must be cleaned using a clean absorbent white towel or napkin.
- The spot removal agent should be pretested on a small, inconspicuous area of the carpet: apply a few drops of the agent to all the colors of the carpet; hold the white, absorbent material against it and count to ten- if the dye from the carpet has bled on to the white material or if the carpet shows noticeable discoloration, call a professional cleaner for advice.
- To clean the spot, apply small amounts of the spot removal agent, working from the edges towards the center of the stain to prevent the stain from spreading.
- Blot the solution - DO NOT RUB OR BRUSH.
Repeat steps 3 & 4 till the spot is removed completely. In case of doubts, it is best to seek help from a professional. For information on spot removal agents for various types of stains, check the Interactive Stain Removal Guide.
- Cleaning:
To find out when your carpet needs more than just
frequent vacuuming or spot removal, try the
following test:
Compare an exposed area of your carpet with an unexposed area - if you can see noticeable difference in their appearances, it's time for some more serious cleaning! It is probably time to decide if you would prefer to hire a professional or do it yourself?
If you choose to hire a professional carpet cleaning firm, check out some related topics covered in this website:
- Select a carpet cleaning firm
- Finding a qualified and competent carpet cleaner
- Dealing with a Professional Carpet Cleaner
- Cleaning Methods
- Add-on Services
Alternatively, if you have decided to do it on your own, check out: