HOW TO KEEP YOUR CARPETS CLEAN AT HOME

Fitting new carpets at your home can be very expensive depending on what quality of carpet you go for and how big is your home. It is important that you know how to best protect your investment, investment you hope to last for years. Keeping your carpets clean is an on going process; it isn’t something you want to neglect. Regular carpet care is the key. There are number of things that you should do to keep your carpet in a good condition.

1. Vacuum regularly

The key word here is regularly. Most of the dirt in the carpet is dry soil. The easiest thing you can do to look after your carpet is vacuuming. Vacuum at least twice a week – depending on the traffic in your home. Households with pets and kids should vacuum more often.

2. Buy a good vacuum

Just like you want to make sure you buy quality carpets that will last, you want to get yourself a vacuum that will do its job properly. There are so many different vacuums that are simply crap and not fit for purpose. If you have a lot of carpets at home you should consider buying a vacuum that has turbo brushes, which are extremely effective in picking up dust and dirt from the carpets, as well as pet hairs. We don’t recommend cordless vacuums as we found those often lack power and the batteries don’t last long enough on higher settings.  When shopping for vacuums, try getting one that has a HEPA filter, as those helps to trap the allergens in the filters so that they don’t get blown out through the exhaust back into your home. The vacuums that we particularly like are Shark vacuums.

3. Take care of your vacuum

Every few months (depending on the use) make sure you check all pipes and filters in your vacuum. Blocked pipes and filters cause performance loss. Filters can be often washed or simply replaced when too worn. To buy a new filter contact your retailer or search online on retailer’s website, eBay or Amazon.

4. Quickly get to the stains

When a stain occurs make sure you treat it as soon as possible so the stain doesn’t set permanently. When you notice the stain, tackle it with the right cleaning solution. There are many Internet guides and videos that will help you remove various stains.  However, be careful, as many supermarket stain removal products can be ineffective and can cause damage to more delicate natural fibre carpets for example those made of wool or cotton. Also, do not be too aggressive with the stains and avoid excessive rubbing. Try blotting the stains first with white cotton towel or a tissue. If you fail are removing the stains yourself do not hesitate to contact your local carpet cleaning specialist.

5. Protect your carpet with doormats, rugs and runners

Placing doormats at the front and back entrances of your house will certainly help to reduce dirt and moisture from entering the house. Ideally take your shoes off and wear slippers around the house to avoid spreading dirt around the carpets with outside shoes. Protect the traffic areas with runners and rugs. Also you may want to place a rug somewhere where stains and spills are more likely to happen like underneath the dining room table.

6. Avoid carpet powders

Carpet powders have became increasingly popular due to their simplicity of use. Those however are not effective in actual cleaning. They only tend to have a nice scent that tricks the users into thinking that if something smells nice, it must also be clean.  In reality the smell only lasts for few hours and the product leaves behind the sticky residue in your carpets that promotes rapid resoling.

7. Don’t fall into hiring the DIY carpet cleaning machine

Renting a DIY carpet cleaning machine and doing all the carpets in your home yourself may sound like a good idea however there are number of things that homeowners are not aware of about those. First of all, hired domestic machines are not professional carpet cleaning machines. They significantly lack the cleaning power required to clean the carpets properly. Using a DIY carpet cleaning machine may often result in over wetted carpets and nasty smells caused by prolonged drying times. If you wish to find out more about DIY carpet cleaning machines, please visit this blog post.

8. Choose a professional carpet cleaning company to clean your carpets

Stay away from discounted carpet cleaners. As they saying goes ‘you get what you pay for’.  As previously mentioned, carpets are quite an expensive investment. Protect you investment by hiring the right professional to look after it. Don’t be swayed to use a cleaner simply because of the price. It is worth paying a bit more for professional service and extra piece of mind.  Search for a local carpet cleaner online or ask friends and family for personal recommendations. When searching online make sure you check that company you are about to use has a good reputation backed with excellent customer reviews. Check out their process and make sure they are using professional cleaning equipment to carry out the work.

9. Make sure that carpets are fitted property

Make sure that the carpets at your home have been fitted properly. They should be evenly stretched and held well by the gripper rods. Carpets that are loose will wear quicker and will loosen even more if you decide to get them cleaned. They will also become a tripping hazard. Finding a professional and reliable carpet fitter is also important.

10. Keep your kitchen floor clean

You may already have noticed that carpeted area in front of your kitchen seems particularly bad. This is because kitchen floors tend to be covered with grease, dirt, fats and other spillages, which later stick to your slippers and socks and get carried across the carpet. The sticky residue left behind then starts to attract the soils and dirt quicker than in the other areas. Keep the kitchen floor clean to prevent this!