Things you should know about carpet cleaning

Most stains should be removed in the general cleaning process.

Some stains that contain tannin’s, dyes, acids or caustics may not come out in the general cleaning process and may require specialized stain removal treatment. Unfortunately, some stains cannot be removed from carpet no matter what chemicals or cleaning processes are used. Not all carpet cleaning services are the same. The results of a carpet cleaning service depend on the skill of the technician, the time taken, and the chemicals and equipment used. The ‘wet-sheep’ smell that occurs when cleaning wool carpet is primarily caused by an off gas from the natural sulfur in wool when wool gets wet. This is natural and dissipates when the carpet dries.

Stain Protection

Carpet cleaning does not remove the stain protection applied to carpets by the manufacturer or your carpet cleaner. Wear and tear is the primary reason stain protection coatings break down. It is sometimes best to have a carpet protector applied to the traffic areas on your carpet before your stain protector reaches the end of the warranty period to maintain stain protection. It’s not needed when your carpet is still relatively new. But over time and heavy use the traffic areas can benefit from an added treatment.

Final Step

Carpets should be groomed after cleaning to ensure that they dry quickly and that the pile sits in the same direction (not falling to the side).

Beware of cleaners who will not Warranty their work

Carpet cleaners are legally required to warrant their workmanship. If you are not happy with the carpet cleaning service provided, call the carpet cleaning company and they should offer to return to re-clean the carpet free of charge. If your carpet cleaner does not return to re-clean your carpet, call the Consumer Protection Agency in Massachusetts, or if you are not in Massachusetts you can call the Federal Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Regularly Clean your Carpets

Regularly cleaned carpets last longer and look better than carpets that are rarely cleaned. Cleaning helps remove the abrasive soils in your carpet pile that wear away at the carpet fibers when the carpet is walked on.

Beware of “discount” carpet cleaners

Discount pros depend on making volume sales rather than establishing ongoing client relationships. They typically spray soap on your carpet, suck up the water and are gone in 30 minutes. These services leave behind a soap residue that will actually attract dirt to your carpet. Those “three rooms for 50 bucks” offers also get them into your house so they can sell you high-priced add-ons like spot removal and deodorizers—services that quality pros include for free.

You get what you pay for

Quality pros charge according to the type of carpeting, the services you need and the size of the job. The entire process can take one to three hours.

Vacuum often

To protect your carpet, vacuum entrance areas and high-traffic areas twice a week and the rest of the carpeting at least weekly. Oily soils attract oily soils, and frequent vacuuming will reduce soil buildup.

Start with a clean bag or filter

A dirty bag, dirt cup or filter can cut a vacuum’s suction power in half. The main reason bag-less vacuums stop working is that the filters aren’t changed often enough.

Vacuum at the right speed

Vacuum slowly enough to get out as much dirt as possible. Make one quick pass over low-traffic areas and two slow passes over high-traffic areas. Two slow passes remove ground-in dirt more effectively than several fast passes.

Clean the carpet before it becomes really dirty

How often your carpet needs cleaning depends on the kind of carpet traffic you have (think kids and pets). Clean the carpet when the color starts looking dull. If you wait until the carpet is filthy, cleaning it will be much more difficult, take much longer and cost more.

Vacuum well before and after cleaning

You can have a positive effect on the quality of a professional cleaning by vacuuming beforehand to remove large particles of soil. Vacuum again after it’s cleaned and the carpet is completely dry to pick up soil that wicks to the surface during drying.

Here’s your sign

It might be time for you to clean your carpets if you have one or more of the following issues:

It hasn’t been cleaned in over a year. When was the last time you had your carpets cleaned? When it comes to carpet cleaning, a general rule is that it should be professionally cleaned at least once a year. If it’s been longer than a year, you should definitely contact a carpet cleaning service, especially if you have pets or small children running around. Regular cleanings will extend the lifespan of your carpet, make day-to-day maintenance easier, and improve your home’s overall appearance.
You’re Having Allergy Problems. If you’ve noticed that your indoor allergies have gotten worse, you might be due for a professional carpet cleaning. Carpets collect a lot of dust, dirt, pet dander, and other allergens, even if you’re vacuuming them regularly. The slightest movement — like sitting on or walking across the carpet — can disturb these allergens and send them into the air, where they can circulate for several hours before settling back down again. To get rid of some of this build up and improve your allergy symptoms, you should get your carpets cleaned as soon as possible.
It’s Looking Dull Or Dirty. When you look at and walk across your carpet every day, you get used to the way it looks. You might not think your carpet looks bad, but a furniture test can let you know how dull or dirty it really is. Move a piece of furniture that hasn’t been moved in a while, and take a look at the carpet underneath. Does it look lighter, fluffier, and cleaner, especially compared to the carpet surrounding it? Professional cleaning can help get all the dirt out of your carpet and lift it back up again so that it looks considerably better!
It’s Stained. There are some types of stains, including pet stains and ink stains, that you will definitely need a professional’s help to remove. Sometimes soap and water just won’t cut it.

There are also some things to look for that would indicate that you should replace your carpet rather than cleaning it

Is it permanently stained?

Professional carpet cleaners are great at getting out tough stains. However, if a stain goes deeper than the carpet itself, it can be difficult to fully remove it. As a professional I’ve been able to clean many stains even some of the ones I mention below. Call me at Air Fresh Cleaning Systems 413-323-7568 and I can give you a better explanation of what I can and cannot clean.

Bleach, plant food, tea, wine, and mustard all leave very difficult-to-remove stains. Sometimes, these stains are made worse by homeowners who try to take care of them themselves with DIY remedies or store-bought products.

Biological stains — pet urine, feces, vomit — can also cause mold and mildew to build up under the carpet if they’re not treated properly. Mold can cause health hazards, so if you have “multiple” biological stains on your carpet, it’s better to be safe and just completely replace it. Again, depending on the severity of these stains they might well be cleanable, but I would need to know more specifics before I can say one way or another. The key would be “multiple” stains would indicate whether to clean or replace.

Too much wear and tear.

While some carpets look just like new after a good cleaning, rips, and tears will still be there after the carpet dries.

If you’re covering up damage with rugs and furniture, it’s probably time to get new carpet. Small defects can sometimes be repaired, but large rips are a different story, especially if they’re located on stairs or in high-traffic areas.

When you’re replacing your carpet, choose nylon over polyester. Nylon is more resilient and responds better to carpet cleaning.

A permanent smell.

Carpet odors often go away after a professional cleaning, but some are too tough for even the most skilled cleaners to eliminate. If you still notice it lingering, the odor may have penetrated too deep into the carpet fibers, carpet pad, or sub-floor. Repeated pet urination that soaks through to the sub floor is the most glaring example here. I can clean the urine out of the carpet itself but if it’s in the pad and sub floor replacing is the best option. It’s usually more cost-effective to just replace the carpet at this point, instead of trying to fully get rid of the areas that are causing the odor.

Padding that is worn out.

If the pad under the carpet is in bad shape, it won’t matter how nice and clean the carpet itself is.

Padding makes your carpet comfortable to walk and lay on buffers sound and improves insulation. However, it also absorbs spills and is a lot harder to clean than the carpet above it.

If your padding is old, it’s probably contributing to lingering odors in your home. Signs of old padding include unevenness, wrinkles, and a crinkling sound when it’s walked across.

It’s just plain old.

Old carpet does not always clean very well, no matter how hard you try. Carpet tends to lose its texture after about 8 to 10 years, even if it’s been properly cared for. If the carpet in your house is older than that, or if it’s full of ripples and wrinkles, you should look into investing in new carpet.