Spring’s just about here (by the calendar, anyway; some parts of the country still have snow!). But regardless of where you live, spring cleaning probably is at the top of your to-do list and on that list very well could be the need for a good carpet cleaning.
Here are some tips on how to do a thorough spring carpet cleaning.
You should vacuum your carpets regularly. “Regularly” of course means different things to different people, but most carpet experts recommend that you vacuum your carpet weekly at minimum. High-traffic areas may need to be vacuumed once — or even twice! — a day.
But you’ll need to give your carpet a thorough go-over with a good vacuum before you shampoo it. Most carpet manufacturers recommend that you give your carpet a good shampoo cleaning once or twice a year.
You can shampoo the carpet yourself with a steamer (also known as a wet-cleaner). You can rent these at your local grocery store or hardware store or, if you prefer, you can purchase one to keep on hand whenever the carpet cleaning urge hits you.
After vacuuming you’ll want to spray heavily soiled areas with a pre-cleaner. In fact, if your carpets are particularly dirty, spray more of the pre-cleaner on your carpets than the actual shampoo.
Fill your cleaner’s hose/reservoir with hot water from your kitchen sink. Be sure to operate the carpet cleaning machine according to its maker’s instructions.
You can maximize the amount of water you remove from the carpet as you clean by making a water-extraction pass over the carpet with the water spray on; then do so again with the spray off. You’ll then want to place your palm on the carpet; if your hand comes away dripping or even with droplets on it, you’ll want to do another water extracting pass with the spray off. If, however, your hand comes damp but not dripping, you’ve extracted enough water.
You’ll want to leave the carpet alone overnight (no walking on it; keep all but the heaviest furniture off it, etc.). Open windows if possible and install a fan or two to help your carpet dry.
Are you in the market for new carpeting? Are you tired of excessive carpet cleaning efforts only to see your old, dingy carpet look old and dingy no matter what you do? If so, give Martin’s Flooring a call. We literally have hundreds of different types and colors of carpet from which to choose. There’s a carpet out there with your name on it. Let us help you find it!
