When it comes to maintaining your carpets, two of the most critical areas of focus is the traffic area and the spot removal area. If soil is not removed on a regular basis, the traffic areas will begin to wear excessively since dirt is extremely abrasive against the fibers of the carpet as you walk back and forth on it. When red wine, red beverages, urine, blood, and other spots appear on your rug these are considered danger spots and you must act immediately to avoid staining.
Listed are a few steps that you must take to properly maintain your carpeting:
Vacuuming
Make sure to vacuum your carpet often, at least twice a week. Vacuuming removes the abrasive soil that is not visible to the eye, since it can cut and slice the fiber causing premature wear. Make sure to remove any loose particles such as loose food, leaves, pieces of crayon, and bugs as these items can cause a spot on the carpet.
Professional Cleaning
As a general rule, carpet cleaning by a professional and someone who is certified should take place at least once a year. Professional cleaning removes the damaging soil in traffic areas that vacuuming alone will not been able to remove. For heavy traffic areas, cleaning may be required more often. Proper professional cleaning will not leave a sticky residue behind and can be done as many times per year as needed.
Warranty
Stain resist warranties vary from 5 to 20 years. All stain resistant warranties require regular cleaning and immediate spot removal.
Spot Removal & Interim Cleaning
Immediate spot removal is key to a clean carpet. When a carpet is new, or has sufficient protector on it, plain tap water will remove many spots. For those spots that will not come up easily with water, you must use a spot cleaner. Avoid using foam carpet cleaners or any product that is not made specifically for carpet.
Protective Coatings
Carpet manufacturers recommend that you re-apply protectors after cleaning. The soil resistor will help the soil slide off the carpet easier when vacuuming, spots will be easier to remove in general, and professional cleaning will be more effective.
