How Often Do I Need To Clean My Carpets
It’s Easy To Forget How Much Day To Day Abuse Your Carpet Takes
When you have a carpet in your home, there is no doubt that you want to keep it clean and odor-free. On the other hand, you don’t want it to lose its luster and wear out in a short time. For these reasons, read on to see how often you need to clean your carpets, how to do it, and why you need to clean them in the first place.
How Often You Should Clean Your Carpet
In very general terms, you need to make sure you professionally clean the carpets in your home once every 6 to 12 months. The reason for this wide range of cleaning frequency is the fact that different households have different cleaning needs.
Different areas also have different climates and weather conditions, which can drive this frequency up or down. In Charlotte, for instance, summers tend to be very hot, with plenty of pollen in the air. You would therefore need to adjust your cleaning schedule accordingly to avoid a buildup of allergy-inducing dust and pollen indoors.
Once you know the average cleaning schedule, be sure to adjust it to meet your specific needs. For example, someone in a less pollen-rich area but with severe allergies will need to clean more often to avoid health issues.
How To Clean Your Carpet
While it’s good to perform a deep clean once every few months or so, this does not mean that you should let your carpet accumulate dust before the time to clean it comes around. Different carpets call for different methods to keep clean, but there are a few techniques that cut across all carpets and can be used universally.
Vacuum Often
Once each week (or more often if you have pets or a large number of people in the household) you should clean your carpet by vacuuming it. Begin by dusting all surfaces and curtains so that the entire room will be cleaner when you are finished. Because the fibers in a carpet are often twisted, clean in a horizontal direction, then clean again in a vertical one to make sure you get as much dust and dirt out as you can. If you vacuum often, you will be able to get most of the dirt out of your carpet before it has a chance to work its way deeper in. This can help lengthen the span of time between professional deep cleans.
Deodorize With Baking Soda
If you have pets or small children in the house, it is common for some accidents and spills to happen. These can leave the whole house smelling unpleasant, so you can combat this with baking soda. To do this, move your furniture out of the way and then sprinkle baking powder over the whole carpet. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight if possible, and then vacuum it thoroughly. Note that this will take away unpleasant odors but won’t do anything for any stains you may have on your carpet.
Spot-Clean To Get Stains Out
While a deep cleaning will get rid of all stains and odors, you may have just had one done right before an accident that causes a stain. Different stains call for different methods. For instance, grease can be removed with dish soap, wine and beer can be removed with club soda or white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide can remove blood, and regular shaving cream can remove a wide variety of general stains. To clean a stain, you have a better chance of getting it off by dabbing it rather than rubbing it, as rubbing can drive the stain further into the fibers of your carpet.
When you’re cleaning your carpet topically, note that you should not soak it with water. This is because of the possibility of mold and mildew which can start to grow when moisture is present. Should you get the carpet wet, make sure to ventilate the room well and check to see that the carpet dries completely through.
Why You Need To Clean Your Carpet
Most carpets are made of good-quality material, which is sturdy and can withstand usage for quite a long period of time. On average, you can expect your carpet to last between 5 and 15 years before it needs to be replaced. The higher the traffic in the area, the sooner it will wear out. Before throwing it out and replacing it, however, you should talk to professional carpet cleaners who can have a look at it and tell you whether it can be restored by deep cleaning or not.
If you have a light or brightly colored carpet, it will often show stains and dirt sooner and more easily than a carpet with a deeper color. While this may cause you to need to clean it more often, there is no need to shy away from getting a bright carpet. You may need to take extra measures to avoid dirtying it, but it can be worth it to have a carpet color that you love.
These steps may include having people remove their shoes before they walk in, keeping pets off of the carpet, and extra vacuuming. Because they are made to be durable, good carpets don’t come cheap. You will often pay per square foot, which adds up if you are carpeting a large area.
Rather than a big expenditure every few years to have a new carpet installed, you can schedule regular professional cleaning to keep it looking good and smelling great. Quality professional carpet cleanings that are regularly scheduled can sometimes double the life of your carpet.
Finally, carpets are made of fiber, and because they have many layers, dirt can penetrate beyond the top layer to where the naked eye cannot see it. If you have allergies, this trapped dirt (which can include dust, dust mites, pollen, and dander from pets) can cause you endless allergies. Having your carpet cleaned by professionals will remove all of this, leaving you in an environment in which you can breathe freely.
When You Are Ready, Go With The Pros
Stat Floor Cleaning is your professional cleaning partner for all types of carpets. Familiar with the seasons and weather conditions in Charlotte, we are here to advise you on how often you need to clean your carpets for the best results. With a professional team that is ready to do their best, you can count on us for cleaning solutions that will leave your house feeling brand new.
