Basic Carpet Care
Vacuuming
One of the most important tools in taking care of your carpet is your vacuum. Regular and proper vacuuming can significantly reduce the soil content in your carpet thereby lessening the wear and tear on the fibers. When carpet is not vacuumed properly or frequently enough, it leads to abrading, fading and wear. Abrading is when the soil scratches and pits the carpet fiber, dulling the fiber. When this happens the carpet takes on a dull, dirty hue. This permanent fiber damage will give the impression of soiling even after cleaning.
When selecting a vacuum cleaner, whether it's a canister vac or an upright vac, make sure that it has an agitator brush or bar (sometimes called a "beater bar"). Make sure the bar or brush is not set too low—set it so the tips just touch the carpet. Another thing to keep in mind is to change the vacuum bag when it gets two-thirds full. If the bag gets too full you will lose suction. It's best to vacuum 3 times a week and to vacuum entry ways and high traffic areas 2-3 times over. Change the drive belt every six months and remove string and hairs from the brush or beater bar.
Moving furniture
Furniture slides (pictured at right) come in very handy when moving furniture on carpet. These will not only save your back but they'll also save wear and tear on your carpet. Dragging furniture is especially hard on carpet and not recommended. You can get these at any large discount or hardware store.
Shoes or socks?
I definitely do not recommend wearing shoes in your house. Even bare feet cause problems because the oil from your feet will compound the soils in your carpet. The best protection is just plain white socks.
Stains
The basic rule of stains is the longer they are left in the carpet, the more permanent they become. Get a stain out as soon as you notice it if possible. When removing stains (see Stain Removal Guide), always blot, never rub. Rubbing a stain out of a carpet, especially cut loop pile, will distort the fiber and it will never return to its original shape. Never ever use bleach to get a stain out as this will result in immediate dye loss in the carpet. You don't need to run to the store and get expensive bottles of chemicals to combat stains. Sometimes the ingredient you need might even be in your own pantry. If you are unsure of a stain, do not hesitate to call a professional.
New carpet installation
If you should decide to put new carpet in your home, make sure you pair it with an excellent pad. A mediocre, middle of the line carpet with a good pad underneath it will outperform an expensive carpet with cheap padding. The bottom line is your carpet is only as good as the pad underneath it.
Rugs
Unlike wall to wall carpeting, the dye in oriental and area rugs is not set at the factory and can bleed very easily. This is especially true for wool rugs. To see if your rug will bleed you can do a simple test. Slightly wet a white towel, wrap it around your finger and lightly rub an inconspicuous area of the rug. If the dye transfers to the towel, be assured, the colors will run if you introduce moisture. If you have a stain on a rug it would be best to leave the removal up to a professional.
Rugs are also very susceptible to sun fade. Rotate the rug about two to three times a year to even out the wear and traffic patterns and to keep the sun from creating fade lines. I recommend putting a small piece of blue painters tape on the bottom side of the rug, possibly the end closest to the door. Write the date you rotated the carpet and you'll always know when it was last rotated.
Upholstery
When you buy furniture it comes with a tag listing the contents of the fibers used to make the piece. Also listed on that tag will be a cleaning code. There are 4 categories for cleaning upholstery:
| S | Solvent only. Certain "S" categories can also be steam cleaned |
| W/S | Steam cleanable or Solvent cleanable. |
| W | Steam cleanable |
| X | Can only be vacuum cleaned |
Even though your first impulse is to tear off this tag, it is a good idea to leave it on so its properties can be easily identified.
When cleaning spills or stains from furniture do a dye bleed test (see Rugs above) and if it bleeds do not get the piece wet. A good spill containment for upholstery are encapsulation crystals. There are several different brands, HelpMate or Capture amongst others.
Another good practice, just like rotating your rugs is to flip and rotate the cushions on sofas and chairs. This will insure that the pieces get even wear and retain their shape.
Questions?
Any questions you may have about cleaning carpet can be found in the FAQ section of our website. If you don't find the answers to your questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you, just call me!
Follow these basic rules and your carpet will look good and last you for many years to come.
