Carpet Care and Maintenance Between Professional Cleanings

There’s nothing like that deep clean feeling. Professional carpet cleaning should be done every twelve to eighteen months, but that leaves a lot of time for dust and grime to pile up between cleanings. Carpets can be breeding grounds for respiratory pathogens, and illness-causing bacteria, and are susceptible to everyday wear and tear. So, how can we take proper care of our carpets during the year or so between cleanings?

 

Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner.

Your vacuum is a workhorse. It gets a lot of use, sometimes multiple times per week or even daily. So what makes a vacuum a good vacuum? Find the most powerful and efficient vacuum that fits your budget. It should have both replaceable brushes (changed yearly) and powerful suction. Both of these work together to pull debris, both visible and invisible, deep from within and between carpet fibers.

 

Vacuum frequently.

Depending on a number of factors, vacuum as often as there are people and pets in the space. If that number is beyond seven, it is best to vacuum daily. If it’s just you and a pet, but the pet sheds heavily, you’ll want to vacuum more than two days a week. If it’s a

restaurant or store location where crumbs occur or gets heavy foot traffic, it’s best to vacuum daily. Use your best judgment according to the circumstances.

 

Remove shoes in your home.

If you are not in the habit of removing your shoes before walking through your home, start today. Shoes carry a startling number of disease-causing germs. The bottoms of shoes carry more bacteria than toilet seats, in both number and variety. They carry the types of bacteria found in human and animal fecal matter. Ninety percent of these germs will transfer to wood and other hard floor surfaces, but they get especially cozy in the fibers of the carpeting. So keep everyone in your household safe and healthy by having a place to remove shoes before, or immediately after entering your home. Your carpets will thank you.

 

Clean spills immediately.

Take care of spills as soon as they happen to keep the liquid from setting deep into the carpet. To do this properly (and gently!), pour 8 oz of clean water directly over the spill. Press a thick cotton towel firmly into the area for 30 to 45 seconds to soak up the water and spilled fluid. It’s important to never use a rubbing motion when spot cleaning a carpet as that will push the stain deeper into the fibers. Repeat this process only once more if absolutely necessary.

 

Clean Your Air Ducts.

Cleaning your air ducts will vastly improve the quality of your indoor air. You will reduce the amount of dust, dirt, and other contaminants from moving through your air ducts and settling into your carpets. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), through which On The Spot Cleaners is certified, recommends cleaning your air ducts every 3-5 years. Factors such as smoking indoors, pets, or recent renovations could mean getting ducts cleaned more often than every 3 years. Doing so increases the longevity of your carpets, and keeps the air quality of your home safe, healthy, and comfortable.