Carpet & Rug Cleaning

Spring cleaning helps to remove cobwebs from you head. What a great feel good factor once you have completed a job well needed. Springtime is the time of the year when you are thinking of freshness and clearing out. One job that needs to be tackled is cleaning or shampooing your carpets. If you have small children and/or pets then you know just how dirty your carpets can get. It is such a good idea to clean your carpets at least once a year to get rid of all those nasty odours, dust and horrible stains that your carpets have collected over the year.

Carpets that have absorbed months of dirt, grime and germs will need a deep cleaning to get them ready for another year of wear.  When shampooing carpets with a rented cleaner, you should practice first in an unobtrusive area to make sure that the treatment will not discolor fabrics or cause dyes to run. Make sure you know how to operate the machinery before tackling the job.

There are several option to choose from when cleaning your carpets; from doing it yourself to paying someone to do it for you. It can be an easy job to do yourself or you may find that you don’t have the time or maybe you have too much furniture to move or that your furniture is too heavy for you to move, in that case it may be best to find a company to come and do the job for you.

Why should you clean your carpets?
There are many reasons to clean your carpets.:

Daily grim - Carpets get dirty over the year just from wear and tear.

Dust collects in the carpets causing dust mites and allergies.  Deep cleaning will kill the dust mites.

Spots & Stubborn Stains - When spills and stains set in a good carpet cleaning can help get rid of those unsightly and stubborn stains.

Restore Color - deep carpet cleaning can help to restore the original color.

Allergies - some people have allergies and therefore cleaning carpets routinely helps to alleviate small fibers that float in the air and therefore improves indoor air quality.  Weekly vacuuming should take place if you or a family member suffers rom allergies.

Texture - It is amazing how the texture of your carpet changes once you have had your carpets cleaned.  The cleaning process revitalises the texture making it look new.

Odors - shampooin your carpets helps to get rid of bad orders that are imbedded in the carpets.

Where can you find Carpet Shampooers?
To Rent – Dry Cleaners, Supermarkets, Carpet Cleaning Services, Hardware Stores (DIY shops in UK ), the Internet or even a friend.
To Purchase - Department stores, Hardware stores, the internet and on e-bay.

Carpet Cleaning Companies
There are companies who will come out a give you an estimate as to what they will charge to clean your carpets and tell you how long it will take. Use the internet to find a company in your area. Some companies drop flyers/leaflet through your door, hold on to them so that we you decide to have your carpets clean you will have a number at hand.

What type of carpet cleaning machine?
- Steam Cleaning Carpet Machines – this is a wet shampoo method.
- Dry Cleaning Carpet Machines – this method uses a powder that is then vacuumed out from the carpet.
- Shampooing Carpet Cleaners – this method uses detergents that are worked into the carpet.
- Portable Extractors – used by professionals.

When is the best time to shampoo your carpets?
- Spring-time is a great time to clean your carpets. When the spring cleaning bug hits you this is the time to make the effort to clean your carpet as the weather starts to change and you can open your window to help air out the odours and help dry your carpets much quicker.
- Choose a day when the weather is going to be warm and sunny.
- Choose a day when you do not need to use the room/s for a day or two.
- If you have rented the shampoo machines – work to a schedule where you do not need to pay for an extra day.

What preparation before shampooing carpets?
- You should vacuum the room that you are going to shampoo.
- Move all the furniture around and vacuum where the furniture has been resting. Purchase a carpet/furniture stain remover spray and tackle those tough stained areas with this spray before you use the shampooer. - If you can, try to move all the furniture out of the room or to one end of the room so that you can shampoo from wall to wall.

How long does it take for carpets to dry?
This depends on several things; the weather, how much water was used and how deep/thick the pile of your carpet is. It is best to pick a warm sunny day and a day when you can open your windows. Using fans will help to speed up on the drying process. It is best to allow the carpets to dry over night.

When should you move your furniture back?
You should allow your carpets to dry completely before moving your furniture back in place. However; if you need to move it back straight away so that you can finish shampooing the rest of the room, be sure to place foil or furniture caps under all the furniture legs and especially any furniture that has metal resting on the carpet. Also, vacuum the entire floor before moving furniture back in place.

Tips for wet carpets
- If you can, try to avoid using the room/s that you have just shampooed for at least a day.
- Try to avoid walking on your wet carpets for at least a day.
- Use fans to help in the drying process.
- If you need to move your furniture back in its place before the carpets have a chance to dry, be sure to place foil or furniture caps under the legs and especially any furniture legs that have any metal (as the metal may leave rust marks on your carpets).

After-care tips for cleaned carpets
- Once your carpets have dried completely, vacuum the carpets to get that smooth finished look back on the carpets.
- If you have any spills make an effort to clean it up straight away.
Try not to walk on your carpets with dirty shoes.

Tips for keeping carpets clean
- Try leaving your shoes at the front door.
- Ask visiting guest to remove their shoes when entering your house. This can be a bit tricky and/or embarrassing, but if you think about where outside shoes have been, you might think twice about tracking what is on the bottom of shoes all over your carpets. These are the carpets that you may be walking bare foot on, your babies may be crawling on, or you may even lay on them yourself.
- If you allow drinks and foods to be taken into rooms with carpets (especially children's bedrooms), you may want to reconsider and make the decision that it makes less work for you if all drinks and foods are kept in the kitchen and/or dining area.

What a great feeling of satisfaction once your carpets have been completely cleaned. Now you can sit back and admire your attractive carpets and enjoy the fresh clean smells that you breathe in.