Monday, May 21, 2012

Carpet Cleaning

Carpets are highly regarded by avid remodeling enthusiasts as one of the finest additions to a modern home. Besides instantly giving an aura of flair and sophistication to an abode, these functional works of art also provide better floor traction and act as efficient heating insulators. Somewhere along the way, however, you’ll need to follow these carpet cleaning methods to keep your arsenal of floor accessories looking as majestic and trendy as the day you bought them.

Made from various durable materials such as wool, cotton, nylon and polyester, carpets are considered nowadays as a staple in modern homes. While they can last for as long as a lifetime, these valuable home furnishings require regular care and maintenance to stay as luxurious as possible. Need a bit of help with your carpet cleaning skills? The following tips and pointers will definitely take your know-how up a notch in no time:

Clear all unnecessary stuff. Make sure you remove furniture and other home decors that may be resting on or in close proximity to your carpet. Put on a fresh pair of boots to prevent adding more dust or dirt to the surface area and start your carpet cleaning efforts by picking off whatever sizable impurities that you may find. Keep in mind to sprinkle a small amount of carpet powder to remove pet hair and other minute particles much easier.

Fire up your vacuum cleaner. Vacuum the floor where your carpet is positioned thoroughly to clear dust and grime that may be displaced along the way and hamper your carpet cleaning. Make sure you start vacuuming on the outer edges of your carpet and don’t forget to lead the nozzle in a meticulous fashion to avoid missing a spot and expose hidden stains as well. Don’t hesitate to get into the fibers as extensively as you can to remove as much unwanted dirt as possible.

Get ready for carpet pre-treatment. Dredge the whole surface area of your carpet with spot treatment and allow it to fully settle on the material for a few minutes to help loosen the fibers and act as an initial salvo to remove any stains. Although considered as essentials to carpet cleaning, commercial spot treatment products can also be substituted with a simple mixture of mild liquid dish detergent that contains no bleach or alkaline and warm water.

Activate your carpet cleaner. Carpet cleaning has become almost effortless nowadays thanks to mechanical carpet cleaners. Just plug it in and you’re almost good to go. Make sure you run the machine over the entire surface of the carpet and not just the soiled parts, otherwise you may see uneven clean and dirty patches when it dries. Carefully leaf through the instructions before using a carpet cleaner to operate it without a hitch.

Dry it carefully. Once you’ve finished giving your carpet a thorough scrubbing, make sure you dry it through and through to prevent the fibers from deteriorating and harboring molds due to excess moisture. You can speed up the drying process entirely by opening the windows for extra ventilation, as well as switching on your electric fan and directing the breeze on your carpet. Give it a thorough look over once it’s completely dry to decide whether you want to give it another go with the machine. Sometimes it can take more than one run to make a carpet spotless if it is really soiled.