You may have invested a good deal of money into your carpet. Whether you have or not, you want it to look its best and last as long as possible. Following these steps can really aid in keeping up the life and look of your carpet. 1. VacuumingVacuuming is the most important thing to do to keep your carpets looking and smelling great. Regular vacuuming can help your carpets to last for years. Carpets should be vacuumed at least 1-2 times a week. If you have pets and/or children, the carpets may need to be vacuumed more often. Make sure that when you vacuum, you move over the carpet with slow, even strokes. This will allow the brush and suction of your vacuum to operate to their fullest power. If you rush over the carpet, and move the vacuum haphazardly across its surface you may miss places entirely or only the surface dirt will be sucked up as the vacuum skims the surface. While dirt and stains may be obvious, other contaminants such as bacteria, pet dander, dust and soil are not as obvious. This debris can be ground into the pile of your carpet over time, damaging the fiber and creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Clean up spills immediately after they happen. The best chance of getting out stains lie in the first 48 hours of its occurrence. Most spills can be removed if attended to quickly. The longer a spill stays on the carpet, the greater the chance that damage will take place. Keep a quality general spotter on hand and preferably have a multi part professional spotting kit to cover most spills. You can try to get the stain out yourself but if you are unsuccessful, be sure to call us right away. Groom your carpets. Yes, your carpets need to be brushed just like your hair to ensure optimum health. What it does is to pull up or lift the tufts of fibers and make them stand on end. The helps to control matting and crushing, and allows your vacuum cleaner to reach down and get the sand and grit in the base of your carpeting. It has been estimated that grooming prior to vacuuming increases loose soil removal by 23%. Have your carpets retreated with a carpet protectant regularly after a through, deep cleaning. Apply stain and soil resistant products such as Maxim Advanced Carpet Protector Although you may have purchased your carpet new with some type of soil or stain resistant treatment, all topical treatments like these loose effectiveness over time through wear and in the cleaning process. Once the carpet protectant wears off, the carpet fibers are easily damaged. Just like when you purchase a new car there is a protectant applied to protect the paint from scratches but in order to maintain that shine a protectant needs to be reapplied after washing. The only way to insure the highest level of protection for your carpet is to retreat after each cleaning. |