Carpet Care in 5 Steps
Carpet serves as a “sink” or collection point for everything that is tracked in or settles out of the air and can be tricky to clean. Carpet and hard floors require the same basic level of care and the same basic steps. Spots and spills should be attended to quickly, and regular cleaning should be performed on both. Both require a comprehensive program to ensure the best appearance and cleanliness.
All carpet maintenance programs should consist of the following 5 steps:
Step 1: Preventive Maintenance
70% of all carpet soil is tracked into buildings from the outdoors by way of foot traffic. If soil is trapped at the door before it reaches carpet areas, cleaning time, labour dollars and health risks can be reduced.
Step 2: Vacuuming
Vacuuming can remove up to 90% of soil from a carpet. Unlike hard flooring, carpet is three dimensional and has the depth and ability to hide soiling. Carpet can trap and hold up to 1 lb. of dirt per square foot before it starts looking dirty.
Step 3: Spot Removal
There is no such thing as a stain-proof carpet. Carpets treated with stain protection are designed to slow down the absorption of liquids into the carpet fibres, making it easier to clean and allowing more time to attend to it. The longer you wait to remove a spot, the more difficult it will be.
Step 4: Interim Cleaning
Heavy traffic areas may require interim cleaning between deep cleanings. Interim cleaning will not only extend the length of time between deep extractions, but will prolong the life of the carpet by reducing soil levels and reducing the overall number of extractions throughout the life of the carpet.
Step 5: Deep Cleaning
Water extraction is the most effective method of deep cleaning carpets. It is done using a cleaning solution which is sprayed onto the carpet at high pressure using a jet spray.
