Top Carpet Cleaning Mistakes

Many businesses, when they find they are in need of a carpet cleaning, will try to cut corners and perform the cleaning themselves. This is a major mistake on their part, as the end results are usually not to their liking. From time to time, we have all had to deal with carpet cleaning, whether it be from coffee spills or animal accidents. There is a wide choice of cleaners and aids on the market today that will get the job done, to a point. However, there are also certain things you should never do when attempting to self-clean your carpet.

Cleaner Sold “Over The Counter”

In a nutshell, it is crucial to avoid any product that is marked as recommended for cleaning carpet—whether it be a foam, a spray, or a cleanser. The reason is that using these types of products will inevitably end up leaving, to some degree, an unwanted residue in your carpet. Over time, this residue will act as an attractant for any soil or dust that comes in contact with it. The result will be that you will eventually have a dirty brown spot in an area that you were sure was, in fact, clean.

Soap, by its very nature, is a product that is designed to, in fact, attract soil and grime. It is then intended to be washed away with water. When using a typical OTC cleaner, it will contain soap, that you will not be able to sufficiently wash out of your carpet, leaving it to lie in the fibers of your carpet—continuing its purpose of soil and grime attraction.

No Colored Towels—Only White!

When cleaning up a spot or such from your carpet, it is crucial you use only a white or light-colored towel. The reason being is that when using a colored cloth, there is the possibility that the color will bleed, or transfer, into the fibers of your carpet. This is commonly referred to as color transfer. For the best result, use a white towel, preferably of a cotton blend, or even white paper towels. They will more than get the dirty work done, without risking the chance of turning the cleaning into more of a headache than is necessary.

And There’s The Rub

Do not rub it! No matter what! It is suggested to blot—period! This is probably one of the most challenging rules of carpet cleaning that most individuals have a problem following. We have all been taught that the best way to get anything clean it to rub an scrub it—vigorously. However, when it comes to the cleaning of carpets, the reverse is actual true.

By using the method of scrubbing, you will only serve to spread the stain or soil around and even possibly deeper into the fibers of your carpet, in most cases causing an even bigger mess than you had to begin with. BLOT! BLOT! BLOT! Again, do NOT rub for any reason! Find you are not able to achieve the pressure you need when blotting it? No problem, simply stand on it! This will enable to you to acquire the amount of pressure you will need to adequately transfer the spill or soil into the cloth that you are using.

Let’s face it, accidents and spills happen. No matter how many precautions we put into place, there will be a time when we are going to have to clean one up. However, if we know the right manner in which to take care of the situation, not only do we save ourselves the possibility of a significant headache, but our carpets will more than benefit in the end as well.

System4 IPS proudly serves Rhode Island, Connecticut, and neighboring areas in Massachusetts.