Various cleaning experts and carpet manufacturers worldwide agree that the carpet is not a mere decorating element. It is a significant piece of household furniture which requires great care to remain in pristine condition. After reading this article, you will be better informed on how to handle your floor covering.

How should you care for your carpet?

The different types of carpet, from the bedroom to the corridor, should all be looked after regularly. This is particularly important for the most used rooms, which are the dining room, the living room and the nursery. Regardless of when or how exactly it occurs. Thus, regular use of a vacuum cleaner is crucial to carpet care.

How many times should we have to vacuum a carpet in a year?

The cleaning industry worldwide is of a single opinion that carpets should be hoovered at least once weekly. However, they recommend doing so twice a week, in order to maintain its good condition. If there are pets or children, you should do it even more often than that.

Yet merely vacuuming the carpet simply won’t do, and occasionally, the services of a professional carpet cleaning company are needed. The experts advise all households and business owners to use deep cleaning services at least once every 6 months. If the property houses pets and children, the frequency should be no less than once per season.

Is it worth getting carpets professionally cleaned
Home cleaning 2

How often do I have to clean my carpets?

As mentioned, the carpet is a key element of the household, and more important than most people think. It is a source of comfort in any room it is placed in, and walking on it barefoot is very relaxing. Children and pets love playing around on it, as it is warmer than hard flooring.

But carpets are also big dust collectors, more so than any shelf decorations you might own. Thus, carpets require time-consuming cleaning very often. This is exceedingly important for the carpet in the children’s room and the living room.

If left unchecked, the dust build-up can be hazardous to your child’s health. Where dust goes, dust mites and germs are quick to follow, bringing disease with them. Timely carpet and upholstery cleaning will prevent family medical issues.

But as said before, there are issues a simple vacuum is unable to remedy. Wear and tear, as well as stains, will require a harsh approach. The choice of hiring a professional or DIY carpet cleaning is yours to make.

What are the typical problems found on carpets?

The most common carpet issues for the majority of people are drink spillages. All manner of beverages, including alcohol, milk, coffee and tea can cause stains on all manner of carpets. Food stains as chocolate, sauce, spicy food and curry are all regular hurdles for cleaning companies. Another typical type of problem are bodily fluids, such as urine, blood, sick and faecal accidents.

How to clean your carpet

Are professional cleaning services worth it?

In most UK households, a very widespread belief is that any stain can be removed easily. People use one of the following cheap solutions: baking soda, Dr. Beckmann, or Vanish Carpet Cleaner. They apply them, let them sit, and think that's all it takes to remove the stains.

We at ProLux Cleaning, a professional carpet cleaning company, urge you to take care when self-cleaning. Don’t always assume that the cheapest solution is the most suitable one for any job. If anyone says that carpets can be well kept with minimal effort, take it with a grain of salt.

Additionally, never downplay a spillage, no matter if it's food, drink or something else. If it is not cleaned, the stain can become an unwanted element of the carpet’s appearance. No cleaning company is able to completely remove a stain that has been affecting the fibres for too long. We advise you to never experiment with store-bought cleaning solutions, as they are not the answer to all problems.

What is the best way to clean a carpet?

Today, due to constant scientific advancements, there are many ways to clean your carpets. Some can be done by anyone, such as carpet shampooing or dry carpet cleaning. Others, like hot water extraction, are best left to professional carpet cleaners to apply.

Our advice is to do your own research before you decide on a cleaning method. You should be careful, as the various carpet fibres all have specifics. For example, synthetic carpet can be steam cleaned, and natural carpet cannot withstand high water temperature or pressure. If you are unsure, it’s better to consult an expert beforehand.

carpet cleaning spray

Can I use bleach to clean a white carpet?

We advise avoiding bleach on any colour or type of carpet, even white material. Carpet mistakes are costly, and most people spend a large amount of time in carpeted rooms. If you mishandle your carpet, you are lowering the comfort you feel in that particular room. Doing that is going against the very idea of the home as a comfort zone.

Our advice is to never use vanish or bleach on any fabric, whether it is carpet, sofa or a mattress. Let's say, for example, an accident happens on your mattress, and you want to remove a stain. You may be wondering: “But if my mattress is white, shouldn’t the bleach return it to the original colour?”

The answer is unfortunately no, as the bleach will not remove the stain, but simply create a new stain on top. And since it is a harsh chemical, it is no longer safe for you to use the mattress. Once it is dry, it is practically impossible to remove it completely.

A similar result can be expected after the use of vanish, which also contains bleach. Nine out of ten times, it makes the issue worse instead of resolving it. And for both problems, you will need to call a professional company to try and salvage it, if they can.

Read also: Easy Guidelines for Carpet Cleaning

Can I clean a carpet with a steam mop

What should I look for to find professional carpet cleaning services?

Trained customer service assistants

An amateur company’s operators have not undergone any training courses, and may be impolite to customers. A professional company has a well-trained customer support team, and most are former cleaners. This can be easily confirmed within the first minute of speaking to them.

They are all experts in their field, and are able to answer any questions a client may have. The questions may be related to the cleaning method, the machines used, the chemicals and their manufacturers. The professional operator is capable of answering in depth to all of them, and of providing additional instructions.

Trained cleaning experts

The training courses also apply to the cleaners, the cleaning representatives on site. An amateur company often uses the same people to book the appointments and to perform the cleaning. The professional company's management understands that an appointment needs to be properly handled.

Thus, professionals have a booking centre which arranges appointments, and then sends an experienced technician to clean. He is capable of telling apart all types of fabric and how to treat them properly. He delivers a top quality service, doing his best to meet the customer’s expectations.

Public Liability Insurance

A professional company and its representatives are all certified and insured. This is never the case with an amateur company, and another reason to avoid them.

You can easily tell apart a professional company’s branded van and uniformed cleaners. An amateur company may as well come in with any van and the cleaner may be wearing plain overalls. Amateurs look just like government maintenance workers, electricians, plumbers, or other public service providers.

Cleaning equipment

An amateur company operates with cheap cleaning solutions commonly found in your local supermarket. More often than not, they also use harsh chemicals, unsuitable for the fabric they are trying to clean. As for machines, they may come with a hoover or with nothing at all, not even a brush.

Professional companies use chemicals made by professional manufacturers, since they are aware that the carpet requires eco-friendly solutions. They also come well equipped with high-end machines and accessories.

Prices

And of course, an amateur company will more than likely offer you lower prices for their services, but at what cost? Most professional companies report that they get called in to mop up the mess left by an amateur company often. The number of cases is rising, and this is almost never due to the customer’s fault.

In conclusion

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and we do not dispute that. We only wish to avoid cases where the customer isn’t satisfied due to using the wrong company. Especially when the expectations were achievable by a professional company, but not by an amateur one.

We hope this article was of help to you, our customer, in understanding how to care for your carpet. Now you know that it is worth it to have it professionally cleaned every now and again.

You may also like: Top 7 Carpet Cleaning Tips by ProLux