Carpet Cleaning Maintenance

Prevention is better than Cure!

Carpet cleaning maintenance is something many people neglect. You have just had your carpets professionally steam cleaned by a local company, what now?  How do you keep them looking this good for as long as possible? Probably the least talked about step when it comes to carpet care and cleaning, is soil management.  However, this step is arguably, the most important step of all!

Carpet cleaning removes dirt and stains.  You can apply protective products to slow down re soiling.  The best way to maintain your carpet fibre, however, is to prevent the amount of soil coming into your home or office in the first place.  There are many measures you can take to stop oily and abrasive soils from coming into your home or business.  Below I have listed a few easy steps you can take to protect your carpet.

1. Soil Prevention

Regularly sweep paths, parking areas and walkways to keep them free from soils and debris. Additionally, regular pressure washing of these areas, will prevent a build up of of dirt and oils. This type of prevention is an important first step in carpet cleaning maintenance.

2. Soil Barriers

An easy and cost effective way to make sure that dirt and oils do not enter your home of office, is to use soil barriers. Mats make good barriers and should be placed at at entrance points.  For high foot traffic areas and in businesses, it is a good idea to use both exterior and interior mats at all entrances and exits.

Exterior mats should have a thick, rough texture so that dirt and mud can be scraped off the soles of shoes.  Once deposited on the mat, the soil should fall away, not sit on the surface, or it will re soil the next person’s shoes. Interior mats should be softer and more like carpet.  These mats wipe and dry the soles of the shoes, and are especially important during the wetter months of the year. Inside the home or office, high traffic areas and wet areas, will also benefit from floor mats to stop the spread of dirt and oils.  Mats used as soil barriers require much more frequent cleaning than standard carpet.

3. Vacuuming

I cannot stress strongly enough, how important regular vacuuming is for carpet cleaning maintenance! A vacuum with a good HEPA filter and strong suction will remove most dry dirt and particles.  The aim of vacuuming is to remove both visible and invisible dirt particles, with out damaging the fibre or redistributing the particles into the air.

Unvacuumed carpet may look clean.  However dirt and dust particles left on the carpet can cause damage by scratching the surface fibres.  This makes the carpets appear dull.  The frequency of vacuuming depends on the amount of foot traffic.  For most households I would recommend at least once or twice a week. A machine such as a pile lifter will lift crushed fibres in high traffic areas and aid the removal of ingrained dirt.

4. Maintenance Programs

A planned maintenance program is something many commercial properties employ, but is also something residential property owners should consider.  A maintenance plan should take into consideration, the number of occupants, their budget, types of floor coverings, and the types of soils.

A planned carpet cleaning maintenance program will allow time frames to be set for cleaning.  These time frames depend on the properties usage and needs.  A maintenance program will help ensure carpets are maintained year round and prevent premature wear or aging of floor coverings. It is an investment in the longevity of your carpet.  A carpet maintenance professional will ensure the above three steps are taken care of on a regular basis.  They will also include carpet cleaning at least once a year and spot cleaning as often as needed.

Contact us for Carpet Cleaning Maintenance

If you would like to discus soil management or arrange a carpet clean maintenance program, please contact us at Black Gold Carpet Cleaning.  We are always available to help answer your questions or arrange a booking.  When was the last time you had your carpets professionally cleaned?