What Is Carpet Cleaning

By Louise Wasa

As we all know carpets accumulate a lot of dust and dirt over a period of time. A dirty carpet may accumulate microscopic organisms like dust mites, fungus, bacteria etc which is unhygienic and bad for the user. Further a dirty carpet not only spoils the aesthetics but may also emit bad odor spoiling the “feel” of the room. Hence frequent cleaning of carpets is a necessity. The frequency may vary from once in six months to once in two months depending upon the usage of the carpet and other factors such as presence of kids or pets in the house and whether anybody is suffering from allergies in the house.

Choosing the right carpet cleaning method is important because if you choose a wrong method your carpet´s life may be reduced. Choose a method which is compatible with the fiber and underlay of the carpet. Most carpets can be cleaned using a hot water extraction method. However if your carpet bleeds dyes then you should opt for dry cleaning. The correct method can be determined by doing a simple fiber burn or chemical test.

There are various types of carpet cleaning methods as explained below. All the carpet cleaning methods employ vacuuming in the beginning to remove dust.

Steam cleaning
This method is very popular at homes and with people having allergies as it is very effective. Steam cleaning machines are available at a reasonable price for residential use. In this method hot water mixed with detergent solution is worked into the carpet and then extracted. Some machines use super heated steam, but most machines use hot water.

Dry cleaning
If you do not want to wait for the carpet to dry, then you can opt for a dry cleaning method. In this a powder which has affinity to dirt is spread over the carpet and is worked into the carpet. The powder sticks to the dirt in the carpet. The carpet is then vacuumed to remove the powder and the dirt.

Shampooing
Detergents are applied to the carpet and a carpet cleaning machine agitates the carpet. The detergent is then extracted by vacuuming from the carpet. Deodorizers and brighteners are employed to deodorize and brighten your carpet. This is the least effective of the methods as it still leaves dirt and microbes in the carpet.

Foaming
This method is a hybrid of dry cleaning and shampooing. The idea is to use as little water as possible so that the carpet can dry quickly. A foam detergent is used that has affinity towards dirt. This foam is worked into the fibers of the carpet and then extracted along with the dirt.

Bonnet carpet cleaning
This is mostly used in commercial and industrial carpet cleaning. The purpose of this method is to restore the look of the carpet and does not provide a deep cleaning. In this method a detergent is applied to the carpet and a rotary carpet cleaning machine with absorbent pads is used to extract the dirt from the carpet.

About the Author: Louise Wasa always writes about valuable news & reviews. A related resource is Carpet Cleaning Further information can be found at Home Improvement

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Carpet Cleaning - Do It Yourself Or Not?

By Louie Silver

When your carpets or rugs need cleaning, you can either do it yourself or get a professional carpet cleaning company to do it for you. There are many carpet cleaning services to choose from nowadays. But you may be thinking which is the best service to go for, or should you do it yourself?

You must take a few things into consideration when deciding on a carpet cleaning service. Firstly, do you really need a professional carpet cleaning company to do the job or can you do the cleaning for yourself.

Do you just need to clean a few stains on your rugs or carpets? If the stains are fairly small, you can get rid of them using your own home-made remedies. Depending on the size of the stain, and how long it has been there, removing it from your carpet can either be easy or very tedious. Some stains on carpets will come out easy while others will require more than one application of spot remover solution.

Examples of carpet cleaning solutions for removing spots include dish washing liquid, white vinegar, isopropyl-rubbing alcohol, one tablespoon of household ammonia mixed with some water, hydrogen peroxide, as well as other commercially sold carpet cleansers. Other things that will help you when cleaning carpets are paper tissues, a spray bottle and a brick for keeping the tissue in place. These can easily be purchased from your local supplier.

OK, so you may not want to do the carpet cleaning yourself. If this is the case follow the guidelines described below:

Firstly, do you have a budget? If not, then you should decide on a rough figure on how much you want to pay for someone to come and clean your carpets.

Next to consider is how much carpet do you need cleaned. For example a few years ago I bought a brand new carpet for my house, and have never really had it properly deep cleaned since then. I live in a 2-storey property and there is carpet in all the rooms. Inevitably the kids have left there mark! Plus general wear and tear have left the carpet needing a good seeing to. In my case, I would consider getting a professional in to clean the carpet in the whole house. However, if I only had a small area of carpet that needed cleaning, I would consider doing it myself. There are many carpet cleaning products available that do a good job, even in getting out those tough worn in stains.

Ask a friend for a recommendation. My mother recently went to visit a friend and noticed how clean her carpets looked. Her friend kindly recommended the carpet cleaning service that she used. My mother contacted the carpet cleaning company and arranged for them to clean her whole house. The recommendation worked out well, and resulted in a really good job being done. Now my mum has been telling all her friends about it too. Recommendations from friends are a very good way of finding a decent carpet cleaning service.

Another way is to look in your local business directory, or even better have a look on the Internet. Most reputable companies advertise on the Internet, and you should have no problem finding carpet cleaning services local to you.

About the Author: Louie Silver is a carpet cleaning specialist, and offers caret cleaning tips, advice and information on his website. http://carpet-cleaning-zone.blogspot.com

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Cleaning Your Carpet With A Dry Carpet Cleaner

By James Carlson

If it is time to clean your carpet you have many choices. You can hire someone to clean it or you can clean it yourself or you can just replace it. Replacing it is probably not in your budget and professional carpet cleaners can be expensive as well. If you would like to save money but not have a mushy mess you should consider dry cleaning it yourself. Keep reading and learn how.

The first thing that you need to do is rent the equipment. The equipment that you will be renting is called the Host Dry Carpet Cleaning system. It is available at many vacuum supply stores and home improvement stores. Just look in your phone book under "carpet cleaning rental." When you go to pick up the equipment you will also need to purchase a bottle of pre-spray and a box of cleaning powder. Go pick up your supplies and bring them home.

Once you get the equipment home you will begin by thoroughly vacuuming your carpet. Take you time and do a good job so as to remove as much dry soil as possible. After you have vacuumed you will take your bottle of pre-spray and mist it over the difficult traffic areas. Next sprinkle the powdered cleaner over a ten foot by ten foot area and place the machine on the carpet. The machine will have two counter rotating brushes and you will use it to agitate the powder. Run first in one direction and then turn the machine ninety degrees and agitate the other direction. When you are finished leave the powder on the ground and move on to the next section. After you have completed all of the carpet and the powder is completely dry you will vacuum it up using your home vacuum cleaner and that is it. You are done and the carpet is dry and ready to use.

Dry cleaning, as you can see is a rather easy method of home carpet cleaning for the do it yourselfer. It does have its limitations however and if your carpet is heavily soiled you will want to call a professional cleaner.

About the Author: For more information on dry carpet cleaning and carpet cleaning in Elizabeth visit the authors website.

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Cleaning Tips For Your Carpet

By Mary Williams

If you are the one who is really worry about your carpet, here is some simple guide for treating stains and maintaining carpets and upholstery.

1. Always clean up spills quickly to avoid staining. Start by removing any solid debris. Clean the spill using clean, cold water and blotting with white paper towels or cloths. Never scrub or brush the spill as it will damage fibers and possibly set the stain. Only if this method does not work should you move on to harsher treatments.

2. Regular vacuuming and spot treatment will improve the quality and life span of your carpets and upholstery.

3. Since chemicals are hard on the fibers of carpets and upholstery, you should always start with the weakest solution before moving on. Start with clean water and move onto a mild solution of liquid soap (never use laundry detergent) or an oxygen based cleaner which usually works well on organic stains (food, animal, blood) before using chemical spot removers.

Carpet spot removal products are made with some of the most dangerous chemicals and should always be applied when wearing gloves and in an area with good ventilation.

4. Test the cleaning products for carpets or upholstery in a hidden spot to make certain it won't stain. Place a white paper towel or cloth on the tested area to check for color transfer. If the cleaner is safe apply a small amount of spot removal product to a clean, white cloth and work your way from the OUTSIDE of the stain inwards. Keep at it only using a stronger solution when you are no longer getting results with water or mild detergent.

Upholstery stains can also be treated with a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution that can be left on and dabbed. You do not need to rinse. Hydrogen Peroxide works equally well on vinyl furniture.

5. When the stain is removed rinse with clean water and blot the excess out. Replace towels when they are too wet to absorb anymore water. Be careful to avoid over wetting as it can also damage your carpet or cause mildew in your carpet or upholstered furniture.

Taking the time to treat spills before they're stains will go a long way in keeping your carpets and upholstery looking as good as new!

About the Author: Mary Williams maintains many rug websites, including Braided Rugs Guide, Carpet Rug ,and Discount Rug. Please visit her websites and read more interesting articles.

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