Cleaning Tips

Recommended tips for maintaining your freshly cleaned carpets:

Your carpets will be completely dry in less than 4 hours after cleaning. During the drying time, avoid walking on the carpet. If you must, make sure your shoes or feet are clean.

Do NOT walk on the carpet with socks or any shoe that has fabric such as house shoes, etc.

Never place wood or metal furniture on damp carpet, the stain from the wood can leech into the carpet and the metal might leave rust stains.

Vacuuming is the single most important step in maintaining your carpet’s life and beauty. We recommend vacuuming at least once a week with a good quality vacuum cleaner.

The key to proper vacuuming is that the air flow through the machine be unimpeded. A bag that is more than half way full WILL retard the air flow and it the air flow that sucks up the dust. This is THE BIGGEST area in which we see people do harm to their carpet investment. Vacuum cleaners suck, and they are probably the only thing in life where sucking is a good thing. Help your vacuum do it’s job by keeping the air flow high!

Here’s a test to see if your vacuum is adjusted for optimal performance. Place a penny on the carpet 1 inch in front of the vacuum. Turn on the vacuum and watch the penny. If it vibrates, your vacuum is set to the correct height. If the penny is not vibrating, adjust the vacuum height until the penny vibrates.

Use a crevice tool with your vacuum to clean around carpet edges. Even the best vacuums can’t reach between the carpet and baseboards. This should be done at least once a month. This is especially important with light colored carpeting.

Avoid using retail spot removers. Many have some type of soap in them. They use the soap so you’ll see immediate results and it’s cheaper than the better cleaning agents. It may take the spot out but it will leave a sticky residue which attracts dirt. The spot comes back but by then you may have not figure out it was the soapy cleaner that was the cause and not cute little Fido!

Our spot removers have no sticky residue and do not contain soap. We guarantee that if our remover takes out a spot, it won’t come back. If you’re out of spot remover, in an emergency, cold water and a cotton rag is a safe substitute.

Stains are always easiest to remove just after they occur. Use our spot remover for the best results. When in doubt, give us a call. We’re always happy to help.

Alternate traffic paths where possible. Re-arrange furniture or walk through a room a different way so that wear is even and no one particular area receives constant traffic.

Remember the saying, “Step on a crack, break your Mother’s back?”. Well, it can help you remember this tip. Step over areas where carpet joins another type of flooring. These areas get dirty the fastest. Typically the carpet is higher than the hard surface flooring it transitions to. This creates an excessive pressure point on the carpet and causes it to become dirty and wear faster. “Step on a crack, break your Mother’s back” now has a real use.

Never use a carpet remnant as a throw or area rug without a protective backing. Carpet backing is typically rough or abrasive and can wear down the carpet fibers you are trying to protect. There are products available to put under a throw to protect the surface beneath and are available at most home stores.

Have your carpets professionally cleaned every 6 months, up to a year if is was professionally protected when last cleaned. Carpet is always healthier, looks better, and lasts longer if it’s cleaned every 6 months. Ask us for a recommendation on your individual cleaning frequency.

Repair carpet problems as they occur. Small problems usually become big problems. If you see ripples in your carpet, loose tack strips, or any other type of problem, contact us. We can arrange for a carpet repair expert to stretch or otherwise repair your carpet problems.