DIY Carpet Stain Removal Guide

Express Clean Guide to Carpet Stain Removal

Spilled Something horrible on your carpet or rugs, don't panic!
Do not use incorrect detergents on carpets or upholstery i.e. (washing up liquid, wash powders, domestic bleach, disinfectants.
Continually work from the exterior of the spot back to the inside to prevent dispersing.
Always apply the cleaning substance to the absorbing spotting materials not straight onto the carpet or textile.
Stimulate rapid drying (carefully use a hairdryer on moderate temperature to help).
Deal with spills as swiftly as possible for improved chances of success.
Keep the material or carpet as dry as possible.

Alcoholic beverages, Coffee, Tea, Liquefied Foods, Urine

Soak up excess spillage.
Use Detergent Vinegar Solution, a small amount at a time.
Work from the external border of the mark inwards.
Frequently soak up with dry towels.
See beneath for remaining rinse process.

Chocolate, Sweets, Blood, Glue, Egg, Ice Cream, Milk, Soft Drinks, Vomit

Clean up surplus with a dull knife.
Use a Detergent Solution beginning at the external fringe.
Soak up moisture.
Follow up with Ammonia Solution.
Blot dry.
See beneath for remaining rinse process.

Solids, Fats, Tar residue, Chewing Gum, Oil, Ointment, Shoe Polish.

Clean up surplus with a dull knife.
Use a Dry Cleaning Solution followed by Detergent Vinegar Solution.
Blot dry.
See beneath for remaining rinse process.
Unidentified Staining.
Clean up or soak up excess spilling.
Use a Dry Cleaning Solution followed by fresh heated water.
Blot dry.
If additional procedures are required, use either Detergent or Detergent Vinegar Solution.
Blot dry.
See beneath for remaining rinse process.

Remaining Rinse Process (relevant to all above strategies of spot elimination).

Blend one-part white vinegar and four-parts water.
Add mix into a spray container and spray over the tarnished region.
Blot moistened region (do not rub) to eliminate surplus moisture content.
Distribute white kitchen towel (placed 6-8 sheets deep) or absorbing towel over the afflicted region and position a weight, like a telephone directory, on top.
Leave overnight and repeat if required.

Although the stain eradication guide may be simple, it ought to help avoid some fairly common and costly DIY stain elimination damage. Regrettably, there can never be a guarantee of total removal of a stain, but the appropriate routine will give your expert cleaner, when called in, the best probable chance of success.

REMEMBER: Act Swiftly. Clean up solids, soak up fluids. Take a good deal of time, it is worth the energy. Blend the solution correctly and check it on an out of the way piece of carpet. Always work from the external fringe of the mark to the middle. Pat or blot instead of scrubbing or rubbing. And, most significantly, NEVER OVER-WET.

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The Benefits of Hiring Professional Carpet Cleaners for Your Business or Home

Everyone is afraid of added bills that may prove difficult to pay off. If you have a carpet at your workplace, then it is necessary to add the cost of 'professional cleaning sessions' to your annual financial expenses. However, when it comes to carpets, bills should be the list of your worries because, a dirty carpet can cause more harm than would an unpaid bill. The importance of having a clean and fresh working environment cannot be over-emphasized. You are bound to stay motivated as well as keep your workers feeling happy and good. The services of professional cleaners tend to be more expensive because they make use of their own cleaning tools and technical know-how.

The job of professional carpet cleaners takes just a few hours of hard labor to complete but the results last for an amazingly long time. The process of restoring and/or cleaning a carpet in high use is no walk in the park. It takes several hours of hard labor, patience, commitment, time and energy. The cost of hiring a professional cleaning company will vary from one institution to the other. Cleaners are paid according to the number of hours they use to clean the carpet thoroughly; it does not matter if it is a home carpet or an office carpet. As such, there is a record of the number of hours spent on the project. It is important for you to take notes about the services provided by a particular company. If you do not like what you got for the money spent, simply switch to another carpet cleaning enterprise.

It is true that carpet cleaning seems like an easy thing to do. However, carpet cleaning professionals, deep-soak carpets in steaming water and re-absorb it for the carpet to get back in good shape. The working conditions are quite stuffy and not easy to work in. Indeed, some companies sometimes add cost according to the working conditions. A good company will give you great satisfaction and there will never again be a day when you will do your carpet cleaning by yourself.

Who does not want a neat and beautiful looking home or office? There is a good feeling that oozes from a well-kept carpet, be it at home or at work. If you want a fresh looking carpet and a welcoming environment, then consider using the services of professional carpet cleaners at least two times a year.

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Maintain the Beauty of Your Carpet With These Tips

This article will give you several tips that should help keep your carpet in good shape and make it stay as beautiful as it should. The way we feel when we step into a house decorated with a clean and spotless carpet is indescribable. It is so pleasant to walk into a welcoming room. No one wants to walk into a room with a poorly kept carpet. This is because a poorly maintained carpet will have residue within its fabrics and some unpleasant odors. One of the biggest investments a homeowner will make would be purchasing a carpet, be it for the living room, bedrooms or even the car. The carpet is the furniture that portrays a person's home-keeping abilities. This article will certainly provide you with some tips that you can use to make your house ooze of freshness, cleanliness and health.

a- Start by choosing the right fabric for the carpet you need. You would want to check on the cleaning needs and the durability.

b- Make sure you buy a vacuum that is of great quality and is not just easy to handle or is a light cleaner.

c- I cannot emphasize how important it is to vacuum the carpet regularly.

d- Make it a point to take off your shoes before stepping on the carpet when you spend the day walking on asphalt.

e- Ensure that every spill is blotted out immediately and with a clean piece of cloth or towel.

There are only five tips mentioned in this article, but there are a million tips that work miracles when it comes to keeping your carpet looking beautiful and clean all the time. One thing I can recommend is to grow a close relationship with a professional in the field of carpet cleaning. This will make it easy for you to ask for professional advice without any extra charges. This closeness can work in your favor in many ways, such as receiving priority treatment as well as discounts on prices. A professional will put in great contributions in making sure the carpet has a long life.

In conclusion, you don't want to use cleaning products that are meant for the home to clean your carpet. This can cause irreparable damage to your carpet. Such products are not designed with carpets in mind. They are designed for use on clothes. Many carpets have been destroyed by the use of oxygenated products. To use these products on your carpet, you must ensure that they are properly extracted from the carpet fabrics after use. However, this can only be well done by industry professionals. The best way to get the proper treatment for your carpet would be to tell the cleaning professional everything that he must know. Every spill should be detailed in time and type. This will give the cleaner a chance to make an informed and good decision for the proper cleaning procedure.

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Get Carpet Ink Stains Out of the Way

Imagine for a moment that you are working on some documents and your pen gets broken, spilling a considerable amount of ink on your shirt. This is one of those things that can really make a person go off-the-rails. The most frustrating stain would be an ink stain on light-colored pants, t-shirt, shirt or carpet. I am certain that many carpet-owners have experienced how difficult it is to get rid of an ink stain that ended up on their carpet. Indeed, if you let an ink stain stay for a while, it will become more difficult to clean and could damage the fiber of your carpet.

Though it is not easy to clean ink off a light-colored carpet, it is not impossible. Actually, to get the best out of your carpet cleaning efforts, you need some helpful tips on how to go about it. There are several steps to follow if you must get rid of an ink stain on your carpet.

First, you must ensure that the stain is treated immediately it gets on the carpet. This is the first treatment you should give your carpet. This remedial action prevents the stain from becoming more difficult to clean. When you let the ink stain sit longer than it should, then you are in for a difficult carpet cleaning session. Remember, the best moment for your carpet cleaning magic to work on an ink stain is immediately it occurs.

Secondly, you would want to start by getting a neat cloth, preferably cotton-made. You will throw some alcohol on this piece of cloth. The best type of alcohol to address this situation would be Isopropyl. After the alcohol has soaked in, use the said cloth to blot out the stain from the affected area. The ink will slowly move from the carpet to the cloth. This step should be repeated several times. You must repeat this process until there is no longer any ink on the alcohol-soaked-cloth when rubbed on the affected area.

However, if this process does not completely get rid of the ink, get some carpet cleaning product from the nearest store and use it on the stain. After step one, the stain will be greatly reduced and this second step should help even more. As with the alcohol, apply the product on a clean cloth and blot the affected area. After two to four times of blotting, the stain should no longer be visible.

Indeed, remember to rinse the area you have just treated with clean water so that no residue should accumulate on the carpet.

To conclude, it is very important to have a few carpet cleaning tips under your sleeves so that your carpet cleaning endeavors would yield much.

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Tips in Choosing a Carpet Cleaning Company

When you have carpet in your home or office, you will need to engage a professional carpet cleaning service to keep the carpet clean, smell fresh and hygienic. Carpet contains accumulated dirt particles, dust and micro organisms like dust mites that can potentially cause health hazards especially those who have inherent allergy reactions towards dust and dust mites. Common allergy reactions towards dirty and unhygienic carpet are asthma, rhinitis, eczema, blocked and runny nose, and more.

Because of the potential health risks when using dirty and unhygienic carpet, yearly deep carpet cleaning by the professionals is necessary to thoroughly remove embedded dirt particles and harmful micro organisms. Depending on the amount of traffic on the carpet, more treatments maybe required for carpets that are heavily used so that accumulated dirt can be removed more effectively.

Different types of carpet material and flooring require specific type of cleaning method. So, it is safer to ask your carpet installer or retailer for their recommended professional carpet cleaner or preferred cleaning method when planning to deep clean your carpet. If there is no recommendation given, it will be useful to study the various types of carpet cleaning methods provided by different carpet cleaning service providers in the market and then decide which will be the right one for your home or organization.

There are many types of carpet cleaning methods available in the market but the common ones, and more popular ones, found in Singapore and larger cities in Asia are carpet bonneting, hot water extraction / steam cleaning, and dry cleaning.

Carpet bonneting method is often seen in public area or common corridors in hotels and commercial buildings because carpet cleaning can be completed very quickly without causing much obstruction to human traffic. The downside of bonneting is carpet gets dirty again very fast because this method does not perform deep cleaning. As more carpet users complain about rapid resoiling after bonneting cleaning, more hotels and commercial facility management have chosen for other carpet cleaning methods that can produce more lasting results.

Hot water extraction or steam cleaning is a popular carpet cleaning method by carpet cleaners because it produces effective result. However, as this cleaning method would cause carpet to become wet and typically takes about 6 hours, if not longer, to dry in an air-conditioned environment, hot water extraction method is not suitable for raised platforms that have cables installed below the carpeted flooring. There are also some commercial activities that operate 24 hours every day in the year and whose office carpet cannot be evacuated for steam cleaning.

Dry carpet cleaning is an emerging popular choice as more have recognized the benefits and excellent results produced by this cleaning technology in the market. This cleaning method is typically performed by using biodegradable, sponge-like compounds, which will be brushed into the carpet to absorb dirt and micro organisms, without wetting the textile flooring. The soiled sponges would then be thoroughly removed at the end of the treatment. This cleaning technology, that became popular in Western countries in the 1980s, produces excellent cleaning results, minus the inconvenience and limitations when using wet carpet cleaning methods.

When selecting a carpet cleaner, there are important highlights to take note before making the final decision:

Do not go for cheapest quote but go for best service quality instead. Cheapest service typically does not produce the intended result effectively.Always ask for an onsite assessment and price quotation instead of getting quote via the phone base on the room size. A reputable and honest carpet cleaner would always prefer to assess the carpet condition and floor area before committing to a price proposal.Before signing on the service contract, it will be useful to find out what kind of cleaning products and technology used by the carpet cleaners and peruse the documented agreement that reflect the expected total cost and other terms and conditions carefully.

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Easy Tips For Cleaning The Carpet

Looking for tips on how to clean your carpet? Then this short and informative article is right for you. Follow this guide, and you will surely learn how to do it in simple tips.

Carpets provide beauty to the house by adding texture, pattern, and color. Regular vacuum cleaning is the best defense from all kinds of dirt that can ruin the carpet fibers. In addition, carpets should be cleaned regularly to maintain its color and appearance. You should clean the carpet every twelve to eighteen months. You should give extra attention to the high-traffic areas. If you have kids or pets at home, then you should clean your carpet at least twice or thrice a year. You should always adhere to the instructions from your manufacturer's manual.

Tips For Carpet Cleaning

Safeguard your subfloor (especially if it is wood flooring), carpet padding, and furniture when cleaning the carpet. Ask help from someone to move the furniture from the room. Clean the carpet thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner. You can hire a professional to clean the carpet. Also, if your manufacturer recommends a rental vacuum, please do so.

Carpet Cleaning System

If you have kids or pets at home, it is advisable to buy a professional-style model intended for residential purposes. You can save a lot of money when you have home cleaners than hiring a professional numerous times every year. However, the home cleaner you possess may not be strong like the professional cleaners have.

Water Extraction Technique

Most of the carpet cleaning systems that homeowners have are water extraction models. They are also called steam cleaners. These cleaners inject a solution into the carpet, and then the machine will pull back the dirty solution. Buy a model that does not have a clean-water hookup because it is very hassle to drag the hose while you are cleaning. In addition, always opt for a high-powered machine to make the water extraction fast and efficiently.

Note: Do not over wet the carpet when you are using a steam cleaner. This can ruin the underlayment and carpet backing, making it shrink, lose its color, and produce odor.

Dry Extraction Technique

If we have wet extraction, then we also dry extraction. This is done by spreading a dry absorbent into the carpet, then vacuuming it afterwards. This cleaning method is better and more expensive than steam cleaners.

Carpet Cleaner Rental

It is also wise to rent a professional steam cleaner from your local rental center. The machine that your local rental center owns has extra cleaning power. There is a big BUT. The fees and cleaning solutions may hurt your budget. This will be a good value if you do not have kids or pets at home.

Hiring A Professional

Before you hire a professional, you should decide between dry extraction method or steam cleaning. A professional can do both task, and will work wonders in cleaning carpets. Professionals have high-powered equipment, and they have more experiences in removing all kinds of dirt from the carpet.

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How Does Carpet Fiber Protection Work?

Win/win Benefit of stain guard protection

This process will help people to protect their carpets. It is part of a pro-active Carpet maintenance. The main reason people replace carpets is because of wear patterns and stains.

Carpet fibers such as olefin, polyester and smartstrand are more effective than nylon at not absorbing stains, however they are not as durable as nylon and get replace because they wear out faster. To combine the durability and cleanability of nylon with the stain resisting ability of these other fibers, flourochemical stain protection can be used.

How does it work?
We use a technology flourochemical protectant that actually really does work well. It creates a negative ionic charge in the carpets which repels liquids and soils. Kind of like magnets that push away from each other. They create more surface tension on the carpet fibers so that spills bead up on them better. There is a difference between stain resistant carpets and applying fiber protection. Stain resistant carpet have a dye blocker injected into the fibers in the dyeing process while fiber protection is applied to carpet fibers after the dyeing process.

Does this mean that your carpets won't stain or get dirty?

No it means it gives you time to remove the spill or soil before it penetrates into the carpet fibers.

How long does it last?
It depends on the amount and type of traffic on the carpets. For best results Heavy traffic areas should have it reapplied every year and light traffic areas every other year. Areas that are likely to have a lot of spills or where the dogs like to lay down are good spots to apply protection.

Applying fiber protection to your upholstery is also a good idea. On the arms where grubby hands rest of where the back of the head can leave oil from hair are places that should have fiber protection applied.

If your fibers are natural fibers such as cotton or wool then you need to use a solvent based protectant because leaving natural fibers wet too long can create browning problems.

Other cautions; Using high alkaline cleaning solutions with a ph of over 10 may remove the protectant from the carpets. If a high alkaline solutions has been used on the carpets, be sure to thoroughly rinse out the area using an acidic rinse. White vinegar diluted in water works fine. Then apply more protectant to the area. You can purchase protectant from your local carpet cleaning supply store.

Make your carpets look better and last longer with carpet fiber protection.

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How to Keep Your New Carpet Looking Beautiful

When you buy a home, you want to decorate it with carpeting to match your personal style. Over time, carpet can get dirty and dingy from being walked on constantly. Luckily, there are measures you can take to ensure your carpet will last as long as possible. Here are some tips to care for your home's carpet to keep it looking nice and new.

Vacuum Regularly

Be sure to vacuum your carpet often; one to two times a week is best. Vacuuming will help to remove any soil that can ruin the fibers of your carpet. It is important that you continue to vacuum since much of the dirt that can slice your carpet fibers is not visible to the naked eye.

Check Your Carpet Warranty

When you first, make sure read the manufacturer's warranty. The warranty should spell out any specific instructions on what you need to do to keep your warranty valid. If the carpet manufacturer has any recommendations, try your best to follow it.

Spot Clean When Your Carpet Gets Soiled

It is inevitable; eventually something will get spilt or dragged onto your new carpet. New carpet typically comes with an anti-stain barrier to help protect your carpet from such events. Some anti-stain technology is better than others, and your first spill is the perfect time to test yours out. Your manufacturer warranty should list what types of stains are covered under warranty, and also what their recommended method for spot cleaning is.

Protect Your Carpet

Carpet is made to be walked on. The more people you have living in your home the more wear and tear your carpet will endure. Carpet tends to wear down first in high-traffic areas, such as those in front of the front door or in a hallway. To protect your carpet from such wear and tear, use runners or mats in those high-traffic areas. Runners can be placed down your hallway to protect rug burn, the wearing down of your carpet. You can also use a sticky-backed plastic on your stairs to help protect the carpet from constant use. Rearranging your furniture every now and then can also help by changing the pattern of heavy traffic in your home.

Get Professional Cleaning

In general, it is best to have your carpet clean by a professional carpet cleaning company once a year. If you have areas that are subjected to really heavy traffic and a lot of dirt, you may want to have it cleaned more often than. Professional cleaning does not leave any residue, and completely and thoroughly gets the dirt and stains out of your carpet. Many anti-stain carpet manufacturers state in their warranties that you should have your carpet professionally cleaned every other year. Cleaning by a professional can remove the dirt and soil that vacuuming may leave behind.

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Get Bad Smells Off Your Carpet

The material that is used to make carpets is pretty much easy to guess. The fibers used for carpet making are porous and consequently they easily absorb residue into the fabrics. This is especially true for juice, tea or coffee spills that provoke unpleasant odors in the house. When these spills are not promptly and properly dealt with, they cause bad smell which may lead to air pollution in the house. Needless to say this pollution is a potential health hazard for those living in the house.

I know the question running through your mind now is, what do I do to get the horrible odor off my carpet?

My oldest tip for treating a smelly carpet, while at the same time steering clear of the shampooing process, would be to spread a good amount of baking powder on the carpet and leaving it on for a while. After leaving the baking soda on for a while, vacuum the carpet for a fresh smell.

Home Uses of Baking Soda and vinegar

There is no doubt, looking back at its long history of use, that baking soda is a precious element when it comes to getting rid of carpet odors or any other odor from fiber objects. Another very useful product that helps to get rid of bad smell is vinegar. A blend of two parts of water and one part of vinegar can be scrubbed unto a carpet to deal with odor issues. This option is more affordable than buying shampoo dedicated to carpet cleaning or hiring a shampooing cleaner for the same purpose.

The use of fresh air

Indeed, the use of fresh air to clear your carpet of odors may seem a little strange for a beginner. However, this method is a good aid in combating carpet stench. Nevertheless, spraying a carpet or air freshener on the carpet will only mask the smell for a little while. If you want to thoroughly handle the odor, it would prove inadvertently wise to do intensive shampooing of the carpet. The type of shampoo to use for this would be one that is very strongly scented. To get the best of this cleaning process, you would want to do several repetitions. You will want to concentrate most of your efforts on the particular area that was affected and that is causing the bad smell.

Furthermore, you may scrub the affected areas with a brush before you start the shampooing and vacuuming process. Should in case the shampooing does not give the desired results, you will need to pull up the carpet from the floor and clean beneath. Pulling up a carpet is no walk in the park; you must therefore take all things into consideration.

Indeed, you can use the strongly scented shampoo to get rid of odors provoked by pet urine. However, the scent may not completely go away. As such, you may need to hire the services of a professional carpet cleaner for such delicate situations. If the services of the professional do not deal squarely with the situation, you may want to give up the carpet and get a new one.

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Getting Rid of Orange Juice Stains From Your Carpet

It is almost impossible to make a list of U.S.A's favorite beverages without naming orange juice in the first five. Orange juice is one of the most delicious, most nourishing and most refreshing drinks you may ever come across. This is because the orange provides consumers with loads of vitamin C that are really good for human health. With the daily increased rate of the consumption of orange juice, it is but normal to consider that the health benefits of orange juice are known by many people across the globe. Despite all the virtues of the orange juice to the human system, accidents during handling are generally bound to occur. Juice could get spilled on the floor, the table or in the worst case scenario on your carpet.

Needless to say an orange stain is a pain in the neck. It is not easy to get rid of such spills as they leave quite difficult stains that need careful handling, preferably by a professional. Orange juice can be very unsightly and difficult to remove when it lands on a carpet that has a light color. However, there are certain tips any one can use to immediately treat a carpet that has been stained by orange juice.

To begin, you would want to get rid of the excess orange juice that may have set into the fabrics of the carpet. This first step will keep the spill from sinking deeper into the fabrics of the carpet and causing any unpleasant odor. To soak out this juice, you would need to make use of paper towel or a neat piece of cloth to blot it out. If you waste any time before applying this tip, the spill will soak deep into the carpet fabrics and this would make it more difficult to clean the carpet.

Secondly, after blotting out all excess juice from the area of the carpet that was spilled, you will then get a carpet cleaning product that you like. The cleaning chemical will be used to get rid of the stain that has probably set in on the surface of the carpet. Needless to say the market is jam-packed with carpet cleaning products that you may make a choice from. Commercial cleaning products are found in stores and are easily affordable. The only precaution for you to take would be to ensure that you are choosing a product that works positively on your type of carpet. This should help prevent carpet damage and potential accidents during the cleaning process.

To add, you would want to spray the cleaning product on the area that has the stain and then use the aforementioned paper towel or cloth to blot out the stain. It is totally forbidden to rub the area affected by the stain as this will spread the stain on the carpet. Simply do a neat blotting job starting from the outside going towards the inside.

Furthermore, you would want to do this move as many times as possible until the spill is completely removed. This method actually takes some patience as the first cleaning will not completely get rid of the stain. You simply have to repeat the earlier steps to get better results or until you see that every inch of the stained area is clean.

Last but not least, you should end the session by rinsing the area with some clear water. This last step prevents the accumulation of residue and the attraction of other dirt particles onto the carpet.

Indeed, one is no longer obliged to be strained by orange juice spills as in days past. The steps listed and explained in this article should make it very easy to get rid of an orange juice stain on your carpet.

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How Often Should A Carpet Be Cleaned?

Do you wait until the carpet starts to look dirty before calling a professional carpet cleaning company to perform 'restorative carpet cleaning?

Waiting for a carpet to look dirty before calling in the cleaners is what most people do but, is that leaving it too late?

When you leave a carpet so long that it looks dirty, lots of permanent damage has already occurred. You will have been walking on a carpet, with lots of trapped dirt, cutting away at the fibres, causing premature wear. This same dirt will have ground its way into the fibres and permanently changed the colour of the carpet.

Leaving the carpet to look dirty before cleaning means, your carpet has already worn down and permanently discoloured. How can you prevent this from happening?

Professional carpet cleaning is the only way to guarantee removal of deep down dirt, that causes wear and discolouration, but how often should you perform professional carpet cleaning?

If you leave carpet cleaning to once a year, you can expect the level of appearance to be as follows

(The values change depending on variables such as number of children, number of pets and frequency of vacuum maintenance.)

On average, you can expect a carpet to look 50% of what it did, when new, after just one year. By having professional carpet cleaners in, you can restore the appearance to 80% of what it was when new. Leave the carpet another year and, the carpet deteriorates to look 30% of what it looked like when new. Having your carpet professionally cleaned at the end of year 2 restores the look to 50% of what it looked like when new. At the end of year 3, the carpet falls to look 20% of what it did when new and professional cleaning of the carpet at the end of 3 years improves the look to 40% of what it did when new.

Have your carpet professionally cleaned once a year and, after 3 years you can expect it to look 40% of what it did when it was new!

Having carpet protection applied at the same time as professional carpet cleaning, improves the level of appearance significantly.

Can You Have Your Carpet Professionally Cleaned Every Month?

The level of appearance improves dramatically, if you can have your carpets professionally cleaned on a monthly basis. Have your carpet professionally cleaned once a Month and, after 3 years you can expect it to look 80% of what it did when it was new! In fact, the level of appearance only drops a small amount and, if the carpet also had carpet protector applied on a regular basis. The carpet would still look almost like new after 3 Years of use!

You now know that you should have your carpets cleaned as often as possible but, how often should your type of household have professional carpet cleaning?

Below, is a carpet cleaning maintenance plan, which is the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) guide to carpet cleaning frequencies. "The Clean Trust S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning".

The IICRC (or The Clean Trust as they are now known) is one of the world's foremost authority and examining board for professional carpet cleaners.

When looking at the following carpet cleaning frequency guide, please consider factors such as:-

Amount of trafficSoil levelsVacuuming schedulesSpot cleaning methodsProfessional periodic cleaning frequencyRestorative professional carpet cleaning

Please note: Follow the carpet manufacturers cleaning schedule to maintain your warranty.

Carpet Cleaning Maintenance Plan

Should your household have...

Light Soiling

Vacuum once a weekSpot clean as and when requiredProfessionally clean 'tracking areas' every 12-18 MonthsRestore - Professionally clean all areas every 2 Years or as manufacturer's warranty

Normal Soiling (families with children or elderly staying at home)

Vacuum twice per weekSpot clean as and when requiredProfessionally clean 'tracking areas' every 6-12 MonthsRestore - Professionally clean all areas annually

Heavy Soil (families with pets or smokers)

Vacuum 2 - 4 times per weekSpot clean as soon as spots appearProfessionally clean tracking areas every 3 - 6 MonthsRestore - Professionally clean all areas twice a year

Extreme Conditions (large families, multiple pets etc.)

Vacuum dailySpot clean immediately spots appearProfessionally clean tracking areas every 2 - 3 MonthsRestore - Professionally clean all areas quarterly every 3 - 4 Months)

I hope this information has helped you understand the necessity for regular carpet cleaning, so that you can keep your carpet looking good for many more years to come, compared to not having carpet professionally cleaned.

Do not let your carpet look dirty before calling a professional carpet cleaner. But, do have your carpet cleaned as often as possible.Have carpet protector applied often, to extend the time your carpet keeps looking good.

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Top DIY Carpet Cleaning Methods

Carpet is a common floor furnishing to many homes, offices, hotels, planes, auditorium, and many more places. Carpet is a popular choice to decorate the floor for some obvious reasons, such as:

The carpet makes a perfect floor decorating element. There are many varieties of carpet pattern and material available in the market that can bring out a different ambience to the room and accentuate the intended interior design.
Carpet helps to reduce noise. Especially in commercial premises,it helps to absorb reflecting noise emitted by footsteps from human traffic, ringing phones, printers, etc.
Carpet keeps the floor warm. This benefit is not practical in tropical country like Singapore as the climate is warm almost throughout the year. But if your premise is fully air conditioned, then it will be nice to walk on instead of walking on a cold, hard floor.

But with any textile furnishings, carpet need continuous maintenance in order to keep it in good condition and ensure indoor air quality is not compromised because carpet is known to trap immeasurable amount of dust and dirt particles, not to mention the micro organisms like dust mites, mold, bacteria, etc.

Ideally, carpet should be professionally cleaned at least once a year, depend on the human traffic walking on the carpet, to ensure that it is thoroughly cleaned and maintained. But, in between the in-depth professional carpet cleaning schedules, there are a few DIY carpet cleaning steps which you can practice to maintain the carpet's condition:

Vacuum carpet at least once in 3 days, depending on the traffic condition. This is the most important step which you need to adhere diligently to upkeep the carpet condition. Huge amount of fine particles are brought into the carpet pile every day so regular vacuuming helps to minimize the amount of accumulated dirt particles instead of letting them to pile up within the carpet while waiting for the next in-depth carpet cleaning schedule. This negligence will become an indoor air hazard which will cause serious harm to health.
Always attend to any stain on the carpet immediately. Do not allow any stain remain on the carpet as the longer the stain stays on the carpet, the more difficult it will be to remove the stain.
Never rub when you attempt to remove stain on the carpet. Rubbing tends to spread the stain to a wider spot and you may also risk damaging the it. Always blot whenever attempting to remove stain on the carpet. Start from the outer edge of the stain and work on the stain using a clean white cloth towards the centre.
If stain can't be removed by blotting with water, blot the stain with diluted vinegar. If you prefer to use some form of foam, mix a tablespoon of mild dishwashing detergent with 2 cups of water and agitate the detergent solution till foams are formed. Blot the stain using the foam. Do not wet the carpet with the foam solution or you may risk damaging the carpet if it is not dried sufficiently.
Always dry damp or wet carpet immediately by using hair dryer or by sprinkling some baking powder to absorb the moisture. Mold and mild dew tend to thrive within damp carpet. Moisture in the carpet also encourages the growth of bacteria and other micro organism.
If you are looking for carpet shampoo or stain removal product from DIY store, always try the new product on a hidden spot first. In fact, ideally, it is advisable to check for recommended carpet cleaning shampoo or stain removal by your carpet installer or carpet retailer to ensure that the product used is safe for your carpet. If you are not sure, then leave the job to professional carpet cleaners who are equipped with the necessary products and trained to handle difficult stains.

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Useful Tips for Carpet Cleaning

Most everyone would agree that it is necessary to regularly clean carpets and rugs to keep them looking good and keep one's home healthy. However often times regular Hoovering isn't sufficient to keep things looking their best. Here are some hints from professionals for keeping carpets and rugs looking new yourself, as well as some tips for hiring a professional cleaner:

Hoover at least once per week. Whilst this may seem obvious, the vast majority of loose dirt and crime is removed with a good vacuuming.

Improve your Hoovering technique. Move the Hoover with the carpet or rug's pile direction to remove the surface dirt, then again against the pile direction to get at deeper bits.

Change traffic patterns. Moving furniture even slightly on a regular basis will help prevent carpet wear and soiling in high traffic spots. Rotating rugs will have the same effect.

Clean liquid spills quickly. Immediately after a spill, blot up the moisture with a paper towel or clean rag. Blot from the outside of the spill toward the center to keep the spill contained. Never rub the carpet to pick up the spill as this pushes the liquid deeper into the pile. Once fully absorbed, use a spot remover and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Act quickly on dirt and traffic stains, too. As soon as a stain becomes apparent, work to clean it with a spot or area cleaner as soon as possible. Leaving it to sit will force grime deeper into the pile making it harder to clean later.

Most carpet, rug and upholstery manufacturers recommend professional cleaning once a year. Unfortunately most individuals wait until they begin to see noticeable issues, but this may make cleaning and bringing the carpet back to looking new more difficult. Like any fabric, regular care and maintenance is important.

When looking for a professional cleaning firm, the first priority is to find a reputable name. The best way to do this is to ask for recommendations from family and friends (in some cases it seems one can find out who to avoid, rather who to hire). You can also check the internet or the local directory.

Check consumer review websites to see if the firm has good reputation. You can also check out Citizens Advice (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) to see if the firm has been accused of any scamming practices.

Next is to get service quotes. Many firms will provide an initial quote online or over the phone. While this will provide an initial start, it is important to make sure the firm visits the premises to give a full estimate. Be sure the firm is fully indemnified against potential damage. The estimate should be complete and include all services to be provided. Also ask for a few customer references. If the firm is hesitant or cannot provide any, consider another firm.

Another tip for choosing a firm is to check the cleaning firm's training program and equipment. Don't assume just because someone has been in business for a long while that they are using the latest technology. When the representative is visiting to develop the estimate, ask for a detailed explanation of how they clean and what equipment is used.

Then it's time to make a choice and have the work done. Most are astounded at the difference a professional cleaning can make on the look of their carpets and rugs.

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Get Rid of Grease Stains From Your Carpet

Indeed, carpet cleaning and maintenance can be a very hectic task when underestimated. Every day, as you walk around the house doing your chores, there are too many potential accidents that may occur and cause irreparable damage to your carpet. It is true that there are different types of damages that can be done on a carpet. However, one of the most common ones would be stains caused by spills. As a carpet owner you would have to deal with hard-to-remove and easy-to-remove stains every now and then. The tough stains are those that will take a lot of money, effort and time.

Actually, one of the most common of such stains would be stains caused by grease. It is true that grease originates from a variety of sources; however, the most obvious source would be that used on vehicles nowadays. Some people are well aware of how nightmarish grease stains could be when they hit the carpet. They are not only black and unsightly on the beautiful carpet, but they equally get sticky and this damages the fibers of the carpet. Nevertheless, no matter how difficult motor oil grease may appear it is not impossible to clean. You will certainly need some tips, the right tools and some patience to go through the cleaning process. Below are a few steps to follow:

Step 1; you will start by scraping off any excess grease that has settled on the carpet. This prepares the carpet for proper cleaning while keeping the stain from spreading any further. For this step, use a bread knife or a strong spoon; use this to scrape off the excess with a lot of care while making sure not to spread it to other parts of the carpet.

Step 2; after removing the excess, take a good amount of baking powder and sprinkle it over the area that has just been cleaned and then allow for 15 minutes. After the fifteen minutes have elapsed, get your vacuum cleaner and use it to absorb the baking soda. You should notice some improvement on the stained area.

Step 3: Follow the vacuuming with an application of the right carpet cleaning chemical. You may choose one that you are used to. You will want to spray this product on the affected area and then blot it out with a clean piece of cloth. This step should be repeated as often as possible, until the stain is completely removed.

Step 4; lastly, sprinkle very clean water to the affected area and use some clean towel to soak it out.

By following these easy steps you will get rid of stains that get you frustrated and ruin your beautiful carpet. A clean carpet is very important for every home.

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Carpet Care - Wet and Dry Carpet Cleaning

Carpet is a popular type of flooring used in both commercial and residential buildings. A lot of people love carpet flooring for its aesthetic appeal and the comfort it provides. The only things keeping everybody from using carpet flooring is the high maintenance required.

It's a good thing there are professional carpet cleaners that can take care of the major carpet care activities. Carpet cleaners can use different cleaning methods, but all of these can be classified as wet or dry cleaning. Wet cleaning is distinguished from dry cleaning simply by the amount of water used in the process. Water used for cleaning may either be hot or cold, depending on the method of cleaning used.

In hot water extraction, a wet carpet cleaning method, hot water mixed with cleaning chemicals is sprayed or splashed onto the carpet. The carpet is scrubbed to help disturb particles and later vacuumed to extract dislodged dirt and soil. Hot water extraction is for dealing with carpets that have deep-seated stains that typical vacuum cleaners won't be able to get out.

While hot water extraction is effective for thorough cleaning, it might damage more delicate types of carpet, creating wrinkles and other unpleasant types of damage on the wool. Carpet colors also fade faster when soaked with hot water. Furthermore, the drying period after hot water extraction and other wet cleaning methods takes some time.
Large and frequently occupied facilities such as hotels and restaurants in highly industrialized cities like Indianapolis have no time to wait for the carpet to dry after wet cleaning. They prefer dry cleaning methods, which only lasts for a few hours, yet produce almost similar results. The types of dry carpet cleaning Indianapolis experts recommend include dry compound and encapsulation. Both methods use absorbent compounds that do not need solvent like water to be able to extract dirt from deep down the pile.

Some dry cleaning methods still require water, but only enough to mix up cleaning agents. However, dry carpet cleaning Indianapolis IN professionals offer is only ideal for slightly soiled carpets and should not be an alternative for extremely dirty carpets. Otherwise, only the dirt on the surface will be extracted and the dirt underneath the piles can still serve as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.

If you want to read more about carpet cleaning in Indianapolis, you can find interesting information at About.com. On this website, you can further understand the difference between wet cleaning and dry cleaning and at the same time effectively choose which method best fits your carpet needs.

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Carpet Cleaning Techniques to Deal with Common Carpet Stains

One of the biggest disadvantages of carpet flooring is its tendency to get easily stained. Compared to concrete or tile flooring, carpet is made of textile, a very porous material that pretty much acts as a dust and stain magnet. Fortunately, there are various techniques that can help deal with unsightly carpet stains.

Carpet stain removal techniques vary depending on the type of stain. One of the most common types of stains are pet stains like dog or cat urine. If you have carpet flooring and you allow your pet to stay in your house, you must find a good way to get rid of urine stains on a regular basis. Moistening and scrubbing the stained area using water-detergent solution is usually more than enough to remove the stain while water-vinegar solution applied in the area can help neutralize the smell.

Carpet stains are a common sight for kitchens in homes with full carpet flooring because there are always different types of liquids that can get spilled anytime. To deal with oil, you can make a simple mixture of water and detergent will do since the only substance that can mix water and oil is soap. Dealing with other types of carpet stains in the kitchen usually require the same cleaning agents, particularly vinegar-water and water-detergent solution.
Blood is the most misunderstood type of carpet stain. Blood stains should be removed using cold water. Hot water causes the blood to clot even more and set even further. This why even the most potent hot water extraction methods don't work well on blood stains.

In children and study rooms, the most common type of carpet stains are ink blots. Expert carpet cleaners Indianapolis has to offer recommend dampening the stained area with isopropyl alcohol-saturated cloth. Ink blots dislodge or dissolve in alcohol by scrubbing the surface mildly, but too much alcohol can damage the carpet dye and create faded spots.

Some stains like battery oil and mercury cannot be dealt with using home techniques. In fact, carpets that are stained with mercury must be disposed immediately. Indianapolis carpet cleaning professionals strongly advise homeowners to leave mercury stains to the professionals since the substance is considered highly.

To know more about carpet stains that Indianapolis commercial carpet cleaning experts handle, carpet-cleaningtips.com is a good website to visit. This website provides in-depth information about the common types of carpet stains and how to deal with them.

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