5 Carpet cleaning tips every home owner needs to know

With so many people living a busy lifestyle, keeping your home clean and organised is no easy task. It’s great to be able to keep your carpets clean and fresh with regular carpet cleaning (we recommend at least every 12 months), but what do you do in between your regular carpet cleans to keep your carpet in good condition?

We share our top five tips to keep your carpets looking their best.

Carpet Cleaning Tip #1 - Not wearing shoes inside makes your carpets dirtier

Yes, you read that correctly. NOT wearing shoes inside makes your carpets dirtier. Many people are surprised when they hear that wearing shoes inside can be a good thing. Of course, that shoe should be an ‘inside only’ shoe.

Wearing shoes on carpet means that you can bring toxins in from wherever you have been, but body oils and sweat from your feet and socks actually transfers to the carpet. These oils are sticky and mean more dirt sticks to the oils - which ultimately makes your carpet dirtier quicker. Mind blown. Given this, ideally inside slippers (that don’t go outside to the clothes line) would be best.

Carpet Cleaning Tip #2 - Not all carpet cleaners are the same

Three things are needed to ensure the very best quality carpet cleaning for your home.

1. The best equipment (ideally a truck mounted steam cleaner). 
2. The best products. Great products are expensive and a lot of carpet cleaners avoid excessive costs but also avoid delivering the best results to their customers by using inferior products. Ensure the quality of your carpets by using a carpet cleaner who can tell you all about the products they use and what makes them a quality carpet cleaning product.
3. Trained technicians. Without understanding the makeup of carpet and the science of how products react to soils and fibres, the result will always be hit and miss. Trained carpet cleaning technicians will ensure you receive a consistent, high quality job, every time. 

Carpet Cleaning Tip #3 - Water based paints and pens doesn't mean they wash out with water

Water based household paints have a resin in them that is still oily. The difference is that they are water soluble. When it comes to kids paints and markers this is the same. They are water soluble but still have pigments that can permanently stain carpets.

Carpet Cleaning Tip #4 - Not all stains are removable

Many customers think that any stain can be removed but unfortunately when a colour from food dye in food, wood stain in furniture or paints and inks touch carpet, they can be permanent.  Some wool and acid dyed nylons can be bleached out and the acid dyes in the carpet replaced but these are not always successful. Dyes on all other carpets are colourfast and are permanent.

Carpet Cleaning Tip #5 - Why you shouldn't use bi-carb soda and vinegar on wool carpets

Wool carpet is very resilient and will last a long time structurally. However, because it is a natural fibre it can be broken down easily. Google and YouTube have many blogs, videos and forums giving advice like using vinegar, bicarb soda or a combination of both. Why is this a bad idea? Wool is temperamental and can only withstand products with a pH of between 4.5 to 8.5. This is why, when cleaning wool carpets you must use wool safe products. Wool safe products are always in the required PH levels, to ensure the integrity of your wool carpet. Anything below 4.5 pH, like vinegar which is between 2 and 3 pH, can damage the wool. Anything above this PH level can cause it to go yellow - like bicarb soda which is between 9 and 10 pH. Anything in the extreme levels, such as bleach (which is a pH of 11 to 13) will ultimately melt the wool before your eyes. If you have a stain make sure you contact a professional carpet cleaner - it will save you in the long run.

Using these carpet cleaning tips, together with regular 12 monthly carpet cleaning, will help to ensure your carpet maintains a higher quality for longer. And that’s what every home owner wants to ensure a clean, fresh and organised home. Is it time to book in professional carpet cleaning for your home?