I hear this question often. People want to know if it is necessary to clean their carpets every six months or even once a year, especially if they have little foot traffic and the carpets don’t look dirty. So, to maintain and extend the life of your carpet – how often should you clean?
A Good Cleaning Never Did Anyone Any Harm…
Why are some homeowners so reluctant to clean their carpets in the first place?
Some have expressed a concern that cleaning their carpets will only make them get dirty faster. Perhaps you’ve even experienced this unpleasant effect after carpet cleaning. But remember, just as cleaning your clothes does not cause them to re-soil quicker, neither will cleaning your carpets cause them to re-soil faster. So what would cause the carpets to re-soil faster after cleaning?
An improper cleaning. Some companies, (usually the “dirt cheap” ones, no pun intended), in an effort to cut costs and corners, will skip doing a separate rinse step in order to remove detergent residues. If detergent is left in the carpet, accelerated resoiling will occur. And, your carpet becomes, so to speak, a “dirt magnet.” At Thompson’s SteamWay, Inc., we use the most thorough method of cleaning that adds a separate rinse step. This method of cleaning removes the deep dirt along with the detergent. As a result, you get a fresh, clean carpet with no dirt-attracting residue.
But What If My Carpet Still Looks Clean?
Don’t be fooled by what you see on the surface. I tell my clients time and again that when the carpet looks dirty and the “traffic lanes” appear, then the damage has already begun. Damage that could have been avoided.
There are several things you can do to maintain and extend the life of your carpet, like having a regular schedule of vacuuming. But vacuuming alone will not remove all of them. The best thing you can do for your carpet is to get it regularly cleaned by a qualified professional. It’s what you can’t see below the surface – the build-up of dirt and soil – that promotes the most wear to your carpet. Those soils get ground in, and although they are tiny, they work hard at wearing and breaking down each carpet fiber. If it’s not maintained properly, the carpet will age and look worn out prematurely.
And as a bonus, frequent cleanings not only preserve the life of your carpet, they keep your indoor air clean. This is because carpet acts like a filter, cleaning the air in your home by catching pollens, bacteria, pesticides, dust mites, dead skin cells, molds, plant spores, yeast and other pollutants as the air circulates through it. But that filter gets full and has to be cleaned on a regular basis.
So, Really, How Often Should I Clean?
The carpet manufacturers (like Shaw and Dupont) recommend that you have your carpets professionally cleaned every six to 18 months. But, what’s right for you?
Everyone has to look at their circumstances and decide what is best for them. Questions like how many people live in the home? Are there pets? Does anyone in the home smoke? Are their small children? Does anyone in the home suffer from asthma or allergies? Do people remove their shoes at the front door?
Only you can decide how often is right for you. Just remember cleaning will preserve your carpet investment and contribute to a healthy home environment. From my experience, a good recommendation for most people is to have a thorough cleaning of the whole house once a year and a “touch up” of the traffic areas at the six-month mark. So, if it’s that time again for you, give me a call at 776-9123. I am offering 20% off our services for all new customers, minimum charge applies. Hurry, as this offer expires Feb. 29, 2020. QCBN
By Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson is the owner of Thompson’s SteamWay, Inc. A Family Owned and Operated business in the Quad-Cities for over 27 years. We are a I.I.C.R.C. Certified, (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) Business, specializing in Carpet, Upholstery, Tile & Grout, Area Rug cleaning, Water Damage Restoration dedicated to Customer Service and Integrity!
They can be reached at 928-776-9123 or Thompsonssteamway.com or Thompsonssteamway@me.com
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