The 5 Biggest Carpet Cleaning Mistakes
Your carpet is one of the larger decorating investments that you make in your home. It’s likely that you took considerable care in choosing the color, material and pattern of your home’s carpet. When you take good care of your carpet, it can last for many years. Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when it comes to carpet cleaning. In an effort to keep carpets in the best condition, mistakes can happen that can cause your carpet to wear prematurely. In order to help you keep your carpet lasting as long as it should, here are the 5 biggest carpet cleaning mistakes to avoid.
1. Using Too Much Elbow Grease on Carpet Stains
It makes sense that if there’s a stain on your carpet, you should rub it vigorously in order to get it out, right? Wrong! This is one of the he top mistakes that people make when caring for their carpet. Two things happen when you use too much elbow grease on a carpet stain. First, whatever the substance is will only get ground farther down into the carpet fibers. When you rub as hard as you can, you’re literally pushing the stain molecules into the carpet fibers and possibly into the very carpet base. The second thing that happens when you vigorously rub a stain is that you damage the actual carpet fibers. Remember that carpet is a lot like fabric fibers. When you rub and rub as hard as possible, you end of twisting the carpet fibers and causing them to fray. The correct motion to get rid of a stain is to blot it. Use a clean white cloth to blot and absorb as much of the substance as possible.
2. Not Using Runners or Area Rugs
Runners are elongated rugs that are intended for use in heavy traffic areas. Area rugs and runners work to protect specific areas of your carpet from uneven wear and tear. If you neglect to use runners, you’ll get a worn area of your carpet that needs to be replaced much sooner than the rest of your carpet. You may find yourself replacing an entire room’s carpeting just because you failed to use a runner or area rug in a heavy traffic area. Area rugs and runners are much more economical to replace, and they work to keep your carpet evenly worn in all parts of your home.
3. Using the Wrong Stain Removal Product
Just because you have a small stain on your carpet doesn’t mean you can use just anything to clean it up. The internet is rife with bad advice about using “natural” products to get rid of carpet stains. Of course, those blogger won’t be there to guide you when you ruin your carpet by using the wrong stain removal product. Carpet fibers are made from a wide range of materials, and each of those materials needs to be handled in a specific way. Your carpet manufacturer is the one source you can trust to advise you on which products you can safely use on your carpet. Carpet manufacturers are always eager to help valued customers resolve carpet stains. All you have to do is go to their website or call their consumer helpline.
4. Not Vacuuming Often Enough
Many people make the mistake of not vacuuming their carpet often enough. If you’re waiting until you have noticeable dirt and debris on your carpet to vacuum, that’s too long. You should strive to vacuum at least once a week. If you have pets, every other day is even better. The fact is that nearly invisible dust, dirt and oils are deposited on your carpet everyday as part of the normal wear and tear. You can’t see it, but these particles are wearing down your carpet fibers. If you go for long periods of time without vacuuming, your carpet gets that matted down look that everyone dreads. Vacuuming not only lifts this dust dirt and oils from the carpet. It also lifts the carpet fibers so you get that full, soft look and feel that attracted you to that carpet style in the first place.
5. Using Cheap Carpet Deodorizers
Powder carpet deodorizes can cause a build-up of gunk on your carpet fibers over time. Often, the powder isn’t removed entirely with your vacuum cleaner. When you and your family and guests walk over the carpet, the powder gets ground into the carpet fibers. After that, it’s very difficult to remove. Not only that, but the use of these powdered carpet deodorizers can give you a false sense of cleanliness. People equate clean smells with cleanliness. But just because your carpet smells great doesn’t mean it’s clean. You may decide to forego a professional cleaning or even a vacuuming based on the fresh scent of a powdered deodorizer, and that’s not good for your carpet.
