A Few Simple Carpet Cleaning Steps Can Save

Let's face it, we are in the middle of uncertain times, the economy seems to be getting worse every day. Every morning people wake up and turn on the news only to hear about how stocks are taking a dive, the loonie is declining, the housing market is in crisis, and countless companies are closing. In these uncertain times, it's important for people to find as many ways as possible to save money. One way that we can save money is by maintaining the things we have so that we have more time before we need to replace them.

One of the most valuable possessions in our home is the furniture and carpets, these can be extremely costly to replace. With so many people at risk of losing their jobs and a looming recession, it's very important that people learn to take care of these things properly, so they can maintain their beauty for years to come. Some people have furniture that is 20 years old and it looks 5 years old, and some people have furniture that is 5 years old that looks 20 years old. It is apparent when furniture and carpets are not cared for, and as a result they need replacing years sooner than necessary.

One of the most important steps in the good maintenance of furniture and carpets is vacuuming. So many people underestimate the importance of regular vacuuming. Make sure to use a machine that has a beater brush, this will help to remove the dirt and grime that gets ground into carpet and ruins the fibres. This damage is more apparent in doorways and high traffic areas. When you vacuum you should always remember to replace the vacuum bag regularly to ensure the best results.

Another important tip in the maintenance of your carpets and furniture is to make sure you clean spills right away, don't wait until later. The longer you wait to clean a spill, the more likely that stain will set in and never come out. If you are a pet owner, I highly recommend investing in a good pet urine remover. Even if your pet is well trained, accidents can happen, and cleaning this type of stain quickly prevents damaging the carpet or furniture permanently.

If you own furniture that consists of microfiber, you may be under the impression that this material is very resistant to stains, but be careful because improper cleaning can result in water stains that will not come out. When you clean this furniture if it doesn't dry evenly, a ring appears in the fabric and it is very difficult to remove. If you spill something on this type of fabric, make sure you blot the spot with paper towel to absorb any excess liquid and then clean the spot with warm water and a small amount of dish detergent. Once you have removed the stain, dry it evenly with a blow dryer (no heat) until the spot is thoroughly dry.

Even with the regular maintenance that you do yourself, it's important to have your furniture and carpets professionally cleaned to ensure their longevity. Professional carpet cleaners have access to powerful chemicals and equipment that the average person doesn't. In addition, professional cleaners have the knowledge of the proper use of those chemicals and equipment. You should have your carpets professionally cleaned every six months for heavily walked areas. For low traffic areas you can wait a year. On the other hand, if you have extremely high traffic areas that consistently get dark they may need cleaning as often as every three months.

Some people are hesitant to spend money on professional carpet cleaning, but in the end spending a little money now will save you thousands later when you have to replace your carpets and furniture.

Benefits of Cleaning Berber Carpet Using Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning

Berber carpet is one of the most popular flooring choices on the market today, and understandably so. It is available in a variety of fibers, patterns and color choices, and is able to provide a perfect match to a wide range of room decors. It lends itself well to any style, from the casual look of a comfortable and inviting family room to the formal charm of a well-appointed sitting room.

Berber carpet's versatility and durability have given it high marks in customer satisfaction and made it a top seller among carpet styles. But Berber is not a specific type of carpeting; the term "berber" describes its unique construction and weave. It is made from a series of tight, twisted loops of continuous carpet fiber. The compact matting of these loops gives it the look of a high quality carpet and also accounts for its outstanding durability. The dense mat structure makes it not only crush resistant, but also helps to hide dirt and wear in regular traffic patterns, greatly extending the life of the carpet.

The same attributes that make Berber carpet an excellent choice for well-used areas of the home, however, can also make it a challenge to maintain if not cared for properly. Berber's tight loop and weave construction, makes it prone to trapping dirt at the bottom of its fibers near the mat if allowed to sit on the surface long enough to work its way down. Regular vacuuming, of course, will go a long way toward preventing the wicking of dirt and debris to the base of the carpet where tight fibers make it difficult to remove. This aspect of the carpet, however, is yet another benefit to Berber's unique design in that it has the ability to look clean at the top loop end of the carpet in spite of dirt that may be accumulating below its surface. Regular daily maintenance in the form of vacuuming and prompt attention to spills and stains will help to minimize the accumulation of hidden dirt while regular shampooing will aid in its removal.

As with daily maintenance, the weave and construction of Berber carpet also requires a specific type of intensive carpet cleaning or shampooing. Because of its compact matting, a minimum of moisture during the cleaning process is required as drying in the presence of tightly packed loops near the mat can be a challenge. Over-wetting during carpet cleaning will send moisture all the way through the loop and mat down to the pad. A luxurious carpet with a dense mat like Berber makes drying, particularly at the mat level, a problem. Dry foam carpet cleaning is the method of choice for Berber carpets. This method employs a minimum of actual moisture while providing the most effective means for removing deep down, trapped dirt.

Berber is manufactured in a choice of fibers and each fiber type requires a different cleaning method with one thing in common, a mininum of moisture. The top of the line fiber, wool, is the longest wearing and most luxurious of the choices, and lends itself well to dry foam applications. As moisture and heat can have adverse effects on the natural fibers of a wool Berber carpet, steam extraction is a poor choice for this carpet type.

Nylon Berber carpet is a quality, long-lasting product that also responds best to low moisture cleaning. Although it is not as adversely affected by heat and moisture as wool fibers, it still responds most favorably to a dry foam application.

Olefin Berber carpet is particularly tricky to maintain partially due to its affinity for oil based stains. It also has a propensity to react negatively to wet carpet cleanings that use a high pH solvent by exhibiting restaining shortly after shampooing. The high pH residue left in the carpet attracts soil and promotes re-staining.

Wool Berber carpet, nylon Berber carpet and Olefin Berber carpet, while created from different fibers, all share the same type of construction. Their dense matting makes the dry foam method of cleaning the only appropriate application for the deep-down removal of dirt that also provides long lasting protection against the re-staining inherent in faulty shampooing methods. The aerated solution applied during the dry-foam process will emulsify oil-based stains, suspend dirt and soils, and modify pH to the proper level for successful extraction. It will introduce a minimum of moisture while providing the most thorough cleaning process available that is particularly suited to the unique construction of all types of Berber carpet, regardless of fiber content.

Encapsulation Carpet Cleaning - Gets Results Like Absolute Magic

Carpet manufacturers and carpet cleaning technology have made tremendous advances in recent years. There have been improvements in not only the materials, but also superior equipment and substantial advances in the chemicals used to clean as well. These considerable improvements have made it possible to help professional carpet cleaners get great results.

For many years, there has been a reoccurring problem with nylon carpet pile. The difficulty with this type of carpet fiber is that it has a tendency to soil rapidly, and although there have been improvements, they just conceal the problem instead of prevent it. Several approaches towards solving this problem have been made including stain blockers, which tend to protect the fibers from being penetrated by liquids.

Many of the carpet cleaning equipment manufacturers have put their focus on developing extraction machines that operate with low moisture which solves the problem of overwetting. These low moisture methods achieve high-quality results in cleaning the nylon carpet pile, and the benefit of this type of carpet cleaning is that it allows your carpets or furniture to dry quickly.

The biggest danger, by far, from too much water in your carpet is getting the underpad wet. The reason this is a concern, you cannot get enough air circulation under the carpet to dry it properly. For that reason, the most predominant advantage of these low moisture carpet cleaners is that it helps to prevent mold growth in your home.

The most significant of all of the latest advances in carpet cleaning technology is in the chemicals themselves. They employ a science called encapsulation. This chemical process utilizes a revolutionary encapsulation technology that literally traps soil, dirt and residues in a suspension and is subsequently removed by a machine. In the past encapsulation has been associated with brush and bonnet cleaning or dry foam but with recent advances in the science you will also find encapsulation being used with hot water extraction methods.

Most dry dirt can be easily removed by a routine of regular vacuuming. The oily and sticky dirt's attract and hold dry soil to the surface. The result is a dull, gray, and ugly appearance. Encapsulation chemistry not only cleans better, but also helps the carpet stay clean longer.

The first step in effectively cleaning any carpet is to counteract sticky soils. The encapsulation chemistry surrounds each dirt particle and crystallizes so it cannot attract other dirt. The encapsulated particles release from the fiber and are easily extracted with normal vacuuming and since there is no dirt-attracting residue left behind, the carpet stays clean longer.

Even when using a fiber rinse as part of hot water extraction cleaning, some detergent residue is still left on the carpet. Many fiber rinses themselves are sticky! Some carpet mills estimate that up to 4% of detergent used is left in the carpet following hot water extraction, and this residue adds up over repeated cleanings. Any new dirt coming into contact with the carpet, such as dirt from shoes in normal foot traffic, will be attracted to the sticky detergent residue left on the carpet. This is referred to as "rapid resoiling", the result of cleaned carpet getting dirty faster than carpet with no residue. Vacuuming removes loose soil, but will not remove dirt attached to sticky residue.

Many encapsulating products are formulated with the proper balance of carpet cleaning detergents that get the carpets clean in the first place, and crystalline polymers that effectively encapsulate and crystallize embedded spots, greasy soils and detergent residues. The encapsulation technology is a much more effective carpet cleaning method because it crystallizes any remaining residue, thus preventing rapid resoiling.