How to Extend the Life of your Carpet

Carpets can provide your home with both comfort and style. However, daily wear and tear, spillage and accumulation of dirt can diminish their appearance and lifespan.

Here’s how you can extend the life of this significant investment. By implementing a consistent cleaning routine, which includes vacuuming one or twice a week, you can keep your carpets looking and feeling their best for years to come.

Cleaning Methods
There are several different types of carpet cleaning services, including steam cleaning, dry carpet cleaning and hot water extraction.

Steam cleaning is the most popular type of carpet cleaning and is seen as a very effective method. It involves applying a mist of steam to the carpet, which helps loosen any dirt. The dirt can then be extracted. Steaming provides enough heat to kill around 99.9% of bacteria present on the floor, making your carpets safer for you and your family. Steam cleaning works better on hard flooring than it does on carpeted floors. However, it is still an effective method.

Dry carpet cleaning involves applying a powder material to the carpet, which agitates the fibres and acts as little sponges to absorb all of the dirt. The powder is left on the carpet for around 15 minutes and then vacuumed up. This method works well if you need to clean your carpet quickly and more effectively than a simple vacuum clean.

Hot water extraction cleaning is thought to be the most effective type of carpet cleaning. This method is where highly pressurized water, combined with a carpet cleaning solution, is pumped directly into the carpet. The liquid is then extracted from the carpet using a powerful vacuum and deposited into a separate tank. This extraction process thoroughly cleans the carpet and leaves it looking fresh.

A Matter of Time
The time it takes to clean a carpet will depend mostly on the size and condition of it. Larger carpets will take longer to clean. The same is true for carpets full of stains.

It generally takes 30-60 minutes to clean a carpet in an averaged-size bedroom. A living room carpet cleaning will typically take one to two hours to complete. If planning on having all rooms in your home cleaned, expect this to take up to four hours, depending on the size of the home and quality of the carpets.

Also, keep in mind that following cleaning it will take anywhere from six to 12 hours for your carpet to dry.

When a carpet is well maintained and properly cleaned, it should last for around 10 years on average. If your carpet is more than a decade old, has become flat or matted and/or has deep set-in stains that even a professional cleaner can’t get out, this is a sign it’s time to get a new one.

Joyce French has worked in the cleaning industry for more than 20 years. She specializes in domestic cleaning and works closely with HomeHow to provide expert cleaning knowledge to homeowners, tradespeople and news outlets.

Clare Tattersall and www.realtorontowest.com disclaim any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this article and disclaims all liability in respect to the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this article. The opinions of the writer are their own and are in no way influenced by or representative of the opinions of Clare Tattersall or www.realtorontowest.com.