Carpet can be one of the most durable investments you make in your home, provided you care for it properly. In fact, a carpet can last 20 years or more with routine cleaning and basic maintenance.
While today’s carpets are designed to hide soil, and even repel it thanks to advanced chemical treatments, carpet fibers can still trap and hide dust, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants. Over time, that can lead to matting and deterioration of your carpet.
So, regular cleaning can benefit your carpet by extending its life, giving it a fresh, lean look, improves the smell of a room and it eliminates the dust and particles that bother people with allergies and asthma.
Vacuuming
One way to do that is by vacuuming regularly. When you’re picking a vacuum, we recommend one that has dual motors — one for suction and one for the beater bar that loosens the dirt (Canister vacuums and electric brooms do not have a beater bar.) — and it helps if it has adjustable and rotating brushes that can loosen ground-in soil and strong enough airflow so it will suck all the way to the carpet’s backing. Also, make sure the filtration bag is enclosed and adequately limits particles from recirculating into the air.
A final note about vacuum cleaners: over time, most will lose some suction power. So, buying an inexpensive stand-up model today may not turn out to be a smart long-term investment.
Cleaning
Our experience shows that deep cleaning, or steam cleaning, should be done at least once every two years. What we mean by deep cleaning is that a high-pressure solution of water and detergent is sprayed into the carpet and then vacuumed out.
There are a variety of methods and professionals available for hire. We do advise our clients to use a professional.
However, many prefer the do-it-yourself approach with rented cleaning machines. If this is you, please remember:
- Don’t over-wet the carpet — excess moisture may cause the carpet backing or seams to separate.
- Allow the carpet to dry completely before walking on it. A good rule of thumb is 12 hours.
- Make sure you have proper ventilation to expel any odors from the cleaning solution. You can also use fans, which will help your carpet dry faster, too.
We hope these care tips are helpful. Please let us know if we can answer any other questions by phoning us at (510) 428-2828.
Repair
Straus Carpets guarantees our installation work. If your carpet ever develops a wrinkle or any other problem related to installation, we will repair it at no charge.
We offer stair service for a reasonable fee. If the carpet on your stairs begins to wear, we can come in and move the runner up one half step to put fresh carpet in the wear path. Call us for more information at (510) 428-2828.
Carpet repairs can be very expensive. So, some people want to give it a go themselves. It may be worth a try, because if it doesn’t work out then you’re no worse off than before. If you find it’s too difficult, we are ready to help.
Number one tip: Go slow and be careful.
Burns — very little can be done if your carpet is burned. The small ends of blackened fibers may be clipped off with sharp scissors, but damage that is more extensive may require replacing the area with new carpet.
Fuzzing — This is different than shedding. Fuzzing is when loose fibers are still attached at one end. Fiber breakage, surface wear or the cutting of filaments usually causes it by embedded grit. You can carefully clip any fibers sticking out and vacuum often to keep it from happening again.
Indentations — Here’s what you need: a steam iron, low sodium club soda and clean white cotton towels.
Here’s what you do:
- Pour club soda in your iron just like you would water.
- Turn it on to the high steam setting, or slowly work the temperature up to a point where you’re comfortable.
- Sprinkle the carpet with club soda until it’s fairly moist.
- Place a white towel (use clean white cotton towels only!) over the area and iron.
- Check the area every minute or so to see if it is re-fluffing.
Shading — Even with consistent vacuuming, some carpets will flatten and change direction. The result is a shaded effect, seen most noticeably in plush carpets and solid color carpets.
You might first become aware of a shading issue because it looks as if something has spilled on your carpet and left a large spot. If you run your fingers over the spot, it will feel like the pile is running in one direction until you come to the spot’s edge and then it will go in another direction.
Vacuuming the pile in the same direction will temporarily correct this situation, but if two lengths of carpet are laid in different directions, more shading will occur by the seams. The only thing that helps is brushing the carpet. Wear can also help lessen the look.
Shedding — Dogs and carpets. Who knew? The good news for carpet lovers anyway is that carpet stops shedding, or fluffing, sooner than dogs. Carpet shedding is the result of fibers coming to the surface that have been left in the carpet during manufacturing. It’s a normal occurrence that’s fixed with regular vacuuming.
Snags — Don’t pull! Any tufts that have been pulled out of the carpet’s backing should be clipped off with a sharp pair of scissors. Don’t pull! If a long run happens, we can re-tuft or re-glue the yarn back in place. Snags occur most frequently in loop pile carpets.
Sprouting — Don’t pull! Sprouting happens when a tuft pops up that is longer than the rest. Please, don’t pull it! Take sharp scissors — not a knife — and trim the tuft to the height of the rest of the pile.
Stains — Act fast! You will achieve the best stain removal results if you can treat the area immediately, before it dries. You can water sponge a stain to dilute it, but be careful not to spread the stain farther with excess water. If you have a synthetic fiber carpet, here are some basic tips:
- Remove excess soil promptly by blotting or scraping with a dull edge
- Apply appropriate cleaning materials directly to the stain after testing it for 10 seconds and blotting in an inconspicuous spot.
- Do not rub! Always blot with a clean, absorbent white cloth.
- Avoid getting the carpet too wet.
- When dry, gently brush the carpet to restore the pile.
Some stains are very hard to remove. You may need to repeat the process a handful of times. And, you should know, there are some stains that just can’t be removed.
Static Electricity — This is becoming a bigger issue because of all the electrics and computers we have in our homes and because most of our homes have better insulation and heating systems.
Static electricity is created by a number of variables: the weight, walking habits and even the types of shoes worn by a person.
The fiber, construction, backing and cushion under the carpet also play a part. You might have static electricity once and then it goes away. You might have it all the time. We do know that humidity is probably the biggest factor in static electricity creation.
The more humidity, the less static. Another way to reduce static electricity is by using an anti-static agent spray, which will last a few weeks until it’s transferred to the shoes of people walking on the carpet.
One of the downsides to using this spray is that it may make your carpet sticky, which causes dirt to adhere to the carpet’s fibers. A final option is to purchase an area rug that has special fibers or treatments built in that eliminates the issue.
