Carpet Care and Carpet Maintenance: 10 Commandments of Carpet Cleaning

1. Vacuum Frequently and Thoroughly.

2. Get to Work on Stains Quickly.

99% of all stains can be removed by a good quality cleaning agent if they are cleaned in the first few days. The longer a stain chemically reacts with the carpet, the harder it will be to remove it.

3. Test Carpet Before Scrubbing, Extracting, or Spotting.

All carpets are different. Some carpets are very sensitive to acid type cleaners and will lose their color quickly. Other carpet dyes are sensitive to harsh alkalis.

4. Use Appropriate Spotters Starting with the Mildest.

Do not use harsh spotting agents unless absolutely necessary and always neutralize high alkaline or high acid cleaners after use.

5. Never Dig or Brush Spots.

The proper procedure is to scrape the spot towards the middle and then tamp the spot into the white towel or cloth using a brush or other tamping devices. A meat tenderizer makes a great tamping tool.

6. Do Not Overuse Detergents, Shampoos, or Spotters.

Too much detergent will result in residuals left in the carpet, which, even thorough vacuuming, may not be removed.

7. Do Not Overwet Carpet.

Our carpet detergents are chemically active enough so they do not need a tremendous amount of wetting. Over-wetting can cause brownout, carpet shrinkage, adhesion problems, and other kinds of nightmares.

8. Extract Residual if Possible.

Rotary scrubbing will clean the carpet fibers best by encapsulating dirt and detergent residue, which powders off of the carpet. Periodic extraction will flush out this dirt and other organisms deep in the carpet.

9. Never “Coat” a Dirty or Spotty Carpet.

After scrubbing or extracting a dirty carpet, if you are not satisfied with the results, do not apply a coat of carpet protector. This will result in “gluing in the dirt” making it harder to remove it the next time. Either re-scrub or extract the carpet, or leave the carpet until the next cleaning cycle before you coat.

10. Vacuum Frequently and Thoroughly.

This is so important it deserves two commandments. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly!