Most of the homeowners who have rented their property usually clean their carpets whenever it is hired to a new tenant. Sometimes it may take more than a year whereas sometimes they have to clean their carpets even after few months. Though, hygienically it is right to clean carpets whenever the user is changed but frequent cleaning can really damage your carpets, especially when you clean it yourself. People commit certain mistakes while cleaning their carpets themselves.
Although regular cleaning of carpets is recommended even by professional carpet cleaners but they should not be cleaned as frequently as required by other types of flooring. According to experts, a carpet should be cleaned by professional carpet cleaning service after every 12-18 months even if you vacuum it regularly. Carpet cleaning by professional cleaners can increase the life of the carpet along with making the quality of air better and reducing the chances of illnesses and allergies.
Mistakes made during DIY carpet cleaning
When a carpet is cleaned more frequently than recommended then people usually try to clean it themselves to avoid high cost of professional cleaning. Though they save some money by cleaning the carpet themselves but they also increase the chances of damaging their own asset. Their carpet cleaning is neither perfect nor effective as done by the professional carpet cleaners. Some of the common mistakes done in DIY carpet cleaning may include:
Over use of shampoo: This mistake usually happens when shampoo is applied without properly rinsing the carpet or the shampoo is used more than required quantity. This mistake becomes the cause of build-ups of the residual soapy element in the carpets which may not be possible to clean as it will attract more dirt and dust like a magnet.
Over wetting: When the carpet is soaked in more than required amount of water then it can discolor the material on its back or can peel of the carpet from the floor or the carpet will shrink after getting dry. It may not only make it difficult to dry the pad or back of the carpet but also increase the risk of infestation of mildew and molds after getting over wet.
Problem caused by putting furniture on wet carpet: When furniture is put on wet carpet then it can cause stubborn stains as some types of wood release a kind of dye to develop stain on any wet surface. However, if the feet of your furniture are covered with some kind of metal accessory then it can cause the stains of rust on the wet carpet. Moreover most DIY carpet cleaners do not remove entire furniture from the room while cleaning carpets, which do not allow them to reach every hidden and hard-to-reach parts of the carpet.
Harm of too much vacuuming of your carpets
Though regular cleaning of the carpets is recommended but if you vacuum it every day even then it can increase the risk of damaging the carpet. So if you really want to keep your carpet look clean and fresh then you should either learn how to use vacuum cleaner on your carpet or hire a professional carpet cleaning service for this purpose as well as to avoid damage to your carpet. Some people who know how to clean upholsteries and carpets at home usually call professional services to avoid the damage to the fiber of their carpet done by these machines. Mostly the rotating brushes and beater bars of the vacuum cleaners can stretch or pull the fibers of the carpet which ultimately get damaged by vacuuming them frequently.
How vacuum cleaner can damage your carpets?
According to various experts, you should neither vacuum upholstery on a soft carpet nor clean carpets of bare floor. Moreover while using a vacuum cleaner you should ensure if its height can be adjusted as it can control the wear and tear of the carpet more effectively. If the vacuum cleaner is set too low then its drive belt or roller brush can damage your carpet. On the contrary if the machine is set at too high then it may not pick the dirt and dust effectively. So you should set your vacuum cleaner at an ideal height by starting from the highest point and gradually reducing its height until you feel that it starts tugging at the carpet. But if you find it difficult to vacuum the carpet on your own then you should not shy of calling a professional carpet cleaner for this purpose.
How often you should clean the carpets?
According to expert carpet cleaners, the frequency of cleaning carpets depends on the amount of traffic received by them as well as the presence of kids or pets in the premises. According to a general rule of carpet cleaning, in high traffic area the carpets should be cleaned after 12-18 months and in other regions after every two years through professional cleaners. But this frequency can change if you have children or pets in your premise. Your carpet may need thorough cleaning more frequently to get rid of stains on them.
If you have children then they can bring in more dirt and dust from the playground or can more often spill drinks on the carpet. In such case in high traffic the carpets are required to be cleaned after every 6-12 months and in other areas once in a year to keep the carpets fresh and clean.
If you have pets then pets shedding, accidental urination or the dust and dirt brought in by them can increase the frequency of cleaning carpets. In such case, the pet owner will have to vacuum the carpets at least two times every week along with cleaning them thoroughly after every 3-6 months in high traffic areas and twice a year in other areas.
If you have pets and children, both, in your premise then the speed of getting a dirty carpet can be more rapid. As recommended by the professional cleaners, the carpets in high traffic areas with pets and children should be cleaned by professional cleaners after every 2-3 months and in low traffic areas after every 3-4 months.
Thus, to avoid damage to your carpets by cleaning them more often, you should either call professional carpet cleaners or learn how to clean them yourself perfectly. Otherwise you will commit mistakes as discussed above and damage your carpets.