Caring for Your Carpets Is As Easy As...

Despite all the rumours to the contrary, there are some people who absolutely love cleaning and maintaining their home and office.  For these people, taking care of their carpets is hardly a chore, and rather something to enjoy. 

But, there is a strong chance that you are not one of them.  If you were, then you would probably not be reading this, but vacuuming your floors instead.  Fortunately, no matter how much you dislike cleaning, caring for your carpets is genuinely as easy as 1, 2, 3...  Don’t believe it?  Take a look at this quick and easy guide to maintaining your carpets.

1. Daily Maintenance – Vacuuming

Yes, you may not enjoy it, but you must vacuum your carpets daily – or at least every day that people walk over them.  But, that is just a general rule that you need to follow.  There are a few shortcuts that you can take; not many, mind you, but there are a few.

You should vacuum key areas of your carpet every day.  This includes entry ways and areas where people eat – even if that food is just a small biscuit with a cup of tea.  If you really want to skip the other areas of your home or office, you can – though not for more than a day.   In fact, it is recommended that you vacuum every area that you live or work in every day, but you can make a few exceptions if you are feeling particularly lazy.

However, when vacuuming, it is essential to work each area from different angles.  Now, this is when doing every area every day really pays off.  If you do, then you can easily vacuum from a new direction every time you pull your vacuum out of the cupboard.  But, if you choose to take a day off, then you will need to cover every area at least twice.  The choice is obviously yours, but it is vital that you do it.  Working from different directions helps to free any of the dirt and debris trapped in the pile of your floors.  If you skimp in this area, then you will need to do more work when it comes to the second step of the process.

But, here is a tip that anyone who hates maintenance should not ignore – buy the best vacuum that you can.  The more powerful your vacuum is, the less physical work you need to do.  This does not just apply to vacuuming either; it will also help when it is time to have your carpets shampooed.  Make sure you maintain your vacuum properly so that it lasts for a long time.  Otherwise, you may just find you need to replace it sooner – or let it negate all the work you actually do not want to do anyhow.

2. Occasional Maintenance – Shampooing

All carpets need to have a deep clean every now and again.  But, how often it needs to be done is totally dependent on the living conditions your floors are subjected to.  Rooms, such as guest rooms that are hardly used, can usually go an entire year before you need to shampoo the carpets.  Annually is the minimum any carpet should go between deep shampoo treatments.  From there, other rooms will need to be done more often.  Rooms that are used regularly, though not frequently can be done about twice a year.  If you live in a room every day, then those carpets should be cleaned once every three months.  This, of course, is totally dependent on the type of living that happens in these spaces.  Rooms that house animals or have the possibility of crumbs spilling onto the floor – even occasionally – could require more frequent treatments.

Now, if you are afraid of cleaning and maintenance, there is one rule you must follow: call the professionals.  Shampooing your carpets is hard work, and the machines that you can hire to do it yourself are simply not as powerful as the professional machines.  When it comes down to it, your time is often more valuable than the few pounds you will save by doing it yourself.  If you do decide to shampoo your carpets yourself, then keep in mind that you should work systematically, finalising one area before moving on to the next.  Whoever shampoos your carpets, do not forget that they will be damp, and you will need to be careful walking on them for a few hours – or a few days. 

3. Special Treatments

The best way to avoid doing any special treatments to your carpet is always going to be prevention.  But, most people simply do not have the ability – or the desire – to avoid living in their home.  But, these few simple tips should help you to avoid most of the extra work that you do not want to do. 

Consider entry mats on or near the carpets which have access to outdoor areas.  These can also work hand and hand with a few well placed runner rugs.  Both of these will help to protect your floors from a great deal of wear and tear, which means that they will wear down evenly in high traffic areas. 

Should anything spill on your carpet, clean it immediately.  Often you can prevent a permanent stain from forming simply by attacking it as soon as it happens.  There are plenty of stain guides available online, and it is worth printing one to have on hand in case anything happens.  Truly, print it; because if something happens you probably will not be inclined to check online at that moment.  It is sincerely important to work stains properly as the wrong treatment could not only be ineffective – it could also damage your carpets. 

If you have carpet tiles that you need to replace, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  And, if you are as maintenance phobic as this article suggests, then it is best to call the installation company for a post-installation service.  After all, the goal is to keep your carpets looking and smelling fantastic without having to do too much work yourself.

To hear more tips, advice and company news from Birch Carpets, please visit: www.birchcarpets.co.uk