Why Carpet Cleaning Is Important
Carpets add warmth and comfort to a home, but they also trap dirt and allergens. Regular maintenance helps prevent dirt buildup, including frequent vacuuming and spot stain treatment with commercially available cleaners. Tarbox recommends blotting stains rather than rubbing them and using nontoxic cleaners that are safe for children and pets. She also suggests a liberal sprinkling of baking soda monthly to absorb pet hair and odors.
Improves Appearance
Your carpet is a visual focal point in any room and when it’s not looking its best, the whole room suffers. Frequent vacuuming helps, but dirt and grime become ingrained in the fibers of your carpet. Carpet Cleaning Joondalup uses several processes to eliminate these pollutants in your carpet, leaving it looking and feeling newer.
High-traffic areas of your carpet tend to show signs of wear and tear more than others, with the color fading and the fibres becoming dull or damaged. Regular cleaning of these areas slows down the process, helping your carpet look newer for longer and preventing it from needing replacement.
Keeping your carpet clean also helps to reduce any odours emanating from it, especially in rooms that may have been affected by spills or pets. Stains and odours can be difficult to remove on your own, but the secret is in getting to them quickly before they’ve had a chance to set. For example, if you have a greasy stain from cooking, Tarbox suggests placing a few drops of grease-cutting dish soap in a spray bottle and soaking the spot. Then, place a few white paper towels over the area and weight them down with something heavy like a phone book. The steam from the hot water and the pressure from the towels will release the odours in no time.
Aside from extending the lifespan of your carpet and improving its appearance, another benefit of regular professional cleaning is reducing any health issues caused by indoor air pollutants. Poor indoor air quality can lead to a number of health problems, including headaches, dizziness, fatigue and even exacerbate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies.
Having your carpets regularly cleaned by professionals, using various methods such as encapsulation and truckmounted hot water extraction, will help to improve indoor air quality and keep you and your family healthy. So, if it’s been a while since you last had your carpets professionally cleaned, contact a local pro to find out more about the benefits of this vital service.
Removes Allergens
As with other types of fabric, carpeting attracts dirt and dust, as well as mold and mildew spores that can trigger allergies. These spores and particles can also work their way deep into the fibers of the carpet, where they can remain even after several vacuuming and cleaning cycles. This is especially problematic for allergy sufferers, as these spores and particles can trigger reactions such as coughing, wheezing, itching, watery eyes and runny nose.
The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to help keep your family’s allergies under control, including regularly scheduling professional carpet cleaning. Using a carpet cleaner that uses steam (which removes allergens from the surface of the fibers and makes them virtually impossible to return) can also be helpful. Other preventative measures include:
Using natural carpet fibers, such as wool or cotton, instead of synthetic carpeting can also be helpful. These types of fibers tend to hold less allergens and dander than synthetic materials, which often have a rougher texture that can trap dust and allergens. Investing in a high-quality vacuum with a HEPA filter can also reduce allergens by capturing them as they’re pulled up from the floor, as opposed to allowing them to reenter the air.
Mold can be particularly troublesome, as it can trigger allergies in many people. It thrives in warm, damp environments and can form in your carpet if not cleaned correctly. A professional carpet cleaning company will use a powerful vacuum with special tools to remove the fungus and its spores from your carpet, leaving it fresh and healthy.
If you have pets, keeping them groomed and brushed frequently can also help to reduce your family’s allergy symptoms. Be sure to use the right brushes for your pet’s fur, and make a point of vacuuming them on a regular basis as well. Additionally, using a room fan that can be turned off while vacuuming can help to reduce the amount of allergens that are blown into the air during the process. It’s also a good idea to switch out your carpeting occasionally for area rugs that can be washed, as wall-to-wall carpeting is more likely to trap and retain allergens than other fabrics.
Prevents Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew can cause health problems for people in a home. This is because these fungi release spores that can irritate sensitive individuals and trigger asthma attacks. Additionally, they can degrade the fibers of carpeting and cause them to wear out more quickly than they should.
If you suspect that your carpet has mold or mildew, you should act as soon as possible. This is especially true if members of your family suffer from allergies, asthma, or are immunocompromised. The first signs of these toxins are usually mounds in the carpet that look like little hills and are accompanied by a musty smell. However, it’s important to note that mold and mildew may also be present in places that aren’t as noticeable, such as the basement or entryway.
The most effective way to prevent mold and mildew is by eliminating the conditions that allow them to grow. This means reducing humidity levels and drying wet materials as soon as they’re exposed to them. This can be done by opening windows, using fans, and running a dehumidifier in the affected area.
A thorough cleaning can also help. Use a cleaning solution that’s appropriate for your type of carpet and test it on an inconspicuous area before applying it to the entire surface. Ideally, you should opt for a natural antifungal solution such as hydrogen peroxide. You can mix this with water in a spray bottle and apply it to the mold spots. This will kill some of the spores and remove musty odors.
Even after taking these steps, there’s a good chance that some form of mold or mildew will remain in your carpet. This is because even the most optimal cleaning methods do not remove 100% of mold spores. Therefore, you should take preventative measures, such as keeping the area well-ventilated and having a dehumidifier in the home to discourage growth in the future. You should also regularly vacuum the carpet to remove dust, dirt, and other debris that can encourage fungal growth. It’s also a good idea to vacuum your carpet using a HEPA filter. This will ensure that the vacuum does not release spores back into the air.
Prevents Damage
The carpet in a home or business receives more direct traffic than most other flooring types, which contributes to dirt accumulation and wear. While vacuuming regularly can help, professional cleaning can keep carpets looking like new and prevent premature wearing. Dirt trapped in the carpet fibres can cause them to break down or even delaminate, which is why it’s important to have your carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
Stains like wine, coffee, tea, pet urine, blood, mud, and nail polish are tough on carpets. Attempting to clean these stains using household or DIY cleaning products can discolour the carpet and sometimes even damage the fibres, leaving them vulnerable to further staining and permanent damage. A trained carpet technician will use a variety of techniques to remove stubborn stains, including pre-conditioning the carpet with a solution that loosens the dirt. They may also have access to tools you won’t find at your local hardware store, such as a UV light that spotting pet urine and other stains.
Professional cleaners can also eliminate foul odors that are caused by bacteria, germs and dust mites that have been trapped in the carpet for a long period of time. These odors are difficult to get rid of with household tools, and can be a sign that it is time for a professional cleaning.
One way to prevent these odors from occurring is to have your carpets treated with an antibacterial agent after they are cleaned. This can help to kill any surviving germs and prevent the growth of mildew or mould that could otherwise ruin the carpet.
Mould and mildew are caused by minuscule organisms that thrive in damp conditions, and can release spores into the air that can cause health problems. While sanitizing sprays can sometimes destroy the spores, they often aren’t enough to completely eradicate them. A professional carpet cleaner can use steam cleaning to expose the spores to high temperatures that they can’t survive in, which effectively eliminates them. The resulting clean, fresh-smelling carpet is healthier for you and your family. Keeping your carpets clean can also reduce allergies and asthma symptoms in anyone with these conditions.
