Everybody wants a carpet that’s clean, fresh, and free of foul-smelling and unhealthy bacteria. However, not all of us can be as regular about scheduling trips to the dry cleaners as we’d like. If it’s been a while between treatments at your favorite carpet cleaning north charleston sc, don’t worry. There are plenty of carpet cleaning secrets out there that can help you keep your rug in great condition. However, there are plenty of pitfalls for new carpet owners, too. Before you consider taking matters into your own hands, avoid these common carpet cleaning mistakes.
1. Over-Wetting
Rule number one of a clean, healthy rug is to never let it get too wet. That doesn’t just mean avoiding rug shampooing or drenching your rug in cleaning solution. If you have a natural fiber carpet at home, you want to make sure you keep it as dry as possible at all times. There’s a natural ecosystem at work deep in the fibers of your carpet, and when you mess with it by soaking your rug in cleaning solution or water, you could end up with a big problem. While rug shampooing used to be all the rage in the days of big shag carpets and long-stranded rugs, it’s gone the way of the dodo for one simple reason: homeowners have realized that when it comes to getting rid of stains and bacteria without introducing the potential for more mold and damage, dry cleaning is the way to go.
2. Not Vacuuming First
Even if you’re someone who likes to spot treat immediately after a spill or stain occurs, it’s important to clean your rug up before applying any kind of liquid cleaner. Dabbing up any excess liquid from your rug is one thing, but trying to treat a stain without vacuuming or even shaking out your rug is a recipe for disaster. Before you clean, always do a once over with your vacuum on the right setting and with the correct attachment on. This will help you avoid getting your rug even dirtier during treatment.
3. Not Letting Your Rug Dry Fully
Over-wetting your rug is one thing. Not letting your carpet air out is entirely another. Even if you’ve done your best not to soak your rug in fluids, it’s not going to do you much good if you’re not giving it the chance to dry out. If your rug is small enough, bring it outside to air-dry in the sun after treating. If it’s too large for that, open a few windows and bring in a few small fans to get the circulation going. This should help speed up the process and keep your rug protected from any mold or mildew growth.
4. Using Too-Harsh Chemicals
When you’re attacking a stain, your first instinct might be to whip out the bleach and start scrubbing. But not so fast: sometimes treating a stain with harsh chemicals is the worst thing you can do. Instead, try going for green, organic stain removers for a gentler touch that will prove just as effective.
Eleena Timmons