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Care tips for carpets

We are often asked how to care for carpets between regular professional carpet cleaning visits. Follow these tips and you will be sure to have fresh, clean carpets all the time!

Of course, the best form or carpet care is always prevention. Taking proper care and maintaining your carpet will save you money from having to buy expensive cleaning products.

Most stains are removed best by blotting. Never rub carelessly at a carpet stain, this may only cause it to smear and become permanent. Doing this will waer out your carpets quicker by weakening the fibers.

Stains that are not treated correctly or quickly often reappeat at the surface of your carpets. You may have thought you've cleaned the stain, but soon after you'll see the same making its way to the surface of your rug. To prevent this, cover the stain with a thick cloth and weigh down with something heavy overnight, allowing the cloth to absorb the stain, then, clean as usual.

Always let blotted stains air dry naturally. Never use a hot object, such as an iron or hair dryer, to dry a stain. This will only seal the stain permanently into your carpet.

Make sure to professionally deep clean the carpet often. Steam cleaners designed for rental use, if not used properly, can cause mold and mildew. Also, rental machines are not nearly as effective as commercial grade equipment used by most professional carpet cleaners. A thorough cleaning will be needed at the very least every six months.

For mold and mildew, you can go in for a non-chlorine bleach or lemon juice and salt solution for colored fabrics. Just slightly brush the area with a solution of hydrogen peroxide (one part of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to five parts of water), provided you are sure that the solution doesn't harm the fabric of the carpet.

To maintain a clean carpet, watch for spills and take care of them immediatly. Just using water on the spill often works well. And, if that doesn't work, expand your search. You will find several products on the market that can help you to get rid of spills quickly. These products range in uses and can be helpful when you match them with the type of spill that has occurred. You can also use a mixture of water and vinegar to help you keep the stains out. Taking immediate action can help to prevent spills from becoming stains, leaving you with a clean carpet.