Most homeowners choose carpet as a floor covering for at least some rooms. It is increasingly popular for bedrooms but is also used in the lounge or family room. Carpet is ideal for a home with toddlers as it makes a soft landing when they are learning to walk, which is much better for them than falling on hard tiles. A carpet cleaner should be booked regularly.
When you have carpet, it needs to be cleaned to remain hygienic. You may have heard a great deal of conflicting advice about carpet cleaning and maintenance, so here are six myths exposed to ensure you deal with your carpet in the correct way.
1. If the carpet looks clean, it doesn’t need a professional carpet cleaning treatment. This is not true. Most dirt and dust fall to the bottom of the carpet fibres, so you can’t see it. A carpet that is only a year old may be pretty dirty and need cleaning by a professional.
2. Vacuuming is the only cleaning a carpet needs. Again, this is not true. Even strong vacuum cleaners do not get all the dirt and dust out from underneath the carpet fibres – and many people don’t have strong suction cleaners.
3. Carpets will shrink if they are professionally cleaned. Wool carpets may shrink if the cleaner uses too hot water or if the carpet is not dried correctly. But these days, most carpets are made to withstand the cleaning they need.
4. Store-purchased cleaning equipment and products do just as well as professional cleaners. Nope. Professional cleaning equipment has much better suction to remove moisture than any store-bought equipment can provide. Their cleaning products are usually far superior too.
5. Dry shampoo from the store will clean my carpets. Most such products are based on talcum powder. The powder settles deep into the carpet and makes it smell pleasant, but it can’t all be sucked out with the vacuum cleaner. Using water on the carpet will end up like fine silt in the base, taking ages to dry out and causing mould to form. It is highly likely to ruin the carpet entirely if used too much.
6. The carpet doesn’t need further cleaning after a flood clean-up. This is when a proper clean should be done on the rug. Floods bring bacteria, fine silt and mud that cannot be cleaned out of the carpet just by hosing it down. It must be appropriately cleaned, and the moisture sucked out to avoid mould and mildew. If the carpet has been wet for even up to 48 hours, it may develop mould, which can be toxic.