Avoid Your Own Disastrous Carpet Care Horror Story

With Halloween just around the corner it’s hard to disregard supermarket aisles filled with sweet treats, pumpkins, and an array of decorations.

Even more, TV channels and cinema listings are filled with programming of the horror genre kind. From one cliché to another – the car never starts, lights don’t work, and you’ve suddenly lost your mobile phone service – we must admit we love a good scare fest.

But what really scares us is the time and money spent investing in beautiful, luxurious new carpet only to be wasted when it just isn’t looked after properly. In order to avoid your own horror story we’ve compiled some top tips to ensure your new carpet is cared for.

How Clean is Your Carpet?

Did you know that carpets can hold as much as four times their weight in dirt? That’s a pretty terrifying figure isn’t it? In fact, research has revealed that 41% of the British population have never washed their carpets; that’s 2.6 million people.

Unwashed carpets can become home to bacteria and germs leading to potentially serious health problems in otherwise healthy people. Therefore regular vacuuming, spot cleaning, and professional care should be carried out not just for appearance sake. So, whether it is a red wine stain, unwelcome dirt from guest’s shoes, or little toddler terrors and their artistic display of dinner, frequent maintenance will ensure a happy ending to an otherwise scary attack on your new carpets.

Regular Vacuuming

Yes, it feels like an arduous chore and a time consuming task but in doing so you are safeguarding the health of yourself and your family as well as maintaining the visual appearance of your new floors.

It might even surprise you that according to one study conducted by the University of Indiana, keeping your home clean may be even more beneficial to your health than taking long walks. However, it is important to note that whilst essential vacuuming alone will not remove deep-down dirt, mites, and bacteria.

Using The Wrong Agents

There are a wealth of products on the market and it can be confusing. You should take the time to research any products before purchasing and ensure that you follow the guidelines set by your flooring manufacturer.

Choosing the wrong product can cause permanent damage to your carpet including discolouration. We would therefore strongly advise that you always test a cleaning agent or product on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.

Act Quickly

Should a spillage occur, acting quickly is key. Whilst many of our carpets offer excellent ease of maintenance properties leaving a stain to settle or dry can have daunting consequences.

Why? Depending on the carpet (colour, pile content etc.) and the stain occurred, bleaching can take place causing a chemical reaction with the carets fibres making it significantly more difficult to remove. Tackling the issue straight away gives you the best chance of completely removing the stain as well as an odour.

We would suggest blotting, then vacuuming to ensure all excess dirt is removed so that you don’t end up rubbing it further into carpets before applying your cleaning product. Quick reactions are great, but we’d recommend NOT putting a detergent on the spill or stain straight away.

Blotting Not Rubbing

Don’t let the panic take over you and attempt to try and remove a stain by forcefully rubbing the carpet. This will likely cause the stain to set deeper into the fibres and spread even wider. Instead remove any excess solids and then gently blot the liquid up before using an appropriate cleaning agent.

Equally, aggressively cleaning in an attempt for an immaculate carpet might seem like a good idea but you are breaking down its fibres and dulling its colour. Blot away stains and spillages with a dry cloth or paper towel. Anything else is ineffective and will most likely push the stain deeper into the carpet; you might even damage the carpet fibres by untwisting them and causing them to fray.

Professional Cleaning

Most carpet manufacturers recommend that you have your carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year to extend its life.

Professional cleaning will remove deep-down dirt, mites, and bacteria as well as extending the life of your carpet and removing any stains that you couldn’t yourself. And who wouldn’t want their carpets looking brighter and cleaner?

More Help and Information

At Rivendell we endeavour to provide you with a host of care and maintenance advice to ensure your carpet and flooring looks as good as the day it was first laid. In addition we also have a selection of highly recommended Maintenance Kits available on our Online Shop.

With our experts on hand to advise you on the best ways to care for your flooring, just give us a call on 0117 963 7979 for more information.

Categorised in: For Home, Hints and Tips

This post was written by Binks