Elite Carpet Care Gives Tips & Hints to Having a Clean Carpet, Removing Stains, Cleaning Tile, and More
Take the time to vacuum carpet often, going over the floor in several directions to allow the vacuum to pick up all the debris. Vacuuming also fluffs the carpet fibers, which improves appearance and minimizes wear. A high quality vacuum is the best choice. Also, make sure to keep the bags or containers empty and filters clean to ensure optimum performance and results.- Use a mat or rug near entrances of your home or office to reduce soil being tracked through your home or office on the bottoms of feet and shoes. The mat must be large enough to cover the desired area. These entrance mats or rugs must be vacuumed and cleaned on a regular basis, so that they continue to prevent tracking.
- No matter how efficient your protective maintenance, some soil still will enter your carpet and upholstery. Routine steam cleaning of carpet and upholstery, and routine tile and grout cleaning, will help your home look it’s best and maintain it’s clean, fresh appearance. The more often cleaning is performed, the less soil build-up occurs and the better the cleaning results.
- Never rub a spot on carpet or upholstery - this will only cause the spot to smear and possibly become permanent. Rubbing also damages the carpet or fabric fibers, causing them to appear more worn.
- Clean spills quickly to maintain a clean carpet and prevent staining. Treat fresh spills by wetting them with clean water and blotting (never rubbing) them with a white towel to soak them up. Often this will remove the spill before it has a chance to set in. You can also use a mixture of water and vinegar to help remove a spill. Be sure to blot with clean water to completely remove the vinegar.
- If blotting a spill does not work, or if the spill has already dried, you will find several products on the market for spot cleaning. Select the product that is best suited for your type of spill. Mix equals parts cleaning product and water, and use the blotting technique described above. Be sure to rinse and blot with clean water to ensure all the detergent has been removed – any detergent left behind can darken or discolor over time.
- Never use bleach on your carpet or upholstery, for any reason. The same way bleach will remove color from clothing and stains, it will also remove the color from your carpet and upholstery. Bleach spots cannot be cleaned, and dyes cannot effectively repair the damage bleach causes to the fibers.