Carpet Cleaning Tips

If you have carpeting in your home, you need to know the best way to keep it clean and in good condition. The first step to taking care of your carpets is to vacuum regularly. If you occasionally run the vacuum, you might remove surface dirt, but if you really want to take prevent damage to your carpets you need to vacuum more often. If dirt and debris get down into the carpet fibers, the dirt rubbing against them can actually damage the fibers. The answer to avoid this permanent damage to your carpet is to vacuum one day per week per person in your household. That means for a family of four you should be vacuuming every other day. That may seem excessive, but regular vacuuming can double the lifespan of your carpet.

In addition to vacuuming, you might have to clean your carpets deeper occasionally. A carpet shampoo machine or carpet steamer is the perfect tool. If you are following the regimen described above when it comes to vacuuming and you do not have any specific stains to worry about, then it is appropriate to deep clean your carpets about once a year. A deep cleaning involves spraying a high pressure solution of water and carpet shampoo into the carpet, scrubbing it with a brush system, and vacuuming up the dirty water for disposal. This process can be accomplished by a carpet steamer. You can rent or buy these machines from various retail outlets.

Once you choose a carpet cleaning machine, you need to choose the carpet cleaning solution. You can purchase brand name carpet shampoos along with the machines, but often these solutions are overpriced and include harsh chemicals that might damage your carpet or harm you or your family. My personal preference is to make a homemade carpet shampoo that is a simple one to one mixture of water and vinegar. Vinegar is one of those miracle products that can be used for cleaning almost anything.

How to Prepare for Carpet Installation

If you have decided to install new carpet in your home then there are a few things that you can do to make sure that the process goes smoothly. You always want to make sure that the project is going according to plan. Do not assume that the installers will tell you if anything is wrong. You need to be on top of things.

Before the installers arrive, make sure that you clean up the room where the carpet will be installed. That means you should move out all of the furniture and make sure nothing is resting on the carpet like long curtains or blinds. Remove any valuables from the room that you do not want damage or stolen. You should then vacuum the old carpet well to remove any dust or debris. Finally, try to provide good ventilation in the work area by opening windows and/or doors and turning on fans. The installers will be using glue and ventilation is important.

When the installers get to you home, you need to verify that they have the right product and that it is in good condition. Check the label, sales receipt, and warranty to make sure that they all match. Make sure that you watch the installers inspect your carpet for defects. If it does not appear that they are going to inspect the carpet then ask them to do so. You paid for the carpet so it is your right to make sure it is of good quality. Ask the installers to cut you a scrap of the carpet so that a retailer t you can keep it along with the receipt, label and warranty for your records.

If there are any problems, contact the retailer before allowing the installer to move forward with the installation. It is much harder to get a retailer to correct a mistake after the carpet has been installed.

The Many Fibers Used in Carpet

The vast majority, about 97%, of all carpet is made from synthetic fibers. The reason for this is that synthetic fibers are much less expensive than natural fibers and they are much more resistant to stains. For the modern, busy family, stain resistance is a major consideration. Natural fibers are used occasionally and their main benefit is that they resist crushing, meaning that you cannot see footprints or track marks from a vacuum cleaner. There are six major groups of synthetic fibers used in carpet today including acrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, wool, and recycled material.

Acrylic is sometimes called art wool, which is a shortened version of artificial wool. You can get the look and feel of wool at a much lower cost. There are many benefits to this fiber such as the fact that it resists moisture so mildew is not likely to be a problem. In addition, acrylic can resist crushing, staining, and sun damage. All of these traits make it seem like the perfect fiber for a family room or playroom. However, acrylic is not very durable so it is not appropriate for high traffic areas.

Nylon is the most popular carpet fiber. It is highly durable which makes it well suited to high traffic areas. Like acrylic, it is stain resistant and resists moisture and mildew. In addition, nylon fibers are static free. The combination of all of these traits makes nylon the most used carpet fiber for residential use and the second most used in commercial applications.

Olefin or polypropylene is the most used carpet fiber for commercial carpet. It is used most often in Berber style carpets. Olefin is very strong and resists mildew and moisture well. Two traits make it particularly attractive to commercial applications. First, polypropylene is very easy to clean. You can even use bleach and harsh chemicals on this carpet without damaging it in some cases. In addition, olefin is the least expensive fiber used in carpet manufacturing.

Polyester is a good durable carpet fiber that is easy to clean and stain resistant. However, it does not hold up well under heavy traffic. The fibers are easily crushed so every footprint or vacuum mark is easily seen. Another downside to this fiber is the fact that polyester will fade in sunlight.

Wool is one of the most luxurious carpet fibers. It is very strong and resists stains well. However, is is not static free and moisture can be absorbed into the fibers. For a fiber that is so expensive, there are many opportunities for damaging it. That is why it is not recommended for high traffic areas or areas that will be frequented by children.

If you are interested in green products, you might want to consider recycled material fibers. The most common materials used are old soda or water containers made of polyethylene terephthalate or PET. These fibers are durable and water resistant.

Varieties of Cut Pile Carpet

Within the category of cut pile carpet, carpet can be broken down into a few subcategories. The differences between these types of carpets lies in the amount of twisting in the fibers that makes up the cut loops. There are four subcategories of cut pile carpets.

The carpet that has the least tightly twisted fiber is the velvet or plush carpet. With velvet or plush carpets, the fiber is only slightly twisted and very level. The fiber bundles are very closely packed so that the carpet looks very luxurious. The one downside to plush carpet is that you can see every footprint, furniture print, or vacuum marking. This type of carpet is most often used in formal areas.

The next variety of cut pile carpet that is also a lightly twisted variety is Saxony. Saxonies are heat set straight and consist of two or more fibers being twisted together into a yarn. The multiple fibers being twisted together give the carpet texture. Like plush carpets, you can see every mark made in these types of carpets.

The third category of cut pile carpet is called textured. Textured carpets are also lightly twisted and heat set. This is the most popular type of carpet used in family rooms, playrooms, or children’s bedrooms. They have a medium durability and their multi-colored appearance works well at hiding track marks and footprints.

The last type of cut pile carpet is called Freize. Freize carpets are very tightly twisted and are meant for high traffic areas. The tightly twisted and tightly packed fibers hide footprints as well as dirt well because the tips then to curl in all different directions.

Types of Carpet

There are three basic types of carpet on the market today including cut pile, cut and loop pile, and level loop pile. The names are self explanatory, but this post will go through the explanation in some detail.

Cut pile carpets are the most popular type of carpet in that more cut pile carpet is sold than any other kind. A cut pile is when the carpet fibers are looped through the carpet backing and then the end of the loop at the top is cut. This leads to small bundles of yarn standing straight up out of the backing. There are of course many o these bundles in a very small area of carpet. The more bundles there are the more luxurious the carpet. One advantage of cut pile is that it is resistant to crushing.

The second type of carpet is cut and loop pile. As the name implies, this is a mixture of cut loop and loops that have been left intact. Even if the loops start out at the same height, the ones that are cut and the ones that are left as loop inevitably end up at different heights. The mixture of levels provides a variety of textures and a very durable carpet. In addition, this carpet hides dirt very well.

The third type of carpet is level loop pile. With this style of carpet, the loops are left intact. The taller the loop, the more plush and luxurious the carpet appears. The lower the loop level, the easier the carpet is to clean. The reason for this is that the loops prevent dirt from working its way down into the carpet. The densely packed carpet means that it is highly durable. That is why this variety of carpet is often used in high traffic areas.

You can get any of these types of carpet from Atlanta Carpet Master, the best carpet Atlanta has to offer.