Carpet Cleaning Tips
By Steven Gillman
You can use all the carpet cleaning tips in
the world, and guess what? You still probably can't get your carpet as clean on
your own as a professional carpet cleaner can. On the other hand, who needs
perfection? The tips here will help you get that carpet clean enough.
Heat helps! Above 118 degrees fahrenheit, every 18 degrees higher changes
chemical reactivity by 100%. Hot water extraction cleaning is done between 150
and 200 degrees. Is that too technical? The point is not only that hot water
extraction, or "steam cleaning" is far superior to "dry cleaning," but that if
you do it yourself, use heat!
Actually, there are three inter-related factors at work when you clean carpet.
Heat, Dwell Time, and Agitation. To some extent, if you can't maximise one of
them, you can make up for it with the others. In other words, if you can't get
the cleaning solution hot enough, let it "dwell" a bit longer in the carpet, and
scrub harder.
Secret Carpet Cleaning Tips
Detergent attracts dirt. This is why it's important to rinse out any cleaning
solution thoroughly. This is another reason why hot water extraction gets carpet
cleaner than the "dry" methods. The bottom line is that you need to rinse well
when you clean carpet.
One way to clean stains is with the use of a shop-vac. No, you can't just suck
out the stain, but you can repeatedly wash and rinse the area, and suck out the
solution each time. This is a more effective method than blotting up the water
with cloth, mostly because you won't have the patience to wash, rinse and
extract enough times using paper towels or cloth.
Shop Vac 20-gallon 6.0 HP Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner Model #6010300 sold by
AllBrands.com
Another little secret of the carpet cleaners is putting rugs outside and inside
the front door. They can catch much of the dirt that people bring in on their
feet. This isn't just about less vaccuuming, though. Dirt is like thousands of
little blades that cut carpet fibers. The damaged carpet stains more easily
then, and it's harder to remove the stains. An even better practice is to take
off your shoes in the house.
Ready to clean? Vaccuum first. Then, if you use one of those portable machines,
at least get the water as hot as you can. Dry the carpet quickly, using fans to
move the air around. You can at least lengthen the time between expensive
professional cleanings, by using these carpet cleaning tips.
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Steve Gillman has worked in the carpet cleaning industry for years. For more on
carpet-care, carpet stains, and specific stain-by-stain removal instructions,
visit
http://www.HowToRemoveCarpetStains.com
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