Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner or do it yourself?

Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner or do it yourself?

Cleaning your carpet must be done, but is it worth the hassle to save a few dollars? Will you get the same results if you do-it-yourself? This article takes a look at why hiring professionals, like Pro Floor Restore, may be the way to go! However, if you decide to do-it-yourself, we will give you tips on the best way to go about it and things you should avoid.

We all know that vacuum cleaning can remove the majority of dry soil, but it is also recommended that you clean your carpet on a fairly frequent basis to remove that sticky, oily soil that builds up in the fibers as a result of various odors and dirt that is tracked in from outside. If you can, clean the carpet before it becomes too bad. This way the cleaning chore will be easier to do and a lot more successful.

You may have heard that cleaning your carpeting before it really becomes necessary will cause it to get dirtier much faster ... well, this is just a myth! But, the choice of the right cleaning solution is very important. Some solutions can leave residues behind, and when this happens this residue will promote re-soiling, basically defeating the whole purpose of cleaning your carpet in the first place.

Typically, the average home's carpet should be cleaned about every 18 months or so.  This will depend, of course, on the number of family members living in the home and the amount of traffic they create walking in and out of the home. Pets are yet another factor in determining how often your floors need cleaning.

Professional Carpet Cleaners: 

It is in your best interest to use an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification), professional, simply because their experience will enable them to do a much better job than you can do yourself. The equipment they use has more extraction power than the units available to you, and the carpet will dry faster as well. (Pro Floor Restore uses state of the art equipment and has the knowledge to use it to its highest capability. That being said, most carpets we clean are completely dry with-in 2 to 4 hours; we use fans when possible to speed the drying process. We have had carpets dry with-in 20 minutes, but normally 1 to 2 hours is all it takes.) IICRC professionals also know the correct cleaning agents to use; and they know the differences in carpet construction and fibers. The upside is that if you hire a professional cleaner that is certified through an organization like the IICRC, your carpet will be left cleaner; looking almost like new and come with a guarantee!

Cleaning Your Carpet Yourself:

If you have made the decision to rent or buy a steam cleaning machine and do the job yourself, you should check on several systems before you make a selection. Most rental units will not clean your carpet thoroughly and may actually even end up damaging your carpet.

Therefore, you should always consider the following:

* Several rental companies offer cleaning equipment that is similar to what some professionals use. The equipment should have enough vacuum power to allow the carpet to dry within 6 to 8 hours of cleaning. You should always avoid rental units found in retail and grocery stores that don't have the power to extract the cleaning solution from the carpet fast enough, as it can actually damage the carpet due to over wetting.

* Make sure you avoid over-wetting the carpet. Any prolonged dampness can lead to mildew growth and bacteria in the carpet, or cause a separation of the backing. Carpeting that remains wet for any longer than 24 hours is prone to developing problems. You can control this by using proper equipment and the right training.

* Carpets that have stain resistant treatments have to be cleaned with products that are formulated for this very purpose or the stain resistance will be impaired and the warranty will be voided. Never use cleaning or spotting solutions that contain bleaches as they can mess up the color of the carpet.

* Never use any silicone based treatments on the carpet.

* You can help to reduce the drying time by using several fans to move the air around the carpet. You can use a dehumidifier as well, as it will pull moisture from the air.

We hope this article has given you some answers to help in making your decision on whether cleaning your carpet is best left in the hands of a professional like Pro Floor Restore, an IICRC Certified Firm or whether this is something you can handle on your own. Either way...it inevitably must be done!