
Caring for your Carpet
Carpet care involves a lot and requires a variety of tools to be done right.
1. Vacuum Up Dry Dirt
Vacuum to remove dry soils that accumulate each day. Select your vacuum based on the carpet type & a few other factors. Some features are motor capacity, beater bar or no beater bar, tools on board or no tools on board. Battery operated vacuums are great where you have limited outlets or stairwells that need cleaning.
2. Treat Stains with Stain Remover
Once dry debris is removed, tackle any spills or stains as quickly as they happen. The dies or colorant in the spill can set, but also, stains can penetrate deep into the carpet fibers, and saturate the carpet backing. A good, all-purpose stain remover is a must-have tool for any cleaning professional.
3. Shampoo Carpet Fibers
Next comes interim cleaning with a dry bonneting system for quick clean-up of the surface of the carpet fibers and short dry times. You’ll want a rotary or orbital (square) machine with a bonnet or pad to work in the shampoo solution. Your best bet at the interim phase is an encapsulation cleaner – the benefits are huge since you won’t leave behind nearly as much residue as with traditional bonnet solutions. As a bonus, the carpets will continue to get cleaner as you complete future dry vacuuming.
4. Hot Water Extraction
Lastly, you’ll ultimately need to do hot water extraction. The benefits of using a hot water extractor are many, such as better chemical activation and loosening soils more efficiently. You’ll also see your dry time reduced. Rinsing is a key step you won’t want to miss and be sure to speed dry time even further by running air movers too.
See our How To section for more details on Carpet Bonnet Cleaning and Carpet Extraction.