Homes and offices that use carpet as a flooring option benefit greatly from its coziness, style, warmth, and sound insulation. They also come in a variety of colours, textures, and patterns which make them versatile for either corporate or residential applications. But just like any other flooring choice out there, carpets require regular maintenance to maintain its desirable qualities. This makes professional carpet cleaning an important aspect of proper carpet care.
The big question surrounding carpet maintenance is, “does carpet cleaning extend the lifespan of a carpet?” There are plenty of factors to consider when talking about a carpet’s service life and regular cleaning is definitely one of them. In this article, we’ll be discussing how carpet cleaning in Fremantle can keep your textile flooring in excellent condition and how it can affect its lifespan altogether.
The importance of professional cleaning
If you want to get the most out of your carpet floors, then professional carpet cleaning should be on top of your list. This is because cotton and wool fabrics tend to elongate over time which weakens its structure and reduces the carpet’s rigidity. The elongation process is caused by excess moisture in the environment being absorbed by the carpet fibres. It’s a natural process that, while difficult to control, can be managed with a thorough, deep clean.
Steam cleaning is one option that helps maintain that soft, fluffy, and rigid-feeling carpet that we’ve all grown to love. This is because steam cleaning breaks down tough stains, oils, embedded dirt, and other particles that affect the condition of the carpet fibres. Best of all, steam cleaning doesn’t use any harsh chemicals that may cause an adverse reaction on natural carpets.
Steam cleaning is also excellent for killing dust mites, bacteria, mould spores, and other microorganisms, thus making your carpet cleaner and more hygienic. With all the positives regarding steam cleaning, there is one downside to consider and that is heat damage.
Having your carpet cleaned regularly with a steam cleaner can actually shorten its lifespan. This is due to the heat that can damage the carpet fibres, especially synthetic ones like acrylic and nylon. Steam weakens the overall carpet structure and over time, the fibres will tend to shift positions and compromise the carpet’s rigidity.
Thankfully, there are other methods of carpet cleaning that work just as well as steam cleaning. Some examples are bonnet cleaning and dry carpet cleaning. The former uses an absorbent pad along with a specially formulated shampoo to deep-clean your carpet while the latter uses dry compounds to loosen dirt and debris. Such carpet cleaning techniques are better for spot cleaning and maintenance compared to steam cleaning since they don’t harm any of the carpet fibres.
How often should you have your carpets cleaned professionally?
So, how often should you contact the professionals to have your carpet cleaned? There are a couple of factors to consider to ensure you’re calling the experts at the right time. Such factors include:
- The amount of foot traffic the carpet receives
- The number of family members you have in your home
- Presence of pets that track outside dirt and leave dander all over the place
- Water damage due to floods/pipe leaks
- Presence of moisture which can cause mould/mildew growth
These will help you determine the right cleaning frequency for your carpet without going too overboard. If you live in an area with high humidity levels, you may experience problems with mould/mildew growth. You don’t necessarily have to call a professional every now and then, but what you can do is invest in a dehumidifier to keep the moisture levels down and prevent harmful microorganisms from multiplying.
Aside from professional carpet cleaning, regular vacuuming and spot treatment are also worth noting. Vacuuming your carpet once or twice a week can keep dust and dirt buildup to a minimum and retain the condition of your carpet for much longer. Make sure to treat stains as soon as possible since dried stains are much more difficult to remove.
Final thoughts
There’s no denying that professional carpet cleaning is essential to prolonging your carpet’s lifespan. The only things you need to keep in mind are the type of cleaning method involved and the frequency of the professional cleaning. A reputable carpet cleaning company will be able to determine the right cleaning techniques for your specific carpet. They’ll also be able to provide a scheduled cleaning routine to ensure your textile floor doesn’t get damaged from the repeated steam cleaning.
How you look after your carpet is also a determining factor of its overall service life. With proper care and maintenance, you can expect your textile floors to last anywhere between 10-15 years.