Q. How often should I Clean my Carpet?

You must follow your carpet manufacturer’s carpet cleaning and maintenance guidelines to the letter if you want to keep your new carpet warranty in force. You should hire a professional to clean your carpets at least once every 18 months, or as required, whether you think your carpet is dirty or not.

Always Keep All Your Original Carpet Cleaning Sales Receipts! 

You will be asked to show proof of professional carpet cleanings as required by your new carpet warranty. Read your carpet warranty and follow the carpet maintenance suggestions to the letter. This is how you can make sure your carpet lasts as long as possible! Spot clean as necessary and use approved carpet cleaning products.

A Typical New-Carpet Warranty Requires You To…  

Make sure you know which warranty applies to your particular carpet. Warranty limits are usually posted on the backs of samples in the store at the time of purchase.

Know exactly which manufacturer’s warranty applies to your specific carpet  brand and style – and keep a copy forever.

1. Keep proof of purchase in the form of a bill, invoice, or statement showing the price you paid for the carpet, excluding pad and labor.
2. Make sure your carpet is installed according to the guidelines set forth in the Carpet and Rug Institute‘s Installation Standard CRI-105  
3. Read How to find a qualified carpet installer.
4. Maintain your carpet according to the manufacturer’s warranty recommendations.
5. Always keep every receipt as proof of recommended periodic cleaning by a Certified Carpet Cleaning Company.
6. Have your carpet professionally cleaned at least once every 18 months.

Why Hire a Certified Carpet Cleaner?

Not all carpet cleaning service companies are created equal. Some are definitely more reputable than others and homeowners need to be careful who they hire. Carpet cleaning costs can vary greatly and hiring the company with the lowest price may not be the smartest way to go. Watch out for carpet cleaning companies that have low-cost specials that sound too good to be true.

Learn more:  Carpet Cleaning Costs     Carpet Stain Warranties

You don’t want to hire a inexperienced carpet cleaner that will do more damage than good. Excessive soaking of the carpet and padding can ruin any carpet and cause mold and mildew to form if the carpet takes too long to dry. A lousy carpet cleaning job can easily void your carpet warranty and ruin even the most expensive carpets!

Should I Buy New Carpet or Have My Old Carpet Cleaned?

Carpet Cleaning Certification

It would be wise to hire a carpet cleaning company that has trained and certified carpet techs. The two organizations I trust most are; The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

Why is Frequent and Thorough Vacuuming so Important?

Proper maintenance is the key to keeping your carpet looking like-new longer! Most carpets don’t wear out, they ugly-out! This is the common description for a carpet pile that loses it’s shine. Once your carpet fibers lose their shine, they start to look dull. Then, your new carpet start to look worn out. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to make your ugly looking, dull carpet look like new again.

Dirt and grime is one of the key reasons that carpet fibers lose their shine. The dirt and grime that grind into the carpet pile is the cause of the loss of carpet shine. Proper maintenance is the key to keeping your carpet looking like new longer!

 

How Often Should I Vacuum My Carpet?

How many people live in your home? That’s how many times you should vacuum each week, especially in high-traffic areas! How many people live in your home? Four? Then you should vacuum your new carpet about four times a week!

• Some folks need to vacuum everyday!
• More people and pets means more vacuuming for your new carpet.
• Want your carpet to keep looking like new longer? Then you should vacuum more often.

More Vacuuming is Necessary if you: 

1. Have more than 1 active child under the age of 10.
2. Have active indoor dogs, cats, ferrets or Sasquatch.
3. Entertain or have huge parties.
   
4. Live on a farm or a dusty rural area.
5. Have active teens with lots of friends coming and going.
6. Live in a windy or sandy area or near the ocean.
   
7. Have allergies, COPD, asthma or other respiratory issues.
8. Live in a moist or humid climate like Florida.

Having any of these 8 factors mean you should be vacuuming practically everyday. But vacuuming everyday won’t help if you don’t have a good quality vacuum or if your vacuum is not operating at it’s peak efficiency.

ABRASION! The Main Cause of Carpet Wear & Tear

The effects of abrasion is most obvious on the leading edge of stairs, down the center of the hallways or other high traffic lanes. Carpet fibers can only tolerate a certain amount of abrasion before they begin to show the effects. While diligent vacuuming won’t undo damage caused by active kids, it will help reduce the damaging effects by removing the majority of gritty abrasive sand-like dirt and debris. If your vacuum doesn’t do a good enough job, the grit that penetrates the nap of your carpet will quickly begin grinding away at the fibers.

Abrasion is Carpet Enemy #1

Abrasion leads to dulling of the color and matting and crushing of the pile, which in turn makes your carpet look worn out faster. Once your carpet starts to lose it’s shine and look dingy, nothing can be done to make it regain it’s original shiny and like-new appearance.

Small children and highly active teens can significantly increase the daily wear & tear on your carpet. Running, jumping, dancing, playing with hula-hoops and other common busy activities are very damaging to the carpet pile. Rigorous activities help grind in and force dirt and grit particles deep into the nap, often too deep for older or less-powerful vacuums to remove. This is why having a good quality vacuum with a beater bar and enough suction power is so important. Learn more about the Best Carpet Vacuums.

To File a Valid Carpet Warranty Claim:

Have a carpet concern or complaint? You must first call the store where you bought the carpet. Some might ask that you notify them in writing; describe your concerns and if possible provide photos or other documentation; include a copy of your sales invoice and copies of receipts for required periodic professional cleanings.

Your local carpet retailer will usually initially send someone to your home to take a look at your claim and attempt to satisfy your concerns. If that is not sufficient, they may need to notify the original installer or the carpet manufacturer as they deem necessary.

Have you read your manufacturer’s new carpet warranty? It’s an eye opening experience! Every manufacturer has their carpet warranty worded a little bit different so be sure to read the full warranty for the carpet you are considering… before you buy. Learn more about Carpet Manufacturing and Installation Warranties