In this blog entry, the professional NJ carpet cleaning team here at Aladdin Oriental Rug will detail the best practices for maintaining your newly cleaned carpets.
How can I maintain my freshly cleaned carpet?
- Never Walk On Carpets When Drying– Never walk on your freshly cleaned carpet until you’re sure it’s fully dry. When you walk on a carpet that hasn’t fully dried, the fibers get latteneed ,and then it takes much longer to dry which can cause mold growth. When your carpet is drying, keep children, furniture, and pets away from the area, and only walk on it if you absolutely have to. If you have to walk on the carpet before it dries, do so with clean white socks, and on the shortest route possible. To speed up the drying time, make sure your home is warm with tons of ventilation. Keep doors open and if possible run fans and dehumidifiers.
- Vacuum Often– Vacuum at least once a week to reduce the level of dirt and debris that is buried in carpet fibers. When you vacuum, don’t just move it over the carpet a few times. Take a while to move over every area of the carpet in a criss-cross pattern from different angles to remove as much dirt as possible. If you have pets, you should purchase a pet vacuum that works better on dander or fur.
- Don’t Walk Barefoot – Even if it seems obvious that wearing shoes on your carpet isn’t ideal, walking barefoot on carpets isn’t great either. The natural oils on your skin can seep into carpet fibers and attract dirt and bacteria, as well as causing debris buildup. Instead of walking around barefoot, we recommend wearing slippers or socks on carpets.
- Clean Stains and Spills ASAP– Address spills and stains as soon as possible. Use a stain remover and gently dab the stain, but do not rub it, as rubbing the strain can cause it to move deeper into carpet fibers, and cause it to be harder to remove. Just blot the stain with the cleaner, and blot again with a clean white cloth or towel as it’s drying. Blotting is a much more effective method of removing spills, making it less likely that they will permanently stain.