Home Carpet Care

Home carpet cleaning including best practice techniques.

Below, we illustrate how to clean carpets. Our techniques show the best process to clean your carpets including how to use your home or rental machine. There are 11 videos which illustrate the equipment and techniques. You can access the videos (at left) or the video can be clicked on in each section.

First, we will go over the equipment used, most people just use a carpet cleaning machine. The results can be greatly improved if the following equipment and processes are used. Although it may take a little more up front work, it will save you time overall and your results will be greatly improved. Introduction to cleaning your carpets.

Cleaning machine – This includes any home or store rented machine.
Spray bottle or preferably a pump up sprayer. Can be purchased for $5-$20.
Some type of agitator, ie carpet brush. Can be purchased for $5-$20.
Cleaning agents – A 2 step system with a cleaning agent and rinsing agent. For example, Honestly Clean Carpet sells a cleaner and rinse for 1 penny per square foot. Honestly Clean Carpets Products.

Process Used

1. First apply the cleaning agents to the carpet. Typically, this should not done by the cleaning machine. A pump up sprayer is highly recommended. About a gallon of readymade solution should be applied to about 300 square feet of carpeting. I recommend taking a room and doing a test so you can practice how much you are putting done. It is very easy to double or quadruple the amount of cleaning agent put down. More cleaning agent is not better. I recommend cleaning agents that have a 2 step process, a cleaner and rinse, (ie Honestly Clean Carpet pre-spray) the cleaner should be applied in this part. If you are using a 1 part system that you usually put the cleaner directly into the machine, this should be applied by using the pump up sprayer and not the machine. The amount used should be the dilution ratios suggested by the manufacturer. Cleaning agents and use in carpet cleaning. Honestly Clean Carpets Products.
2. Let the carpet cleaning agent sit in the carpet for 15 minutes. This will give the cleaning agents time to loosen the soil from the carpets. The cleaning agent should not be applied to the carpet at the same time the dirt is extracted. Time is a major component in carpet cleaning. It helps compensate for the lack of heat in carpet cleaning. Time and its use in carpet cleaning.
3. Agitate the Carpets. A carpet brush can be used. Alternatively, you can go to your local box store and look in the broom department. For a minimum investment, under 10 bucks, you can have a carpet agitator. Take this brush and work the cleaning agent into the carpet. You may have to agitate the areas with spots until it disappears. The concept of spots disappearing should happen in the agitation phase and not the extraction stage. I recommend carrying a white towel that you can rub against the more soiled areas. You should be able to see transfer from the spot to your washcloth, this can be dramatic at times. Typically carpets can be agitated rather aggressively. Testing should always be conducted on your carpet to determine the level of agitation it can handle. You do not want to damage the carpet fiber which can distort the appearance of the carpet. Time and its use in carpet cleaning.
4. 4. Heat – The reason heat is important in the cleaning process is that it helps increase chemical activity. The heat makes the cleaning agents work better. In reality, even very hot water does not stay hot for a long period of time on carpets; and quickly returns to room temperature. Thus heat is not a major factor in carpet cleaning, even for professionals. (The use of heat in carpet cleaning is greatly exaggerated. There is no such thing as steam cleaning, the proper term is hot water extraction).The way to compensate for the lack of heat in carpet cleaning is to increase the time the cleaning agents are left on the carpet and to use agitation. The importance of heat in carpet cleaning.
5. Now comes your cleaning machine. The real purpose of the machine is now clear, to remove the soil from the carpet. A rinsing solution should be put into the machine. The rinsing agent neutralizes the cleaning agent applied in step 1 above. The rinsing agent leaves the carpets neutralized so it does not attract soil in the future. If a 1 step cleaning solution was used, where the cleaning agent was put directly into the machine, put just water into the machine. (The cleaning agent was already applied above). We recommend taking a room and doing a test so you can practice how much rinse you are putting down. It is very easy to double or quadruple the amount of rinsing agent put down. More is not better. It is difficult to recommend how much water your machine will be capable to extract and how much rinse you should put done. Put in the same ratio of rinse that you put in your pre-spray for the same area and this will most always be true. Extracting the soil and dirt from your carpets.
6. Finally, what about drying time. Our process calls for 2 steps, application of the cleaning agent, about a gallon per 300 square feet (17x17 area). Then there is the extraction phase, depending on your machine and technique, you will leave behind more water. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and airflow all factor into drying times. Ceiling fans are great and should always be used when finished. Most issues in carpet cleaning happen in the drying phase. It is important not to over wet the carpets and get the carpet padding wet. Drying times should be under 12 hours. If moving furniture, be careful when replacing any furniture that can rust or have a color transfer. Furniture with metal bottoms can rust. Wood legs can bleed which can create a color change. Plastic tabs or Styrofoam tabs can be put under to protect. How long does it take for carpets to dry? Moving furniture and adverse consequences.

Why do spots reappear when I am done?

Spots reappear for 3 reasons. Why do spots return?

1. When cleaning the carpets, the carpet padding should not become wet. Drying times of 1 to 2 days are always caused by putting down too much water. Carpets dry from the bottom up, when too much water is applied, the dirt travels up the carpet to the top and reappears, this is called wicking. This will cause spots to reappear. There are instances where more spots will appear than were noticeable when you started. If this happens, you know too much water was applied. It is recommended that you clean the carpets again, using less water, and the spots will go away.
2. Cleaning residue that is left on the carpet can attract soil in the future and a spot will reappear. We highly recommend a 2 step process where a rinse is used when extracting soil from the carpets. When you use a spot cleaner, a cleaning agent should be used that does not leave a residue. Alternatively, the area could be rinsed after spotting.
3. The residue from the spill itself (oily or sticky) could attract soil the future. Sometimes you do not get the entire spot and it continues to attract dirt. This is difficult to distinguish from a residue that is left from the cleaning agent.

What expectations should someone have when cleaning carpets? There are 3 different categories when evaluating results. Expectations you should you have.

• Worn or matted carpets. Most people look at carpets and focus on spots or other discolorations. Carpets hold dirt that is not visible to the eye. This dirt is an abrasive and wears away the carpet each time the carpet is walked on. It is similar to sandpaper actually wearing away the carpet fiber. (This dirt can be vacuumed, thus the importance of regular vacuuming.) The damage to the carpet fiber becomes permanent and cannot be corrected by cleaning. Although the carpet may look better immediately after the carpets are cleaning. The carpet will return to their worn or natural state in a short time.
• Spots, typically food or beverages. These items can be removed when cleaning your carpets (as contrasted with permanent marks which are discussed below). As discussed, spots disappear after the cleaning agents have been applied to the carpet and agitation takes place. They can either be transferred to a cloth or moved around the carpet. They should be picked up in the extraction phase.
• Permanent marks are items that create changes to the carpets and cannot be corrected by cleaning. Color changes from red drinks, wine, and mustard contain dyes which recolor the carpets and become permanent. Bleach will strip the color from a nylon carpet and create a permanent color change. Burns from cigarettes or a fireplace can melt away the carpet and create a permanent change.