Some companies will tell you that you need to have the rooms empty. Other companies might tell you that leave everything in place and they'll clean around it. Our advice is that you should be removing smaller items. Your breakables and your valuables really need to be moved.
Clean around the furniture
If there is no gap between the carpet and the furniture, then you cannot clean that spot. You will have to clean the carpet area around the furniture. Remove the small items like chair, table and whatever that you can move effortlessly. Create as much as space as possible.
In reality, carpets should dry in somewhere between 4-6 hours; however, and here's the caveat – it's vital that a carpet is dry within 24 hours. This is because after this time your carpet is in danger of attracting mould spores which will not only ruin your carpet, but be harmful to your health.
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.
Most cleaning methods simply can't remove all the old hair, dust mites, dirt, soapy residues and chemicals. After the cleaning crew leaves, the gunk remaining in your carpeting acts like a magnet for a whole new layer of grime.
Things like food spills, animal urine, and other stinky messes can soak into the padding underneath. As the area was cleaned, the stain was wet again and reactivated the leftover particles. Typically, these odors will dissipate within two days of carpet cleaning.
Most carpets typically need 6-10 hours to dry completely. However, it could take up to 24 hours to dry depending on the time of year your carpets are cleaned, and the air circulation, humidity and temperature in your home.
The general rule of thumb is that you should wait about 24 hours before putting the furniture back on the carpet. This will ensure your carpet is fully dried and ready to go.
Place foam blocks under your furniture
The foam blocks elevate your furniture off the ground so that they aren't damaged by the water or chemicals used to clean your carpets.
Sometimes it's not easy to move the furniture out of the way to deep clean a carpet. This is where furniture foam blocks come in! By raising the furniture upon them you clean the carpet without getting the furniture wet. Foam furniture blocks are an easy way to protect your furniture so you can get the job done.
It's not unusual for DIY carpet cleaners to need eight or even 10 passes on a carpet before the water runs clear. This is especially true when: It has been a long time since your carpet was last deep-cleaned.
We recommend vacuuming 2 to 3 times per week and getting your carpet deep cleaned every 3 to 6 months to keep your family clean, happy, and healthy. Lastly, extremely large families with multiple pets, heavy traffic, and heavy soil will probably benefit from daily vacuuming and a deep cleaning every 2 to 3 months.
Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes odors, making it the absolute MVP carpet cleaner. Powders are super easy: Simply sprinkle them on, let them sit and work their magic, then vacuum them up.
Open windows – air flow can help to improve drying times and opening windows can help, unless it is very humid outside. Use floor fans – running floor fans in areas with damp carpet will help to move the humid air created by evaporation out of the space, and dry the carpet more quickly.
When choosing between steam cleaning and shampooing your carpet, you really can't go wrong with both, but steam cleaning would be the better option. It removes more unseen pests and dirt, and can handle heavy-duty cleaning without making you wait long for drying.
Yes, you should keep cleaning the carpet until the water is clear. This will ensure that your carpets are clean and free of dirt, dust, and other allergens. However, you should be careful not to scrub too hard or use too much water. Doing so can damage the carpet and lead to more stains in the future.
A steam cleaner used at the wrong temperature or over an area for too long can cause damage to almost any carpet, however commercial carpets as you would expect are more durable and this type of damage is less likely.
Age: If carpet is more than 12-15 years old, and hasn't been professionally cleaned at regular intervals, it most likely will need replacing. Conditions such as filter soiling, crushing, and traffic patterns will have taken their toll on the carpet, and a single cleaning will not undo decades of wear.
In general, carpet that is more than 20 years old should be replaced. Dust, dirt and debris build up in the fibers and underneath the carpet, even if it is maintained regularly. This can lead to allergy problems and odors.
You'll need to replace the carpet if you want to get rid of it. Similarly, if you notice some stains smell bad or your carpet seems to stink, you may just need to toss it. Professional cleaners can do a lot to bring your dirty carpet back to life, but some smells and stains are irreversible.