Ohio carpet cleaning

So after you've bought your beautiful (and probably very expensive) carpet, you begin to think about maintenance. You remember visiting your friend's house last summer, and were surprised by how dirty it looked. At that point you thought to yourself, "My carpets would never get that way!".

So now that you have your carpet, how do you avoid letting your carpet go downhill? Carpets are notorious for picking up dirt, and unlike the Arabs, who ensure that you take off your footwear before you step on one, your guests will look askance at such a move.

Carpets pick up dirt, and fur very easily, and in time, will come to emit an odor that that will keep your guests making excuses to visit your home. Your headaches will get worse if you have an allergy to dust.

So how do you go about cleaning one?

The first step to maintaining your carpet, is regular vacuuming. The benefit of this is, that it gets to the dirt before it has time to get fully embedded into the carpet. This will improve the longevity of the carpet, as well as reduce the frequency with which you will need to steam clean it.

Steam cleaning is the process where you carpet gets fully restored back to it's original state. It goes way beyond normal vacuuming, and removes even dirt that is deeply meshed into the carpet. Make sure that all furniture is removed as much as possible before the professionals start. Ensure that they employ corner guards to protect the furniture and the walls.

Steam cleaning consists of the following according to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC):

This preliminary cleaning with a high pressure vacuum, ensures that all the basic dirt is taken away. This is like trimming the hair on your head before you get a complete shave. It's just the first step to make way for the real business!

Pre-Conditioning is a process that loosens the carpet fibers, and tries to break up the dirt so that when the actual steam cleaning takes place, it will get out even the most deeply embedded soil.

This is the real business of Steam Cleaning. The device will emit high pressure detergent at high temperatures directly into the carpet pile. The detergent is removed immediately along with emulsified soil.

The embedded soil comes out because of the high temperatures and pressures involved. Both take place simultaneously. The idea is to use as little water as necessary.

This is the process by which a professional groomer ensures that the fibers of the carpet stand up before they dry. This not only increases the speed with which the carpet dries up, but also improves the aesthetics of the carpet, and gives it that 'bushy' look.

The process of 'Speed Drying' is accomplished by using high velocity air.

And you're done! It goes without saying that this is best handled only by a professional. Just look at the image on the right to see the difference a good Steam Cleaning can make!

You can do the spade work by regular vacuuming, but keep in mind that Steam Cleaning needs to be done on a regular basis to prolong the life of your carpet, and keep it looking beautiful.