Preventative Maintenance for Carpets
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- carpet cleaning, carpet, maintenance, preventative care
- Posted date:
- 23-06-2022
What is preventative maintenance for carpets? We look at how you can improve the quality of your carpets for longer with preventative maintenance.
Good preventive maintenance includes:
Using walk-off mats
The whole point of walk-off systems is to walk off any dirt before trudging it all across the carpet in your household. The best way to use these kinds of mats is to place them inside strategically and outside of any house or property you own to keep your interior flooring as clean as possible.
Doing so allows you to properly brush any dry mud or debris off your shoes' bottom and absorb any moisture.
We recommend your walk-off mat be approximately 12-15 feet at a vital point, for example, an entrance or exit, such as a vestibule or hotel or venue lobby.
For commercial buildings that many guests, employees, and customers frequently walk in and out of during the workweek, they can tread pounds and pounds of dirt and debris into your establishment.
The walk-off system carpet can reduce the amount of dirt that enters the building and the amount of cleaning needed dramatically. Mats underneath desks and chairs can also help create a safer environment and spare your carpeting plenty of wear and tear.
Vacuuming
Frequent regular vacuuming is crucial for maintaining the overall upkeep and appearance of any carpeting and removing dry mud or soil.
Daily vacuuming your carpets is ideal, especially in buildings like hotels, schools, large office buildings, etc., when there are hundreds to thousands of people moving in and out of your property every day. Soil cannot become embedded in your carpets or rugs when you consistently vacuum.
Spot removal
Stains and spillages are a challenging problem for buildings and homes with carpets. They can alter the aesthetics through harsh discolouring and markings that stick out or are glaringly obvious to see, especially on lighter coloured carpets or rugs.
It's essential to clean any spots or mud marks as soon as you see them so that they don't begin to embed into your carpets and solidify. However, if the mud is wet, you want to wait until it is dried, and then it is much easier to remove as it doesn't spread across and ruin any more areas of your carpet.
Ensure you have a plan for cleaning any spots or marks, and this process should be essential to your carpet maintenance program.
There are numerous agents you may use for spot cleaning available on the market. Find one that is tailored towards your specific carpet, one that suits the textures and colours.
When you're testing out your products, test it on a small area in your facility to ensure it doesn't damage the fibres or remove any of the coloured dye. Knowing a wide range of techniques will allow you to choose the best one to suit the kind of spot stain that you are dealing with.
Perhaps get a staff member, or one of your professional cleaners may be encouraged to go around and check the carpets in your property for any stains on a routine basis. Doing so will allow you to detect any spots before they set in too deep into your floors.
Preventive Cleaning
It would help incorporate preventative carpet cleaning into your daily schedule and maintenance program to achieve much higher cleanliness levels in your establishment. Your commercial carpets should be cleaned according to the foot traffic on your carpets each day of the week.
Compared to domestic carpets or rugs that may be vacuumed once a week or given thorough cleaning perhaps a short few times a month, commercial carpets see more and more people treading on them and dragging in debris and dirt every moment the day.
A carpet placed in the hotel's walkways, such as the lobby or corridors, must be cleaned approximately 12-24 times a year. Alternatively, rugs that see very minimal traffic, for example, a conference room, may only need to be thoroughly cleaned twice a year.
Carefully consider the chemicals used by all cleaning teams and staff on your property and assess the carpet cleaning methods they use. Ensure they accurately suit the texture and dye colour of your carpets so that they aren't harming the surface or discolouring it in any way.
Restorative Cleaning
Restorative cleaning is most needed when your carpets are in dire need of revitalising and preserving. The goal of frequent cleaning is to reduce and eliminate any real need for restorative cleaning.
Designed to assist your carpets in times of trouble, restorative cleaning is a deep, chemically intensive cleanse to regain and ultimately save your carpet when it has been subject to harsh staining or neglect of cleaning.
Restorative cleaning may be the best option to seek before going hunting for a new carpet. Whilst it gives your carpet a good boost, it's not very good for it and should never be done frequently. It would be best if you strived to have significant upkeep and carpet maintenance to avoid restorative cleaning in any situation.
Be sure to include restorative cleaning plans in your cleaning program or training for new employees, as it is an excellent method to uplift and rejuvenate old carpets for re-use.
It is wise to ensure you are prepared for any cleaning scenario; however, do your best to avoid this at all costs through regular cleaning to keep your carpet care consistent.
Tips for protecting your carpets
Don't track dirt inside.
As mentioned before, it is best to place walk-off mats nearby and outside any entrances to brush off any excess debris or dry mud as it can absorb moisture and soil.
They are also a great investment for absorbing oils or sand that you may trudge into your home or property.
Clean these mats as routinely as possible to ensure that there isn't a build-up of grime on them.
Use quality carpet cushion
Ensure you purchase a high-quality carpet for your home or property; this will allow you much more comfort and resilience.
No matter what you trudge onto it, you can revive it through suitable cleaning products and methods.
Quality carpets from trusted manufacturers also have a track record for a much longer lifespan. Should it be more expensive and of a higher standard, it may push you and your cleaners to take more care of your carpets.
Occasionally move heavy furniture
Shift about your furniture as frequently as you wish to; this will give the rooms in the household or establishment a newly refreshed appearance whilst also helping avoid pile crushing.
Utilise carpet protectors underneath stands or tables and chairs to soften the weight and distribute it evenly. Doing so ensures that no damage or ingrained markings are left in the carpet for extended periods when you remove the furniture for decorating purposes or when you have a switch around.
Protect carpet when moving furniture
You want to avoid rips or tears in your carpet while moving furniture around.
When moving heavy items like dressers, wardrobes or pianos, you want to ensure you place protective barriers like plywood pads or cardboard between the wheels so that any harsh, sudden movements do not damage the carpets.
Clean your area rugs
If your household or company building uses area rugs on top of carpets, ensure you or the cleaning staff clean those regularly and the carpet underneath so that there is no lingering dirt.
Allow your carpet to thoroughly dry before replacing the mat on top, as the damp may cause it to smell.
Reduce periods of direct sunlight
Try your best to reduce the amount of sunlight onto your carpets as it could age or discolour them; use shades, blinds or awnings to do so at specific periods of the day.
The best time may be mid-day during summer; the blinds or shades will block your employees or housemates from the uncomfortable blazing heat and also protect your carpets.
If you are looking for carpet and upholstery cleaning throughout Caernarfon, Anglesey and Gwynedd contact our professional cleaning service today.