DIY (do-it-yourself) Vs Professional Carpet Cleaning.Are You Up to the Challenge

Carpets have their own way of dressing up homes and bringing comfort and warmth to the interiors. Contrary to the common belief, carpeted rooms have been found to have lower levels of airborne dust, biological agents, and chemical contaminants as compared to non-carpeted rooms. According to National Center for Healthy Housing Fact Sheet, carpeted floors had lower pathogen and lead concentrations. However, The Carpet Rug Institute and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) strongly recommend that carpets are cleaned regularly through a vigorous vacuuming schedule and washed using hot water extraction method at least once a year. How do you decide when it’s time to call in a professional carpet cleaning company in San Diego, and can you perhaps do a professional job yourself?

DIY Carpet Cleaning

DIY cleaning is what you need to do regularly regardless of whether you are going to hire a carpet cleaning in San Diego or not. Vacuuming, stain removal, and odor elimination are the things that you can do on your own on a fairly regular basis. Making carpet cleaning a part of your weekly cleaning schedule would make sure that your home or office stays fresh and healthy. Soled, neglected carpets don’t only look bad, but can also cause allergies and smell obnoxious.

Recommended Vacuum Cleaners

Day to day carpet cleaning mostly involves vacuuming. Carpet fibers trap dust particles and allergens circulating in the ambient air. These contaminants are sucked up and locked away by a high quality vacuum cleaner. The Carpet Rug Institute has an independent testing lab where the performance of different vacuum cleaners is evaluated for soil removal, dust containment, and surface appearance change. For your everyday vacuuming, you should buy a vacuum cleaner bearing the CRI Seal of Approval. This would make sure that your vacuum cleaner doesn’t damage the carpet fibers and meets the soil removal and dust containment standards.

Correct Vacuuming Technique

The NCHH recommends using a high quality vacuum that employs a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, as this type of filter reduces dust emissions from the exhaust. Vacuuming must be done at least once a week, but more frequently if you live in a dusty area or often have things spilling onto the carpet. Vacuum slowly to let the powerful motor suck out every last particle of dust and contaminants. Spend at least a minute per square yard of the carpet while vacuuming, unless you have a thick pile carpet or shag carpet, which would require more time.

In order to pluck the soil off the carpet, slowly push the vacuum forward by a few feet and then vacuum in the opposite direction. Proper vacuuming has been proven to remove 90% to 95% of all dry soil and is the single most economical and effective way of keeping the indoor environment clean and healthy.

Professional Carpet Cleaning

Despite your best efforts at cleaning and maintaining your carpets yourself, things happen and your carpet keeps getting dirtier. It might be the scotch stain from last night’s party at best, and your dog mistaking the living room as its toilet at worst. Spills and smudges accumulate and tiny amounts of dust residues gather over time, and you realize one fine morning that your precious carpet is due for a thorough cleaning.

What Professional San Diego Carpet Cleaning Companies Do

Well, they might charge you a steep fee (unless you are working with Stanley Steemer!), for one. Other than that, they wield heavy duty hot water extraction cleaners (popularly known as steam cleaners), and have hundreds of carpet washes under their belts. The beastly machines that they use shove heated water into the carpet at high pressure, soaking the fibers through and flushing out dirt, soil and grime. Simultaneously, the high-powered suction motor picks up every last droplet of water, sucking away the dirt and giving your carpet a new glint.

Can I Do a Professional Cleaning Job Myself?

The carpet cleaning equipment that you rent from your local department store may not be as powerful as commercial carpet cleaning equipment, and you cannot become as experienced as carpet cleaning in San Diego experts. With that said, carpet cleaning is not exactly rocket science, and you wouldn’t make the roof fall down even if you did a bad job. So, there’s no harm in giving this baby a try.

The first thing that you’d need is the equipment AKA an extraction cleaner and carpet washer. Don’t get confused by the variety of products and brands that you see. The CRI has made your job easier by labeling carpet cleaning products with their Seal of Approval. The green seal is the carte blanche as far as extraction cleaner and stain removers go. The CRI has an advanced lab where they test different carpet care products and grant them the CRI Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze seals, depending upon the performance and quality of the tested products. For best results, you should get a Platinum or Gold standard equipment and detergent.

When carrying out the cleaning, follow the instructions manual for the extraction cleaner and detergent. Never use more than the recommended quantity of detergent. A richer-than-specified solution might leave behind a residue after the water has been vacuumed. This residue might make the carpet look dull apart from causing health problems by accumulating allergens. Don’t be in a hurry, as you’ll leave behind more water than can be dried up quickly. Moisture and dampness provide a favorable habitat for mold to grow, which can cause allergies and health risks. Do not over-wet your carpet by pushing the button that releases the cleaning solution, and don’t let the brush run dry either.

DIY carpet cleaning can save you money by prolonging the period between professional carpet washes, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for professional cleaning. If you are not deep cleaning the carpet yourself, you should get it steam cleaned by a carpet cleaning in San Diego at least once every year. For DIY cleaners, this time period can be extended to two years. So, do you think you’ll try cleaning your carpets yourself or would you be hiring professional cleaners?