Indoor house cleaning is important as it protects your furniture and accessories, which are breeding grounds for bugs and insects. This includes steam cleaning your carpet, too. According to United Carpets and Beds, only 3% of households have their carpets cleaned on a professional basis at least once a year. More than half of the people admitted to vacuuming their carpets less than once a week. One in ten only cleans the spot stains if very necessary. We believe it is high time to give a wake-up call to you guys and say that you should steam clean your carpet more often. Steam cleaning is the process of cleaning that uses hot water extraction to get your carpets cleaned. The blog will explain how often you should clean your carpet using carpet steam, a cleaning solution, and a carpet cleaner to keep it looking new.
Keep Your Carpets In Their Mint Condition
Your floor’s look automatically gets elevated when a carpet that matches the theme of the house is placed on the floor. Owners do it to add an aesthetic sense. However, the floor accessory captures dander, allergens, dirt, and minor critters. Therefore, if you are steam cleaning your carpets, they need to undergo an essential carpet cleaning schedule that means cleaning once every week so that their lifespan, appearance, and hygiene remain premium.
Factors That Influence The Steam Cleaning Frequency
Here, multiple factors steal the limelight that will ask you to increase the frequency of steam cleaning. They are as follows:
Most Used Areas
Your houses must have rooms and areas where carpets are placed, and they should receive maximum foot activities. Foot activities mean the traffic in your home, where you and your other family members walk, leaves your trail in the form of dirt and an unpleasant odor. Hence, areas such as bedrooms, hallways, and living rooms mean a high-traffic carpet that will demand your attention more than other formal rooms or guest bedrooms. And you will need to steam clean them more often.
Presence Of Furry Friends
Homes with pets are indicators that the carpet needs cleaning as they will shed their fur on the carpet, bring dirt inside when they are done playing outdoors, and even get hurt in an accident. You will need to clean the carpet frequently, particularly the areas they are fond of.
People Suffering From Allergies
This is necessary, every household has a few individuals who are allergic to dust, and dust mites that make their breathing difficult. If you also have family members who can’t stand dirt, then it is an indicator that the carpet must be cleaned to escalate the steam cleaning frequency as that will help in reducing allergen exposure.
Living Style
How is your living style? Are there any family members who walk in with their shoes? Do you eat and drink on the carpet? If you do, then you are again leaving dirt. Plus, bits of food that can easily fall on the carpet fibers while eating call you to vacuum regularly, as you wouldn’t like watching those stains and dirt glaring at you. Moreover, it will leave a negative impression of your concern for cleanliness. Hence, clean carpets regularly, or else it will become a struggle for you to keep the carpets in good condition.
Type and Material Of The Carpet
Carpets are made of a variety of materials and are made of a variety of types. Each has its distinct soil-resistance properties. For instance, loop pile carpets are known to hide dirt better than cut pile carpets. Synthetic fibers possess the quality of resisting stains better than natural fibers such as wool. If you have light-colored carpets, then the stains and dirt will be more prominent than ever; therefore, get the deep clean mode on as often as you can. Remember your carpet type and material when pursuing steam cleaning, and adopt best practices.
How Often Should You Clean?
We are finally in the most awaited section of the entire blog, and we will assist you in learning how often to clean a carpet. It is as follows:
Every 3-6 Months In High Traffic Areas
Noticing the amount of foot traffic, your carpets should get steam cleaned every 3-6 months. Why? Steam cleaning must be done frequently on the carpet so that the dirt does not take time to collect or become close to permanent. So cleaning this way extends the life of your carpets. Therefore, remember the duration and get it cleaned as often.
Every 6-12 Months In Moderate Traffic Areas
Areas of the house that receive moderate foot traffic, like the bedroom or dining room should experience an essential carpet cleaning schedule every 6-12 months. It acts as a good rule of thumb. Besides the timing, you can still experiment with the number of times based on your specific requirements.
Every 12-24 Months In Low Traffic Areas
The low-traffic areas, such as guest rooms or rooms that are used rarely. For them, clean your carpets every 12-24. That is more than enough. Regular vacuuming will not harm the room and will protect your family from dirt and other pollutants, unlike unclean carpets that are prone to pose a significant health concern.
Ways To Clean
For hygiene enthusiasts, this section of the blog is especially for you as it will discuss some expert tips that will help maintain clean carpets effortlessly, as cleaning and maintenance are equally crucial. They are as follows:
Schedule Vacuum
If you’re really into keeping things clean, this tip won’t be new to you. But if you’ve been neglecting the high-traffic areas of your house, it’s time to start using the steam cleaner and vacuum at least 2-3 times a week. Is your carpet gathering a lot of allergens and dust? You can solve this problem with a HEFA filter, designed to trap allergens and pick up dust. Once you start using it, you’ll notice a big difference and wish you had gotten one sooner.
Doormats
People often buy doormats that look inviting. Their main purpose is to clean off any dirt from your shoes before you enter, preventing a mess in your home. Hence, if your house lacks doormats, consider this as one of the expert tips for increasing the frequency of carpet cleaning. Place the doormats in the high-traffic areas of the house as that will prevent and discourage others from walking in with shoes, and clean their shoes properly before entering. In this way, the house will remain comparatively clean.
Quickly Clean
Is it necessary to rely completely on a steam cleaner when sometimes you can clean dirt yourself? Whenever you see someone drinking water or any kind of liquid accidentally spilling it on the carpet or carpet stains, don’t wait for it to dry; that steam cleaner will handle it. Carpet manufacturers recommend taking an absorbent cloth that is clean and immediately cleaning the stains before the situation gets worse. Make sure that you have the correct measure in your hands to deal with specific types of stains.
Area Rugs
If your house is spacious and has more high-traffic areas, then the frequency of rug cleaning is bound to increase. Therefore, place area rugs in similar areas, as it carpets every area. One of the best parts about area rugs is that these can be removed without much effort. Furthermore, it keeps the underlying carpet safe. The rug approach will not demand you to pick your steam cleaning tools all the time, as area rugs will do the honors of keeping the carpet and floor spick and span.
Spot Cleaning In A Professional Manner
It is not necessary that every stain that you see on the carpet will be removed easily. If your steam cleaner fails to do the job, then search for spot-cleaning services to remove them and have them professionally steam cleaned. This will prove to be effective in the case of stubborn stains and pet accidents, where your steam cleaner might let you down. Hence, getting carpets cleaned by a professional will not harm your budget.
What More To Look Into?
Carpet Care
The new carpets require strain-resistant treatments. They can be regularly vacuumed, but steam cleaning won’t be necessary in the start. Consult the manufacturer’s recommendations for your specific carpet and make it a part of the cleaning process.
Visible Stains or Spills
Address spills and stains promptly to prevent them from setting in. For stubborn stains, professional carpet cleaning might be necessary even outside your regular cleaning schedule.
Conclusion
Steam cleaning the carpet is essential, especially when it is placed in high-traffic areas. You should still keep in mind the carpet cleaning schedule, the expert tips for carpet cleaning frequency, and carpet cleaning methods.
