Many homeowners prefer to have carpets over other flooring options. They offer a lot of benefits to you and your home.
Benefits of Having Carpets At Home
Carpets make your home beautiful and stylish. They are available in different colours, patterns and textures, which allows you to personalise your living space according to your preferences. There are endless possibilities thanks to the countless colours and styles that you can choose from.
Carpets also improve the quality of air inside your home. Compared to hardwood floors, carpets emit the lowest volatile organic compound. They also serve as a passive air filter that can trap particles, pollen, and dust.
They offer warmth and comfort because they provide thermal insulation and resistance. They retain warm air for a longer period of time, which is very beneficial during winter. Carpets also provide a comfortable place where you and your family can sit, work, or play.
They can also help reduce noise by acting as a sound barrier. Carpets also help keep you and your loved ones safe from slips and falls.
When Was The Last Time You Cleaned Your Carpets?
Just like all the other flooring options, carpets need to be cleaned and maintained, too. Now, that begs the question – when was the last time you cleaned your carpets?
If you can’t give an answer then it’s best to hire a pro cleaner or do it yourself by using a carpet cleaning machine.
You can choose from getting professional carpet cleaning services or going the DIY route. But, which option is best?
In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between hiring professional carpet cleaners and using a carpet cleaning machine. We’ll also talk about the benefits of carpet cleaning and how often you should get your carpets cleaned.
Let’s begin!
What is Carpet Cleaning?
Carpets are essential assets of any household. It makes your home feel cosy, look appealing and inviting. If you’ve purchased quality carpets, you want them to last for a long time. That’s why it’s important to give them the TLC they deserve.
A standard carpet has a life span of 3 to 5 years before they start to fray. Wool carpets last longer if they’re well maintained.
Homeowners vacuum their carpets to keep them clean. But companies use deep cleaning and more intensive methods to make sure that your carpets are in tip-top condition.
What are the Different Types of Carpet Cleaning Methods?
There are different types of carpet cleaning methods, which are as follows:
Hot water extraction
The most popular among these options is hot water extraction cleaning. It gives carpets deep cleaning, which gets rid of dirt, dust mites, allergens, and more. Most carpets benefit from hot water extraction, except for those that are made of fibres.
Carpet steam cleaning
Steam cleaning is an ideal option for carpets that are lightly soiled.
Dry carpet cleaning
Dry carpet cleaning is best for certain types of carpets, such as seagrass, coir, or jute carpets. They will get damaged if they get wet, which is why dry carpet cleaning works best for them.
Carpet shampooing
It involves the use of a rotary floor machine that feeds a shampoo solution to the carpets that need to be cleaned. Unfortunately, this method has fallen into much disfavour because it leaves a lot of residue on the carpet.
The best method to use will depend on the type of carpet that needs cleaning.
What are the Benefits of Carpet Cleaning?
Many homeowners think that vacuuming is enough when it comes to cleaning their carpets. But that’s not always enough. Vacuuming can’t address areas that are filled with dust and pollutants, which is why carpet cleaning is a must.
Here are the reasons why you should clean your carpets:
Extend the life of your carpet
Your carpets receive a lot of traffic. Grime, dirt, and dust will gradually accumulate in the fibres, which will make the carpet look dull. But with carpet cleaning, you can restore them to an almost brand-new state. Intensive carpet cleaning will extract the dirt and debris that regular vacuuming cannot achieve. It doesn’t just make your carpets look like new but it’ll also help extend their lifespan.
Get rid of carpet stains
Carpet cleaning will remove carpet stains. You may try to get rid of the stain yourself using homemade or commercial cleaning products. But there’s a risk of discolouring or permanently damaging the carpets. So you’ll have to consider whether you know how to remove stains without damaging the carpets or if you need to hire a professional who can do it for you.
Removes bad odours
If you have pets or kids at home, the bad odour and faint mustiness in your carpet may be caused by beverage spills courtesy of your children and pet mishaps. Pet urine can be a huge problem, especially if you don’t address it right away. Carpet cleaning will get rid of the stains as well as the bad odours in your carpets, leaving your home smelling clean and fresh.
Keep a safe environment
Allergens and bacteria may build up in your carpets. They can contaminate the air inside your house, which could trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases. Vacuuming the carpets isn’t enough to get rid of them. Even if you use the most expensive vacuum cleaners, it can’t clean all the fibres of the carpet. Carpet cleaning will get rid of allergens, making your home safe and healthier.
Makes Your Home Feel and Look Cleaner
Carpet cleaning will help make your home look and feel cleaner. Even if you clean all the surfaces or walls inside your house, it still won’t be clean unless you tidy up the carpets, too. It improves the overall aesthetics of your home.
Keeps Carpet’s Guarantee
When you purchase a carpet, the manufacturer will give you specific instructions on how to best clean it. It also comes with a guarantee only if you have your carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?
You should have your carpets deep-cleaned at least every 12 months to keep them looking great for a long time. But how often you should have it cleaned will depend on several factors, including your personal preferences and lifestyle.
Here are some questions you need to answer to determine how often you need to have your carpets deep cleaned.
- Do you vacuum at least once a week?
- Do you or those who live in your house have allergies?
- Do you have light or dark-coloured carpets?
- Does your carpet warranty require you to have it cleaned on a specific schedule?
- Do you let your pets sit, sleep, or play on your carpet?
- Do you have kids at home?
- Do you wear shoes inside the house?
Professional Carpet Cleaners Vs DIY Carpet Cleaning
There will come a time when you need to clean your carpets. You can choose between hiring a professional carpet cleaner, like FastKlean, or going the DIY route. Both options can offer you a clean carpet if done properly. But which of these two is the best choice?
Here are a few things to consider to help you make an informed decision.
Equipment
You will find a lot of DIY carpet cleaning machines for purchase or for rent. With the countless options on the market, you may believe that you no longer need the help of professionals and just take on the task yourself.
Although it’s good to have a small carpet cleaning machine on hand to deal with small spills and dirt, it’s still better to hire a professional for general or deep carpet cleaning.
Compared to DIY, professionals have the equipment to deep clean your carpets. Although you can buy or rent steam and deep cleaners from your local store, they can’t match the powerful equipment that professional carpet cleaners use.
Quality
DIY carpet cleaning lets you save a few bucks but you can never achieve the quality of cleaning that a professional can offer. You may be able to clean the carpets well if you know your way around carpet cleaning machines. But if you don’t, you may end up damaging the fibres of your carpets.
Expertise and Experience
You can search for tips and instructions online on how to clean carpets. But the information you get can’t match the expertise and experience of professional carpet cleaners. Reputable and trustworthy carpet cleaning companies have been in business for so long. They know the best cleaning products and methods to use to clean different types of rugs and carpets.
Drying Time
When you hire professional carpet cleaners to take care of your filth, stained, and smelly carpets, they know what solutions, methods, and techniques to use, depending on the type of carpets you have at home. They can do the job in much less time than a DIY. As a result, the carpet’s drying time after cleaning will be faster, which means you can get your home back in order in a shorter amount of time.
Convenience
If you choose to do it yourself, you must be ready to put a lot of time and effort into cleaning the carpets. This may not work for you if you live a busy life or you have a lot of work to do. It’ll take you several hours to clean your carpets, especially if you have a large home. Hiring a professional carpet cleaner is a better and more convenient option.
Appearance
With professional cleaning, you can guarantee that your carpets will look great. You can also rest easy knowing that they know what to do to avoid damaging the carpets while cleaning it. If you do this task on your own, you must know the right cleaning solutions and methods to use for the type of carpet that you have. If not, you may only end up doing more harm than good to your carpets.
Cost
Hiring professional carpet cleaners costs more than DIY carpet cleaning. But you can rest assured knowing that they know what they’re doing. Your carpets will be deeply cleaned using the right and most suitable cleaning solutions and products. It may be more expensive than DIY carpet cleaning but you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
Hire Carpet Cleaners or Go With DIY Cleaning – Which is the best option?
Buying or renting a carpet cleaning machine and doing the task yourself may be a more cost-effective option if your carpet only requires surface cleaning. But hiring professional cleaners is a better choice if your carpets need a deep clean.
Professional carpet cleaners can offer excellent results in a shorter period and they can get rid of heavy stains. The experts have the training, skills, experience, and knowledge in dealing with different types of carpets.
If you want to save time, and effort, and avoid potentially damaging your carpets, then hiring professional carpet cleaners, like FastKlean, is an excellent choice.