Frequency of Cleaning

How often you have your carpet professionally steam cleaned depends on the kind of use your carpet gets, and the quality of your day-to-day maintenance.  The warranty recommends your carpet to be steam cleaned at least once every two years by approved carpet cleaners.  Reapplying carpet protector always enhances the amount of protection.  It is important that you retain your cleaning receipts in the event that you need to make a warranty claim. Areas of higher traffic and soiling should be steam cleaned more frequently.

Steam or How Water Extraction

This is the best method for deep-cleaning most carpets.  Steam cleaning requires the use of a machine which sprays cleaning solution into the carpet pile.  Chemicals attack the soil and greasy build-up on the carpet fibers.  A powerful vacuum then extracts the solution almost immediately.  After two or three steam cleanings, it is recommended to have carpet protector applied for optimal soil and stain protection.  

Do-It-Yourself Methods

Proper carpet cleaning requires experience and very expensive equipment. Most rental or home cleaning equipment is unable to extract thoroughly the water and detergents they put into the carpet. Left in the carpet, the detergents attract more dirt, causing rapid re-soiling and the need for re-cleaning. Professional steam cleaning or hot water extraction is the method Shaw Industries recommends for cleaning your carpet. If you choose to do-it-yourself, DO NOT use wet shampoo equipment. Shampooing can leave a soap residue in the carpet which not only masks the carpet protector, but actually attracts and holds dirt.

Vacuuming Tips

Vacuuming cannot wear out your carpet, but soil can. Even with entry mats, eventually dirt and grit can become embedded in your carpet's pile. When that happens, your carpet will become discolored and matted. Up to 80% of the soil in carpet is of the dry particulate type that can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly. Those areas with heavier traffic require that the traffic lanes be vacuumed daily and the entire area twice weekly. Up to three passes of the machine will suffice for light soiling, but five to seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas. Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

Use entry mats

Think of entry mats as a simple way to protect your investment. If you use them, you will track much less dirt and sand onto your new or professionally cleaned carpet. This not only keeps your carpet looking cleaner, it also helps protect the fibers from abrasion and dulling. Keeping dirt away from your carpet is the best way to maintain its appearance and value.

Brushing Crushed-Pile Areas

Rearranging your furniture periodically changes the traffic patterns to distribute wear more evenly.  Heavy furniture crushes carpet pile.  If you do rearrange your tables and sofas, you probably will see deep indentations in the carpet where the furniture legs were resting.  To solve the problem, spray a small amount of water on the affected area and use a pile grooming brush available from your carpet retailer to lift the crushed pile.

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