Are you a fan of Mrs. Hinch and other global cleanfluencers? We are too, but there are certain topics on which we disagree with your favourite internet celebrities. Carpet cleaning is one of them.
Very often you would read articles and posts on social media with tips on how to clean your carpet. Well, we are not going to pretend we haven’t published some as well. But, as professionals, who have seen all sorts of carpet atrocities, we felt it’s time to tell the hard truth.
DIY carpet cleaning is just NOT a good idea.
Here’s why.
Do You Really Know the Fabric?
Each carpet is made of different fibres and those fibres are made of different natural or synthetic materials. Depending on the fibre makeup of your carpet there are various treatment options. You can’t use just any detergent, or soap, or homemade solution on just any carpet. That has the potential to end in a disaster.
Spot Cleaning Causes More Harm than Good
Oops, you spilled something on the floor. No! It’s wine.
Your mind goes blank, you are that close to having a heart attack and then you remember the amazing post you saw the other day by that cool cleaning instagram account. It told you to act immediately and not let the stain dry. So, you grab the carpet cleaning spray you bought a few months ago from the local supermarket and quickly cover the stain with the magic solution.
Stop. Reverse.
We actually need you to go back to the place where your mind was blank. None of the rest would do any good for your carpet.
The best thing you could do in this situation is call the professional cleaners and try to get a slot as soon as possible. In the meantime, the only treatment you should do on the carpet is gently blot the stain with a clean towel. That’s all.
Why is spot cleaning not ok? Many of the carpet cleaner sprays contain bleaching agents. When you apply the product only on the section of the carpet it can cause discoloration, which cannot be fixed even with professional equipment. Not to mention that rigorous scrubbing in one particular area can tear fibres and lead to permanent damage.
If You Don’t See It, It Doesn’t Exist
A lot of people believe that as long as they don’t see dirt on their carpet, it means there isn’t such. Oh, but that’s just not true!
Your carpet needs a professional touch every 6 months at least. Spot cleaning, even if you do it right, would have you thinking your carpet is in good condition without a proper treatment. And that’s a potential health hazard. Imagine the billions of bacterial colonies, germs and allergens trapped in the tiny fibres of your floor covering. Did you know you are inhaling all that every single day? And then you wonder why it is so hard to sleep at night sometimes. Your dirty carpet could very well be the reason.
Don’t fall into the trap of DIY carpet cleaning and trust the professionals. A small investment will save you bigger and sometimes irreversible damages!