Have you decided to take matters into your own hands and establish a tough cleaning schedule for your carpet? Although this is a great idea, just vacuuming your carpet everyday will not bring out all the dust and grime or the bacteria and fungi that have made their home under your carpet.
Again, just bringing in a professional carpet cleaner every few months is also not enough to keep the battalion of contaminants away.
So what is the middle-ground here? Here are some preventive steps to reduce the entry of dust into your home and methods of vacuuming your house.
Tips for preventing dust from entering your home: • Place doormats at strategic entry & exit points, like the front door, back door, terrace, porch, garden, etc.
• Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible.
• Place rugs near beds, couches, etc, where feet rest for longer periods of time.
• Remove outside footwear at the entrance and change into a clean pair of comfortable home slippers.
Vacuuming Methods: • Use a high-powered vacuum cleaner with a good suction and filtration method with fittings that allow you to access those hard-to-reach corners and under heavy furniture.
• Vacuum all heavily trafficked areas with the maximum number of footfalls at least twice a day.
Vacuuming should be done in back and forth strong and slow strokes over the same area at least ten times before moving to the next patch.
• Areas that are hardly walked on are also dust collectors even though at a much lower level.
Vacuum these areas with firm and slow strokes at least four times before moving on.
• Vacuum all rugs and doormats at least once a day.
• Run the vacuum over your curtains at least once a week.
Even if you follow these tips diligently, you still need to get your carpets cleaned professionally on a regular basis.
Think of it as safeguarding your investment and your health instead of thinking of it as an expense.
Most carpet cleaning companies will give you good discounts if you opt for regular maintenance.
Here are some guidelines on how frequently you need to call in professional carpet cleaners.
If your home doesn't have smokers, kids, pets, or a dusty environment, your carpet could do with an annual cleaning.
Otherwise, most homes fall into these three categories: Home with Young Kids and Pets: Once in 2 months in high humidity and extreme cold climate, and once in a month if the outside of the house is very dusty.
Minimum requirement under normal conditions: Every Three Months.
Home with Young Kids: Once in 3 months in extremely humid or cold conditions and once in a month if the exterior is very dusty.
Minimum requirement under normal conditions: Every Six Months.
Home with 2 adult smokers: The frequency increases to once in 4 months if the humidity in your area is high, once in 3 months if you also live in an extremely cold climate, and every 2 months if your environment is also very dusty.
Minimum requirement under normal conditions: Every Four Months.