Why DIY Carpet Cleaning Becomes Problematic
Getting the right carpet for your indoor space must have involved plenty of research. Finding the right colour preferences, styles and patterns on the unit, to the material itself, picking between the wide range of synthetic and natural fibre options out there – it’s all part of the process. That elegance only lasts if the carpet is well taken care of, and this entails everything from the vacuuming and spot cleaning, to carrying out routine deep cleaning. But just how exactly do you go about doing this? Will you hire a professional or take it on as a DIY challenge? The latter comes with its set of issues, and mistakes made can be costly. It’s no surprise that you will find carpet manufacturers including the need for professional cleaning as one of the terms of their warranty. The DIY carpet cleaning routine has numerous pitfalls, that can easily result in damage to the material. In some cases, you will simply need to redo the cleaning, especially when you end up with unsatisfactory results. In other cases, the very material of the carpet will have been ruined to an extent where the only recourse is purchasing a new carpet – which ramps up the costs.
One of the blunders that are made during DIY cleaning is over scrubbing. When encountering stubborn stains and dirt spots, scrubbing the spot too much can create new problems. First, it pushes the dirt deeper into the carpet fibres. Secondly, the increased abrasion wears down the fibres faster, causing them to weaken and start fraying. In fact, there are cases where the fibres break apart and separate from the carpet padding. This is exacerbated for the delicate carpet materials, which is why it is important to ensure that the right products and processes are being used for the task.
Knowing Your Carpet
There are different types of carpets, ranging from natural to synthetic fibre materials. For instance, the soft and durable nylon typically features a high stain and abrasion resistance, making it one of the most popular for high traffic situations. Proper care can see the carpet lasting for even 15 years. Polypropylene carpets on the other hand have a high stain resistance but are more prone to soiling, with the fibres of the unit holding onto greasy substances that quickly builds up dirt – but the carpet cleaning here is easier since a wider range of formulations can be used for them. The hypoallergenic polyester carpets can be made of materials like recycled plastic bottles, and can hold onto its dyes for longer – but the material flattens under users’ weight, making traffic lanes common.
Wool carpets come with a luxurious feel, and are one of the softest materials. However, being a natural material, it is more prone to mould and mildew damage, since the fungi will feed on the carpet itself. Acrylic carpets in turn are made to provide the look and feel of wool, but at a lower cost. They have a high resistance to mildew, static electricity and staining and fading, but are less durable, making them not ideal for those high traffic zines.
The choice of carpet cleaning product to use matters. Working with harsh agents can easily weaken the sensitive fabrics. There are also situations like with acrylics where using some alkaline chemicals for the carpet cleaning can cause brown stains to develop. DIYers are often limited to using blogs and video tutorials when trying to figure out which products to work with. There needs to be a balance in using a powerful cleaning agent that has the capacity to remove the dirt and grime, while still being gentle on the carpet itself.
How Effective Are Carpet Deodorisers?
One of the shortcuts used when encountering carpet odours is to simply spray the carpet with a deodorizer. However, this does not solve the underlying problem. The deodorizers can work on the smells, but do not remove the matter that is causing them in the first place. When the deodoriser wears off, the organic waste, dander, smoke residue and other kinds of material that are in the carpet will continue emitting the smell – so they need to be got rid of. Note that overusing the deodoriser also results in a build-up of residue within the carpet, causing them to get dirtier. The material can accumulate dirt to a point where routine vacuuming will not be sufficient to get rid of them. You’ll notice that professionals will incorporate odour neutralisers as part of the residential and commercial carpet cleaning. Here, after flushing out the gunk that is responsible for the smell during the cleaning process, the odour neutralisers then kick in to react with the molecules of that musty or pungent stench emanating from the carpet, rendering it inert. This summarily deals with the problem. Opting to have fragranced products being used can have the extra benefit of leaving the premises with a lovely scent.
The Trouble With Rental Carpet Cleaning Machines
Sure, the machinery required for an in-depth carpet cleaning is expensive, so why not just rent it? A common assumption is that DIYers can deliver the same quality of results as the professionals by simply sourcing for the equipment from their local dealership, rolling up their sleeves and handling the task themselves. However, this is far from reality. There are multiple ways that things usually don’t go as planned, including:
- The time and labour factor
First, if there is a queue at the dealership in regards to the kind of equipment available, you will have to wait for the persons currently using it to return it back to the dealership for you to get your hands on it. This is an addition to those hours spent combing through tutorials on how to operate the machinery. Getting it home from the store is another hurdle, given that this kind of equipment is bulky, forcing you to make alternative travel arrangements if it can’t fit in your family vehicle. Hauling around that heavy machinery around the house is also not a walk in the park, especially if you’re handling the entire task by yourself. Your weekends and days off from work should be spent relaxing, not battling for hours with heavy machinery and stubborn grime on the carpet. The carpet cleaning professionals come in to take this load off your back, allowing you to make the most of your time doing something you actually enjoy.
- Risks to the carpet
Going over some blogs and YouTube tutorials on carpet cleaning is not the same as the years of training and experience that professionals have in handling the different types of carpets and their requirements. Mistakes made during the DIY cleaning process can easily damage that carpet. For instance, simply soaking the carpet in too much water or cleaning solution can cause colour bleeding – where the dyes get leached out, all through to delamination, where the carpet separates from its primary backing. It can be tempting to soak the carpet in solution in a bid to flush out the stubborn dirt – but how this is carried out will have an impact on the structural integrity of the carpet. The machinery used also has an impact here. For instance, the rented carpet cleaning equipment typically operates at a lower capacity compared to the industrial-grade machinery that the professionals use. As such, the carpet is left with comparatively more moisture within its material, which prolongs the drying time and exposes it to the risk of water damage and mould growth, while also inconveniencing the people on the premises for longer.
Another common issue faced is residue being left in the carpet. This can be due to not being thorough with the actual cleaning, blunders like overshampooing the carpet, or failing to rinse it properly. Any residue remaining in the freshly cleaned carpet is a magnet for more dirt, which causes the unit to get soiled at a faster rate. You end up having to repeat the carpet cleaning task much sooner than had been anticipated, using up more of your time and resources.
Using harsh cleaners on the other hand causes instant damage to the carpet. This is such as for those cases where one goes for strong solutions in the household – like vinegar, ammonia or lemon-based solutions, in an attempt to get rid of particularly stubborn stains on the carpet. The issue is the compatibility of the carpet material to the solution being used. If the product is too acidic for the material it will corrode it, weakening its structure and reducing the lifespan of the carpet.
- Costs
Is DIY carpet cleaning cheaper than hiring the professionals? Don’t be quick to make the assumption. Cumulatively, the costs pile up, and coupled with the amount of time and resources expended in the process, the DIY approach ends up being the less feasible option. From the costs of renting the cleaning machinery, money that goes into correcting mistakes made during the process – which can range anywhere from repeating the carpet cleaning, making repairs in case there has been damage, to situations where the carpet needs to be replaced in its entirety because of getting excessively ruined during the process. Also note that while the rented carpet cleaning machinery is in your possession, you will be liable for any damages that come to it, adding to the expenses incurred – since risks of mishandling the equipment are also high. All these can be avoided by simply hiring the pros for the task, as they come with the requisite skills and equipment needed to handle the job.
- The results of the cleaning
It can be frustrating when you spend hours to clean the carpet, only for stains to refuse to budge, or dirt and grime to remain in the material. The “crunchy” feeling underfoot as you walk on the carpet caused by dirt that has remained behind can be exasperating. You want the plush and soft feel of the carpet restored, and this can only be achieved with an in-depth cleaning that flushes out all the grime from the fibres. Cases of residue in the carpet where soapy detergents remain within the material are not how you want things playing out. Get in touch with the professional carpet cleaning team to book a session that will get the carpets in your premises looking crisp, feeling soft, and retaining their elegance for longer.
Get Expert Help For Your Carpet Cleaning
We’re here to take care of your carpet cleaning needs. Our clients are our #1 priority, and we pull out all the stops to ensure that your carpet gets quality care. Our personnel have been in the industry for years, providing the services to residential and commercial clients alike. We have made heavy investments in their training, bringing them up to speed with the latest in carpet cleaning methods and systems, that way you can rest assured to get value for your money on each session.
The industrial machinery that we use are core to the operations. Having a diverse clientele gives us a busy diary, where we’re required to deliver quality results quickly. From homes to business premises, government centres to religious institutions, each has their unique requirements. We work with you to set a suitable schedule for the carpet cleaning, one that will cause the least amount of disruptions to your operations. Emergency cleaning outside normal working hours can also be arranged. While carrying out the task, our personnel will be sure to answer any queries that you have about the processes that are being used.
The costs of the residential and commercial carpet cleaning services are tailored to suit your particular situation. Different factors are taken into account. These range from the type and size of the carpet being worked on, how often you want to schedule the routine cleaning services, situations where it is a once-off deep cleaning, all through to cases whether there are particularly troublesome stains that need to be got rid of. We ensure that the right approach is used to deal with your particular carpet, restoring its lost vibrance without putting the carpet itself, or people in the building at risk.