Fact: Many companies own good hot-water cleaners but a large number of employees don’t know how to use them correctly. The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), like Clean Steam. The carpet cleaner must earn this certification through study, experience and successful completion of formal written examinations.

Fact: This actually happens to a lot of us. We notice that a carpet’s propensity for becoming dirty increases exponentially the moment it gets cleaned. Unfortunately this is not due to cleaning but because of “dirty” cleaning.

If your carpet does not get cleaned properly and remains of cleaning chemicals are left in it, then it is bound to attract more dust and grime than it was doing earlier. Therefore, it is important that the carpet is cleaned properly and remains of chemicals totally removed. If this is done, your carpet will not pick up any more dirt than it was doing earlier. 

In fact, getting a Scotchgard coating will ensure that it remains neat and clean for a long time to come.

Fact: With the steam cleaning method, water does not go beyond the backing of the carpeting or into the pad, which means that there are no conditions for mold to grow. Only in extreme cases where a cleaner leaves the carpet extremely wet can this happen. A professional carpet cleaning company that utilizes the proper cleaning equipment and techniques will remove all excess moisture.

Fact: Outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust and hundreds of other chemicals. When you come into your home, you carry those chemicals in your hair and on your skin, clothing, and shoes. Not surprisingly, they all wind up (you guessed it) in your carpet. 

If you have allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems, one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet. And even if you don’t smoke, chemicals get on your shoes, you track them into your home, and you leave them in your carpet. If you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might find that you’ll breathe easier after you have your carpets cleaned to get those harmful particles out. 

In addition to getting rid of dirt, you can get rid of pollens, fungus, bacteria, chemicals, and the tar and residue from tobacco smoke. 

Fact: Even the most meticulous house keeper may believe that vacuuming the carpet once or twice weekly is a good routine to keep soil under control. However, all carpet manufacturers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend daily vacuuming.

In any indoor environment, outside air is ventilated to the indoors. Outside air contains many air born particles such as dust, pollen, and industrial contaminants. Indoor pollutants include animal hair, dander, dead skin, and dust mites. In calm indoor air, all of these nasty contaminants settle by gravity into the carpet, which is the most effective filter in the house – even more so than a furnace filter.

Daily accumulations can be considerable. The only effective way to deal with them is daily vacuuming. This is the single most important part of carpet care. Not only helping to improve indoor air quality, but removing microscopic dirt particles that damage carpet fibers; adding years to the lifetime of your carpet.

Fact: Many homeowners purchase a home carpet cleaning machine or rent a commercial carpet cleaning machine. Cleaning with these type machines is one of the worst things that can be done to a carpet. These machines put a lot of water into the carpet, but cannot effectively extract it back out. The carpet takes days to dry, leaving it open to mold, mildew, and premature break down of the backing, not to mention a build-up of soap residue left behind that attracts rapid re-soiling and makes carpets look dull and dingy prematurely.

Fact: Although carpets with stain resistance will help with accidental spills, dirt still gets under the fibers. Treat your carpet the same as any other.

Fact: This is one of the most common and costly misconceptions about carpet care. Almost every homeowner is under the false assumption that new carpet doesn’t require cleaning until it looks dirty. Unfortunately, by the time the soil is visible, much damage has already been done to the carpet.

It is the soil you cannot see that causes the most damage; tiny microscopic pieces of dirt and soil that destroy the protective fiber coating and break the fiber down. The fuzz in your vacuum bag or canister is your carpet going out the door, one clump at a time. 

Fact: Some carpets do hide soil more than others, it does not mean there is not soil to be removed. All soil, whether hidden or not, acts as an abrasive. It can result in early wear, loss of fiber protection and even some loss of color.