When you consider the most used object or material in your home, what do you think of? Perhaps your most comfortable couch, or your favorite well-used cooking pan? What might not cross your mind is the material in your home that is walked on every day bringing in dirt and possible bacteria, as well as the occasional food and drink spill.
Take a look at your carpet. The surface may appear clean; however, dirt and grime are likely bedded deep into your carpet fibres. Although regular vacuuming helps, most domestic vacuums can’t uplift this dirt and grime from deep within your carpet.
Many people don’t realise the long-term affect this dirt and grime has on carpets, not to mention the health implications it may cause. That’s why we’ve put together this post, where we’ll look at why it’s important that a qualified carpet technician cleans your carpet and upholstery at least once or twice each year.
1. Extend the Life of Your Carpet and Upholstery: Dirt don’t simply rest on top of your carpet; it gets embedded into fabric and fibers. If left
unchecked, this can deteriorate the quality of your carpet and upholstery and leave it looking look rugged to the point where you may want to throw it out. Professional cleaning will uplift this dirt, extending the life of your carpet and furniture. This will, of course, save you money in the long run as you won’t need to replace carpet or furniture before it’s necessary.
2. Battle Bacteria: Since carpets are so easily clogged with dirt and dust, they make an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. If you ever noticed your carpet smelling particularly foul, bacteria build-up may be responsible.
A professional carpet technician will leverage a range of antibacterial products to ensure that your carpet and upholstery is truly hygienically clean, destroying bacteria.
3. Deal with Dust Mites: Dust mites are microscopic, spider-like creatures that like to burrow in the warm fibres of your carpet and feed on skin flakes dropped by the inhabitants of your home, whether human or
animal. With them being microscopic, they can’t be detected by the naked eye.
The main issue with dust mites is that their droppings and body parts can cause allergies in many people. If you’ve ever had an unexplained runny nose or red, itchy eyes, dust mites may have been the culprit. They can also trigger asthma attacks or eczema in those with these conditions.
So, how does one deal with dust mites? These tiny mites are vulnerable to high temperatures so professional hot water or steam cleaning is the best way to get rid of them.
4. Manage Mould: Mould needs three things to grow: air, water and a food source. High humidity levels – which
anyone who lives here in Auckland knows we can have in spades – helps, too.
Mould particles are often found naturally in the air and can blow into your home when doors or windows are open. From there, they can settle on carpet or upholstery surfaces, where dust serves as a food source. Should water leak into carpet or onto upholstery – maybe a simple spill that’s
not cleaned up right away – mould has all the requirements it needs to grow.
Apart from destroying your carpets and upholstery, mould also bring on allergies. If a person is both allergic to mould and has asthma, the presence of mould can trigger asthma attacks. Professional carpet and upholstery technicians will assess and treat mould where possible.
5. Avoid the “Traffic Lane” Effect: Whether we realise it or not, we’re creatures of habit. Habit (or things like placement of
furniture) means we may walk over our carpets in the same spot and way each time, resulting in a dark “trail” of dirt. This is referred to as the “traffic lane” effect.
Professional carpet technicians have access to a range of products and tools that carrying out deep cleans in heavy foot traffic areas, pushing steam/hot water into fibers and extracting dirty water. This means we can get deep into the carpet fibers to uplift heavy embedded dirt in well worn areas.
6. Professional Cleaning Goes Deeper: After reading this, you may be thinking, “Ok, sure, it’s important to clean my carpets. That’s
why I vacuum once a week.” While vacuuming your carpet once a week IS a good idea, it just won’t cut it. The problem is that vacuums only affect the top layer of the carpet, not those dirt and dust clogged, deeper layers where dust mites, bacteria, and mould thrive.
Carpet and upholstery have deep layers that need professional know-how to get it truly
hygienically clean. That’s why we recommend having your carpet and upholstery professionally cleaned at least once or twice a year, depending on how much wear-and-tear they’re exposed to.
You’ll be surprised by how much better the room will look (and smell!) once your carpet or furniture has undergone a professional clean – you may even notice you don’t have as many allergies! Proactivity and regularity are the two key aspects here. To get the benefits, carpets and upholstery need to be cleaned regularly.
If you have any questions or if it’s been more than 6-12 months since your last clean and would like to book an appointment, please get in contact with us today. Already booked a clean? Check out our guide on how to prepare for a professional carpet clean!