Take a look around your home at your carpets and windows. Have the backyard activities of summer led to dirty indoor carpets? Are your windows cloudy with the dust and rain of the monsoons?
The good news is, the monsoons are waning, and it will soon be time to clean house for the next set of fall activities. Clean windows and carpets are a great way to prepare for gatherings like football games, kid’s birthday parties, and holidays.
Carpet Care:
Take Care of Your Carpet
The first step in caring for your carpet is to vacuum it regularly and clean up spills as quickly as possible. Carpet can be a harbor for dirt, food, pet accidents and germs. Check the warranty and care instructions for your carpets. Generally, vacuuming a couple of times a week in heavy-traffic areas is suggested. Deep steam cleaning every 12-18 months is recommended and often required to be covered by the warranty- be sure to keep your receipts! Cleaning and vacuuming more often than every 12 months might be called for in homes with lots of traffic.
Steam Cleaning 101
Steam cleaning is the best way to clean a carpet. There can be challenges to this process as people don’t want to be exposed to chemicals used in the cleaning process and the carpet should not be walked on while it is wet.
Chad Steger, owner of Clearco Window & Carpet Cleaning, tells us that the key to efficient carpet cleaning that uses less chemicals is to use purified water. Purified water is achieved through deionization or distillation to remove impurities, minerals and contaminants.
Purified water requires less cleaning product to get the carpet clean because of the natural properties of H20. By removing all the total dissolved solids in the water, it will attract more of the dirt and product used, making it very easy to extract and leave your carpets residue free.
The Process
Chad says the best practices of carpet cleaning should also include:
- A counter-rotating brush -should be applied to the carpet to agitate the carpet fibers and loosen the dirty stuff.
- Heat and pressure -are essential for the system to break up unwanted foreign debris.
- Powerful suction -extracts the solution and ensures no debris is left behind and allows for faster drying times.
- A high-pressure rotary tool -helps to deep clean high-traffic areas.
Don’t forget to include walk-off mats and area rugs in the cleaning.
Prepping carpet for cleaning
- Start with a thorough vacuuming to remove loose dirt and debris from the fibers. Take extra time vacuuming the high-traffic areas.
- Make a plan to move furniture. If you want a thorough cleaning, locate the couches and beds in another area. Ask your cleaning company if they move furniture or if you need to move it before they arrive.
- After cleaning, the carpets need between three to six hours to dry. Find a time that would work for the family to be off the carpet for that amount of time. Run ceiling fans to help speed up the process.
Clean Windows
Bringing the sunshine in with clean windows is a great way to improve your quality of living. Chad says there are additional benefits to regular cleaning of windows and window screens:
- Clean windows protect the seals around the window from the build-up of dirt and dust, which can dry them out, causing them to crack and rendering dual pane windows effectively useless.
- Window frames benefit from regular cleaning, which makes them look better and last longer.
- Cleaning your window screens is important, too. They are filters for air coming into your home. Chad recommends screens get cleaned quarterly. Cleaning may be required more or less often, depending on the weather in your area and how often you open your windows.
The Cleaning Process
- Pure water is essential for clean windows. Again, less chemicals are required and without hard water minerals, windows are left without streaks or spots.
- Chad explains that first story windows are cleaned in the traditional bucket and squeegee method. Second and third story windows are cleaned with brushes on poles. The brushes are fed pressurized cleaning solution, agitate and extract the dirt leaving the windows to dry spot free.
- Drying is spotless because the purified water leaves no residue.
Fall is a good time of year to clean and spruce up these areas of our home. As we transition from season to season, the timing seems right.
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CONTENT PARTNER | Clearco
Clearco Window & Carpet Cleaning technicians are trained in professional techniques and use state-of-the-art equipment and tools to get your windows and solar panels looking their best. Their van mounted window and carpet cleaning system uses ultra-pure water for a cleaning process that uses less chemicals. They also clean upholstery, tile, grout and solar panels.
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