Let us talk cleaning the carpet, shall we?
Cleaning once or twice a year is good although regular vacuuming is important. PHOTO/Amazon.
What you need to know:
Woolen carpets give a home a more luxurious feel. They also keep the house warmer than their plastic counterparts. However, they are difficult to maintain.
There was a time when all families, rich or poor had a carpet. The plastic ones; they were accessible, affordable and whoever sold them always had the time to cut them to the size the buyer desired.
Then, as time went on, we were introduced to woollen carpets; sleek and easily appealing. Some of the people that bought these earlier, could not allow children to step on them with dirty feet.
When food or milk stained these carpets, they would carry them out, scrub them and then leave them out to dry. If the washing was thorough, they could take at least two days to fully dry.
But that was then, today, things have since changed. For instance, plastic carpets were driven out of vogue. Today, even those that are not really rich can somehow get their hands on a beautiful woollen carpet.
And since people’s schedules are becoming tighter each day that goes by, time to wash or scrub carpets keeps diminishing.
This means that people only call the cleaner or take it out to be washed when there is indeed a need for the said carpet to be washed.
What are these circumstances?
Children
Children tend to make mistakes, both intended and unintended especially when dealing with food or playing. They may pour juice, or particles of food on the carpet, or even run into the house with dirt especially when it is muddy or messy.
When traffic in the house is high, carpets tend to get messier. That is why professional cleaning may need to be applied at least once a year.
However, on ordinary days, regular cleaning or dirt blowing may come in handy.
Pets
When one has pets, the cleaning intervals may be shorter. Pets especially dogs do not only bring dirt to the house (carpet), but also shed fur, may urinate or have small accidents on the carpet. Cleaning the carpet every three to six months would do the carpet good. Professional cleaning is required at least twice a year to keep the fresh and clean fur of your carpet.
Warranty
Some carpets come with warranty which always comes with instruction on how to handle carpets. Since there are different brands out there, the intervals of deep cleaning may vary.
When it is dirty
This is the most obvious reason to wash carpets. You do not want guests treated to a mess with all the grime showing.
One caution though is when coffee or juice is spilled on the carpet, taking effort to dry them as quick as possible may help in staining the carpet less.
Cleaning the carpet is also something one can do oneself when they get the time.
If you have to do it by yourself, it is important to protect your furniture, carpet padding, and subfloor when cleaning carpets.
You could make the process fun by grabbing a partner to help you remove furniture from the room where the carpet is being cleaned.
However, doing it under the right weather (sunny) will help the carpet smell fresh.
Cost
According to Jimmy Musoke, a professional cleaner, cleaning carpets rangesfrom Shs30, 000 to Shs100, 000 depending on the size.
Along Entebbe Road, carpets cleaning price is on an average of Shs7, 000 per centimetre
In Kamwookya and old Kampala, cleaning carpets depends on the size, type of carpet and distance moved (when the services are being brought to your home. The prices start from Shs50, 000.
Overly wetting the carpet when you are not professionally cleaning it leaves the water soaked to the bottom. This makes the carpet lose colour and may tear up from the carpet floor.
Professional cleaning will not only leave the carpet fresh, clean and smelling fresh but will also extend your carpet life.
Tips
Carpets warm a home by adding colour, pattern, and texture. However, keeping your carpets looking fresh requires a different cleaning method than an area rug or hardwood floors, for example. Frequent vacuuming provides the first line of defense against dirt and grit that damages carpet fibers, but carpets also need regular cleaning to keep them looking their best. Plan to deep clean your carpet every 12 to 18 months (or more often in high-traffic areas). If you have light-colored carpet or children or pets, consider a deep clean two or three times a year.
Refer to the carpet manufacturer’s guidelines before cleaning your carpets.
Before you begin cleaning carpets, the first step is to test its colorfastness. Colourfast carpet will not bleed, fade, or change when you are cleaning it or removing stains. The colourfastness will help you decide the best carpet cleaning method, products, or machines to use.
