Winter is ROUGH on Carpets

More on Carpet Care – Winter Carpet Hazards!

Winter brings freezing temperatures, and often snow and ice.  The sand and salt used to keep sidewalks and roads safe for use stick to our shoes and are tracked right into the house.  Both sand and salt are abrasive by nature, can scratch and damage hardwood floors and eventually can get trapped in your carpet fibers.  Vacuuming can remove some debris, but any remaining material will work its way deep into the carpet and with normal foot traffic it can actually grind away the carpet fibers at their base.  De-icing salts and chemicals dissolve as they melt ice, and when you walk through that liquid and into the house, it too, will work its way into carpets. If that isn't enough - holiday entertaining and house guests bring their own special problems.  Spilled food and beverages and increased foot traffic create 'mystery' smells and stains - some of which may not be found until well after the party is over!

Steam carpet cleaning (also called water extraction carpet cleaning) uses a combination of tactics to combat stains, dirt, and grime.  Hot water loosens solids (including sand, grime and grit) and dissolves / dilutes stains.  Solvents release the stains from the carpet fibers.  Neutralizers eliminate residues and the high powered suction from the vacuum lifts it all away and removes the majority of moisture from the carpet.  Professional systems are extremely powerful and efficient and produce results that are far superior to the specialty machines that are produced for the mass market or that can be rented from the local hardware store.  These rental systems are not able to heat the water enough to be effective, and their vacuum suction is not powerful enough to remove the soils and all the cleaning solution.  More often than not, rental equipment does nothing more than re-activate stains and without neutralizers, leave sticky residues that 'attract' more dirt.

Most carpet manufacturers require professional carpet cleaning at least once per year in order to maintain a valid warranty on their products.  Honestly, each season of the year has its own legitimate argument for carpet cleaning.  However, post-holiday is different because carpets have often seen increased foot traffic, a greater likelihood of food and wine stains / spills, and have been exposed to sand and salt used to treat icy roads and sidewalks.  Professional steam cleaning is critical under these conditions to extend the life of your carpet (and often to keep your warranty valid).

Rigdon offers steam cleaning for carpets and upholstery.  If you have too many memories of this recent holiday season on your carpets in the form of stains, dirt, and grime, and you are concerned about the salt and other de-icers you may be exposing your carpets to, schedule a cleaning with us!  We have years of experience cleaning carpets and removing stains, and also offer additional services including the application of deodorizers and stain repellants.  Call or email for an appointment!