Once the new floor is installed in your home or office, the most important thing you can do for it is to learn how to maintain it. Whether it be residential or commercial, carpet is different than pretty much every other type of flooring on the market due to the way it interacts with moisture and water, among other factors.
How to Clean Your Carpet
Moisture Is a No-Go
As you may have guessed, dealing with water and moisture is not one of the strengths of commercial or residential carpeting. With other flooring materials, such as hardwood flooring or laminate flooring, you don’t have to worry about cleaning up a spill right away due to there being less surface area and risk of mold. If given enough time, the moisture will seep into the fabric of the carpet and that will lead to mold issues and other harmful problems. Even if you are being vigilant against water spills, the inherent moisture and humidity of a city like Nashville could wreak havoc on your floors if they’re not maintained. A good rule of thumb is to keep the humidity levels in your home to around 50-60%. This means you need to be careful about what cleaning products you use as well; only use soft soap and warm water, and do your research about chemicals that claim to be specifically for carpets.
Regular Maintenance is a Must
While you probably know that vacuuming is a must for regular carpet care, you might not know that there’s a lot more to it than that. For one thing, it’s not enough to vacuum regularly, but you need to ensure the vacuuming is actually doing its job. This means double-checking to see if dirt, pet dander, and other toxins aren’t getting trapped in the longer fibres of a lot of residential carpeting. If your carpet is short and tough, sweeping before you vacuum is a great way to dislodge some of the trickier items enough so they will be cleaned with the vacuum. This is more of a problem with the carpets you find at home, as commercial carpeting tends to be shorter with less loose threads. However, these carpets are more easily worn overtime.
Be Wary of Everyday Things
Time tends to be the biggest killer of carpets. Even durable carpets can’t keep up with constant foot traffic, heavy furniture dragged across it, or sun damage overtime. Luckily, there are steps you can take to prevent this kind of wear and tear from happening ahead of schedule. Try placing mats under chairs with wheels and rearranging the layout of the room to prevent any one spot from taking all the force. For better sun protection, there are special kinds of shampoos that help prevent damage from harmful UV rays, sort of like sunscreen for your carpet.
Carpeting, both commercial and residential, can be a lot of work, but the maintenance will be well worth it, especially overtime. You will not only enjoy a more pleasant living or office space, but you will save money by keeping your carpet for its full lifespan. If you’re thinking about installing carpets in your home or office, then you need to talk to the professionals here at Ozburn-Hessey today!
