At ServiceMaster of Burlington not only do we handle Disaster Restoration but we also do residential cleaning, and that includes carpet cleaning. With the holiday season right around the corner, entertaining will increase and so will the likelihood of spills. Since carpeting, whether wall to wall or area rugs represents a large investment in your home and you want to keep that investment looking good for as long as possible, here are some tips for prolonging the life of your carpet.
- Act quickly: Clean up spills as soon as possible to ensure complete removal. If you can react to the spill within a few hours of it happening you stand a far greater chance of removing it completely. If the spill involves food you may be dealing with a stain involving grease or oil and since they can cause smells and nasty yellow spots, dealing with them quickly crucial to complete removal.
- Blot, don't rub: Spills are messy and they have a tendency to spread if rubbed so blotting the affected area with a clean, preferably white, soft cloth is the first thing you should do. Next apply some carpet cleaning solution and wait 10 minutes or as directed on the bottle and use another clean cloth to blow the area again. Repeat this process until the spot has faded. The spill will transfer to the cloth and will be removed from the carpet.
- Don't forget to rinse: After you have removed spot, rinse the area well to ensure all remaining cleaning solution residue has been removed as a buildup can be damaging to your carpet.
- Baking Soda for Odours: Even if you have been successful in removing the spot, an odour may remain. Sprinkling some baking soda on the carpet and then vacuuming will remove the odour. This can be done on a monthly basis to freshen carpet.
This process can be used on upholstery as well, as spills and stains are common problems for sofas and chairs as well.When the stain is persistent, you may need to repeat the above steps.