To many homeowners, carpets and rugs are interchangeable in terms of their usage. That may be true, but whereas rugs can be transported from room to room or used in different areas of your house, carpet is installed wall to wall that only be removed and replaced – not taken from one room to another.
Both, however, should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months. And, yes, each one requires a distinct professional cleaning process – particularly regarding awkward stains like odors, pet accidents, and food or beverage spills. The question is now, what is the difference between rug cleaning and carpet cleaning?
What to Know About Rug Cleaning
To extend the life of your rug and bring out its natural beauty and bright colors, our expert carpet cleaning technicians take rug cleaning to a whole new level by employing a multi-step process to inspect, clean, restore and repair your carpets and rugs to a gorgeous condition.
To maintain your rugs:
- Use rug pads to keep rugs firmly and safely in place. While unobtrusive, rug pads are important, and a good product will protect and preserve as well as extend the lifespan of your rug.
- Rotate your rugs. This ensures even wear and prevents fading in rooms exposed to sunlight.
- Blot spills as soon as they happen. In case of a pet accident, or accidental food or beverage spill, simply remove any waste or liquid and blot the spill. Next, have your rug professionally cleaned as soon as possible to avoid permanent odors and staining. We recommend that you don’t wet your rug or use cleaning solutions to clean your rugs because of potential damage to delicate fibers.
- Be careful if you clean your rugs yourself. Vacuuming, of course, is a no-brainer and can be done as often as you believe necessary, but cleaning of more serious spills or stains could require an oriental rug cleaning service.
Some key points to remember about rugs:
- They’re generally more sensitive than carpets and you should take care to not damage them.
- Some rugs may experience dye bleeding.
- Rugs sometimes get stained right to the edge, which doesn’t happen with installed, wall to wall carpet.
Cleaning high-end area rugs, like Persian or Oriental rugs, may require hand-washing or dedicated machines where technicians take specific precautions to ensure that your rugs maintain their shape, fiber quality, and color vibrancy. A company like ours which offers Persian rug cleaning will schedule an appointment, pick up your rug, then take it to our facility for cleaning – and keep you informed every step of the way.
The Ins and Outs of Carpet Cleaning
Wall to wall carpet installed throughout your home can be cleaned in a similar fashion as area rugs. Food or beverage spills should be removed, and the dirtied area blotted with a clean cloth; the same goes with pet stains, on which you could also use a spray-on store-bought cleaner and then blot the affected area. Carpets can also be vacuumed regularly.
But for more complete cleaning, carpets may be cleaned by using steam cleaning machinery or hot water extraction methods to get rid of dirt, allergens, and grime from your carpets.
To clean your carpets:
Vacuum away dirt, dust, and other debris.
To begin restoration, we recommend beginning with a clean foundation. Remove furniture or move it out of the way if possible, and then vacuum the carpet. Vacuum consistently and in opposite directions to get carpet fibers to stand upright. Pay close attention to carpeting at the edges, near walls, or around corners and try to capture all loose debris, dirt, dust, and hair.
Remove deep-set stains.
We’re often asked how to remove old stains from carpet. The best step you can take is to pre-treat the affected area before cleaning. A helping hand before deep cleaning goes a long way towards removing stains. A store-bought oxygen stain remover is a good choice, but call us for recommendations and any questions you might have.
Remove furniture dents.
Removing furniture dents from carpet isn’t as hard as you might think, especially if you follow recommendations from carpet manufacturers, such as: Use the edge of a coin or a fork to softly stroke the dented area and straighten the tufts of carpet; Place a steam iron several inches above the carpet and steam the depressed area gently, then brush with your fingertips (don’t let the iron touch the carpet, as burn marks are very difficult to repair); When the carpet is wet, use your fingertips to gently brush the dent from the carpet.
What’s That Smell?
Whether you clean rugs and carpeting yourself, you may notice noxious odors afterward. This could be caused by food, beverage, or pet stains that are deep-set, or from carpeting which accumulated mold by excess water when using a rental carpet cleaning machine. You may also notice odors from tobacco. The best solution in all of these scenarios is to use a rug cleaning service with trained professionals who use only the best equipment available.
As we’ve already deduced, odors are derived from food and beverage spills or pet stains. The best way to minimize these problems is to watch your pets for signs they need to relieve themselves, and let them outside as soon as possible; and either eat in a specific dining area, or just be careful with food and beverages.
Choose a Rug Cleaning Service You Can Trust
If you need your Persian rug or Oriental rug cleaned, or carpet throughout your home refreshed, call Steve’s Carpet Care & Restoration at 303-530-4900 for more information. We’ve proudly served customers in Westminster, Boulder, and other Denver-area communities for more than 40 years and will be happy to help you if possible.