Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Carpet & Rug Institute. All opinions are 100% my own.
I’ve been getting all sorts of questions lately about carpet and specifically cleaning carpeting. But I am no carpet expert. I pretend to be. It’s a fantasy of mine…..to be an expert in…well…anything….but sadly I am not except if you count my self-proclaimed “expert googler”.
We do love carpet though. We have carpet in our bedrooms upstairs….it’s the perfect wrestling spot, the cuddle area for kids and books, the place where we feel most relaxed and I credit carpeting with adding warmth and comfort to our home. And this fall I wanted to make sure our carpets and rugs were clean for the upcoming holidays!
I’ve recommended my favorite rug and carpet cleaner but I never really thought about the ins and outs of carpet cleaning. I don’t know all the answers to in depth questions. So that is why I decided to go to the professionals! I did some searching and apparently the people that know every fine fibered detail about carpet is The Carpet & Rug Institute and they gave me really great info! They have tons of info on their site and you can enter for a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.
First – I wanted to tell you that I learned a lot of info….and all that info led me to the informed decision that carpet is a good thing for our homes. I know some people believe the false claim that carpet contributes to allergies….but I actually learned that it’s the lack of cleaning carpets that contributes to people having allergy issues.
According to data, carpet can actually improve air quality and can support healthier spaces for living, working and living. We just have to CLEAN them regularly. I felt so compelled that maybe I wasn’t cleaning mine enough that we brought in the Atlanta Flooring Carpet Cleaning Pros. They did an incredible job of treating stains, cleaning our carpets and bringing them back to life!
Of course I still want to spot treat and do some of my polypropelene rugs in between regular cleanings but to know that a trained pro was coming in to clean the rugs that my kids roll around on and revive the spaces where we spend 8 hours every night….that’s such a relief.
So here are some of my best tips when it comes to getting your carpets cleaned….
TIP #1 – KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT CLEANED
After talking to the carpet cleaning pros, I realized that I never really knew how carpet cleaning worked. I thought it would be an overwhelming task where I had to move EVERYTHING and the fact that it seemed so daunting kept me from scheduling my own cleaning. I found out that a reputable company can move furniture for you, can clean rugs, can put everything back and you can even get away with not vacuuming before hand!
TIP #2 – HIRE SOMEONE CERTIFIED BY THE CARPET & RUG INSTITUTE
Some cleaners are pros and some are just people that do it for a living. There is a difference. Carpets should be cleaned with the proper equipment in a proper way. The CRI-Approved vacuums effectively remove dust and allergens from the carpet and keep them out of the air we breathe.
I know as a homeowner, we are probably more concerned about the stains or the marks that make the carpet look dirty but we should be equally concerned that the carpets are actually CLEAN so that we can make them benefit our health in the long run.
TIP #3 – KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE CLEANING
This one is brain surgery – just know what you have. If you don’t, a carpet pro can help you identify it and if you are in the market for some, there are some helpful ways to shop. If you are picking out carpet, know that having a type that has CRI’s Green Label Plus Program approval means a lot in terms of health. The carpet, adhesive, and cushion products with this Green Label meet or exceed government indoor air quality regulations and are the lowest VOC emitting products on the market. This also means that when your carpet is kept dry and clean, mold and mildew just simply can not grow.
TIP #4 – IDENTIFY TROUBLE AREAS
Trouble areas are spots that have been stained but also areas where they were exposed to moisture, pet or kid accidents and food. A certified carpet specialist will want to know exactly what is in each spot because the treatment can vary.
TIP #5 – RUGS ARE A GO
Rugs and carpets are all different and we had a variety of areas for cleaning. For some rooms, we pulled the rugs away and had the carpet cleaned, for some we wanted the rug cleaned instead! Make sure you communicate exactly what you want!
The silk blend rug in Ella’s room had a few spots on it already so I definitely wanted it cleaned. The carpet cleaning wand left track marks on the rug that worried me at first but the pro assured me that he had just the tool. He brought out a rake looking tool that laid the fibers down just right and now it looks brand new again.
TIP #6 – SCHEDULE FOR A FULL DAY OF DRY TIME
For us, scheduling is everything! We must stay on top of things and we wanted the most out of our carpet cleaning – which means that the rooms must have a few hours to dry without people walking, kids wrestling or dogs rolling around on it.
We planned for a morning cleaning and by bed time the kids were able to be back to their regularly scheduled wrestling 🙂 And I was very pleased with the service we received. We have had other non-certified cleaners out before and they have treated this particular spot in the kids room….
But this is the first time that it’s basically disappeared. I am certain that with the correct cleaner and cleaning schedule, the carpets will continue to last us another ten years!
I am so happy with the choice we made so many years ago to have carpet in our home (to keep noise levels down, to add plushness to our house, have a soft spot to land when kids are playing, etc.) and I hope that you guys can get some valuable information for carpets in your own home.
