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Gutted my house in 1994 and ended up installing all new carpeting. I think at $38 per yard it was a fairly good grade of carpet. The problem is wife wants it cleaned. What is the best method? I have heard of several ways to do it but seems there are a lot of opinions as to which is best and which can damage the carpet. I would appreciate any advice. TIA.
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Talk to jeff buck. He was in that line of work.
*The best crew I ever saw came in and vac'd with a pro machine, got the loose dirt out that the normal home vac couldn't. They then treated any spots and shampooed with a rotary machine. Finished with a rinse and vac, and then laid the carpet knap down with a 24" brush. Very nice. You could then pay for a scotchguard scheme if you wanted.The big thing they said damaged carpet the most was the dirt embedded in the carpet, as it destroys the fibers. They also recomended that you clean the carpets every 6 months, hmm I bet we all do that.What you want to watch out for is to make sure the carpets are not overly soaked and that the cleaning solution is rinsed out.
*OK, Calvin says, Calvin gits! Think of carpet as what it is. A hard working material. The carpet cleaning company I worked for did both steam clean and dry clean. Only did the dry clean to keep the customers that fell for the "dry clean only" propaganda! As I said, hard working material. You gonna dry clean the work jeans? No! Cause you need heat to loosen the sweat and oils, which, as said above, trap the dirt and grime. Trapped dirt and grime, is like little sand paper wearing away each time you step on it. Don't think oil traps dirt, take a jar of vasoline, leave the lid off for 24hrs, and look at the top....full of dirt! So the only way to clean is with heat(steam) and a degreaser. Or, "pre-conditioner" as in the industry. Don't fall for the "any room....$8". Do ya really think they're gonna send a truck across town for $24? They plan on selling the degreaser! So, find a company that includes it with no hidden costs. Should be about $20-40/per room(250sq/ft avg). Some stain-guard carpet requires reapplication of teflon after steaming....steam removes the surface coat.....check factory warrenty....and that can be simply spraying it out of a pressure sprayer. Truck mounts are more powerful vacs than portable....but, portables have less hose....so equal suction. Equal drying. The carpet should be dry enough to walk on after they move to the next room...in clean rubber sole shoes.......damp to the touch....but not wet enough to squish water out....that leads to "crunchy" carpets, soap residue, and possibly mold/mildew.....all the result of faulty equipment, or lazy tech. End grain furniture/metal legs should be protected, pads or aluminum foil wrap, so no color bleeding. And, I was surprised at the amount of people that really do get the every 6 month shampoo! Dry cleaning can be effective if applied every 6 months from new. Carpets a year or two old before the first cleaning need steam cleaning. Any protein based stain, the common ones....coffee,coke,juices,food, are pretty easy. Red stains will not come completely out. I don't care who promises what! And, some stains will reappear 12-24 hrs after removal. Need heavier pre-treatment/degreaser and steamed again. Pet stains/odor need the "extra cost" enzime deodorizer. The live enzimes actually feed on the odor causing bacteria and eat away the smell causing stuff! The stain may or may not go away. Cat urine is more acidic than dog, and old animals have more acid than young. So, a young puppy stain is easier than an old cat! And acid equals bleach, so don't get mad if the carpet guy can't get the bleached carpet to look new! But, bet there's a closet you can steal a piece of carpet from! Any other Q's, just email me. If anyone is in Houston, TX....the king of carpets is Ron at Perfection! Anywhere else.....including my home town....yer on yer own! Unless it's a big job, and I may pick up a used machine! Jeff
*Thanks so much. The competing methods make it very hard for the average person to know which is the best.
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Gutted my house in 1994 and ended up installing all new carpeting. I think at $38 per yard it was a fairly good grade of carpet. The problem is wife wants it cleaned. What is the best method? I have heard of several ways to do it but seems there are a lot of opinions as to which is best and which can damage the carpet. I would appreciate any advice. TIA.