Want to deep clean your floors? Try these tips and tricks

Deep cleaning anything is a topic we like to focus on at Rosie on the House.

This week we are looking at deep cleaning tips for carpets, area rugs, and tile.

Carpet

You probably vacuum your carpets once or twice a week, and feel pretty good about a clean carpet. Vacuuming, however, is only a surface cleaning. Depending on the depth of the carpet’s knap (the length of the carpet’s fibers), all manner of nasty conditions accumulate in the deeper regions of its fibers. Bacteria, dirt, dust, mites, and pet dander can make carpet a potential threat if you or a family member suffers from asthma. Other negatives include:

• Odors. Ever wonder why a room doesn’t smell right regardless of air fresheners? Odors get trapped in the fibers.
• Wear and tear. Carpet fiber can become stiff with dirt and spills when not regularly removed. This can cause the carpet to wear out sooner than normal.
• Stains. Spot cleaning often doesn’t get the deep stains out.
• Losing color. Fading could be accelerated.

Von Payne of East Valley Floors, Inc., a Rosie on the House Certified Partner, tells us that we should deep clean our carpets, depending on usage, every 12 to 18 months.

There are several different methods of deep cleaning carpets. All of them require a machine designed for that specific method.

• • Shampoo. Different carpet shampoo machines will have alternate mixtures of shampoo cleaner and water ratios. This process works best on tight- or short-knap carpets.
  • Steam. This process involves a pressure wash with a temperature-controlled water delivery system. Steam cleaning works well with deeper-knapped carpets because it cleans deeper than a household vacuum. One downside to steam is the high heat may cause deep stains to harden.
  • Hot water extraction. Often referred to as steam cleaning, hot water extraction, while similar, uses lower temperatures and cleaning solutions that flush carpet fibers more thoroughly.

Cleaning can be done as a DIY or by hiring a professional. We have all seen the carpet cleaning machines in various stores that are available to rent. Any cleaning that involves water or other liquid (shampoo) requires that everyone stay off the cleaned carpet for up to 24 hours so it can dry. Learning how to use the machine is fairly simple. One caution here, the carpet warranties often require periodic deep cleaning. Having the receipts from professional cleanings on hand might give you better standing with the manufacturer should you need to rely on the warranty.

Area rugs

Unlike carpeting, cleaning area rugs can be a more persnickety process because there are so many different manufacturing processes that range from an industrial loom to a handloom. The fibers and dyes used in making area rugs also vary widely. This makes selecting a cleaning process that will not cause damage so important.

• Determine the rug’s manufacturer. Whether a company or an artist, ask them about the best cleaning method.
• If you cannot determine the manufacturer, or if it is a hand-me-down from Grandma, select a cleaning method for the carpet and test a small spot before cleaning the entire rug. Renting a steam or hot water extraction machine to test it out may be onerous, so consider hiring a professional.
• Be careful with shampoos. A small test area is a must to ensure dyes will not be affected.

Tile

Steam cleaning tile is an excellent cleaning method, and is preferred by most professionals. Steam helps to kill bacteria build-up and will go a long way to sanitizing floors, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens.

Grout is typically the first part of the floor to get dirty. Low-pressure steam cleaning is safe for tile and sensitive grout.

A caution though, after you have your tile and grout cleaned, you should reseal the grout after it dries.

If you have rented cleaners and did the cleaning yourself, we would love to hear about your successes and any “oops” you encountered. Your “oops” can be a lesson for others. Write to us at info@rosieonthehouse.com.