Four Carpet Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid

As a homeowner with carpeting, you want to be sure that you are taking care of it well enough to ensure that it lasts for many years before needing to be replaced. After all, replacing carpeting can be expensive, and even if you only have to replace it in one room that suffers from the most spills, there is still a chance that you won't be able to find an exact match and will still have to replace the flooring in the entire house. To avoid this, you'll want to clean the carpeting regularly and avoid these four common carpet cleaning mistakes:

1. Letting Spills Set: Letting spills set into the carpet is something that you want to avoid because once the spill has soaked deeper in the carpet, it becomes more difficult to remove. On top of this, spills can begin to eat away at the fibers, causing them to become loose and stringy. Once the stain has set into the padding underneath the flooring, you will have to replace that entire section of the floor. 
2. Not Testing Cleaners: Whenever you purchase cleaners for the carpeting in your home, whether that be spot cleaners, pet deodorizers, and more, you need to test them. The best way to test cleaners is to use any extra samples that you have left over from when you had the carpet installed. If that is not possible, then you will want to test in the back corner of the carpeting in any closets or other hidden space. This will ensure that you aren't using any cleaners that cause discoloration or other issues. 
3. Not Cleaning Properly: When you clean your carpets, never use a steam cleaner or wet vac. The problem with these machines is that the heat they produce often allows stains to set in more. The best way to clean stains in the carpets are to blot out any excess liquid with a paper towel and use a mixture of half white vinegar and water to saturate the stain then continue to blot until stain is removed. 
4. Not Hiring Professionals: Hiring a professional carpet cleaning company at least once a year is ideal because it ensures that the carpets are being thoroughly cleaned and any spills you have missed over the past year are removed. Professionals also have the right equipment that does not soak the carpeting enough to potentially cause mildew and mold, which is often a problem when you try to use carpet cleaning machines on your own.