How to Care for your Carpets and Save Thousands of Dollars in Premature Replacement Costs Part 3
 
New customers here is State College, Pennsylvania, after seeing how wonderful their carpets look after a professional cleaning, often ask me how they should be caring for their carpets to keep them looking nice.  In part 1 of this article, I covered the importance of frequent vacuuming and in part 2 I discussed cleaning and protecting your carpets.  Here in part 3, I discuss other steps you can take to keep your carpets looking beautiful for years to come. 
 
1.  Use mats and runners to help prevent tracking in dirt and oils from outside.  Place “dirt catcher” mats, such as those with stiff fibers or artificial grass, outside each entrance to your home.  These mats are designed to scrape particulate soils from the bottom of your shoes.  Place “moisture absorbing” mats inside each entrance to wipe moisture, grease and oils from your shoes.  Encourage all family members to wipe their feet on both indoor and outdoor mats when entering the house. 
 
2. Keep walkways, driveways and garages free of debris by sweeping as needed. Have us professionally clean your garage floor to keep the grease and oil form being tracked in. When you have your asphalt driveway resealed, remove your shoes when entering the house for at least 30 days! 
 
3.  Consider not wearing outside shoes inside of your home.  I am finding more and more of my customers following this practice with great results.  But keep your socks on!  Oils present on the skin will stick to carpet fibers and attract dirt and grime.  Olefin and polyester carpets fibers are “oil-loving” and will actually absorb bodily oils from people and pets.  Note: Health care workers should never wear their work shoes in their homes as this could contaminate their carpets with harmful germs and bacteria.
 
4.  Have us professionally re-stretch your carpet at the first sign of wrinkles, ripples or buckles, and have seams repaired at the first sign of damage.  I am finding many carpets in need of re-stretching after just a few years of use due to improper installation.  Improperly stretched carpets will last a fraction of their intended life.
 
5.  If space permits, change the room’s furniture layout often, say once a year.  This will help avoid wearing the carpeting down in the same spots, and create new foot traffic patterns so your whole carpet will last longer, not just one area.
 
6.  Move heavy furniture such as sofas and china cabinets over just a couple of inches now and then to prevent permanent crushing of carpet fibers under the furniture legs.  This is especially important if your carpet is made from olefin or polyester, which is must less resilient than nylon.
 
7.  In carpet areas that get a lot of direct sun exposure, keep your drapes or curtains closed when the family is away at work or school, and perhaps a few hours each day when the sun is shining directly onto the carpet when family members are home. This will prevent color fading. 
 
 
I hope you have found this information helpful.  My goal is to help you keep your expensive carpeting looking beautiful for many years while saving you money. Even more important than the appearance of your carpeting is the health of your family.  Yearly professional cleaning of your carpets removes deeply embedded allergens, germs, and pollutants that have built up over time.  At Blue Diamond, We Clean for Health first, and then appearance!  Please call me at 814-861-4188 if I can be of service.

As expensive as carpeting is, doing something to "ruin" your carpet can leave you feeling pretty low. All it takes is one mishap and your beautiful carpet has a "permanent" stain right in the middle where everyone can see.  In my time in this industry, I have seen seen clients dealing with such a problem by covering the stain with an area rug or rearranging their furniture to hide the eyesore from guests.

A client of mine in State College, Pa recently had this happen to her. A can of spray pain leaked and created a large black stain right in the middle of her beige berber carpet in her family room. Try as she might, she was unable to clean it out.

This is where Blue Diamond comes in, being certified in carpet repair and re installation, we were able to cut out the stained area and replace it with bonded insert. Replacing the stained section of carpet with a piece left over from installation, it now looks as if the paint stain never happened.

From paint stains to bleach spots, burn marks or other permanent blemishes, we can make your carpet eyesore look like it never even happened. Contact Us today for more information!

New customers here is State College, Pennsylvania, after seeing how wonderful their carpets look after a professional cleaning, often ask me how they should be caring for their carpets to keep them looking nice.  In part 1 of this article, I covered the importance of frequent vacuuming.  Here in part 2, I cover spill clean-up and carpet cleaning.
 
 
1. Clean up spills immediately or as soon as possible.  Most spills will not permanently stain your carpet if cleaned immediately with plain water.  Blot up the spilled substance onto clean white cotton or paper towels.  Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist the area of the spill and again blot into a towel.  Repeat this procedure until there is no more transfer of the spilled material into the towels.  Now apply a neutral spotting solution such as Home Pro by Design Spot and Stain Remover.  Let dwell for a minute or two, and then blot again checking for additional transfer of the spilled substance.  Repeat if necessary. 
 
If the spill has already dried, apply a neutral spotting solution and blot into a clean white or paper towel.  Repeat until there is no more transfer of the spilled material.
 
NEVER rub your carpets with a towel or brush.  This could cause permanent damage to the texture and appearance of the carpet fibers.  Blot Only!
 
Many consumer spot and stain removers you can purchase at your local discount or grocery store are too harsh and can actually remove color from your carpets.  These include the popular Resolve and Oxy-Clean products.  I do not recommend you use these products.
 
Stain resistant carpets under warranty
If your stain resistant carpet is still under warranty, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for removing spots and spills.  Failure to do so could void your warranty.
 
Shaw Floors has a carpet spotting guide on their website that lists safe procedures to follow for particular stains.

Please DO NOT follow the stain removal advice found in on-line blog articles or videos written or produced by self-proclaimed “experts”.  Most of it is bad advice and could permanently set the stain you are trying to remove or damage your carpet in other ways.  Only follow spotting procedures written by a carpet cleaning professional, an IICRC Certified Master Textile Cleaner, or the manufacturer. 
 
2.  Have your carpets professionally cleaned by an IICRC Certified Firm every twelve to eighteen months per the manufacturer’s instructions and requirements. Most people wait until their carpets look dirty before they have them cleaned, but carpets are made to hide dirt, and by the time they “look dirty” permanent damage might have occurred.   Yearly professional cleaning prolongs carpet life and saves significant amounts of money in the long term.  Professionally cleaned carpets also promote a healthier indoor environment.
 
3.  Have Scotchgard type Carpet Protector reapplied after each cleaning.  Carpet protector not only helps prevent permanent staining, but lowers the surface tension of carpet fibers, so your carpet actually resists soiling and stays clean longer.  Yearly reapplication is recommended because carpet protector wears off over time.  Blue Diamond backs up their Carpet Protector with a Free 12-month spot and stain warranty.