Carpet cleaning is a very common task performed by many people around the world. However, there are some horror stories out there about carpet cleaning. Here are three things you must know about carpet cleaning.
1. Carpets Are Not Your Friend
If you think that carpet cleaning is easy because you see others doing it every day, think again. A lot goes into properly cleaning a carpet. You have to understand what type of carpet you have, where it is located, and the amount of traffic it receives. If you don’t take these factors into consideration, you could end up damaging your carpet and having to replace it.
2. Don’t Use Steam To Clean Carpets
Steam cleaners work well for getting rid of stains like grease, blood, urine, vomit and even coffee. But steam cleaners aren’t good for cleaning carpets. They dry out the fibers, making it harder for the carpet to absorb moisture and keep it clean.
3. Never Use An Electric Shaver On Carpets
Electric shavers are great for cutting hair, but they’re not designed for cleaning carpets. Their bristles can damage the surface of the carpet, causing it to become brittle and break down over time.
Horror story #1 – Candle wax on the carpet
A hot iron will melt the waxy coating on the surface of the carpet, causing it to become sticky. This makes it difficult to clean up and causes the fibers to cling together. If you try to scrape away the melted wax with a knife, the fibers will remain stuck together. You could even burn yourself trying to get rid of the wax.
Nylon carpets are usually coated with flame retardant chemicals. These chemicals can cause allergic reactions in some people, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Horror story #2 – Salt turns carpet into swamp
This is an example of how NOT to clean carpets. Salt is very effective against mold growth, but if too much is added it will cause permanent damage to the carpet fibers. A carpet should NEVER be cleaned with salt or Vinegar. These products can leave residues which attract dirt and bacteria.
Horror story #3 – The rented steam cleaner regret
A woman bought a used steam cleaner online and decided it was too good to pass up. She rented one for $30 per month, and she loved it. But after about six months, her husband noticed some stains on the rug. He asked her what happened, and she told him it was just dirt. So he took out his vacuum and cleaned it. Then he did it again. And again. Finally, he got frustrated and threw the machine away.
But it wasn’t just the stain that bothered him. After vacuuming the rug, he found several small holes where the bristles of the brush had been pulled out of the head of the machine. “I felt really stupid,” he says. “How could I have missed something like that?”
He called the store where he’d purchased the machine and learned that the warranty didn’t apply because the machine hadn’t been properly maintained. “They basically laughed at me,” he says. “They told me that I should have taken better care of my equipment.”
When he went home, he tried to clean the hole himself, but he couldn’t do it without causing even bigger problems. Eventually, he gave up and replaced the entire machine.
This story isn’t unique. In fact, it happens every day. People rent machines and use them improperly, often damaging the item. They don’t know how to maintain them, and they assume that rental companies take care of everything.
In reality, most renters aren’t trained to operate the machines correctly. Renters typically don’t know how to change filters, clean the brushes, or perform routine maintenance.
And many companies don’t offer proper training either. When we looked into the issue, we discovered that many companies simply provide instructions on how to use the machine, but they don’t teach renters anything about how to keep the machine running smoothly over time.