Steam Cleaners Save Carpets

Steam Cleaners Save Carpets

Using a good steam cleaner on your carpets regularly has several benefits:

1. Your carpets look better.
2. Your carpets last longer.
3. You neutralize or eliminate a lot of dust mites, mold and other allergens.

You can find a lot of steam cleaners on the market, including models from giants like Hoover, Bissell and Oreck. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a quality unit.

Desirable features include:

1. light weight
2. easy to maneuver
3. easy to set up and clean up
4. good results, obviously.

One way to see what kind of results you get are to thoroughly vacuum your carpets and clean out the canister or change bags; use the steam cleaner, noting the color and presence of particulates (sludge) in the dirty water; re-vacuum the rug to see what's left.

A really good cleaning should leave little but a few loose carpet fibers in the vacuum canister.

So how do you get the best results with your new steam cleaner?

> Prep work is important. Start by removing as much furniture as you can. The more open the space, the easier it is to maneuver while cleaning.

> Vacuum thoroughly.

> Cover wooden furniture legs with plastic wrap to keep the cleaning solution from damaging the wood's finish and staining the carpet.

> Follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding steam cleaning solutions. Measure and mix carefully.

> Work slowly and in sections. With many cleaners, you inject steam and cleaning solution with a trigger mounted on the handle. Inject steam on a forward stroke, and suck it (and the dirt) up on a backward stroke. Push, steam; pull, suck.

> Allow carpet to dry before replacing furniture.

Every 12 to 18 months, bring in a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your carpets. Outfits like Yellow Van (www.YellowVan.com) use heavy-duty truck mounted equipment that operates at higher temperatures and pressures than typical home equipment.

Steam cleaners can yield sometimes amazing results. I've seen carpets that I swore needed replacing brought back to life by thoroughly cleaning them.

Keeping your carpets clean and in top notch condition with a steam cleaner will make your home more pleasant to live in and add value when it's time to sell.

[An assortment of sources was used in compiling this article.]

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