Any home owner understands that carpet stains are inevitable and the use of a good carpet steam cleaning service will eventually be necessary. Pet owners understand that sometimes their pets get overeager and they drag mud and dirt into the household. Parents also know that children are messy and food stains and other accidents are bound to happen. While most stains can be removed with club soda and a good towel, in more severe cases professional help may have to be acquired. In order to make a more informed decision, people should become familiar with what a steam cleaning service does.

Preparation

The first thing that any reputable carpet steam cleaning service will do is to precondition a client’s carpet. If a home owner has predominantly synthetic carpets then an alkaline solution will be utilized. For more organic materials such as wool a carpet cleaner may elect to use an acidic agent. After a solution is added to a carpet, the carpet itself will be thoroughly brushed and scrubbed by a machine. After this process has been completed, the carpet steam cleaning service will leave the rug alone so that the acidic agents can rest. An automated wand will then be used to extract all of the preconditioning agents from the material.

Cleaning

A detergent is then placed over the carpet and it is left to dry. This process usually takes over 24 hours to complete so it is important for a home’s inhabitants to arrange for accommodations. A carpet steam cleaning service may also place a preventative solution on a carpet to prevent further stains from occurring. After the various solutions have dried, a water pressure extraction will begin that will thoroughly clean the rug. The solution will work with the water pressure to remove all stains and soiled messes.

Drying

Because the carpet has been thoroughly soaked by the cleaning process, it may take a few days for it to dry. A carpet steam cleaning service may use fans or heaters in order to speed up the drying process. The final stage involves one of the employees doing a thorough and detailed inspection. Once the inspection has been completed a home owner should be greeted by a clean and spotless rug.

Getting one’s carpet cleaned is important for any home owner. Unsightly stains can reduce the value and integrity of a home. A carpet steam cleaning service can thoroughly remove all stains and restore a carpet to its former glory.

The Speed Cleaning Routine

Pick up towels and clothes if necessary. Do the mirror. Do the vanity and sink, wipe down the toilet quickly with a micro fibre cloth (that you’re using only for the toilet – I use a red one so I always know). If necessary, pour a tee tree oil and vinegar mixture into the bowl and let sit (to achieve a really fresh smell) for 90 minutes and finally, swifter the floor quickly. That daily routine takes five minutes or less and your bathroom will always smell fresh, look clean and be clean.

The Living Room/Family Room
Some homes have both a living room (a more formal room) and a family room (where most of the communal living is done. Many homes just have one main communal room were people hang if they aren’t in their rooms, where the TV is etc.

If you have a formal living room that s not used day to day, it most likely doesn’t require a daily cleaning routine and probably won’t take much time to shine up when you do go in there. Dust once every two weeks, wipe down the furniture with the oil water mixture we’ve already talked about and vacuum both furniture and floors. The windows probably don’t need to be done more than once every few months.

For the family room though, daily cleaning will be necessary – but not long!

Usually the biggest issue in the family room is everyone’s stuff all over the place. There is no magic bullet to controlling this – you need to teach people not to leave things around. We talk about clutter control in another chapter but really, this is the biggest challenge. Overcome that and you won’t have much of an issue.

The full cleaning routine for this room includes “culling” all the clutter that remains after I’ve told everyone to put things away. This is something everyone seems to have a hard time with. No problem training them to put dishes away, scrape plates etc but when it comes time to getting them to consistently put homework in there rooms, stop leaving mail and flyers all over the place, articles of clothing on backs of chairs etc etc it’s as if there’s some kind of block!

The only way I made any progress was by throwing things out! I’m not unreasonable, and you shouldn’t be too. But if people continue to leave things around despite nagging, just because they’re too lazy to put things were they belong, it isn’t unreasonable to enforce a standard. You’re the one who ends up doing most of the cleaning – including cleaning up after the people you live with. Give them some ownership – chuck their stuff and see if they’re so quick to leave things around when they know they shouldn’t!

The culling process is something I normally do monthly. Usually it means magazines, mail, that sort of thing. But if there is something that keeps getting left out when it shouldn’t – I get rid of it.

The next thing to do is dust. Again, start from the top and dust everything down onto the floor (where you’ll get it with the vacuum). Wipe down any furniture with the water/oil mixture and then vacuum the furniture and floor. If you have carpet, sprinkle some baking powder and let sit for at least 30 minutes before hand to keep it fresh.

Speed Cleaning the Family Room
After the kitchen and bathrooms, the family room is probably the next most important room for some kind of daily cleaning. But only a daily speed cleaning. So, ensure things are put away, wipe down the furniture that is used (coffee table, side tables) with a damp microfiber cloth and every second day quickly sweep or vacuum the floor (or daily if the dirt is obvious).

I’ve also used essential oils for a clean and warm smell. Little trick: a drop of your favourite essential oil on a light bulb in your living room – the heat from the bulb gives off a lovely aroma. Do this as necessary. Total time for daily cleaning? Five minutes if you have to vacuum and about three minutes if you don’t.

The Main Landing
The Main Landing or main entrance in your home isn’t really a room by itself. But it’s important to keep to a high standard of cleanliness because it gets dirty with all the traffic coming in and out and it’s also the first impression anyone will get if you invite them in. And first impressions, whether fair or not, count.

Luckily, it only takes a minute to make sure this area is clean.

Put things away (coats go in a closet, boots go on a boot pad or in a closet). And then sweep or vacuum the floor. If your door has a window, make sure that’s clean (water and a microfiber cloth will be enough because you’re doing it regularly and dirt won’t accumulate). Most landings have a hard floor of some kind – which is much easier to clean. A quick pass with the swift jet and it’s not only clean, but smells clean and fresh. If you have carpet, make sure you get this part for sure.

Total daily time – literally one to two minutes.

Children’s Bedrooms
Don’t you always dread cleaning up after your children in their room? No matter how often you clean it, it always seems like a tornado permanently resides there, just waiting to scatter things everywhere once again.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, the festivities, shopping, decorations, magic, songs, and everything else that creates a real Christmas spirit, can do wonders for your mood. People start smiling, whistling, and singing: “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight walking in a winter wonderland.”

Unfortunately, it can be tiring and stressful time too, and the thought of preparing the home can really take the fun out of a magical time of year. If you would prefer to enjoy your holidays this year, than worry about the state of your carpets when guests visit, why not contact a professional carpet cleaner?

Cleaning your home is tiresome enough before you even consider the carpets. Throughout the year your carpets are subject to the cold and snowy winters, the wet springtime, the hot and sticky summer, and the sludge of autumn, so it is no surprise that by November they need a thorough cleaning.

Steam carpet cleaning removes the dirt, allergens, and other particles trapped between the carpet fibres and restores carpets – heavy traffic can cause carpets to look tired and worn before their time. Replacing carpets every time they start wearing down can cost a lot of money, by investing in carpet cleaning you can extend the lifespan of the carpet, saving you money in the long run. It is important that homeowners seek thorough steam carpet cleaning on a regular basis, the IIRC recommends around every 12 months for the typical homeowner.

Most people like their home to be clean and tidy in time for Christmas, as it gives them chance to relax and enjoy the holiday season. Hiring a professional carpet cleaning company is the best way to do this as they can provide you with high quality steam cleaning at affordable prices. Many carpet cleaners also provide other steam cleaning services such as upholstery, sofa, curtain, and rug cleaning.

Don’t stress out this holiday season – hire a professional cleaning company to take the hassle away. Clean and revitalised carpets can really make your home look clean and fresh in time to put up the Christmas tree.

You may find that some carpet cleaning companies offer discounts if you take out more than one steam cleaning service or they may have Christmas specials. Ensure that you fully research any carpet cleaning company before hiring their services, and check that they have received good feedback from previous clients. When you do contact the company, ask them whether the quote provided is fully inclusive and will not be subject to additional surcharges.