January 2005

Q: I would like my carpets cleaned, but I am afraid that the middle of winter is a really poor time to do it. What is the best time to clean my carpets?

A: The best time to clean your carpets is regularly. I know it sounds circular. But there is not really a bad time to have your carpets cared for. This is especially true if you have just had a house full of company and food and drink has been dropped.

If you are thinking of cleaning a professional office or a business location, winter is one of the hardest seasons on floor coverings and you must arrange for care before soil damages carpet fibre. Annual cleaning of a high traffic location is
not adequate to ensure you get a full service life from your flooring investment. Many managers will book carpet care every 2 or 3 months. Consult an IICRC professional who is certified in "Commercial Carpet Maintenance" to see what
steps are appropriate for your situation. Many are surprised to find that a regular schedule of carpet care is more economical than booking restorative cleaning after a carpet has "uglied out".

Winter does pose some challenges for carpet cleaners. If the temperature is below 20 degress Celcius, hoses can freeze easily. However, for a homeowner, lower temperatures mean much lower humidity inside and outside the home. This
translates into faster than average drying times. For "steam cleaning", heat loss from an open door can be minimized by the use of special baffles.

A truly professional cleaner will offer several methods of carpet cleaning. For your home, an alternative to "steam cleaning" may be applicable. In that case, there may be no need to have hoses coming through your door. Some of these can be very effective for interim cleaning between annual spring or fall cleanings. Ask your carpet cleaner for options before booking an appointment. The elite of the cleaning industry take great pride in offering not just the 5 industry recognized methods of carpet care, but even variations on these.

Should you decide that your carpets are okay until warmer weather, don't forget to deal with food spills, pet stains and so on in a timely manner. Floor coverings are a serious investment of time and money. Procrastination with respect to cleaning issues is a leading cause of premature replacement. Preventative care and maintenance is just common sense.

If you would like more information, please feel welcome to call Les Graham - Graham's Carpet Cleaning (403) 952-0318 IICRC certified
Master Textile Cleaner / Master Restoration Tech