Having a clean, fresh smelling home or office can be achieved with something as simple as having the carpet cleaned occasionally. By keeping the carpet clean, you're also reducing dust, dust mites, and harmful allergens. The air is fresher because the carpet will no longer have a huge amount of built-up dust particles. When dust is built-up in the carpet, it's being released in the air as you walk on it - even if you can't see it. Persons with allergies will benefit tremendously from a professional carpet cleaning.

How to Clean Your Carpet

There are two ways to clean the carpet. One, you can rent a steam cleaner and do it yourself. Two, you can hire a professional carpet cleaning service in the San Diego area. Cleaning the carpet yourself can take many hours, so it might be best to hire a professional carpet cleaner if you have a busy schedule.

If you live in the San Diego, North County area and want to find a reliable carpet cleaning service, here are some important facts you should know.

Not All Carpet Cleaners are Created Equal

Check with the cleaning service to see what type of carpet cleaners they use. There are several ways to clean carpet. One is the dry-chem method in which a cleaning chemical is sprayed onto the carpet, and then removed with a machine. No water is used so the soapy residue remains after the cleaning. The disadvantage of this method is the machine does not rinse with water and it does not clean deep into the carpet - it only cleans the surface.

Another popular method is steam cleaning. There are several types of steam cleaning: portable machine method, truck-mounted unit method, and the Dri-Steam method. With a portable machine, the carpet can stay wet for days after the cleaning. Also, the machine runs off an outlet plug-in in your home.

With the truck-mounted method, a very powerful unit is used and powered by the truck. In this method, cleaning chemicals are washed out of the carpet using soft hot water. The carpet dries much faster than with portable machines, and it doesn't leave a residue behind after the cleaning. This is the preferred method of professional carpet cleaners.

There's also the more recent Dri-Steam method, which also uses a truck-mounted unit, but with a jet-less rotary cleaning tool. With this method the carpet dries faster than any other - in one to three hours!

Be sure to choose a professional carpet cleaning service that understands these methods and chooses to use only the best. Your carpet will be with you for a long while, so handle cleaning it with care.

Maintaining the Carpet after a Cleaning

Be sure the carpet is completely dry before vacuuming or even walking on the carpet if possible. To keep dust particles down, vacuum the carpet often and change the vacuum cleaner bag often as well. Dust can settle in the bag and release particles into the air as you are vacuuming - defeating the whole purpose of cleaning your carpet!

To keep allergens to a minimum, spray allergen removal chemicals on the carpet and upholstery occasionally. Leave them for a day or two, and then vacuum the carpet. Also, cover heavy traffic areas with rugs to protect the carpet.

While vacuuming the carpet, don't forget to vacuum the furniture and around the windowsills and room corners. Dust and cobwebs accumulate in these areas also.

Choosing a Carpet Cleaner in San Diego

Finding a carpet cleaning service is easier once you understand the types of carpet cleaning available. Wherever you live - San Diego, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Marcos, La Jolla, Vista, Oceanside, Escondido - there are reliable carpet cleaning services who offer the type of cleanings mentioned above.

Give your carpet a great cleaning and enjoy the fresh, clean air once again!