Keeping carpets clean sounds like an easy task, but it’s not until talking to a professional like Tray Streety that people learn the intricacy of the job. Streety, the owner of Tray’s Carpet Cleaning of Paris, offered his insights into the job and his guidance for those simply looking to regularly keep their carpets clean.
Most people get their carpets professionally cleaned if they are buying or selling a home, Streety said, though he recommends people clean their carpets at least once a year. He walked through the process he follows.
“When I come in, we vacuum really good in both directions — north, south; east, west — and we put a pre-treatment on and let it dwell for about 10 to 20 minutes, and we just do our hot water extraction method. And from there, depending on humidity outside, it’s a four to five hour dry time,” Streety said.
For those looking for at-home maintenance tips, vacuum thoroughly at least once or twice a week. Carpet owners should also keep a spotter on hand to help fix any small spills or stains that arise if a professional cannot be hired, Streety said.
Streety leaves a spotter with all of his clients after he cleans their carpet.
“A spotter we can use for whether it’s pet stains or water, the heavy soiled areas… If they have a spotter or something on hand for spot treatments,” he said.
However, Streety warned carpet owners to be cautious in attempting at-home do-it-yourself cleaning.
“I know some people use those portable machines and things of that nature. I kind of disregard those. They’re a little bit tougher because of the chemical they rent with. Personally, I just recommend a professional carpet cleaner to get there. They can do a little spot treatment with a towel or a vacuum cleaner, but sometimes getting rid of something like that just won’t pan out,” Streety said.
For occasional spots and spills, carpet owners can look into getting carpets protected with an additional applicant in the training process.
“We offer carpet protectant. You know, you can apply it to the carpets once it’s clean. It’s not a scotch guard, but it’s close to that. It’s called a Euroguard. We can apply it to (the carpet), and also with the furniture and everything. It’s also used as a sealant for tile as well,” Streety said.
Pet owners should keep a spotter bottle on hand, a mixture of half water and half cleanser, Streety said.
Most rugs are treated the same way as standard carpets, Streety said, and he advised that they be vacuumed regularly as well.
Ultimately, carpet cleaning has many upsides, whether you’re looking to improve the appearance of your home or just have a nicer, cleaner carpet.
