When considering cleaning your home, one of the main elements is vacuuming your carpets and floors. This will reduce the amount of dirt, germs and dust that dwell in the fibres of your carpet, mats and rugs and as a result, will ensure your floors not only look cleaner and fresher, but are also more hygienic for those who occupy the property.

When vacuuming, don’t just concentrate on the wide, open areas of floor, but devote as much effort on the corners and sides of the room, which may need you to change attachments for the vacuum.

Be thorough in the areas near the front door, such as welcoming mats and the surrounding carpet of that space. This is because a lot of times, dirt can be walked indoors before footwear is removed at this point.
Stains on your carpet happen to everybody and a lot of times it is how quickly you react, which determines whether that stain is going to be stubborn or not to remove.

Before applying any cleaning product, try and remove as much of the spillage as you can. Remember, some products, especially the stronger varieties, can damage certain carpets, and so try and do a small test before doing a proper clean. Greener carpet cleaners are good for this, as they have less harmful chemicals within and will be gentler on your carpets fibres.

Don’t scrub the stain too much, as this can smear the original stain over a larger portion of carpet and make it look even worse than it did to start with. Try dabbing the stain with kitchen towel, rather than rubbing it.

There are natural cleaners you could use such as baking soda or vinegar to remove some stains, and you may find this to be a faster alternative to purchasing chemical cleaning materials. Once applied and you are happy that the stain has been removed, dry the affected area with a towel and remove the excess moisture.

You can hire steam cleaners for your carpet, if the stain is marked and large enough to warrant it. This will give it a deeper, more thorough clean and this is something you could research online for your local rental shop.

There will be occasions, when your carpet becomes worn or damaged, due to everyday use, accidents, young children, fire etc. If it is a small patch, then you may just want to cover up the area by moving a piece of furniture over it to conceal the damage. You could buy a rug to eliminate the unsightly mark, or even remove the carpet completely and get a new one fitted. There are always options for this dilemma, and it may make you change something for the better and help you enjoy your home even more.

Winter season generally is very tough and messy season for all carpeted areas and flooring in most commercial and residential buildings. Even though winter is associated with clean white snow, traces from grit, sand, rock salt and general dirt can be found on the carpets and specially areas with heavy traffic. As carpets are made of millions piles of fibers which are trapping all the dirt and soil brought in with the shoes, the carpet could hold enormous amount of soil (almost its own weight) and still look clean. Invisible soiling during the winter months could be very damaging for both the carpets and the people as walking on soiled carpets cuts and scratches the fibers and turns it into fine dust which airborne during dry seasons.

That’s why comprehensive programs for preventing soiling and efficient carpet cleaning are needed to deal with the challenges of “winter dirt”. The most important and swift steps include:

Using adequate entrance matting – at all building entrances appropriate matting must be installed to trap and prevent soil and dirt from getting onto the carpeted floors. Entrance mats must be sufficient in length, at least 4 to 5m for buildings with heavy traffic and minimum 2m in length for buildings with less traffic, in order to work effectively. Ideally a combination of external “scraper mat” and internal moisture absorbent mat should be used, or mats which combines both functions in one.
Regular vacuum cleaning – using regularly professional Vacuum cleaners with rotary brushes for lifting up the piles and proper agitation opening carpet piles where soil is trapped. High airflow for good suction and good filtration.
Regular pile lifting of areas with heavy traffic – it is essential areas with heavy traffic to be vacuumed with vacuum cleaners which have cylindrical brush that agitates and opens the carpet piles when moves opposite the pile direction. This lifts up the piles and removes the soil and grit from the bottom of the carpet.
Regular deep carpet cleaning – before deep cleaning, the carpet should be thoroughly dry vacuumed to remove dry soil, grit, sand and any dirt to prevent from wetting and turning it into mud.

It will be much more difficult to clean after.

Preventing and removing the soil and dirt from entering the buildings on regular bases will keep it from spreading and settling through the rest of the building. There for all entrances and areas with heavy foot traffic should be vacuumed regularly, at least once a day or more to achieve maximum results. In long term this minimum investment of time will pay off in prolonging the live of carpets and other flooring and significantly reducing off sick time taken from staff.

It is perhaps a little known fact that there is a range of different ways to clean your carpet. Both carpets for your home or for commercial properties are made from a variety of materials and so it only seems reasonable that there should be alternative methods to restore and clean them.

Therefore it would be a good idea to research a little on these different methods, so as to help maintain the condition and protect the fibres of the specific carpet. Here follows a sample of some methods for carpet cleaning which will hopefully help you decide which is best for you.

The steam cleaning technique is probably the most common of all the forms of carpet cleaning practises and is most often used by the professionals. It is a reliable and thorough way to give a carpet the deeper clean. It cleans and removes unwanted odours at the same time and so is a well like method. The high-powered streams of hot water wash away the bacteria once the cleaning solution has done its job of defeating the germs. Another bonus to this is that there are no toxic liquids or chemicals left on the fibres, as the steam vacuum has since eliminated these. This makes this particular technique a favourite among most in the trade.

Other forms of deep carpet cleaning are shampooing of the carpet, which is essentially a very traditional style of applying solution direct to the affected areas and is left to soak up the dirt. A machine will then vacuum the residue left to leave the cleaned carpet underneath. This method can run the risk of damage to the carpet and is not as effective at lifting potentially harmful residues as the steam cleaning process. There is also Bonnet cleaning, which can be a popular choice. It involves a spinning machine that has fiber bonnets or buffers that absorb cleaning solution which has been placed on the dirt.

Dry cleaning is another way of cleaning the carpet and involves applying a dry powder and vacuuming up after a period of time. This method again, is not as dependable or effective as the steam cleaning method and is more popular among homeowners rather than industry professionals.

As you can see, there are numerous ways of deep carpet cleaning and some have been highlighted here. Most common are the steam cleaners and these will normally be the ones most likely to be rented out, but as stated to begin with, it is always a good idea to work out what would suit your specific carpet first before choosing what method to go for.

Buying a new carpet can be an exciting and rewarding experience. You have chosen the colour, the design and have spent a considerable amount of time and energy in not only choosing a carpet, but also in having it fitted. This investment is worth it, however. A new carpet can transform a room, or, indeed, a property.

Once your carpet is fitted - and before you bring all your furniture and personal stuff back into the room - it is a very prudent idea to give your new carpet a proper first clean. This could be by using the services of a professional carpet cleaning company, or you can hire a machine and,if confident enough,do it yourself. You should research both options if you decide on this way. There are many cleaning companies on the internet and in directories who specialise in this department, but make sure to get the right one for the right price. Or if you don’t have enough budgets for deep carpet cleaning, at the very least, you should give your carpet a thorough vacuum clean.

The reason for this is because when a carpet is produced and packed by the manufacturer, a lot of production dust and debris are accumulated and stuck deep into the carpet fibers. These are usually invisible to the naked eye, but can stick to skin and become irritants, or breathed in and cause problems, especially to asthmatics. Another distinctive con of a newly fitted carpet sometimes, is the sharp smell, especially from synthetic carpets, which needs to be neutralised. That’s why a deeper carpet cleaning is strongly advised to anyone buying a new carpet.

Sometimes, the carpet layer will leave behind a certain amount of debris as well, which will need to be cleaned up. This, alongside the dust build up from the manufacturer can create quite a problem if not addressed immediately. The majority of people may place their furniture over the carpet straight away in an excited rush and not think about the cleanliness of the carpet itself, but this in itself would be an oversight. The dust would not disappear and instead can still cause problems whether they are lying under tables and chairs or not.

The advice to deep clean your new carpet remains a strong and positive message and hopefully will mean that you can enjoy your purchase even more, and suffer no detrimental effects as a result from it.

During an average working week every office is used for at least 40 hours. Undoubtedly during that time the carpet floors are exposed to enormous amount of wear and tear. Coffees and teas are being spilled accidentally, chairs are being rolled around, and lunch is being prepared in the kitchen, ink cartridges replaced... Have you thought how much damage all these daily office activities do to the carpet on your office floor? What about all the dirt entering your building through the main door? As soon as someone steps in, he brings with his shoes all the dirt and dust from the streets. If you want all that soil and dirt to end up on the carpet of your office floor, we recommend installing carpet mats.

Carpet mats can not only preserve the appearance of office carpeting but also prolong its life. Carpet mats are available in many styles and materials and can serve a variety of purposes outside as well as inside of offices and commercial establishments.

Entrance mats and rugs

The entrance of a site is where the judgement begins. By installing entrance mats you can demonstrate professionalism and forward thinking to protect against costs and overheads associated with damages and clean-up time. Entrance mats not only help reducing slips and falls but they also give guests a chance to get some of the dirt off their shoes before walking in any further on your carpet. Entrance mats can also provide very good opportunity to promote your business. If you go for a customized mat on which to print your company logo, you will both prevent your office carpet from the external dirt and enhance you marketing efforts.

The most common entrance mats are grooved, anti-slip plastic mats that drain away water. They are suitable for high traffic areas such as building entrances, in front of reception desks, elevators and staircases. There are even heated entrances mats which will melt the snow trapped on the soles of your shoes,

Chair mats

The office chair is virtually the most used piece of furniture in every office and consequently the one which can cause most damage to your office carpet. The casters of the office chairs make indentations in the carpet's surface when people sit in and when chairs are rolled along the carpet and eventually the carpeting will get holes and will lead to the expense of buying a new carpet. To protect the carpet under office chairs we would definitely advise installing chair mats. Usually they are made of a vinyl / plastic material or pliable rubber but there are laminate and wood chair mats available as well. They not only protect the underlying carpet but also smooth the chair movements. Chair mats can also help protect computers and monitors by preventing the static build-up.

Printer mats

Another area where your office carpet might be at risk is the area where your printer sits. Since the printer is very used office equipment the ink needs changing on a regular basis. When changing ink cartridges it is not unusual for accidental ink spillages to occur. Ink stains are one of the most difficult carpet stains to tackle that is why we strongly recommend that you put vinyl or plastic mat underneath and around your printer.

Bathroom mats

The office lavatories are another place where it is definitely worth placing mats. Bathroom mats, including urinal mats and toilet mats and sink mats, keep the restroom facilities dry, clean and looking professional. They not eliminate the need to constantly check and mop restroom areas but also keep shoes dry and prevent from microbes and odour causing bacteria to be spread on your office carpet.

Kitchen mats

Office kitchens are another place which you should consider matting. Depending on the type of kitchen mats you will choose, they can keep your office food preparation areas safe and at the same time provide employees fatigue relief, comfort, and proper water drainage. Kitchen mats can keep your office carpet safe from crumbs and grease. We would also recommend investing in mats for your office water coolers and coffee machines to protect your office carpet from the day to day spillages.

Carpet mats in their varieties of styles, materials and functionality are one of the best methods to prevent office carpet and floors soiling. They are cost efficient to install and maintain, very mobile and easy to store, multifunctional, improving the health and safety and a real barrier for the dirt.

CARING FOR A NEWLY FITED CARPET

Most of the newly fitted carpets shed fibre for the first few weeks. This is something normal and even sign for a good quality carpet if woollen. It is very important to vacuum the new carpets on a regular basis for maximum pile agitation.

DAILY CARPET CLEANING

Depending on the traffic and the type of carpet it is good to vacuum it at least twice a week. Don’t allow soil and dirt to settle deep into carpet fibre. Vacuum the carpet in all directions to minimise pile lay and maximise appearance.

PERIODIC CARPET CLEANING

Your carpet will need deep carpet cleaning once or twice every year and it depends mostly on the colour and traffic. Ideally deep carpet cleaning should be completed by professional cleaning contractor, who will perform the necessary assessment and will use the right cleaning method, suitable equipment and cleaning detergent. But in case you want to do it by yourself then follow the instructions for cleaning and do not use more cleaning detergent than recommended. Avoid over-wetting the carpet too as this may prove disaster.

SPOT/STAIN CARPET CLEANING

Any spot or stain on most carpeting could be cleaned as long as immediately treated.

The liquids must be soaked up with white kitchen paper or absorbent cloth.
Dab it don’t rub it! Threat the stain with appropriate spot removal detergent and always work inwards from the edge of the stain to prevent further spreading.
Change the cloth or the paper as often as possible rather than using too much of the stain remover.
Rinse with clean warm water and a sponge and dry again with white towel or cloth.
Brush the carpet in the direction of the pile.

MOVING FURNITURE

Any flat places on the carpet where furniture has been placed can be restored if you spray on a little water and lift the pile with a few brush strokes. After a couple of days no furniture traces will remain.

STAIN REMOVAL GUIDE

FOR ALMOST EVERY SPOT OR STAIN THERE IS ADEQUATE SOLUTION AND IF TREATED IMMEDIATELY IT COULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE

STAINS FROM WINE AND SPIRITS

The spillage has to be soaked up with absorbent tissues
Use carpet cleaning solution to dab the stain. Do not Rub it! Work from the edge inwards.
Use clean warm water to rinse. Do not soak the carpet!

BLOOD STAINS

Use absorbent tissues or towel to soak it up
Dab the spot with warm water and apply the carpet solution
Rinse the carpet with clean water again and dry with clean towel

STAINS FROM OIL AND GREASE

Use a spreading knife to scoop gently the place.
Use impregnated cloth with grease remover and dab the stain
Treat with carpet shampoo and rinse with water.
Dab it to dry with clean cloth

CANDLE WAX

Use spreading knife or spoon and gently scrape off as much as possible.
Use a warm iron and baking paper to pick up the wax
Repeat action, until the wax is absorbed
Use a spot removal or product for greasy stains or gum remover for further treatment

SPOTS FROM PVA

Scoop as much as possible with spoon or knife
Use warm water to dab the remainder with sponge and absorbing cloth

CHEWING GUM

Use professional gum remover to soak the gum for some time
Gently scrape off with spoon of spreading knife
Dab with clean cloth

COFFEE / COLA / TEA

Use professional coffee stain remover or equipment for spot carpet cleaning.
Dab with clean cloth impregnated with solution from 1/10 vinegar and water.
Rinse with clear water and dry as much as possible with clean cloth
Repeat the procedure if necessary

MUD

let the mud spots to dry scrape with coin or spoon and gently vacuum.
Use a carpet spot cleaner and rinse with water
Dab with absorbing cloth or towel to dry the spot

NAIL POLISH

Gently dab the spot with solvent base cleaner or use nail varnish remover (non-oily). The cloth should soak it up.

PAINT SPILAGES

Fresh paint will come out from most carpets if cleaned immediately. Clean with turpentine or solvent base cleaner if it is oil paint use clean warm water if the paint is water based or similar.
If the paint stain is old and dry, try to scrape it off gently and carefully try to soak it up with cloth impregnated with acetone or solvent based cleaner.
Wash with carpet cleaning product and rinse with warm water.
Dry it with clean cloth

RUST

Dab carefully the stain with a rust remover working from the edge inwards.
It is good to test the product on no visible area of the carpet for discolouration.

URINE

The area needs to be cleaned immediately
Absorb with tissues or absorbing cloth as much as possible.
Use clean warm water to rinse the carpet
Use carpet cleaning product to remove the our dour
Repeat the action a few times if still have bad smell.

The methods for cleaning different carpet stains are very similar in most cases and there are a few simple rules for spot carpet cleaning which always must be followed:

1. ACT IMMEDIATELY, and clean it as soon as possible. Don’t leave it for later (after the party), tomorrow or whenever.
2. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE before start any cleaning attempt or do some research. Carpets are expensive to change and doing the wrong thing can make thing really bad.
3. DON’T RUB IT, JUST DAB IT. Always try to absorb the spillage if liquid with cloth or paper by Dabbing the place from its edge inwards. If solid substance scrapes it off gently and then clean it but again don’t rub it. It will only make it worse.
4.USE PROFESSIONAL SPOT CLEANING PRODUCTS. Don’t watch the commercials, read the feedbacks and look for stain remover which will do the job.
5.RINSE WITH WARM WATER after the cleaning and dab it with clean cloth to soak up

In case it is beyond your abilities to deal with it or things getting worse after trying to clean it just contact your local carpet cleaning company and ask for help.

To find more information for our carpet cleaning services please visit our carpet cleaning services.

How regular floor and upholstery maintenance could save you money?

Research figures show that almost 80% of all office premises in the UK are carpeted and furnished with fabric upholstery. After some time more than 90% will end up as a waste in the field and only less than 1% will be recycled. Every year around 583 000 tones of flooring are dumped, 71% of which carpet.

These are shocking numbers and we all should think twice about the impact on the environment and public health when considering installing new carpet flooring or simply updating the look of our office or home. Carpets are one of the most expensive purchases for both businesses and homeowners and extending or restoring their life with regular cleaning and maintenance is worthwhile as it could reduce considerably in time the operational cost and cost of living. The technology for cleaning, protecting, maintaining and restoring floors has gone a long way and improved dramatically. Very often floors that were previously considered beyond repair now could be revamped and brought back to a very good standard of appearance and hygiene.

Programs for professional carpet and upholstery care should be in place immediately after the new carpeting or floors are installed or when move to new premises completed, which will allow considerable savings to be made in medium and long term.

Traditionally carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning have been offered as separate services, not as a part of daily office cleaning schedule or domestic cleaning services but rather done from specialist cleaning contractor occasionally and in most cases proven to be very costly and not that effective which leads massive quantities of flooring to end up on the field. To gain from newly laid or existing floors and upholstery a system for regular carpet and upholstery cleaning must be integrated as soon as possible.

Daisyclean Ltd. a London cleaning contractor has recognized the need to integrate carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning into its daily office cleaning programs as this drives the operational cost and benefits both the clients and the cleaning contractor.

We have developed a carpet and upholstery care program and we have been offering customised versions to our clients according to their requirements for a few years now. There was a great response from our clients and many of them saw the potential savings they could make with having regular carpet and upholstery maintenance system integrated into daily cleaning services.

Our regular carpet and upholstery care program consists of three very important care systems which can be easily mixed and customised in order to get the best results at low cost.

Preventive care system
Corrective care system
Restoration care system

We believe that Preventive care for all types of floors is essential and this is the key to prolonging the life of any flooring (carpet, vinyl, laminate, wood etc.) and upholstery. That’s why we have been using a system of cleaning and protecting methods to control and reduce the soiling of the newly laid and existing floors and upholstery.

Entrance Matting systems which capture most of the soil and debris from the foot ware are highly effective cost efficient method for preventing internal flooring from soiling and premature wearing. Front matting captures from 60 to 80 per cent of all dirt and debris, extends the longevity of all interior floors, reduces the maintenance cost, helps improve the air quality as less dust is created and keeps walkways clean and safe.

Regular vacuuming of all carpeted floors and upholstery on daily basis is as important as the regular deep carpet cleaning as it helps to take up the dirt and fresh debris which have been brought in. Also prevents the soil from settling into carpet fibres, picking up the soil while still on the carpet surface. We recommend using only professional vacuum cleaners for heavy duty use, which are easy to use with low maintenance cost, reliable and provide premium cleaning performance.

Preventive treatment with Scotch Guard and other products to seal the floor surfaces and restrict the penetration of soil and dirt deep into carpet fibres and other floor surfaces.
However if we have premises with fairly old and tired flooring we still will be able to develop programs for regular care to ensure that the carpet or other flooring and upholstery are brought back to their former glory, using a system of methods for deep carpet and floor cleaning or restoration. Depends on the floor condition and client’s objectives and budget we would recommend the most efficient floor care method.

Daisyclean believes that wet extraction technology is the best method for deep carpet cleaning and if combined with advanced professional equipment and cleaning detergents it is a low cost and time saving option which will help meet the high standards of floor care cleanliness required without compromising on quality. Regularity of deep carpet cleaning, floor cleaning or upholstery cleaning depends on frequency of use, but even in heavily used office premises if adequate carpet and upholstery cleaning programs are in place the businesses could make substantial cost savings by prolonging the lives of their floors and furnishing.

Contact us for further information about carpet cleaning and how you could save by starting a regular floor care program.