Forget the Boogeyman-What's Hiding in Your Carpets? How Often Should I Clean my Carpet & Upholstery

For most of us, our home is our sanctuary. A place to relax and unwind- to enjoy time with family, friends, and pets. The American Cleaning Institute found that we spend an average of 6 hours per week cleaning our homes, which includes vacuuming, dusting, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms. However, most people don't think about what's lurking deep in the items we use everyday- our carpets and upholstery.

So how often should I be cleaning my carpets and upholstery?

The textile items in our homes are loaded with dirt, grime, and pollutants. Not only are they bad for our health, but these particles actually act like sandpaper and wear away at the fibers, shortening their lifespan. For this reason, it is suggested that you deep clean these items every 12 to 18 months. That's right- 12 to 18 months! And that is for the average person. Those with pets, kids, smokers, etc. should actually be cleaning their items more often than that!

But I vacuum them often- isn't that enough?

Unfortunately, no. Vacuuming is helpful, but it doesn't get the particles- dander, dust mites, bacteria, pollen, and other allergens- trapped deep inside your carpets and upholstery. For that, hot water extraction is the best option.

But can't I just buy or rent one of those portable carpet cleaners instead of paying someone to do it professionally.

Yes, you can, but you're not getting your items as clean as they could be. At Tomahawk, we used truck-mounted equipment. Using this equipment, we are able to much more effectively penetrate deep into the fibers to lift out the dirt and pollutants. This equipment also removes the moisture from the carpet and upholstery much more effectively, so they dry faster. If the moisture isn't removed thoroughly enough, it can lead to your items smelling like mildew. Additionally, the cleaning solution utilized with the DIY carpet cleaners is often not removed completely with those machines, which leaves a soapy residue and actually attracts dirt to your items.

I spot clean my rug whenever there are stains. That's okay, right?

Actually, not really. While the spot cleaners seem to do their job in the moment, they can end up doing more harm than good in the long run. As mentioned before, the residue is not properly removed, which attracts dirt to the previously stained area and makes it look dirty again faster. Also, if you decide to hire a professional cleaner, many of the cleaners that you purchase in the grocery store can interact with the cleaning solutions used by professional cleaners. This can lead to discoloration on your items after cleaning due to chemicals reactions.