- carpet cleaning

My Carpet Is Less Than A Year Old, Does It Need A Pro Cleaning?

Good question. Many homeowners are wondering what to do about cleaning their brand new carpet after having it installed less than one year ago. Buying carpet shouldn’t come with uncertainty about when you need to care for it, but unfortunately, far too many first-time buyers are heading home with just that after they’ve made their purchase.

Routine Maintenance

Carpets are like anything in your home, if you neglect them long enough they begin to break down, lose their luster, and ultimately wear out well before they normally would. So it’s up to you to do the work to maintain the condition of your carpeting.

You wouldn’t neglect your upholstery cleaning sterling, you tend to the surfaces of your couch, chairs, even bedding in order to keep it feeling and smelling fresh. Well it’s the same with your carpets, only those are in a position to see additional soiling and dirt because your carpets are on the floor. No matter how big your household, whether it’s just you and a spouse or a family of five with two pets, the carpet needs to be given some tender loving care from time to time.

That starts with vacuuming the carpet on a routine basis. Depending on how much foot traffic your carpet gets, you may want to make some time in your busy schedule to vacuum about once a week. Twice a week for those homes that have multiple pets.

Spot cleaning is also very important to maintain the appearance and quality of your carpet. This may seem like simple common sense, but when a spill or some other type of accident occurs, you must clean it up as quickly as possible. The longer you allow a liquid or some other type of substance to sit on the carpet fibers unattended, you run the risk of a stain setting and becoming very difficult to remove.

Stains can also set in based on the way you attempt to clean the mess that’s been made. The cardinal rule is simple to remember: Blot, Don’t Wipe. Wiping or rubbing at a spill can drive it deeper into your carpeting, resulting in a stain. But when you blot, you’re absorbing all of that excess moisture or material into your towel or cloth and preventing it from getting into the fibers.

So these are the two most important things to do for ensuring that your carpet remain in tip-top shape for as long as you own it in the home. They are both essential practices in between cleanings.

But then you’ve only had this carpet for less than a year. So what about bringing in the professionals to give it a good cleaning?

Hiring a Professional

Here is where the uncertainty stems from when it comes to deciding on the best approach for having your carpets professionally cleaned so recently after installation. Carpets that are less than a year old don’t necessarily need to have a professional cleaning.

But that’s not to say you shouldn’t have it cleaned in that time either. If you’ve been practicing routine maintenance much like what we outlined above since the carpeting was put in, then you probably don’t need the work done. Homes where this was done less often may have carpeting that is beginning to look and feel as if it’s been somewhat neglected and now may be the best time to have that professional deep-cleaning performed.

Some dealers will even tell you that your brand new carpet has been designed to conceal dirt and keep stains from happening and while some of that may be true, there is still dirt getting trapped in your carpet surface. You do need to bring that all back up or you run the risk of all that accumulated dirt and grime damaging the fibers of your carpeting.

That damage can start to show itself in the form of dark stains that will not come out like an old red wine stain might. No professional cleaning equipment can remove those discolorations because the fibers have been physically harmed and repairing them is all but impossible.

Carpet Warranty

If you’re buying new carpet, you’re probably getting a warranty to go along with it. This is much like, if not entirely identical to, the one you get when you purchase a new car. Same basic premise and, at the end of the day, the stipulations are largely similar as well.

If you don’t get the carpet cleaned based upon the recommendations of the manufacturer, you could end up voiding the warranty. Most warranties suggest having your carpet cleaned every 12-24 months. So if you don’t want to wait the full 12 months, then by all means, call a carpet cleaning service.

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