“Carpet cannot be cleaned…”

‘Once a carpet has been cleaned, it attracts dirt much quicker’. A common misconception. ‘The protective layer disappears’, is the statement of many people. As a result, cleaning the carpet will be postponed further and further. People postpone cleaning their carpet until it looks dreadful. This myth is unfortunately confirmed time after time by using the wrong cleaning agents. As a result, consumers are increasingly reluctant to lay fitted carpet in their living room.

Of course, carpet can be cleaned excellently

(Brush) vacuum cleaning remains the most important means of maintenance, it removes a lot of dirt before it gets a chance to stick to the fibres. In addition, cleaning by means of James Water for example, allows you to effectively delay periodic maintenance by a professional cleaner. James Water allows you to clean soiled areas that disturb the otherwise clean look of your carpet, like walkways, by hand.

For periodic maintenance and deep cleaning, the spray extraction method is the most suitable. It is performed using a machine that rinses the carpet clean using a cleaning agent. This method could make your carpet look like new. Even if you perform this cleaning method yourself, you can have decent results. You may for example rent a machine through a rental company or interior decorator.

In the accompanying picture, you see a cleaning result James has achieved in the 5* Ritz Carlton hotel in Shanghai. They used to clean their very expensive carpet using soap based products, we used our James products for spray extraction cleaning. The result is amazing.

Good cleaning agents are essential

However, it is essential that you use a correct cleaning agent, otherwise the pleasure will not last long. Unfortunately, a rental machine almost always comes with a product mainly based on soap. This is a cheap product and at first glance seems to work quite nicely. However, soap remains as a sticky residue in the carpet, which over time will attract dirt very fast. This is why the myth on resoiling exists. However, this need not be the case should a good cleaning agent be used.

James has developed great products for spray extraction cleaning. For wool carpets (and upholstery) we have James Cleansoft, a product that restores the original properties of the wool fibre and provides an excellent cleaning result. For synthetic carpets (and upholstery) we have James Cleanmaster, a product that not only ensures an excellent cleaning result, but also functions as a protective layer that lets the carpet repel dirt.

Professional cleaner SWTM.

Of course you may also choose to have periodic maintenance be performed by a professional cleaning company. Be sure to at least have them use the right cleaning agent for you to enjoy the result for years to come. We might also have tested your carpet in our laboratory; have a look at our personal maintenance advice page to check whether you can download the ultimate maintenance guide for your situation at home (including specific instructions for the professional cleaning methods).

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