Superior Carpet Cleaning in St. Louis

In most homes, the carpet endures plenty of wear and tear, from heavy and constant foot traffic to pet accidents, stains, and other unfortunate mishaps.  Over time, the carpet may show this damage by linking dingy, discolored, and with unsightly stains that cannot be removed through endless scrubbing. Regularly having your carpet cleaned by a superior carpet cleaning company can make a big difference, not only in how your carpet looks but this type of care can also extend the lifetime of the flooring.  Woodard has been offering superior carpet cleaning in St. Louis and surrounding areas for over seventy years, helping homeowners regain a carpet that looks and feel great.

Superior Carpet Cleaning Keeps Your Home’s Floor Looking Fabulous

It is unavoidable that some of the dirt and dust that your home’s carpet sees every day will become ground into the carpet fibers.  While this may not initially be noticeable, over time this dirt can affect the overall appearance of the carpet as well as the health of those living in the home.  Carpet fibers where the dirt has penetrated often look dingy and discolored, with uneven coloring throughout the carpet.  This can make your carpet look unclean and even an eyesore, detracting from the appearance of your entire home.  A superior carpet cleaning company, like Woodard, can remove the dirt that has penetrated the carpet fibers, restoring your carpet to its natural color, and making sure that it is clean and healthy for your family.

Dust and dander are notorious allergens in the home.  These contaminants can travel throughout the air through the home’s HVAC system, ultimately settling on the carpet where the dirt is ground in through foot traffic. Over time this dirt will penetrate the carpet fibers, leaving the look of dirty carpets.  For those with young children, crawling and playing on the floor, or family members with allergies, this dust accumulation can have a big impact on their respiratory health. This can be seen through such minor inconveniences as a runny nose and itchy eyes or more serious breathing problems, and even asthmatic flare-ups.  Having the carpet cleaned by Woodard once a year, or more often if you have pets, can significantly reduce the allergens in your home, improving the health of everyone living there.  A superior carpet cleaning will remove the dirt and dust that has penetrated the carpet fibers, leaving your St. Louis home’s flooring free of any dirt and dust accumulation.

When Removing Stains, Time is Important

When treated quickly, stains can be removed entirely from carpet.  Whether from a pet, spilled liquid, tracked in dirt and mud or some other stain, addressing it immediately, can prevent any offensive odors from being absorbed into the carpet fibers as well.  After a spill on your home’s carpet, promptly place several paper towels over the stained area and allow them to absorb any moisture.  Push on the towels firmly to ensure the maximum spill is absorbed.  Mix a concoction of two cups vinegar, two cups warm water and four tablespoons of baking soda.  Spray the area lightly with this mixture and allow it to sit for five to ten minutes.  Then blot with a soft, dry cloth.

While your instinct may be to rub at the stain, blot the area only.  Rubbing can cause the stain to embed into the carpet fibers, causing lasting damage depending on the item spilled.  Overloading the stained carpet with drugstore do-it-yourself cleaners can do more damage than good, as cleaner residue can be left behind after cleaning the carpet.  It is better to use a small amount of cleaner, spritzing rather than pouring it on the stained area.

In an ideal world, you will clean up any spills on the carpet as soon as they happen.  However, accidents do not always happen when you are watching or even when you are at home.  This is particularly true if you have a pet in the home.  For stains caused by pet accidents, the concern will not only be the discoloration of the carpet, but also the odor.  By wetting the area with the vinegar and baking soda mix, you can ensure that the stain and the odor will be addressed.  You can then go through the process of removing the stain and odor as you would with a fresh accident.

Expert Carpet Cleaning Can Remove Even the Most Stubborn Stains

It isn’t unusual to have a stubborn stain that simply cannot be removed entirely.  This can be frustrating for any homeowner, as every time you look at the floor in you home the stain is glaringly obvious.  A superior carpet cleaner can address these stubborn stains, using their advanced technology and equipment to give your carpet the best chance of having the stain, and any residual odor, removed.  Bringing any stubborn stains on your home’s carpet to the attention of the carpet cleaner will allow them to focus even more of their energies, utilizing resources for cleaning, to offer you the best chance of removing the stain from your carpet.

Carpet Cleaning Equipment and Cleaning Solution Matter

Some homeowners opt to do their own regular carpet cleaning, using a steam cleaner or other residential equipment that they have purchased.  While this may be useful between professional carpet cleanings, this equipment just is not even close to replacing a professional carpet cleaning.  For that deep clean that professionals like Woodard offer, there must be a combination of heated cleaning solution, scrubbing action and extraction of the water and cleaning solution all at once.  This requires professional equipment to achieve a truly deep down and effective cleaning that can prolong the life of your carpet, while also ensuring that all of the dirt and dust is removed.

It is important that you are using the proper cleaning solution on the carpet.  The cleaner should not leave a soapy residue and must have a safe pH level.  Many of the retail cleaners on the market today use a lot of soap.  While these will clean the carpet, they leave behind a residue.  This residue can cause the carpet fibers to hold dirt in the future, not to mention causing skin irritations from the cleaning residue that is left behind.

It’s also important to make sure that your superior carpet cleaner is using a soap solution to clean the carpeting. You wouldn’t shower with just water, would you? You need soap, too!

Stairway Carpeting Can Be Tricky, but is Necessary in this High Traffic Area

Just like the carpet in any area of your home, the key to keeping the carpet on the stairs looking great is through regular vacuuming. Dust and debris can quickly accumulate, particularly in this high-traffic area.  Regularly vacuuming can help to keep the stairs looking good between professional carpet cleaning visits.  Using a vacuum with an attachment, vacuum the steps and the crevices and corners to keep the carpet looking great.  Taking extra care to make sure the carpets are efficiently vacuumed will make sure that the dirt is not trapped in the carpet.

Regularly steam cleaning the carpets by a professional can also help to keep the stairs in excellent condition.

The stairs see plenty of traffic in most homes, with dirt and debris also being tracked throughout.  When not addressed, this dirt can become ground into the carpet fibers through the constant foot traffic.  This can stain and discolor the carpet, making it look dirty.  Regularly vacuuming the stairs will remove the dirt and debris before it can penetrate the carpet fibers.  Dirt that has penetrated the carpet fibers, can often be removed by a superior carpet cleaning.

Despite diligent vacuuming, high traffic areas of the home can show their wear and tear over time, and carpeted stairs are no exception.  Having the carpets professionally cleaned occasionally will not only extend the life of the carpet, but it will also leave your carpeted steps looking great.

 When DIY Isn’t Good Enough

Regular upkeep, including vacuuming and spot removal, is important to keep your carpets in top condition.  Surface cleaning at home through vacuuming, while necessary, is only part of the process.   These do-it-yourself cleanings can only go so far to remove the dust and dirt that can easily become embedded in carpet fibers over time and with constant foot traffic.  Having a professional deep clean the carpets in your home annually can go a long way to removing this caked-in dirt that can leave them looking dingy and discolored.  Carpets should be treated to a professional deep clean once every twelve to eighteen months, more often if there are pets or young children in the home.

The Best Way to Care for Your Home’s Floor in Between Cleanings

Carpets, particularly those in high-traffic areas, should be vacuumed regularly.  This will remove any dirt and dust that can become embedded into the carpet fibers.  This vacuuming should be done weekly, and even more frequently in high-traffic areas of the home.  Even rooms that see very little or no foot traffic volume should be vacuumed every other week to remove any dust that has settled on the carpet.  Removing the dirt, dust and pet dander from the carpet regularly will prevent it from being ground into the fibers.  This can lead to staining, making the carpet look dirty and dingy.

Between Superior Carpet Cleaning, Vacuum the Right Way to Make a Big Difference

Believe it or not, there is a right way to vacuum your carpet.  Most people make quick, back and forth motions when vacuuming.  This is not the most effective method for picking up dirt and dust.  Instead, vacuum a row of carpet in one direction from the one wall to the opposite wall.  You can then pull the vacuum back over the entire strip that you just vacuumed.  Then do the next strip of carpet, slightly overlapping the area that you just cleaned.  Once complete, vacuum the room again in the opposite direction using this same technique.

Regular vacuuming can actually extend the life of a carpet.  To keep your carpet looking and feeling good, high-traffic areas such as hallways and entranceways should be vacuumed twice weekly.  Other lower traffic areas of the home can be done weekly.

Vacuuming removes dirt particles that can get trapped in the fibers, grinding away into the carpet.  When left to its own devices, this dirt can destroy the carpet causing it to become matted down, lose its color and stain more easily.  Regular vacuuming can remove this dirt before it can cause extended damage to the carpet that is irreparable.

Carpeted hallways and entranceways in the home are notoriously a catch-all for dirt and debris as visitors come and go.  These carpeted areas should be vacuumed regularly with multiple passes to ensure that as much of the dirt and grit as possible is removed.  By doing this more frequently, you can be sure that the dirt is removed before it can cause lasting damage to the carpet.

Most vacuums come with a height setting.  To find the right height for your carpeted area, raise the vacuum to the highest setting and slowly lower it over the carpet.  When you feel the vacuum trying to tug itself forward on the carpet, you have reached the right height setting.

Check the vacuum’s filter and bag frequently.  Vacuuming with a full bag or dirty filter will have little effect on removing the dirt from the carpet fibers.  Vacuum bags should be replaced when they are ¾ full and filters on bagless vacuums should be changed every three months.

For Cleaner, Allergen-Free Carpets, Schedule Regular Carpet Cleanings

Woodard’s professional carpet cleaning in St. Louis and surrounding cities is second to none.  With technicians equipped with the latest in carpet cleaning technology, St. Louis residents will find that after a visit from Woodard their carpets are back to new again. Dust, embedded dirt, pet dander and stains will be removed from your carpet, and you can rest easy knowing that your carpets are clean and allergen-free.

To schedule your professional carpet cleaning with Woodard, submit a form online or call us at (314) 227-3932.

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard services the greater metro area (Illinois, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, St. Louis County, and many more). Woodard is proud to serve as the preferred provider for cleaning & restoration services. Our cleaning services include carpet, hard surface, furniture, and rug cleaning for both residential and commercial properties. We also provide water, fire, board-up, storm and smoke restoration services for residential and commercial clients. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at (314) 227-3932.

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Updated 3/2/2021