Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Jul 01, 2009 4:18 pm The Australian Standard for maintenance of textile floor-coverings (AS/NZS3733:1995) and other authorities on carpet care all agree.... CARPETS SHOULD BE PROFESSIONALLY STEAM-CLEANED ABOUT ANNUALLY (or at least every two years). So, have you had yours cleaned lately? Or are you like many consumers, that leave them until they look 'bad enough' or the mother-in-law in coming and you're embarrassed how they look? BUT its just as important to use a trained & qualified technician who can provide the skills, equipment and expertise that it takes to provide a quality result. So, if you are in WA, you could contact me or if outside of my service area, I can recommend a good tech for you. The Advantage Group represent most of the best techs in WA at http://www.agccwa.com.au/ The website is a little old and about to be upgraded, but it gives you some info worth having. In others states or areas, let me know where you are, and I may be able to direct you. Cheers! Ash. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 2Jul 01, 2009 4:30 pm Nope, I did get earth colored ones for a reason Nah we've only been in our house for a year, probably will get the living room one done before the end of the year, the bedroom ones next year. Can a regular carpet steamer clean a loose carpet? I have several that will need it too. Oh and is the reason to get them cleaned regularly more to lift surface dirt or to deep clean all the dust and detritus that builds up that a vacuum can't get out? or both? Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 3Jul 01, 2009 4:56 pm Dragonfly Nope, I did get earth colored ones for a reason Nah we've only been in our house for a year, probably will get the living room one done before the end of the year, the bedroom ones next year. Can a regular carpet steamer clean a loose carpet? I have several that will need it too. Oh and is the reason to get them cleaned regularly more to lift surface dirt or to deep clean all the dust and detritus that builds up that a vacuum can't get out? or both? D/fly, Choosing a carpet that doesn't show soiling is prudent. BUT your comment implies you think cleaning is only required when it LOOKS dirty..... WRONG! Its false economy to have things done as you suggest. The bedroom carpets being done at the same time as the living room means the tech is doing it all in one visit, which saves you $. And not doing the bedrooms means they are left well overdue, and bedrooms are the main areas that allergens build up. There's no good reason to defer it. (Except maybe if they are not in regular use, eg, guest bedrooms)) Suggest you get them all done BEFORE the end of the year, and yes, the loose carpets can be cleaned at the same time. Cleaning is to remove whatever contaminants may be there, including allergens, oily/sticky soils that bind other soils to the carpet, sand & grit that abrade the carpet and stains. This also helps your vacuuming to be more efficient thereafter, as the film that binds soils to the carpet is cleaned. Its all about keeping the carpet in good condition, extending its life, and keeping the indoor living environment fresh & healthy. Ash. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 4Jul 01, 2009 5:00 pm I bought an industrial steam cleaner because I love to clean carpet I do mine at least every 3 months and it's amazing what comes out. It looks clean but it aint best investment i ever made...only cost me $200 too! Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 5Jul 01, 2009 6:17 pm Sorry ash consider myself chastised No I do realise they should be done more often than I would think to normally, it's just one of those things that gets put by the wayside for later when you have other expenses, but as you say, it keeps the carpet in better condition so is better for the hip pocket in the long run? Do those industrial steam cleaners do as good a job? Lynne is it a regular vacuum too, or just a steam cleaner? And actually now you mention the sand grit removal, our carpet at our final inspection before we moved in had HEAPS of sand embedded in it from the tradies traipsing through, it was supposedly vaccuumed and cleaned by the builders but would another professional clean still be removing more of that sand? We also didn't have grass till just recently so have had a lot of sand blow in the windows by the wind. hmm think I'm talking myself into booking a carpet cleaner. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 6Jul 01, 2009 6:46 pm Dragonfly Sorry ash consider myself chastised No I do realise they should be done more often than I would think to normally, it's just one of those things that gets put by the wayside for later when you have other expenses, but as you say, it keeps the carpet in better condition so is better for the hip pocket in the long run? Do those industrial steam cleaners do as good a job? Lynne is it a regular vacuum too, or just a steam cleaner? And actually now you mention the sand grit removal, our carpet at our final inspection before we moved in had HEAPS of sand embedded in it from the tradies traipsing through, it was supposedly vaccuumed and cleaned by the builders but would another professional clean still be removing more of that sand? We also didn't have grass till just recently so have had a lot of sand blow in the windows by the wind. hmm think I'm talking myself into booking a carpet cleaner. It is just a carpet steam cleaner. I used to own a vax (still do) but it didn't clean or dry properly and with the shampoo worked out very expensive. The steam cleaner I got was made in America, the people that bought it had it sitting in their shed for a couple of years. They were going to go into business but didn't. When I went to look at it, the sprayer wasn't working so she reduced the price. I had it sitting in my laundry for a couple of months and then decided to set it up outside. It worked first pop and I love it. It has a deep action pile brush and lifts all the sand and grime out and sucks all the water out so it is practically dry when finished. The britex ones at coles are ok too and used them for a few years. My carpet cleaner is my baby Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 7Jul 01, 2009 9:25 pm i have tried my hand being a professional (haha) carpet steam cleaner, I lasted just over a week, absolutely horrible job. but the machines we used needed to b e a vaccuum as well as a steam cleaner, as the vaccuum sucks the moisture (and the dirt thats become attached to the moisutre) up, thats pretty much how it cleans the carpet. i remember back in the day my mum used to have a little carpet shampoo machine, about as useful as **** on a bull, the dirt stays in the carpet. you not believe the filth that comes out of carpets, after doing that job, i will never have carpets again, the house we're building is getting bamboo flooring throughout and tiles in the laundy and bathrooms Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 8Jul 01, 2009 9:34 pm lynnebin1968 I bought an industrial steam cleaner because I love to clean carpet I do mine at least every 3 months and it's amazing what comes out. It looks clean but it aint best investment i ever made...only cost me $200 too! Well 10 points for enthusiasm Lynnebin! A $200 steam cleaner can be a useful tool for carpet maintenance, but a good carpet cleaning technician will use a machine worth at least $10,000 and possibly up to $65,000. And with other accessories, tools and products, their tools of trade may be worth literally hundreds of thousands of $$$. Add to that many years of experience, training and qualifications, and the combination of carpet tech and equipment is a little bit more efficient at cleaning your carpets than you might do yourself. If you like, I can give you some tips and info that would help you use your steam cleaner more efficiently, but cleaning so frequently may be counter-productive. Whenever I hear of people cleaning carpet so frequently, I have concerns that there may be something incorrect in the cleaning procedure or chemicals used. Generally speaking, a well equipped technician will achieve 4 times better results in 1/4 time than a DIYer with a small machine, and will not need re-cleaning again for about a year. If you care to PM me, detailing the procedure you follow, machine you use, and chemicals, I'd be happy to offer some tips. Ash. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 9Jul 01, 2009 9:43 pm beattun i have tried my hand being a professional (haha) carpet steam cleaner, I lasted just over a week, absolutely horrible job. but the machines we used needed to b e a vaccuum as well as a steam cleaner, as the vaccuum sucks the moisture (and the dirt thats become attached to the moisutre) up, thats pretty much how it cleans the carpet. i remember back in the day my mum used to have a little carpet shampoo machine, about as useful as **** on a bull, the dirt stays in the carpet. you not believe the filth that comes out of carpets, after doing that job, i will never have carpets again, the house we're building is getting bamboo flooring throughout and tiles in the laundy and bathrooms And 0.5 points out of 10 for you Beattun! Sounds like you were on the job with some seriously uneducated cowboys there, and they taught you all they know! Enjoy your bamboo and tiles! Better get bamboo planks laid on your bed instead of your mattress too. You'd just about chuck if you saw the stuff that comes out of them! Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 10Jul 01, 2009 9:46 pm Hi Ash the reason I clean my carpets so frequently is I have a dog, she stays inside most of the time but when she goes outside to do doggy doos she drags sand in with her. My carpet is very very light..almost a cream/white and I am in a rental. I have rugs down but as it isn't my carpet and it was brand new when Imoved in (8 years ago) it still looks brand new . The cleaner is called a Castex which is made in America. I use Britex shampoo as I don't know of any other shampoos or where to buy them. I know it must be a good thing when you see all the sand coming out....and dirt . I love the feeling of it too after it has been cleaned..nice n soft Oh and I have got assorted tools that came with it for upholstery etc. The lady told me they paid a lot for it but I know no way near $10,000 Lynne Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 11Jul 01, 2009 9:56 pm royalblue And 0.5 points out of 10 for you Beattun! Sounds like you were on the job with some seriously uneducated cowboys there, and they taught you all they know! Enjoy your bamboo and tiles! Better get bamboo planks laid on your bed instead of your mattress too. You'd just about chuck if you saw the stuff that comes out of them! youre not wrong about the cowboys, nor are you wrong about the mattress, but i can live with that as long as i dont have scummy carpets to worry about Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 12Jul 01, 2009 10:01 pm heres the link to a pic of it http://s675.photobucket.com/albums/vv12 ... _1_sbl.jpg I think she's a good cleaner anyway Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 13Jul 01, 2009 10:28 pm Hi Lynnebin, That was a good pick up for $200! It's what we call a walk-behind carpet extractor. So I guess you put some Britex detergent in the tank with the clean water. That solution is sprayed into the carpet, agitated with the brush, and the vacuum head sucks up the excess moisture. Right? That's sort of ok, and you are happy with the results, so I won't be too critical. But the main prob is you leave some detergent in the carpet. This may promote resoiling, due to sticky residue. I could recommend a different detergent that is more effective, and helps inhibit resoiling. Also, use HOT water in the tank. The other thing is, any wet cleaning method is NOT the best way to remove DRY PARTICULATE soiling (sand). This is best recovered in a dry state with a good upright vacuum cleaner. The steam cleaning is required to remove the oily soil (from the dog etc) which binds the dust etc to the carpet. So basically, its best to concentrate MORE on recovering dry soil in a dry state, rarther than wet cleaning too often. You may as well do as you are doing though, but when you vacate, you will normally be required to have it PROFESSIONALLY cleaned. Cheers! Ash. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 14Jul 01, 2009 11:02 pm If I attempted to clean the carpet here, there would be nothing left of it I reckon. It's a rental... so I aint cleaning it until I move Built with New Generation (Summit Homes) We own land!... with a slab on it! Plus a shell of a house with stuff inside ! Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 15Jul 01, 2009 11:41 pm Yeah I have to get it professionally cleaned when the house is built. Yes you are correct with how the machine works too . I just wanted to buy something that would pay for its self and it certainly has. I always use hot water too as it seems to doa better job although it doesn't stay hot for long . I am glad I got a bargain..hehe we all love those Can you recommend a good shampoo please? Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 16Jul 01, 2009 11:41 pm Candylea If I attempted to clean the carpet here, there would be nothing left of it I reckon. It's a rental... so I aint cleaning it until I move heehee I was lucky mine was new but I have lived in some shockers Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 17Jul 02, 2009 3:41 pm Need some recos for reputable cleaners in Melbs if you have any, Ash. Last guy I had in actually made the carpet look worse... and he rocked up 2 hours late I want to look after my new carpet when it's in so I promise to have it cleaned every 12 months Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 18Jul 02, 2009 7:31 pm Kelly, Look here... http://www.nucca.asn.au/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=78 Some of the better ones would be Regal, Jumbuck, Sheppards, Able and Steamy. or here... http://www.woolsafe.com.au/cgi-bin/webd ... e=Operator Let us know how you get on! Ash. Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 19Jul 04, 2009 12:38 pm Interesting reading here. I am thinking though that even if you cleaned your carpets professionally every year that there would still be a build up of sand, dust etc if you were to pull the carpet up to remove it? That is what is grossing me out so I am thinking of getting some reasonably priced carpets (we only have it in the bedrooms) and ripping it up after maybe 5 years(and still getting it cleaned annually). I suppose that's not really the way to go? Re: Had your carpets cleaned lately? 20Jul 04, 2009 12:55 pm Great link for cleaners in Melbourne. Thanks I will bookmark that. After reading this I am going to clean my carpets annually. It makes sense about the getting the dirt out before other things can stick to it. I want to look after my new carpet especially because I have kids I think an annual clean is in order. That is a really good attitude Akin to you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I do enjoy watching that tik tok inspector from Victoria but he does go a little… 12 81847 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39452 Broker here - legislation says that every true broker must put the clients best interests before theirs so in theory they must offer you the best options for you on their… 2 45940 |