The importance of carpet cleaning
Homeowners often assume that their carpets and upholstery are clean simply because they look clean; however, even carpets and upholstery that look spotless may have collected germs, dust, pollen, allergens, and soil below the surface. To increase the life and appearance of your carpets & upholstery, you should have them professionally cleaned every year—even before you recognize visible surface dirt.
Keeping your carpet healthy
Investing some time now helps extend the life and appearance of your carpet and upholstery for future enjoyment; not to mention reducing the build-up of dirt, dust mites, pollen, and allergens with which you interact everyday. Here are some tips to keep your carpet healthy for years to come:

  • Vacuum your carpets at least once a week. Up to 80% of carpet dirt is loose and removable with regular vacuuming.
  • When vacuuming, go with the pile grain. This helps remove surface soils. Go against the grain to remove deeper, embedded particles
  • Rotate your furniture occasionally. This helps to prevent premature carpet wear and soiling in regular traffic areas of your house.
  • If you've ever attempted to clean your carpet with a rental or home steam cleaner, take great caution. If you don't know what you're doing, and you don't remove most of the water, your carpets could easily result in an unhealthy situation. High moisture levels can leak through to the carpet back and pad, which could promote the growth of mold and mildew. The carpet shouldn't take more than 24 hours to dry.
Quick stain removal tips
  • Wine, coffee, blood, and chocolateMix a cup of water with a tablespoon of ammonia (but not on wool carpet) and get to work.
  • Latex paint, jelly, gravy, and fecesMake a solution of half vinegar and half water; or mix a little detergent (with no bleach) with water. If the latex paint has dried completely; you may have to cut that fiber out of the carpet. Be careful when doing this!
  • GlueIf glue gets in your carpet, a cloth or cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol may be the solution you need. Use the alcohol to moisten up the glue and get it to release from the carpet fibers.
  • GumUse ice to freeze the gum in the carpet. Once it is frozen solid, break it apart with a spoon or other object. Then simply vacuum up the crumbled up pieces.
  • Fats and oilsYou want to get rid of fat and oil stains as soon as possible. Use a paper towel to blot up what you can, then place an iron (safely!) on the paper towel to heat the fat, so that it gets liberated from the carpet and sticks to the towel.
  • Candle WaxUsing the edge of a plastic card (like an old credit card), gently edge out as much of the wax build-up as possible. Lay a brown paper bag over the wax area and place an iron on the top of the bag set on a medium or warm setting. You will see the wax melt into the bag. Frequently move the bag around to clean the area evenly. CAUTION: Do not leave the iron on the area for more than ten seconds at a time as the head could distort or melt the carpet fibers. Once the fibers have cooled, repeat the procedure until no more wax transfers into the bag.


These are basic tips which may or may not work depending on the nature of your stain, the length of the time it's set, the quality and material of your carpet, and other factors. For a free consultation or estimate on issues that you can't do yourself, please contact Integrity Carpet & Floor Care at 708-206-2700.