Just like waiting too long in between dentist appointments, many people wait too long in between professional carpet cleanings. Harmless as it may seem, waiting too long between cleanings can dramatically reduce the life of your carpet. You have a huge air filter in your home, and it's called your carpet. The carpet cleaning experts are often asked how often I should get my carpet cleaned.

Dark-traffic lanes are a bad sign.

• As dirt collects on the traffic lane, every step you take grinds like sandpaper against the carpet fibers, causing premature wear.

Frequent cleanings will prolong your carpet life. You have a huge air filter in your home, and it's called your carpet. You may notice on dark hard floors, dust collects after only a few days. This is not noticeable in the carpeted areas because the carpet is trapping the dust and other allergens in the carpet fibers.

• Make sure you vacuum twice a week to take out much of this dry soil and clean with a truck- mounted professional cleaner frequently to get the deep-down trapped dirt and dust.

If you wait until you see your carpet is dirty to call your carpet cleaner that might not be often enough. Dirt is trapped deep in the carpet fibers, and the more dirt that is in your carpet, the faster it will wear out. Instead of the "wait-and-see" method, consult with your carpet cleaner about the right schedule for your carpet and stick with it. The small investment in cleaning will be much better than the cost of replacement of prematurely worn carpet.

We are frequently asked how often my carpets should be professionally cleaned. There are many variables to consider.

• do you have kids
• do you have pets
• lots of foot traffic

You need to clean more often than someone who lives alone and doesn’t wear shoes in the house.

• The average cleaning should be about every six months.

What products should I use to clean my carpet in between professional cleanings?

Our recommendations:

• Avoid many home remedies and "tips" you find on the internet and other sites can make a stain go away, but you may be left with bleaching, sticky dirt-attracting residue, or other issues you didn’t anticipate.
• Stick with cleaners that don’t contain soaps, solvents (solvents can deteriorate the backing of the carpet, causing it to de-laminate and come apart), or brighteners.
• Consult with your professional carpet cleaner for safe solutions and when it doubt, we recommend that you just use water.

What should I do if I get a stain on my carpet?

• Don’t panic. Many stain problems are made worse when you panic and start using everything under the kitchen sink on the stain.
• You don’t want to make a stain permanent that could have been removed before you started your stain removal process.

If you encounter these stains:

• ink
• rust
• blood
• makeup
• other non-common stains

These can be difficult even for professional cleaners. Better to not even touch these stains. Call the professionals.

Stain fighting techniques include:

• Start with water.
• Use a damp terry cloth towel to WIPE the spot in different directions.
• Again, don’t panic and start to SCRUB the spot. You risk changing the texture of the carpet, creating a "fuzzy" spot where the stain used to be.
• Move on to a good spot remover.

How should I pick a professional cleaner?

• Check online reviews. No matter what a company says on its website or in its advertising, it comes down to what actually happens in your home.
• Review sites are making it more and more difficult for companies to post fake reviews, so when you find a company with a great online reputation, it's a great sign.
• Find out if their "specials" are really that special. Carpet cleaners are notorious for bait-and-switch pricing. Ask enough questions to find out if the special applies in your situation, and see if they are playing games with their pricing. The worst offenders will only allow you to use their specials if you are cleaning already clean carpet.
• Make sure the cleaning complies with your manufacturer warranty. Most manufacturers require a professional hot water extraction cleaning every 12-18 months in order for you to make a warranty claim. If you get the wrong type of cleaning, the manufacturer is off the hook.

Regular cleanings of your carpet, upholstery, tile, and rugs increases your investments' life, removes harmful allergens from your home, and keeps your home looking clean and beautiful. It’s not always fun, but like regular dentist visits, it's better than the ugly or costly alternative. Contact ToFixIt today at: to set up your appointment.