Most people know how to take care of carpet, but rug care can be a little more complicated. Many of these principles are the same as carpet care, but with a few extra considerations. Here is how to look after your rug between professional cleanings.
Regular vacuuming keeps dirt from building up inside your rug. Include your rugs in your regular vacuuming routine, especially if they are near external doors. As rugs are usually not glued to the floor, you may need to use a lower suction setting to prevent moving the rug. You can also shake your rugs outside. Remember to lift your rug and vacuum underneath, as all sorts of grime can collect underneath it!
Leaving spills to seep into your rug makes it more likely that they will leave a permanent mark. You should confront accidents as soon as they happen, removing as much of the substance as you can. Fortunately, unlike most carpets, rugs can be taken outside to dry, and you should do this after any wet spillage. For stubborn stains, don't be afraid to call in a professional carpet cleaner.
Another advantage of rugs being movable is that you can shift them to prevent weathering. Over time, traffic over your rug can age it in specific paths, so it's worth moving it regularly. Windows can also sunbleach rugs unevenly. Some rugs are double-sided, meaning you can completely flip them without being able to tell the difference, while others can just be turned around. Either way, you should rotate your rugs every few months to take care of them.
Wearing shoes in the house can age your rug. The hard soles weather carpets much quicker than softer materials like slippers, socks or bare feet. They also carry in dirt and allergens from outside, posing a potential health hazard. Leaving your shoes at the door decreases the speed which your rug ages.
Some fluffier rugs begin to look deflated over time. You can prevent this by using a brush to bring life back to the fibres of your rug. Ensure that you use a brush for the correct type of rug, as some materials could be damaged by using the incorrect type of carpet brush.
Cheap, easy cleaning tips are enticing, but they can do more harm than good. Many of these tips don't work, and can cause permanent discolouration or damage. Beware of using household items for rug cleaning, and never use bleach on a rug. If in doubt, call in a professional cleaner.
The best way to take care of your rug is to regularly get it professionally cleaned. To find a local carpet cleaner, use the National Carpet Cleaners Association directory. Every member is accredited to take care of your carpets, following our code of conduct for the best service.
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Leather furniture can last a long time if well cared for. However, many people do not understand the correct way to care for leather furniture, and end up making these common mistakes. Here are 8 things you should avoid doing when carrying out leather furniture care.
Every single product you use to clean your leather should be patch tested first - even products designed for leather. Use a hidden area and use the product as directed, checking carefully for any discolouration or wear. This could save you from accidentally ruining a whole sofa!
If you have a house full of people, it can be tempting to leave spillages until everyone has left. However, any stain should be tackled as soon as possible to prevent it from soaking into your furniture and leaving a permanent mark. Always blot instead of scrubbing, to avoid driving the stain in further.
Leather is very malleable when warm, so you could warp the shape of your furniture forever. It can also dry out your leather too quickly, leading to cracks and faster weathering. Instead, let your sofa air dry.
Many people dismiss products specifically designed for leather furniture care as an unnecessary expense, but they are specially formulated to clean leather. Using your existing cleaning products could lead to damage, particularly if you use something with bleach in. Instead, look for specialist leather care products or hire a professional leather cleaner.
There are many online ‘hacks’ encouraging the use of household items for leather furniture care. For example, hairspray won't really fix peeling leather, and the chemicals in it will actually age your furniture faster! Another popular myth is using food oils to condition leather, which can lead to rotting and poor smells. Be careful when trying anything not designed for leather - if it feels too easy, it probably is!
Leather is very porous, so it absorbs water. Using a damp cloth is a good way to manage regular leather furniture care, but be careful that it is not soaking – and consider the type of leather (see below). Applying too much water to your sofa could leave it trapped in the upholstery, leading to mould.
If a damp cloth is suitable for your type of leather, be sure to clean panel by panel so any effect on the leather is consistent.
There are a multitude of different kinds of leather, and they all need to be cared for in specific ways. You should read the label of your furniture to find what kind of leather it contains, then use this to purchase the appropriate products. You may find that your house contains many different kinds of leather furniture!
For example, putting a damp cloth on pigmented leather may be fine, but on aniline it’s not so great – and putting any water on Nubuck leather could ruin it.
A professional cleaner has specialist products designed to clean your leather and other upholstery. Located all over the country, every National Carpet Cleaners Association cleaner is accredited for their expert hands. Our directory helps you to find nearby cleaners using only your postcode and the job you need doing.
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It's better for business to keep returning clients, and easier than finding new customers. One way to keep them coming back is to offer a bigger range of services. Customers who already trust you are more likely to choose you for their other cleaning needs, but you should follow these tips to ensure your new add-ons run smoothly.
Not every customer knows the right names for the exact service that they need, and they are more likely to approach you if they know for sure that you offer the right service. List the other items that you clean, and be clear about your pricing. Having readily available information about all of your services makes it easier for customers to find you and choose the right package.
Let your mailing list and social media followers know that you are adding a new service. Don't be too pushy – customers may not appreciate constantly being upsold! When booking new cleaning jobs, you can also inform them that you are operating an additional upholstery, leather or curtain cleaning service.
You could offer your additional cleaning service at a reduced price when booked in conjunction with carpet cleaning. Seasonal bundles, loyalty codes and multi-item deals are also great ways to give customers a bargain and bring in more business. While your add-on is still new, you could offer customers reduced rates in exchange for taking before and after photos of their upholstery.
Some insurance companies offer you a better deal for specialised businesses, only covering the services you offer. Expanding your range may mean that not every service is covered anymore, which leaves you vulnerable if something goes wrong. You may need to go back to your insurance company to renegotiate your coverage when you add extra services.
With any add-on or upsell, you should consider whether there is demand in your area and whether this will outweigh potential costs. Adding any new service involves buying more equipment, new marketing materials, and potentially more training, as well as the insurance checks above. If there is a lack of local companies offering leather, curtain or upholstery cleaning, it could be a great opportunity for you to step in.
Only offer services that you can deliver to the same high standard. If you have employees, every service you offer should be included in their training. A negative review can impact all sides of your business, not just your weakest services. This could lose you the trust of existing clients, costing more than you gain.
Members of the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) gain access to exclusive forums and advice, helping you to strengthen your business. Our accreditation is recognised industry-wide as a mark of high standard, demonstrating your excellence in the field. Businesses also appear in our directory, which customers can search by area and specific job.
Marketing a carpet cleaning business can be overwhelming, especially with the rise of advanced social media platforms. You might wonder: is a website still necessary, or can social media alone do the job? In order to answer this question, we've listed the benefits of both styles of promotion.
A big draw of social media is that it is free to use, with the exception of paid advertising. You can create accounts across a variety of platforms without spending a penny.
Social media delivers your content and images directly to potential customers using their algorithms. Through news feeds and suggested content, your posts will find their way to people that the platform believes will want to see them.
Most social media platforms have a messaging feature that allows potential customers to contact you directly with questions. This is a very easy way for customers to find out information.
Not only do social media platforms give you statistics about interactions with your posts and page, but these insights often contain demographic information about these accounts. This allows you to analyse who is seeing your posts, and potentially tailor your content for these groups or change it for those who it is not reaching.
Social media platforms require you to operate within their given format. This limits the extent to which you can prioritise information and apply branding. When you build a website from scratch, you are in control of every aspect.
While some social media platforms have their own marketplaces, these are optimised for items rather than services. Having your own website allows you to create a portal for customers to pay you, making the process simpler for both sides.
Searching a social media feed for specific information can be difficult. Creating your own website allows you to direct customers to significant information such as services, reviews and contact details using menus and pages.
Some social media platforms require visitors to have an account to see content. A website is easily viewable by a wider range of people and is more likely to appear in search engine results. It is also helpful to have a website address to direct potential customers to, rather than giving them a long list of social media profiles to choose from.
Social media is generally quite an informal environment. A well-made website demonstrates professionalism and makes your business seem more trustworthy.
While social media is a valuable marketing tool, a website brings benefits to your business that social media cannot provide. Whichever option you go for, just remember to keep it regularly updated. An up-to-date website and active social media page are far more likely to get seen than those that haven’t been updated in months or years.
Members of the National Carpet Cleaners Association can access exclusive advice and training on a range of key subjects, including marketing. After passing our checks, members can display our badge of accreditation on their websites and appear in our directory.
Water can wreak havoc on your carpets and floors. From flash flooding to burst pipes, large amounts of water on your carpet can pave the way for mould, discolouration and bad odours. Here are our top tips to succeed in water damage restoration for your carpet and prevent a costly replacement.
If you have experienced heavy rainfall, the source of the water may be obvious. However, slowly leaking pipes may be more difficult to spot. Look out for warping flooring or walls, mould, and carpet separating from its backing, as these are all signs of water damage.
It is not possible to begin water damage restoration until the source of water has been fixed. Whether that's turning off your stop tap or waiting for the rain to end, you need to make sure that water is still not pouring onto your carpet before you can repair the damage. You should also remove any furniture or belongings from the saturated area.
Water damage restoration cannot be carried out if your flooring is still saturated. Use a wet vacuum to remove as much of the water as possible. You may be able to rent a wet vacuum or hire a carpet cleaner to thoroughly remove the water.
Your carpet may still be slightly damp after the water is removed. Using a towel, soak up as much water as you can. Avoid leaving a wet towel in one spot for too long, as this can trap moisture and lead to mould.
Water travels all the way through your carpet and underlay to the floor below. This can cause it to swell, warp and split. If possible, lift up your carpet and underlay to allow the floor underneath to dry.
For isolated patches of damage, you may be able to peel back just a small section of carpet, but make sure that wet carpet does not sit folded over onto dry carpet.
Wet rugs should be hung outside whenever possible. If you notice damage to the floor, you should get this repaired as soon as possible.
Specialist equipment like dehumidifiers is a must to remove as much moisture as possible and minimise the chance of mould forming. Unfortunately, even with this equipment, you may find that the underlay needs replacing.
In the cases of flooding or sewage leaks, your carpet will be covered with dirt and bacteria, as well as water.
If you know that your carpet has been in contact with sewage, it is a health hazard and the best option is replacement. Other kinds of dirty water may be able to be cleaned up.
For extreme cases like water-damaged carpet, you should hire a professional carpet cleaner to tackle the cleaning, as at-home products are unlikely to scratch the surface.
Repairing water-damaged carpet can be a long process that requires specialist equipment. Calling in a professional cleaner gives your flooring the best chance of recovering. Use the National Carpet Cleaners Association directory to find expert cleaners in your area and salvage your carpet.
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Some stains seem to stick in your carpet no matter what you do, while others lift right out. Understanding why this happens is key to tackling difficult stains - and why many DIY methods are unsuccessful. Here is a simple explanation of carpet stain science and how to avoid a DIY stain removal disaster.
Every substance is made up of molecules. Your carpet has very porous fibres which absorb these molecules. These molecules then bond with your carpet fibres, and the task of stain removal is to break these bonds.
Some substances form these bonds quickly, which is why coffee and red wine are such difficult stains to remove. Some bonds are also strengthened by high temperatures, which is why things like blood should never be cleaned with hot water.
There are different types of stains, which explains why some substances are easier to remove than others. Water-soluble stains like mud can be cleaned away with water - assuming their pigment has not already begun to bond with your carpet. Oil-based stains are water-resistant, making it difficult to clean them with just water. Some substances, like chocolate, are a mixture of water-soluble and oil-based parts, which may require more than one approach. However, even once the substance itself has been removed, you may find that it leaves a stain behind due to the bonds it forms with your carpet.
Many DIY stain removal methods are ineffective as they do not tackle the bond between the substance and the carpet. Some methods even make this worse - many people instinctively tackle stains with hot water, but this encourages bonds to form faster and makes your job harder.
At the other end of the spectrum, DIY methods such as bleach should never be used as they damage your carpet. When it comes to carpet, bleach actually has no cleaning power – just the ability to remove dyes, especially in wool.
Other approaches that involve saturating your carpet may also lead to damage from mould and water damage. Due to their porous nature, carpets take such a long time to dry that they create an ideal environment for mould to grow.
It's important that you act quickly to remove the substance before it forms bonds. Ensure that you blot stains rather than rubbing them, as this can drive them further into your carpet. The best step to avoid further damage is to contact a professional carpet cleaner.
Avoid damaging your carpet by bringing in an expert on stain removal methods. Every cleaner in the National Carpet Cleaners Association directory is trained to remove any kind of stain, protecting your carpet in the process. You can also find other services such as upholstery cleaning, water damage repair and insect treatment using our drop-down menu.
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