Hard Flooring vs Carpet: Cleaning & Maintenance Differences
Whether you're choosing new floors or just looking for the best way to maintain existing floors, it's important to know how to look after your floors. There are many methods and products to choose from, but not every method will suit every type of flooring. Read on to find out the cleaning and maintenance differences between hard floors and carpets.
Maintaining hard floors
Hard flooring is vulnerable to scratches and cracks, so be careful what kind of vacuum you use. Sweeping is usually a better option for hard floors, and you can also mop them.
Dust, crumbs and dirt build up on hard flooring more noticeably than on carpet. The fibres of carpet can hide many things, but hard flooring leaves them out in the open. This makes hard floors easier to maintain and helps you understand how often to clean them.
Some hard floors are impermeable, so can be washed with wet methods, while some absorb liquids, so can be damaged by wet cleaning. Make sure you know what your floor is made of before attempting to clean it.
While hard floors are usually more stain-resistant than carpets, you should still act on stains immediately. Once a stain seeps into hard flooring, it's often harder to remove than carpet stains. Hard flooring is also still at risk of sunbleaching, so it should be protected from direct sunlight as much as possible.
Maintaining carpets
The most important thing to remember when cleaning carpet is to be careful with the amount of moisture you use. Make sure that you use minimal amounts of water, and give your carpet plenty of time to dry.
Carpets can hide allergens, dust and bacteria deep inside their fibres, and in time this weakens the carpet. It's important to vacuum and deep clean them regularly to prevent damage to both the carpet and your household's health.
Like hard floors, carpets can be damaged by prolonged sun exposure. Using rugs, curtains and other obstacles can protect your carpet from long-term sun damage. Rugs should be moved regularly to avoid getting bleached themselves.
Furniture leaves indents in carpets more easily than hard floors. Regularly moving your furniture and deep-cleaning your carpet will help reduce the likelihood of permanent marks in your carpet.
Carpets are vulnerable to stains, so you need to tackle any spillages as soon as possible. Be careful what you use to clean it up, as carpets are open to discolouration or matting if cleaned incorrectly.
Hire a professional carpet cleaner
Whether you have hard floors, carpets, or a mixture of the two, a professional carpet cleaner can help identify the best way to take care of your flooring. The National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) has members all over the UK, and they can be found in our directory. Every cleaner is highly skilled and insured.
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