At Colorado Carpet Masters we want you to have a pleasant carpet cleaning experience even if you are using a Rug Doctor. We often get calls from people who have made their rugs much worse after renting a portable cleaner simply because they did not know the proper methodology for cleaning carpets. After reading this article you should be able to use a Rug Doctor effectively.
The first step to any carpet cleaning is a thorough vacuuming of the carpet prior to the carpet getting wet. An average 9 x 12 rug can hold an amazing 85 pounds of dry soil! Once the carpets are thoroughly vacuumed we need to pre-treat the fibers with a soap designed to loosen the soils and stains that are attached to the carpet fibers. The soap needs to dwell anywhere from two to twenty minutes to suspend the soils so that we can rinse the dirt out. The hotter the pre spray is the more powerful it will become. Once you reach 118 degrees every 18 degrees hotter doubles the ability of the soap to loosen the dirt and stains. Mix and apply the pre spray according to the directions. If you have oil based stains you will need to use a solvent spotter to break the oils bond to the carpet fiber prior to rinsing. If you have the ability to agitate the carpet prior to extraction, do so. Use hot water in your Rug Doctor to extract the soap and dirt. You can add a little vinegar to the hot water solution to leave the carpets soft. These tips are for synthetic carpets only (not wool). Wool carpets need neutral cleaners or the wool will be damaged. If you feel the Rug Doctor will not meet your current needs or if you have questions, please call Colorado Carpet Masters at 303-459-2482.
