Should You Buy
New Carpet... Or have your Old
Carpet Cleaned?
Some
Carpets are designed to last for only 3 years and some for 30, but sooner or
later your carpet will have outlived its usefulness and will need to be
replaced.
Below
is a Quick Guide to help you determine if your old Carpet is
still worthy of another professional cleaning or if it’s Time to
Buy New Carpet.
1.
Is
your Carpet matted down?
One of
the first signs of carpet death is when the pile starts to mat down in the
main walkways and stairs. If your carpet is made of PET
Polyester or Polyester and is
matting down, then your carpet may be on its 
way out. Polyester fibers are
well known for matting down and crushing because they are not very
resilient. Once the tuft falls over and lays down it won’t ever return to
its original upright position. In this situation having your carpet
professionally cleaned will likely not give your carpet any renewed life.
However,
if your carpet is made from Nylon
or Sorona® then you may be able to
remedy the problem with a professional
cleaning.
Nylon is well known as the most resilient fiber because it has the ability
to regain its like-new appearance after being cleaned. Sorona®, also known as Smartstrand®,
PTT or Triexta is more
resilient than polyester and can regain some of its like-new appearance
after a thorough cleaning.
2.
Have
Berber Carpets?
If you
have a looped Berber carpet made from Olefin
and the once upright loops are now laying down flat as a pancake then it’s
likely that your old carpet has seen better days. While Olefin is a very
durable fiber, it is not very resilient and therefore prone to matting.
Olefin is cheap to manufacture and is inherently oily by nature; it tends to
attract dirt and is hard to keep clean. Many homeowners report that oily
spots or stains reappear soon after being cleaned. If your Berber carpet is
made from Olefin and is more than three years old, is matted down and
looking dingy; spending money on professional cleaning may not yield
beneficial results. It may be time to consider replacing your carpet.
Berber
styles made from Nylon are much
more desirable because they resist matting, are stain resistant and have a
much longer lifespan. The only downside is the cost because Nylon is much
more expensive to manufacture than Olefin. Expect to pay $20 to $40 per yard
for a good quality nylon Berber carpet. If your Berber carpet is less than
10 years old and is made from Nylon,
a professional cleaning can easily rejuvenate your carpet and provide you
with many more years of service.
3.
Is
your
Carpet permanently stained?
No
carpet is stain proof and even the most expensive carpets can be ruined by
staining. All carpets sold today have some form of anti-stain treatment
either applied or infused. All topically applied anti-stain treatments can
wash off or wear off over time. Scotchgard®
is a well known anti-stain treatment product that is topically applied and
can be reapplied as necessary. Most carpet cleaning companies provide this
service for a nominal fee. Stainmaster® carpets have an anti-stain system
that is infused into the fiber and does not wash or wear off.
Professional
carpet cleaners can remove most household stains but in some cases there is
little hope. Carpet manufacturers have a list of certain types of stains
that are not covered under their warranty including mustard, teas, bleaches,
acne medications, plant fertilizers, drain cleaners, and plant food - to
name a few.
If your
carpet has permanent stains or damage caused from vomit, urine, feces, mold,
mildew or other biological substances then your carpet may be a health
hazard and should be replaced. Consult with a professional carpet cleaner if
you need an expert opinion or advice.
4.
Is
your
Carpet more than 10 years old?
Most
carpet and padding sold today is designed to last about 10 years. This is
considered to be a medium grade or quality level that most homeowners
select. Prices range from $20 to $35 per square yard installed with a rebond
pad.
If your existing carpet is
more than 10 years old and you have issues like ripples or wrinkles, color
loss or fading, matting or crushing of the pile or a lack of padding support
in halls, main walkways and on stairs then your carpet and padding may be at
the end of its intended lifespan.
Lower
quality carpet may reveal these end-of-life warning signs much sooner and
spending hundreds having your carpet professionally cleaned won’t make a
worn out carpet or padding come back to life.
5.
Is
your
Padding worn out?
When you
buy carpet it is very important that you buy the correct padding to go under
it. Padding is considered the heartbeat of your carpet and once it fails to
provide enough support; your carpet will start to wear out much faster. So
when you are ready to buy new carpet, be sure to choose a good quality
padding that is able to provide sufficient support and has a lifespan equal
to the grade of carpet you select.
If you
find that your existing padding is worn out and your old carpet still looks
like new, you might be able to just replace the padding to give your old
carpet several more years of added life. This is not a common thing to do
and you should ask your professional carpet cleaner if this might be a
viable option for you.
Homeowners
Want To Know...
___________________________________
Why
hire a
Certified Carpet
Cleaner?
Not all
carpet cleaning companies are created equal. Some are definitely more reputable than
others and homeowners need to be careful who they hire. Costs can vary
greatly and hiring the company with the lowest price may not be the smartest
way to go. Watch out for companies that have low-cost specials that sound
too good to be true.
You don't want to hire an
inexperienced carpet cleaner that will soak
your carpets and do a lousy job. Hiring a Certified Carpet Cleaning Company
will ensure you get the job done right and get a fair and square deal.
There are several well known non-profit organizations that
establish and maintain industry standards. Reputable carpet dealers receive
ongoing education and training, earn certification and agree to follow
honest business practices; use top quality cleaning products and equipment
and follow a published code of ethics. You never want to hire a fly-by-night
carpet cleaner!
The two organizations I
trust are; The
Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification
(IICRC), and The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).
These
are their seals of 
approval
you should look for when looking for a reputable carpet cleaning company.
There are several types of carpet cleaning
systems available and choosing the right process for your type of carpet is
very important. Most carpet cleaning companies use a truck mounted machine
that uses a steam
cleaning process also known as "hot water extraction".
For Berbers
made of Olefin, you never want to get the carpet too wet so using a
low-moisture cleaning process would be a smart way to go. Wool carpets
should only be cleaned by a reputable company that specializes in cleaning
wool carpets. Contact your professional carpet cleaner for more information
and carpet cleaning advice.
Are
You Getting Ready to Buy New Carpet?
When
it’s finally time for you to start looking for the perfect carpet, there
are many important factors that you must consider to determine what grade of
carpet can meet your needs, goals, lifestyle and budget. You must know how
to consider fiber type, face-weight, pile density and tuft twist to name a
few. Choosing the wrong carpet or padding can be a very costly mistake.
The
price of new carpet has increased dramatically over the past decade and
there are plenty of common carpet scams and consumer pitfalls you need to
learn how to
avoid. In my 136-page
Carpet Buying Guide, I reveal over 100 years of combined family carpet
knowledge and experience to help you choose new carpet wisely, avoid common
scams and how to negotiate your absolute best carpet deal.
Learn how to buy carpet like a pro!
Thinking
About Replacing Your Old Carpets?
Ask
your Certified
Carpet Cleaner for a free copy of my 2011
Complete
Carpet Buying Guide
on CD-ROM.
It's available from Reputable Carpet Cleaning companies nationwide as
a promotional gift for you to read or print on your home
computer! It’s jam-packed with valuable money-saving information
and honest carpet buying advice to help you make wise and
informed carpet choices.
Read
Should
I Buy
New Carpet or have my Old
Carpet Cleaned? or
Visit Alan's
Best Carpet Cleaner Directory email me at Alan@AbcCarpets.com
