When the subject turns to carpet stretching and carpet repair in Littleton, few companies have as much experience as A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning. Carpet stretching is something we’re adept at, and clients often ask if they should clean their carpet before stretching. Here are some thoughts to consider.
To clean or not to clean (before stretching)
An oft-repeated opinion touted by homeowners and more than a few carpet retailers is that a carpet is best cleaned before stretching. The thinking is that once a carpet has been stretched, cleaning it will “undo” some of the stretching and cause wrinkles dents, and folds to reappear. However, this is incorrect. It’s better to clean a carpet after stretching. Here’s why:
Cleaning loose carpet is tough
Many of us have tried vacuuming a rug: in the bathroom, by the front door, or in the mudroom. The operative word is “tried”, because vacuuming a rug is hard. It’s loose and unattached, and it almost always bunches up when a vacuuming is attempted. The same is true for carpet: the looser the carpet, the harder it is to clean. Folds and ripples in carpet can pose a frustrating challenge to even the best vacuums. The same is true if you want to clean your carpet with water and attempt to first dispense and then suction up moisture with a cleaner’s wand. The water finds its way into the carpet’s imperfections, and oft times it’s virtually impossible to dry before it seeps into the carpet and pad. And when this happens, you have a bigger problem on your hands than just a dirty carpet. Thankfully, none of these problems exist with a good, tight carpet that’s fold/wrinkle-free and can be easily vacuumed.
Post-stretch de-wrinkling
It’s not uncommon for carpet wrinkles to appear and then be ignored for a while. Either the wrinkles are in an out-of-the-way place like a basement or a guest bedroom, or they’re simply forgotten about due to other, more pressing daily matters. Maybe you thought once or twice about remedying those wrinkles, but didn’t want to spend the money. Whatever the case, wrinkles left unattended will eventually create visible lines – the kind that are clear as day when the carpet is finally stretched. Removing these lines is a tall order, and one that can’t be accomplished without first stretching and then cleaning the carpet. Wrinkle-lines won’t go disappear if you try to clean them when the carpet is loose, but they will vanish if they’re cleaned by an experienced carpet cleaner after the carpet is stretched.
There’s no doubt in the minds of the professionals at A Personal Touch Carpet Cleaning: the best approach is to clean your carpet after it’s been stretched. Not only does this approach save time and money (not to mention aggravation) since the carpet is good and taut, it also allows you to rid your carpet of unsightly lines created by unattended wrinkles when the carpet was loose.
For questions about carpet stretching and carpet cleaning, and to receive a free quote, contact our expert carpet cleaning team today. Remember at A Personal Touch, “We don’t cut corners, we clean them.”
