Carpets generally have a 10-15 year lifespan depending on the quality and the wear and tear. Most carpets will last around 15 years if they are cleaned and maintained.

There are some tell-tale signs that your carpet is ready to be replaced:

• It smells even after cleaning
• It’s going bald or has missing patches
• There’s no ‘cushioning’ left as you walk on it
• They feel damp, or you’re finding allergy suffers are reacting more than usual

Regular steam cleaning will not ruin your carpet if done correctly by professional carpet steam cleaners. When you get your carpet professionally steam cleaned, you’re removing the dust and dirt build-up, and as a result, your carpet’s colour and texture are bought back to life.

However, if you attempt DIY carpet steam cleaning and don’t use appropriate drying methods, you risk leaving them too wet and allowing mould to grow, defeating the purpose of carpet cleaning.

If you’ve noticed stains appearing on your carpet and you know it wasn’t caused by you (e.g. drinks spilling, pet staining etc.), then it may be a sign of mould growing underneath. When mould is advanced enough to appear on carpets, it indicates a sign that you’ve got issues going on underneath with the underlay or floorboards. When mould discolours your carpet, it typically appears as either green, white or black spots.

There’s nothing worse than a persistent stain on your carpets. If you’ve tried all the at-home methods, then it’s time to try steam cleaning, as you may have better success.

Steam cleaning is highly effective for removing stains. But there are some situations where carpet steam cleaning may not entirely remove a stain:

• The carpet is old or thin as the underlay or backing of your carpet may be stained, so you’ll still see the staining
• The stain has bonded to your carpet fibres and doesn’t want to release its stubborn hold on them. It’s best to spot clean spills straight away to avoid this.

We understand it may be hard to keep people off your freshly cleaned carpets; however, you should avoid walking on them until they are fully dry (around 2-3 hours).

If you walk on damp carpet, the fibres will flatten down and may dry that way. So rather than your carpets looking ‘fluffy’ again, you’ll have sections that look different.

Also, if you need to walk on them, please remember that they may be damp, so your feet may be slippery when you transition from the carpet to your other flooring.

This is a question that often sparks debate! Steam cleaning removes dirt, spills and stains deep in the pile and is much better at removing dust mites, allergens and bacteria than dry cleaning.

As steam cleaning can leave your carpet too wet if not done correctly, it’s always advised that you get a professional to steam clean your carpet.

Most carpet manufacturers recommend steam cleaning as the preferred carpet cleaning method.

When misused, you can damage your carpets rather than help them. It’s always recommended that you use professional carpet cleaners, as DIY machines run the risk of:

• Not heating the water to an optimal temperature
• Not being powerful enough to extract as much water and dirt from the carpet
• Not using the correct mix of carpet cleaning chemicals or using the machine correctly

If you’ve experienced a previous stain on your carpet, you may find it resurfacing in time or the next time you steam clean it. The original stain will travel back up the carpet through its fibres and reappear on the surface. This is called ‘wicking back’. Re-staining may occur if your carpet cleaning method used excessive moisture that reached the carpet’s backing.

This is another reason to use professional steam cleaners who won’t leave your carpet too wet during cleaning.

Anytime is a good time to clean your carpets, and regular cleaning is encouraged. For optimal weather conditions for drying your carpets, spring, autumn, and summer are ideal.

These are also the better months to avoid people walking in excess dirt and debris from outside. Many people choose spring as a part of their annual spring cleaning routine.