Here’s some insight about protective treatments taken from our Carpet and Interior Textiles Care Guide.
Many carpets these days come with protective treatments that help resist a variety of forms of staining already applied. But what about those that don’t? What about your upholstery?
Ultimately whether you have protective treatments applied is up to you, but here are five reasons why you might want to:
- Your carpet and upholstery will look better and last longer when protected. Soils will release from the fibers much more effectively.
- Protective treatments make spots easier to remove. The easier a spot is to remove, the less detergent and/or agitation you will have to use. The less agitation you have to use, the less time it will take. When a protective treatment has been applied, many spots can be removed easily with just water.
- Protective treatments can help save your traffic areas from becoming destroyed. Traffic area soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This damaging soil releases more readily from protected fibers.
- Protective treatments can make your next professional cleaning more effective. Having protector applied will enhance your next professional cleaning by allowing more soil to be removed.
- Protective treatment can help prevent permanent stains. Beautiful textiles can be ruined by an ugly stain. Protector will allow you to remove spots and spills more effectively, thereby helping you to avoid permanent staining.
A note about protective treatments:
Not all protective treatments are created equal. Likewise, not all treatments are good for all textiles. It’s not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. If you plan on applying the treatments yourself, be absolutely certain you know what your carpeting or upholstery is comprised of AND that your treatment is one that is recommended for those materials. If you don’t know what materials you are dealing with or you are not certain if the treatment you have is safe for them, we strongly recommend that you ask a carpet and upholstery professional for advice before applying the treatment. For the best results, it is also important that your carpet and upholstery be thoroughly cleaned and completely dry before applying the treatment. Because of their deeper cleaning capabilities, it is probably a good idea to at least have a professional take care of this part.
This is one of a series of articles written and published on behalf of Stone and Tile PRO Partners.