If you have allergies or asthma, you are probably thoroughly accustomed to experiencing such symptoms as coughing, breathlessness and watering eyes. Even if you repeatedly wipe down surfaces in your home, you could still find yourself being triggered. Where are those pesky allergens hiding?

One possible answer: amidst the fabric strands of carpets. The carpet cleaning services we offer in Whakatane utilise the hot water extraction method otherwise known as steam cleaning. However, giving Carpets & Critters a call is far from the only thing you can do to help rid your carpets of allergens.

Vacuum at Least Once Weekly

It might be advisable for you to vacuum your carpets more often than once a week — say, every day — in circumstances that would make your allergies likelier to flare up. For example, perhaps you have shedding pets or simply live in an area where allergies are especially common.

Use the Right Kind of Vacuum Cleaner

Some vacuum cleaners are naturally better than others at banishing the likes of dust, dirt and pollen from carpets. It would bode well if the vacuum cleaner you use has its own integrated HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, as this is capable of picking up even tiny allergen particles.

More to the point, HEPA vacuums are effective at trapping these particles rather than releasing them back into the air, as other vacuums can end up doing.

Also, look for a vacuum packing a lot of suction power. The more of it the vacuum does have, the higher the amounts of dirt and debris you would be able to remove using the device.

Clean Up Carpet Stains as Soon as Possible

If you drop something that consequently stains the carpet, endeavour to remove the stain right there and then. Leaving a carpet stain untouched for too long — especially if it is a food remnant — can give rise to bacteria or mould, either of which could cause allergic reactions.

Get in Touch with a Professional Carpet Cleaner

In many instances, some element of steam can be required for releasing debris from deep amongst carpet fibres. In using hot water (our own, not the customer’s) to clean carpets, we can kill nuisance pests — like dust mites — that may also have been bringing about allergic outbreaks.

It is crucial to underline that attempting to undertake steam cleaning in a DIY fashion can have unsatisfactory results. For this reason, we urge Whakatane residents to phone 021 434 286 to learn how our carpet cleaning services follow the hot water extraction method to a professional standard.