More than just about any other type of flooring, how to keep carpet clean is a difficult and widely discussed and disputed task. Aside from the vast array of products on the market to perform this job, you can also easily find many recipes for homemade cleansers. The techniques for how to apply these concoctions are also disputed, and it can be difficult to get a straight answer when wondering if you should let a cleaner soak in or if you should rub in circles rather than straight lines.
In a place like Pittsburgh, carpet cleaning can be an even bigger job than in other places because of snow, slush, and, of course, mud caused by the 40+ inches of precipitation the city can expect each year. While certain precautions should be taken by anyone who wants to keep their carpet looking good, many folks have opted out of doing the real dirty work themselves and decided that this is a job for a professional.
Pittsburgh Carpet Cleaners
Experienced Pittsburgh carpet cleaners have seen it all; you won't be able to stump them with ground in dirt or red wine spills. By choosing to pay for professional carpet cleaning services, Pittsburgh residents are actually making an investment of sorts. Those stains that you can't quite get completely out on your own can be treated, and the pros have the equipment and the chemicals to do it. Even the most careful households will notice how much better a floor looks when it is professionally cleaned on a periodic basis.
By hiring professional cleaners once or twice a year, you actually extend the life of your carpet, and that doesn't just mean that it will look good longer (though that is certainly true, too). Dirt that is not visible to the eye can hide in carpet unnoticed even after a good vacuuming; that dirt and grit is jagged enough to actually cut carpet fibers when it is tread upon. While it is doubtful that you'll find big clumps of carpet fibers falling out all at once, over time, one by one, these small fibers will add up, and your carpet will actually become thinner and lose its texture.
Carpets need to be cleaned at least once a year! Click here to
Clean Carpets Basically, what it comes down to is how long you are willing to wait between carpet replacements. If you have money coming out of your ears, maybe you can afford to buy new carpet every year or two. For most of us, however, our carpet needs to last as long as possible. With all the glasses to be spilled, plates to be dropped, and mud, slush, rock salt, and grit to be blown or tracked into your unsuspecting home (especially if you have children or pets), utilizing professional carpet cleaners can keep your floors functional and looking good longer. To make the most of their services, it's good to call a cleaning team in early spring and again in early fall, after the heavy soil periods of winter and summer.
Pittsburgh Carpet Cleaning Prices
For at home carpet cleaning, Pittsburgh residents will likely pay between $100 and $200, depending on the number of rooms and the state they are in. Sending a rug out to be cleaned generally costs around $200 and often takes a couple days instead of a couple hours. Installing new carpet, on the other hand, can easily be $1,500 to $3,000, so it's easy to see where a professional hand every once in a while, in addition to your regular vacuuming and cleaning schedule, can save money in the long run. 
Jon Nunan is a freelance writer who draws on his experience in construction, ranging from landscaping to log home building, for his articles on home improvement.