Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning FAQs

There are infinite choices of rugs available in the market today – hand made, machine made, natural fiber, synthetic fiber, woven and tufted – new and old.

Although they look great- there is one thing  that almost all of them have in common-none of them come with an INSTRUCTION MANUAL. How to handle spills? How often should they be vacuumed? Why does a rug shed – or smell, or will it discolor your floor?

There is a lot of valuable information available on our site to provide clients with a educational facts for rug owners and caretakers, or individuals looking to buy rugs and are looking to find the best choice for their home.

Truck mount systems are designed for commercial grade carpet and the mechanisms are too forceful for carpets containing wool or fine fabric. In addition, a truck mount systems utilize chemicals that are activated with high temperature settings that can cause shrinking or color damage, creating permanent damage to rugs and carpeting.

Accidents happen - we've all been there - and while homeowners, cleaning staff or guests have the best intentions when trying to remove a stain, resist the urge to reach under the sink for a solution hoping for a miracle. 

Unfortunately, most over the counter products are too strong and cause permanent damage to rugs and upholstery. For optimum results, when a stain occurs, gently blot the area and remove as much of the stain as possible. Layering multiple chemicals on a stain can permanently damage the fibers and create additional problems.

After installation, many factors contribute to how fabrics and rugs wear and react to their environment. Unfortunately most do not come with instructions and require technicians who are knowledgeable and trained to identify the fibers and assess how to carefully treat them.

AAA employees participate in continuing education classes provided by industry associations and our services include a variety of cleaning options. AAA’s approach is that ultimately fabrics dictate how items should be cleaned. AAA Carpet and Upholstery offers a variety of methods   to ideally care for your unique needs.

Protecting the investment of your carpet is most effective when the carpet is cleaned often, every four to six months. Families with busy life styles and have traffic from children and pets should be professionally cleaned at regular intervals to prevent staining and permanent damage. The more often carpet is professionally cleaned, the longer the life of your carpet will be.

For a more cost-effective approach, clean once a year. Save time and resources by professionally cleaning the same time each year. Some clients want to present a fresh atmosphere to guests for special holidays and clean before events, others opt to clean between seasons to rid their home of dust and allergens.

The bottom line is that having your carpet professionally cleaned by AAA Carpet and Upholstery every four to six months will protect the life of your investment and reduce the your home exposure to health hazards, pollutants and dirt.

A great deal of time, effort and research are spent selecting the perfect carpet or area rug to compliment your interior design plan. Purchasing new carpeting and area rugs for a property can be a significant investment and AAA Carpet and Upholstery has the following tips to help it last as long as possible.

The difference it can make is amazing to the overall appearance of a home and in the life of your investment.

Set up a routine for vacuuming and your carpet will look new for years:
The ages and size of the family household will help to determine how often a carpet needs to be vacuumed.

A family with small children who are in very close contact with the floor should vacuum the carpet daily. New carpet can have loose fibers or fuzz that could remain on the carpet for months. A daily cleaning will help to eliminate the risk of small children inhaling or swallowing fiber or fuzz.

Homes with pets should be vacuumed daily. Pet dander and hair collects everywhere, weaving itself into carpets and upholstery and ultimately creating unpleasant odors.

Carpet in a heavy traffic area should be vacuumed daily if possible. Most of the soil in a carpet is dry and can be picked up easily with a vacuum. The fibers of carpet break down and become damaged when soil has the chance to settle deeper into a carpet and shorten the longevity of your area rugs and carpets.

Areas that receive a lot of foot traffic will need to be vacuumed daily or twice weekly, depending on the number of feet walking your carpet. 


Sharp objects are more likely to damage the fibers than is soiling.

If you live in an area where you can track sand in on your shoes or clothing, then a daily vacuuming is necessary.

Hallways, stairs, entrances and common paths get constant wear and should be vacuumed daily to prevent the fibers from becoming packed down.

AAA Carpet and Upholstery recommends vacuuming an area as many times per week as the number of people that regularly use that area. For instance, for an individual’s bedroom a weekly vacuuming is sufficient and a shared room with one other person should get a twice a week treatment.

The way that you vacuum actually impact your results, AAA Carpet and Upholstery suggests that you follow these tips:

• Each room should be vacuumed according to daily use and the number of people that use a room determines the frequency/week. 
• Use a forward and backward motion in a slow and deliberate motion.
• The most effective method to address heavy traffic areas is to follow up by changing the direction of the vacuum and sweep across the carpet for a second time, dirt that was not picked up by going back and forth should be picked up in the second cross sweeping action.
• It is important that a vacuum cleaner is set on the proper height- a cleaner set at a height that is too low will cause unnecessary wear and tear on the fibers. A setting that is too high will not allow full power from the machine to lift dirt from the carpet.
• To allow for maximum cleaning power from your vacuum cleaner, mark on your calendar when you change your vacuum bag and change it at least every 3 months. House staff may overlook the importance of regularly checking and replacing bags or cleaning filters.

Surprisingly, the average 6-room house collects 40 pounds of dust each year and approximately 40,000 dust mites can "thrive" in one ounce of dust. During winter months, contaminated air circulates throughout a home every time the heating system is on and dirt, dust and debris build up.

Polluted indoor air and unclean floors and surfaces can harbor dirt, bacteria and dust mites. Studies have also shown that contamination within the home can aggravate allergies and asthma. To protect your family from allergies, AAA Carpet and Upholstery recommends the following:



• Vacuum regularly to remove dust and dirt from carpeting and flooring. A3 suggests to clients to invest in vacuums with a HEPA or double filter for the most effective results.


• Regularly clean and dust upholstery and leather furniture to pick up dust, dust mites, and other debris on a weekly basis by brushing or vacuuming upholstery before cleaning. This will help to avoid rubbing in any existing dirt that may be present on the fabric.
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Gently clean leather furniture and avoid marring the surface by a using a dry microfiber cloth or a brush attachment of a vacuum to remove dust particles that have settled into creases.
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Safely clean upholstery on a weekly basis by using a dry microfiber cloth or a brush attachment of a vacuum to prevent pulls or damage to delicate fibers. 


• Washing your bedding and blankets weekly will decrease your exposure to dust mites. 


In addition to scheduling professional cleaning for your carpet, rug, and draperies encompassing these additional steps can be helpful to maintaining your property:

• Thorough house cleaning and frequently vacuuming are advised throughout the week 1-2 times or 2-3 times depending on usage
• Changing vacuum cleaner bags once a month
• Clean heater filters every six months
• Clean heating ducts once a year or following renovation projects

Call AAA as soon as possible, our clients know that they can rely on us to personally answer your call regardless of the day or time. We are happy to accommodate clients with emergency same day service.

We can remove virtually any stain.