Most modern carpet and upholstery are treated with a stain and dirt protector when they are new that can help them resist stains over time. Regular cleaning can help to keep your carpeting and upholstery looking new for a long time but can reduce the protection this stain resistant layer provides. The reason for this is that some of the more aggressive chemicals used to clean these surfaces can also work to break down this protective layer and leave the carpet fibers susceptible to dirt and stains. To help prevent these stains from occurring, and to extend the protection this stain resisting layer provides for your carpet and upholstery, you can have it reapplied every so often after you have done a cleaning schedule.

The protection treatment will actually be done by spraying a specialized treatment on the carpet or upholstery that will form a barrier to prevent stains and liquids from soaking into the material. The most common form of treatment used is done with Polymer or a form of Teflon. This barrier can help prevent stains as it actually forces liquids that are spilled onto a carpet to bead up and makes it easier to remove them before they have a chance to soak into the fibers.

It is important that this liquid or dirt is cleaned up quickly since most stain protection doesn't prevent the carpet from absorbing a stain; they only slow down the process of absorption. This means that if a staining agent like wine is allowed to sit on a carpet for a period of time, it will actually stain the carpet, just as if it hadn't been treated. What these protection agents provide is a delay in this staining action. The layer they create between any potential stain and the carpet fibers will slow down the rate of absorption of the stain, and allow you the time needed to clean up the staining liquid before it gets a chance to set into the fibers.

The reason this protection needs to be reapplied is that it is slowly compromised through the regular cleaning of the carpet or upholstery. The action of vacuuming, and the reaction of the chemicals used to clean the carpet will weaken its protective abilities. Over time cracks in this protective layer will occur and allow stains to penetrate the carpet fibers and cause permanent damage.

The good news is that this protection can be reapplied easily to restore the resilient layer that protects your carpet. This process is normally done by a professional carpet cleaner and can be applied as part of a scheduled carpet cleaning appointment in most cases. If you clean your carpets regularly, it is normal to have this stain protection applied at least once a year to ensure maximum continued protection from dirt and stains.

The application of this carpet protection can vary depending on the type of solution being applied. Most carpets have this stain protection applied when they are manufactured and this is usually applied at high temperatures to help it adhere to the carpet. When the solution is applied after the carpet has been installed in the home, a simpler application is used. If the carpet cleaning company is using a Teflon based product for this protective layer, it is normally applied as a spray to an already damp carpet. It is sprayed on under pressure to make sure it penetrates to the lower portions of the carpet fibers. This assures you complete protection from spills and dirt. Once the solution has been applied to the carpet, it is then raked into the fibers to ensure complete coverage. The carpet is then left to air dry to complete the process. You should avoid heavy traffic and vacuuming the carpet for a few days after treatment to allow the solution to cure. The carpet may seem somewhat stiff after the process is completed, but this subsides once it has been vacuumed. When the carpet has had time to dry, you should do a complete vacuuming of the area to break apart any fibers that have stuck together after application of the protection on the carpet.

The Polymer solution can be applied with a sprayer as well and can also be applied to a dry carpet. It also should be raked after application and will dry in about the same amount of time as the Teflon based solutions. The choice between these two alternatives is up to the homeowner and both of them provide great protection from stains and dirt.

Applying a stain protection to your carpets on a regular basis is part of its normal care. This stain protection is applied when the carpet is new and will wear over the years through normal vacuuming and foot traffic on the carpet. By reapplying this protection every year or so you can ensure that your carpets will stay as clean as possible for their entire life. This protection will also make cleanup easier as it will prevent stains and dirt for adhering to the carpet fibers and upholstery.