Just think about it – carpet and tiles, all in one. It’s the best of both worlds, right?
Padded carpet tiles are a great solution for an office, professional area, or your home. They’re versatile, durable and affordable – and they come in a huge range of styles and colors, so you can style them to suit your space.
Carpet squares and padded carpet tiles are easy to clean and maintain – but they’re a little different from a regular carpet (and very different from regular tiles). Here, we go through everything you need to know about how to care for carpet squares to ensure they maintain their quality over the long term.
What are padded carpet tiles?
Sometimes called ‘carpet squares’, padded carpet tiles are exactly what they sound like – tiles made out of carpet that slot together easily to create a padded flooring solution.
They’re individual pieces of fabric with a durable backing that are designed to fit together for easy installation. You can use them to cover your floor from wall-to-wall or design a custom rug built out of carpet squares.
Padded carpet tiles come in a huge variety of shapes and designs, from classic grey squares to multi-colored hexagons and are often used in shared professional spaces, like offices, hallways, or lobbies. Many people also find that they’re a great, budget-friendly option for high-traffic areas of the home.
How to clean padded carpet tiles
Padded carpet tiles are designed for high-volume spaces, so they’re incredibly resilient (and often coloured in a way that hides dirt and stains) but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean them!
Just like wall-to-wall carpeting or area rugs, padded carpet tiles require regular care to maintain their quality. Start off by vacuuming them at least weekly – more often, if it’s a high traffic area in a busy setting, such as an office or entryway.
When cleaning padded carpet tiles, it’s incredibly important to make sure that they dry out completely. The nature of carpet square design makes them very durable and resistant to dirt and stains – however, if they’re oversaturated with water and don’t get the chance to dry properly, mould and mildew can grow and spread within the fibres and beneath the padding.
Cleaning stains from padded carpet tiles
Padded carpet tiles are designed to be incredible durable and as resistant to stains as possible. However, you should still tackle any spills or accidents immediately (and call the pros if possible).
- Soak up as much of the stain as possible with a clean white cloth
- Before applying your cleaning agent, spot treat a discrete area of the carpet to make sure it doesn’t cause any crazy side-effects – check out our guide to planet-friendly cleaning products for ideas on what to use
- Apply warm water and your cleaning product of choice to the stain – remember: blot (don’t rub!) the area
- Work your way from the outside inwards very slowly, treating the area a little bit at a time
- When you’re done, use a hair dryer to dry the area the area thoroughly.
Some tiles can be easily removed so you can clean them in the sink (or replace them with a new tile!). If you’re able to remove the tile, rinse the stain with water and a mild detergent and allow to dry completely before re-installing.
It’s important to note that some padded carpet tiles are backed with bitumen, which helps create a sturdy foundation but can affect the carpet fibres if certain products are applied to it. If in doubt, check the manufacturer guidelines and always spot treat a small section first.
Professional cleaning for carpet tiles
Just like any carpet, padded carpet tiles will begin to show signs of fatigue after a few months (especially if they’re getting a lot of love in a particularly busy area of your office or home).
Professional deep carpet cleaning will help to remove and treat deep-rooted dirt and particles that have been trampled down and embedded in the fibres.
Our hot water extraction carpet cleaning services are ideal for padded carpet tiles. The keyword here is ‘extraction’: after being cleaned, padded carpet tiles must be dried completely to prevent mould and mildew growth.
Beware of anyone who tries to cut corners by way of DIY steam cleaning – too much saturation and not enough extraction can ruin carpet tiles, saturate the backing, and lead to much bigger problems down the line.
Beyond helping to keep your carpet tiles in great shape over the long term, regular professional cleaning will help make your space look fresh and inviting, protect the healthy atmosphere in the room, and give you peace of mind – so you can relax, work, and focus on the important things in your schedule.
Whether you’re returning to the office or the carpet squares in your home need a bit of TLC, reach out to our team for a padded carpet tile cleaning quote today.
