Once you’ve gone to the expense of buying carpeting for your home, it is a worthwhile investment to take care of it. Keeping a clean carpet also assures a healthy living environment. What most don’t realize is that regular vacuuming alone does not always ensure that your carpet is clean.
Vacuuming regularly may not keep carpets perfectly clean, but it does prevent dirt from getting imbedded deep down into the fibers. While it would be ideal to vacuum a carpet daily most of us do not have the time for that. A more realistic goal is to vacuum all high traffic areas at least twice a week. As for technique, you’ll get the best results if vacuum slowly over an area going back and forth and side to side in parallel rows for about seven strokes.
But, as noted, carpet cleaning goes beyond vacuuming. Occasional shampooing of a carpet is a popular method to get carpets cleaner. A shampoo solution is sprayed onto the carpet which loosens and absorbs deep dirt. Allow the carpet to dry, and then vacuum. Another popular but somewhat more expensive method of carpet cleaning is steam cleaning. This process uses a liquid-based cleaning agent and a steam-cleaning machine which brings dirt to the carpet’s surface.
Shampooing and steam carpet cleaning are both great ways to get dirty carpets clean, but what about keeping carpets free of stains in the first place? Of course, it’s impossible to completely avoid stains – at some point, someone will track dirt on their shoes or spill a drink. The key here is to act quickly on any stain. The longer the liquid is left on the floor, the more of a chance it has to set in. Blot up any extra liquid as best you can. Never rub the carpet fibers. Rubbing only causes the fibers in the carpet to weaken and ultimately can create a worn spot. A number of brands of carpet cleaners work very well in removing stains, but there are also a few home remedies that will work just as well. Blotting club soda on a stain with a clean, dry cloth really does works wonders. Baking soda and corn starch are good for removing oil spots. Straight vinegar has also been known to remove chocolate and coffee stains.
There are also a few extra simple things that you can do everyday to keep your carpets clean. Make your home a “shoe free” home. That doesn’t mean bare feet – natural oils from our feet can do a number on carpets as well, so wear socks or slippers in the house. Keep an entrance mat by the front door. Make sure that the mat is long enough to be able to give guests room to come in, wipe their feet, close the door, and take off their shoes. Spare slippers along the mat can be a nice courtesy and a gentle prompt for guests to remove shoes. You should also place a mat outside the house. This will remove the larger particles of dirt before anyone enters the home. (Don’t forget to keep this mat clean as well — when a mat reaches a point when it can no longer hold anymore dirt, the dirt ends up making it into the house anyway).
As long as you give our carpets the time and energy they deserve, you will be able to enjoy this investment for many years to come.
Teach Me How to Speed Clean!
Sign me up for your FREE Speed Cleaning Secrets mini-course today!
No Responses to “Guide to Complete Carpet Care”