If you want to keep your carpets in good condition for as long as possible, you need to make sure that you're keeping them clean. Dirty carpets can get discolored, hold onto allergens, and degrade more quickly.
But how can you clean your carpet efficiently? We're here to offer a few carpet cleaning tips to help you out. Keep reading for our brief carpet cleaning guide.
1. Vacuum Often
Anyone who owns a home with carpet knows that dust, hair, and other debris can accumulate before you know it. This is especially true if you have many people living in your home, pets, or small children. A once-clean carpet will get dirty right before your eyes!Don't put off vacuuming until cleaning day if you see that there's a neat to vacuum. You could turn a blind eye to it if you like, but this isn't going to be productive and you'll be making more work for your future self.
If something spills, pull out the vacuum and get rid of it right away.
Even when you haven't dealt with a spill, vacuum at least once per week if not more. For people who live alone or with one other adult and have no pets, once per week is often enough. For people with pets or children, two or three times per week will be more effective.
Bonus tip: If you find that your vacuum gets clogged up with fur or hair, we recommend brushing the carpet first. It's time-consuming, but it will loosen up fur and hair so it's easier to vacuum and it will prevent larger chunks of hair from being caught up in the brushes.
2. Basic Stain Removal
When a liquid spills on the carpet, remove it right away if you want to avoid pesky stains. Once a stain sets in, it's far harder to get rid of, even if you have the best carpet cleaning products.When something spills, don't rub it. Instead, blot it and try to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. When you rub a stain, you move it around and it stains even more of your carpet. Oops!
After the area is mostly dry, apply a high-quality stain-removing cleaning solution and follow the instructions for how long to leave it. Keep in mind that you may have to do this more than once.
Avoid using bleach on your carpet unless your carpet is already white. The mark from the bleach will be more obvious than the stain would have been.
3. Deep Cleaning Sessions
How often do you deep clean your carpets?It's a good idea to deep clean once or twice per year depending on how many people live in your home. When you deep clean your carpet, you get deep into the fibers to remove any dirt, pollen, or mold that might be lurking.
Because of this, it's best to do it as the seasons change. Many people prefer to do it once in spring and once in autumn to get rid of common allergens (especially if they have allergies or asthma).
Rent or buy a steam cleaner for the occasion. A steam cleaner is a safe way to get deep into your carpet to remove any hidden gunk. You may find that your carpet looks to be an entirely different color when you're done.
Don't worry, it's normal for the water from your steam cleaner to look grey and murky. This isn't a sign that you aren't taking good care of your carpet. It's a sign that it was due for a deep cleaning session!
4. Between-Clean Freshening
Do you feel like your carpets need some freshening up, but you're not ready to bring out the steam cleaner just yet? No problem. You can freshen your carpets with a vacuum and one simple household ingredient: baking soda.When you need to freshen up your carpet, sprinkle it with baking soda. Make sure that no one steps foot on the carpet for about an hour (though you can leave it longer if you wish).
After an hour has passed, run your vacuum over the carpet to suck up all of the baking soda. Your carpet should look and smell fresher.
This is a better alternative to using scented sprays all over your carpet. While those sprays are effective, they can trigger allergies and cover smells instead of getting rid of them altogether.
5. Hire A Professional Cleaner
Most of the time, you'll be able to clean your carpets on your own. From time to time, however, you should treat yourself to a professional cleaning session. Let someone else take care of the work for you.Professional carpet cleaners have everything that they need to get rid of stains and freshen up your carpet.
Better yet, hire a professional house cleaner so you can get a full deep-cleaning session. A full-house deep clean is a great way to "reset" and give yourself a fresh start.
6. What Not To Do
So what shouldn't you do?When you clean your carpets, we advise against using too much water. Steam cleaners are effective because the water evaporates relatively quickly. Trying to shampoo your carpet or otherwise use water to clean it can result in mold forming within the fibers.
Avoid letting messes sit. Even things that normally would be easy to clean may get more difficult if you let them sit for too long. Whether it's crayon wax, a mess from a pet, or even crumbs, clean it up as quickly as possible.
Use These Carpet Cleaning Tips
These carpet cleaning tips will help you keep your carpet fresh and clean for years to come. Make sure that you clean often, deep clean at least once per year, take care of messes as soon as they happen, and hire a professional cleaner once in a while to treat yourself!Are you looking for some fresh new carpet for your home? At National Floors Direct, we've got you covered. Check out our supply of new carpets today.
