7 Easy Carpet Cleaning Tips
Author: Piter v
Carpets add value and comfort to a home. A carpet can be an important part of home décor. They also can be a major investment. Carpets can range in cost from two or three dollars per yard to hundreds of dollars or more per yard. Oriental carpets can cost thousands of dollars. The most important aspect of carpet care is cleaning. A clean carpet will last many years longer and give much more pleasure than a dirty carpet. These easy carpet cleaning tips will make cleaning easy.
Here are 7 easy carpet cleaning tips:
1: Remove shoes.
More than 75% of dirt and grime on a carpet is carried from the outside. If shoes don’t touch the carpet, it will remain much cleaner.
2: Vacuum regularly.
Using a vacuum often will pick up dirt particles before they have a chance to get embedded in the carpet fibers. It will also minimize potential health problems caused by pollen, dander and dust. It is also important to vacuum in many directions on a carpet. Only vacuuming in parallel lines will not pick up all the dirt. The vacuum should be moved in overlapping cross-hatch patterns. Baking soda can be sprinkled on the carpet just before vacuuming to remove odor.
3: Steam clean regularly.
Steam cleaning loosens dirt from deep in the carpet fibers. The powerful machines are also able to suck out moisture more efficiently than surface towel drying.
4: Don’t use household appliances like irons or blow driers to dry a carpet.
These appliances can damage the fibers and colors with a too intense heat.
5: Don’t rub stains, just blot with a clean cloth or white paper towel.
Rubbing can cause the stain to spread in the carpet. The best way to get rid of a stain is to apply a cleaning solution and then blot the stain starting from the outside edge and moving toward the center of the stain.
6: Use mild cleaners first.
Mild cleaners will preserve the color and texture of a carpet more easily than strong, caustic cleaners. There are many common household items that work very well as carpet cleaners. Some of them are:
- plain warm water
- vinegar and water, a 1:1 solution
- household ammonia, 1 teaspoon to ½ cup of water
- dish detergent, ¼ teaspoon to 1 quart of water
- rubbing alcohol, applied directly to a stain
- lemon juice and salt, applied direct to a stain
- shaving cream, applied directly to a stain
7: Use special cleaners for difficult stains.
Some difficult stains such as wine, blood, oil, grease, chewing gum or wax need specific cleaners. Here are some of the cleaners:
- WD 40 removes oil and grease.
- Household rubbing alcohol blotted on for 30 minutes takes out grease.
- Club soda takes out red wine.
- Ice cubes applied to chewing gum and wax will allow the gum and wax to be scraped out of the carpet fibers.
The best way to preserve a carpet is to clean it regularly by following these easy carpet cleaning tips.
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