Keeping your carpets clean is the easiest way to ensure they remain in excellent condition over years of extensive use. If you think about it, carpet suffers the most wear in comparison to any other part of the room. A regular cleaning and maintenance regime will ensure that your rug lasts longer, and is not replaced quite so often. This can extend beyond vacuuming once a week to achieve a deeper clean and get to the embedded dirt and grime that can remain hidden in carpet material. We have outlined the most effective method to keep your carpet in tip-top condition from when it is laid until its eventual replacement. If you employ an extensive cleaning schedule, you will find that your carpets will last much longer than expected. It will also act to limit allergens such as pollen and reduce your hay fever symptoms in Spring.
The cleaning should begin with the washing of your carpets. This should be conducted every three to four months for domestic carpets. You can hire or purchase a domestic carpet cleaning machine or even hire someone to do this for you. If you have children or pets, you may wish to wash your carpets more regularly than this. You need to make sure that you have the right carpet cleaning products for your carpets. Do not opt for the cheapest, or even base your decision on price. You will require a carpet cleaning solution along with a carpet cleaning machine. These machines act too deep to clean your carpets without soaking your carpet or damaging it in any way. A shampoo that has a carpet protector included will help to ward off stains. One of the most popular brands to date is, of course, Scotchgard. You also need to consider the material from which your carpet is made. A woolen carpet will require a wool safe cleaning solution, for example.
Before you begin with your carpet cleaning, you will want to clear as much of the floor as possible. There are several reasons for this, but most importantly, you do not want to damage your vacuum cleaner with small objects which may get sucked up into the machine. This can be expensive to fix or replace and is avoided easily. To get rid of those dents left by furniture over time, you can rub an ice cube over the spot.
Bicarb soda has many different uses. It can give a new lease on life to mattresses and couches, but it can also do wonders for your carpet. To rid your carpet of unwanted odors, bicarbonate of soda is the best natural deodorizer. All you need is an extra hour, sprinkle it over the entire area of your carpet and leave it for a quarter of an hour to an hour. Then you can vacuum it off, and the smell will be removed with it.
Before you begin washing your carpets, you will need to vacuum to remove any surface dirt and ensure the best clean. This can also act to avoid clogging up your carpet washing machine. This should be done every week to prevent the dust from being walked into your carpets further. Spills on your carpet should be attended to as soon as possible. The carpet cleaner should be applied to the stain to help lift it ASAP and leave your carpet in near perfect condition. Iron can even be used if you have, by chance, run out of carpet cleaner. Soak a cloth in water and place it over the stain. Run a hot iron across it and voila! The heat acts to break up the stain and makes it easier to clean. This is also a great way to remove spilled candle wax, which is otherwise impossible to remove from carpet. Stains should always be blotted up, not rubbed as this can push them further into the carpet. Warm water can be used to dilute the stain, and white vinegar added to blot more of the stain out. The organic stain remover is great for stains such as pet accidents and other organic stains. It should be applied as soon as possible for the best results.
When deep cleaning your carpet, you will need to apply a pre-cleaning treatment that should be left on the carpet for up to 15 minutes. You do not want to go overboard with this treatment as over-wetting the carpet can cause the underlying dye to leak into the carpet and create an enormous amount of damage. So, use sparingly.
When using your carpet cleaning machine for the first time, ensure that you read the manual and follow it carefully. You will need to rinse the tanks and also check the filter and brush to make sure that they are clean before use. If you detect any issues, make sure that you resolve them before use. To start, fill the tank with warm water and your chosen carpet cleaning solution. The machine should be unplugged for this step, and once filled, you can plug it in, and you are ready to clean! Start at the far corner of the room and work your way toward the door. This will ensure that you do not trap yourself far from your exit point and are forced to walk over your clean carpet to get out. You should move slowly and run the carpet cleaning machine over the area up to four times. Hold the trigger down slowly to spray the cleaning solution sparingly.
Make sure that the windows are open to ventilate the area and allow your carpet to dry quickly. In the colder months, you may need some additional heating to dry your carpet efficiently. This may take up to a few hours to dry, so avoid using this room for the time being. To keep your carpet cleaner for longer, take off your shoes when using the room to avoid taking outside dirt in with you.