Complete Carpet Care Tips

Putting a new carpet into your home is expensive so it makes sense to take good care of it for years to come.  Furthermore, complete carpet care maintains a healthy living environment.  Despite popular belief, vacuuming alone is not sufficient to keep your carpet clean.  There are several different steps you need to take in order to maintain a clean carpet. 

Vacuuming may not keep your carpet perfectly clean but it is one of the essential aspects of carpet care.  To prevent dirt from getting embedded in the fibers of your carpet, it’s necessary to vacuum on a regular basis.  It’s ideal to vacuum every day but unfortunately most of us do not have time for daily vacuuming.  Vacuuming twice a week is a more realistic goal.  To get the most out of vacuuming in high traffic areas, slowly run the vacuum back and forth and side to side in parallel rows at least seven times. 

There is a lot more to carpet care than vacuuming.  Shampooing is a popular and effective way to clean carpets.  To shampoo your carpet, you have to spray a shampoo solution on it and leave it there for a while so it loosens and absorbs all of the dirt in the fibers. Then you have to follow up by vacuuming the carpet once the shampoo solution is completely dry.  Steam cleaning is another popular way to clean carpets and it entails using a steam cleaning machine and liquid cleaner to loosen dirt and bring it to the carpet’s surface. 

While shampooing and steam cleaning carpets gets them clean, they are not effective ways to remove carpet stains.  Carpet stains are inevitable since people track dirt and spill drinks and food.  Cleaning carpet stains is not hard. The key to getting rid of carpet stains is immediate action in order to prevent them from setting in.  To get rid of a stain, blot the extra liquid with a dry cloth.  Do not rub the liquid in because it will weaken and wear out the carpet fibers.  There are many effective carpet-stain removers on the market but home remedies like baking soda can be equally effective and they are a more economical option.  Use a clean, dry cloth to blot baking soda on a carpet stain.  For oil spots, use baking soda and corn starch.  Vinegar is known to be effective in removing coffee and chocolate stains. 

It’s important to know how to clean your carpet effectively once it gets dirty but regular maintenance is also essential.  Try adopting the Japanese custom of wearing no shoes in your home.  However, don’t expect your transition to a shoe-free home to be the ultimate solution to your carpet problems.  Bare feet can also destroy carpeting so if you decide to go shoe-free, make sure everyone in your household wears slippers or socks. 

Place an entrance mat at your doorstep that it is long enough to cover the space that your guests need in order to clean and remove their shoes upon entering.  Also place a mat outside of your doorstep to prevent larger dirt particles from entering your home altogether.  Keep the door mats very clean because once they are unable to hold any more dirt, dirt particles will make their way into your home.  By taking these simple steps, you will be able to preserve your carpet for years to come and make the most out of your investment.