Keeping a clean carpet at home or spaces were people pass constantly can be one of the hardest things to do. Bright clean carpets are a must if you want to keep a nice and fresh ambiance at work or home. So, to ease your carpet cleaning routines, we’ve made a guide where you can find more about how to keep your carpet in tip-top shape without going out of your way to do so.
How to clean stains in your carpet
Stains are inevitable in life, they can happen to anyone, no matter how careful they’re being. So, be prepared for stains, and make it a habit to clean them immediately and your carpet will look as if it never happened. Fortunately, many stain removal solutions require common household products that will get you a homemade cleaning solution. these can be made from detergent and water, vinegar and water, club soda, or non-acetone nail polish remover.
To remove those painful wine or coffee spills, just soak a white cloth with your homemade cleaning solution and press it directly to the stain. Leave it there for around 15 minutes, remove it, and with a dry cloth remove the liquid excess. Now that you have a lighter stain, rinse while erasing the rest of the stain with clean water. Wait for the carpet to dry and it should look as good as new. If the stain didn’t wear off completely, then repeat the process one more time, but don’t give up on it because it’ll try its best to stay there.
Natural fiber carpets, need different cares, therefore, cleaning methods for them are a little different. For these carpet stains, spray your homemade cleaning solution directly in the stain and erase the stain with a clean dry cloth. Then spray some water on it and keep blotting until it’s gone.
When to steam your carpet
There are times when vacuuming your carpet is no longer enough to make it look shiny and presentable. After a while, it needs to be deep-cleaned to remove all the dirt scraps that usually get stuck in the lowest part of the carpet fibers. Steaming your carpet will do the trick for you. As a minimum to keep your carpet’s good looks, you should steam twice a year, but if you have dust allergies or pets that shed a lot of hair, you should consider steaming your carpet four times a year.
How to avoid furniture marks
Everyone has suffered from indentations left in the carpet when you move your furniture after years of being in the same place. To avoid these marks and have a well-preserved carpet in the long run, you can follow the next tips.
- Use furniture coasters or carpet scraps to minimize the marks.
- Move your furniture as regularly as possible.
If it’s too late to do these things and the marks have already taken over your carpet, we have different solutions you can try.
- Iron the fibers to erase the indentions. Do so with a cloth between the iron and the carpet.
- Place ice cubes in the fibers that have the marks and comb softly as it melts.
- Tease the carpet with a small comb until it starts taking back its original shape.
It might be hard to get it completely smooth again, but the marks won’t be as noticeable.
When should I replace my carpet?
If you have broadloom carpet, we recommend you wait as long as possible. Most carpet will last you up to 10 years with no problem. If there is a stubborn stain you cannot get rid of, we advise that you find a way to live with it as it is hard to replace carpet spots. What about putting furniture over or purchase a few rugs? Once you have had enough of it, get ready to replace the carpet for the entire room.
However, If you have carpet tiles, there’s a point in their lives where you’re going to have to replace them. This depends a lot on its conditions, how is it maintained, and the materials it’s made of. Taking these factors into account, the average duration of carpet tiles ranges from 5 to 12 years. So, keep your carpet tiles clean and in optimal conditions for them to last longer and so that you don’t have to buy new ones.
Habits you can do to keep your carpet clean
Carpet cleaning can be tough if your rug is too dirty. To make this routine easier, there are a lot of things you can do and habits you can implement in your home or your workspace.
Ditch your shoes at home
Wearing shoes at home increases the dirt that gets into your carpet and will make it harder to clean in the long run. A simple habit change yo can do to maintain a clean carpet is to stop wearing your shoes around the house. This habit change will not only benefit your carpet, but it’ll also benefit the whole place and the people in it as all the street dirt, bacteria, or chemicals will stay at the door.
Designate home shoes for you and your family, encourage your visitors to leave their shoes at the entrance, and keep shoe-wearing at home to a minimum and you’ll have a lot less carpet cleaning to do.
Clean your pet’s paws
As cute and adorable as we see our pets, their paws are usually dirty, therefore they pass that dirt to your carpet every time they walk over it. To do so easily, you can use wet wipes or clean towels with soap and water. This will prevent your carpet from getting pet paw stains and will help with your furry friend’s hygiene.
Vacuum regularly with baking soda
Vacuuming once or twice a week will help you keep your carpet clean and will make it much easier to remove the dirt on it as it is going to be less than if you wait longer to vacuum. Every once in a while, sprinkle some baking soda over your carpet 10 minutes before vacuuming. This will help your carpet’s smell as well as its looks, giving it a fresher vibe.
Get doormats
To protect your carpet a little more, you can get doormats that will automatically invite people to wipe their shoes every time they enter the place. This will prevent you from making a mess at the entrance when coming home on rainy or snowy days. On the other hand, it’ll minimize the dirt that visitors who prefer not to take their shoes off can transmit to the carpet.