How to Clean Carpet
Submitted by Mcdaddy on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 03:47.
Carpets are a good home accessory but they would be better if they where clean and free of dirt and stains, especially if you have kids around. Cleaning them may not be your ideal household chore, but there are simple ways on how to clean carpet that everyone can do. If you want to keep your rugs clean and odorless always look for ways to remove carpet stains and dirt as fast as possible. Here are several tips for cleaning your carpet.
Using vacuum is the common way for cleaning. Some prefer to do the vacuuming once a day, while others that are too busy could do the vacuuming once or twice a week. Regular vacuuming is a good idea so that dirt does not set into the fibers of the carpet. The right way of vacuuming is by going through the carpet in parallel rows seven times, back and forth, and side by side.
To properly vacuum, you should choose one that is correct for your particular type of floor. You should always check the vacuum to see if it has dual motors, good filtration, correct brush height, beater bar or rotating brush, and a top loading bag (not the bottom loading bag) before buying one.
A vacuum is also an important tool to remove carpet stains and dirt, but for some carpets that have been embedded with tough stains, a vacuum will not work as efficiently as a carpet stain cleaner. A good carpet stain cleaner will greatly increase the chances of removing dirt and stains from your floor (I recommend a shampoo).
Before putting a cleaner or shampoo on your carpet, make sure that it will not discolor or fade the carpet or ruin the fibers. Shampooing is done by pre-spraying and letting it work its way through the stains. Rinse the shampoo with just enough water, so as the carpet will not soak the carpet, and then dry it; when it gets dry, vacuum it again.
If the stain is already in an extreme condition and vacuuming is no longer applicable, steam cleaning is another option to remove carpet stain. The liquid-based cleaning agent plus the use of steam-cleaning machine can remove carpet stains as well.
Aside from the stain cleaners and vacuuming, there are also some home-made cleansers that you can use to remove carpet stains. The cleaning procedures are usually indicated on the package and some cleaning procedures can also be researched through the internet and other manuals.
You can use home-made solutions as carpet stain cleaners. Some may be available in your kitchen, like vinegar, lemon extract, baking soda, and many more. If the carpet got stained with colored drinks, clean the spill immediately so that the stain will not harden.
Maintaining its cleanliness can be accomplished by avoiding traffic from shoes and other sorces of dirt. If you have visitors, let them wipe their shoes on a clean doormat. Taking care of the mat is not that hard. Just learn the basic techniques to remove carpet stains and use some carpet stain removers available inside your own home. Proper maintenance will give your carpet longer life for your benefits as well.
