Clean carpets are not only important for aesthetic reasons but for health related ones as well. Carpets have a way of clinging to food particles, dust, grime and bacteria that can fester and cause respiratory problems if left unchecked.
There are several different ways to clean a carpet and they largely depend on the type of mess you are cleaning. Regardless of how or why you’re cleaning the carpet, there’s no doubt that it needs to be done eventually.
Let’s take a look at the best methods for cleaning your carpets.
Vacuuming
- If you’re going to vacuum, prepare the room by removing any hard items from the carpet’s surface such as toys and packaging. Be cautious of small metal items like coins and of lose cables that can get caught up in the cleaner and cause major damage.
- Use a special nozzle attachment to get into hard to reach areas. Focus on carpet edges and baseboards where most of the dust collects.
- Vacuum as if you were mowing the lawn, going up and down the carpet in systematic passes. Make sure you go over every section both horizontally and vertically as carpet fibres will twist, meaning they need to be brushed from both directions to be fully cleaned.
- Try and vacuum at least once a week. You may need to vacuum more often if you have several pets that are shedding fur and dander.
Spot cleaning
- Use a clean, pure white cloth as rags with colour or patterns may bleed into the carpet. Non-patterned paper towels can also be used. Don’t use brushed or bristles as these can fray the carpet.
- Pick an appropriate carpet cleaning solution. Different solutions will be useful for different kinds of spills. For example, some cleaners are better for pet urine stains and others are better for cleaning blood.
- Test the product on a small section of the carpet to test its results.
- Rinse the carpet with a white cloth and some water. Don’t pour water onto the carpet as this can be retained and lead to mildew.
Shampoo
- Remove all furniture items that you can. If items cannot be move then place protective plastic around the legs to protect them from water damage.
- Vacuum and spot clean the carpet first. Make sure to get rid of big stains as shampoo can set them in deeper.
- Rent or purchase a carpet shampooer. If renting, complete prior steps first so you don’t pay extra for time you aren’t using it.
- Plan an exit strategy. Once the carpet has been shampooed nobody should walk on it until it is dry.
