How to care for and clean your carpets
Carpets and rugs on your floor at your home, give you that warm cozy feeling. However, a stain or a spill is unavoidable and can wreak havoc and make you unhappy.
Maintaining and caring for a carpet isn’t that difficult. A few regular cleaning rituals and a few tricks up your sleeve can help you clean up those stains and spills easily.
How to clean and care for your carpet and rug
Vacuuming your carpets regularly can help you keep them not only clean but also ensure that you have a nice carpet for years to come. Carpets have a tendency to catch and retain dust and hence need a bit of care to clean. Here are our top tips for vacuuming a favorite carpet.
- For every person and every animal in the house, vacuum that many times a week
- When vacuuming, go slow to ensure that the suction has more time to suck out those loose debris
- Divide the carpet/ area into quadrants and clean. This way you can ensure that enough time is spent in each area ensuring that it stays clean
- When you vacuum, follow a crisscross pattern rather than just cleaning in one direction
Other than your regular cleaning, the things that would bother you the most would be the stains. Here are a few quick and easy home remedies you could try to clean those stains. Always check with the carpet manufacturer to ensure that the tips noted below are in line with the recommended manufacturer’s care and maintenance.
Cleaning Tips 101
Whatever be the stain, it can almost always be removed. But here are very things to note.
- In the case of spills and stains, swift action can ensure that the stain can be easily removed. If you let the stain settle, then it will get more difficult to clean.
- Never rub a stain, rubbing will ensure that the stain gets deeply ingrained in the fibers. Dabbing is the best way to clean.
- Work from outside to inside. Working inwards while cleaning ensures that the stain does not spread. Containing the stain is important.
How to Remove Wax
Dropping wax might be something that you might not be able to avoid, a few drops here and there accidentally do happen. Wax always seems impossible to remove without pulling out a few fibers but it isn’t that difficult. The easiest way to remove wax is with heat. Put a plain cloth over the wax and heat it with an iron, as the wax softens, you can scrape it off with a blunt knife.
Chewing Gum; No Problem
With kids around, there is a high chance of dropping gum. Those sticky things are hard to peel off. Gum, however, can be very easily peeled off. Just freeze the gum with some ice. Once it solidifies, you can scrape it off with a blunt knife.
Blood Stains
Cuts and small injuries do happen. Bloodstains are very hard to remove. It is very important to blot up the blood using a clean dry cloth or paper towel. Remember to use a white cloth and not a colored one. Bloodstains can be handled with hydrogen peroxide. First loosen the dry blood with mild detergent and water, dab with a wet towel. Then apply hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Dab to dry and clean the carpet.
Dishwasher Fluid for grease
Oily, greasy stains can be handled with dishwasher fluid. Just apply a bit of dishwasher fluid mixed with a little bit of water on the stain and leave it for 5 minutes. Blot up the stain. Repeat till you are able to remove the stain completely.
Vinegar the savior to help remove the odor
A simple home remedy of white vinegar mixed with water can help with many stains. Spay the mixture on the stain and dab away to dry.
Get Professional Cleaning Help
Home cleaning tips and tricks will help you with removing most of the stains. However, every once in a while getting a professional clean for your carpet and rug will help increase its shelf life.