Is your carpet dull with all the dirt and dust brought in home from outside? It’s time to give them a facelift by cleaning them! Here are some pro tips for cleaning carpets efficiently and safely.
Preparation before cleaning carpets
Before moving on to cleaning your carpets, you should take a few precautions. Indeed, it is important to read the labels of your carpets in order to follow the recommended cleaning methods or the recommended washing frequency.
In the same sense, you must take precautions depending on the material or texture of the carpets. If in doubt about the correct washing temperatures, ask your dry cleaner for advice.
In order to get off to a good start, first carry out a dry cleaning. You can then go to clean it using liquid products depends on the situation.
Before cleaning your carpet with any product, always test on a very small piece of the carpet to check the color stability.
Cleaning a dry carpet: how to do it?
Vacuuming your carpets about twice a week saves you from having to do major cleanings every 6 months. To do this, use the brush mode and suck up and down, making several back-and-forth movements. On the other hand, if your carpet is old and fragile, avoid the brushing mode because you risk damaging it.
Another dry-cleaning tip is to sprinkle your carpet with baking soda and scrub with a brush. Leave the baking soda to act overnight, then vacuum.
Carpet cleaning with liquids
If your carpet is still not clean and shiny after our dry-cleaning tips, you can use the following techniques.
Clean your carpets with potatoes
Thanks to the starch they contain, potato peelings are a very effective cleaning agent. To take advantage of it, make an infusion of potato peelings and soak a sponge in this mixture to clean your carpets. Then let the product act for a few hours then rinse with clean water using a sponge. Finally, let your carpet dry and voila, it will be like new.
Sparkling water + baking soda = clean carpet every time
If your carpet has many stains and is beginning to lose its color, the association of sparkling water + baking soda will do it the greatest good. To do this effectively, immerse a sponge in the sparkling water and then use it to brush the carpet.
Let the sparkling water sit for about 30 minutes then sprinkle your carpet with baking soda. All you have to do is wait for the baking soda to dry before vacuuming, and you’re done!
Wash a carpet with white vinegar
For heavily soiled carpets with even grease stains, white vinegar and dish soap are the best combination for effective cleaning. To do this, soak a sponge in the white vinegar and clean the stains from your carpet. Let stand for about fifteen minutes then make a mixture of water and washing-up liquid mounted in foam. Rub the carpet with this mixture then rinse with clean water using a sponge. To dry your mat, use a clean, dry cloth.
Cleaning carpet with ammonia
Another alternative is to add a little ammonia to a spray bottle filled with water and soak the stain to be removed with this mixture. Then, rub the stain using a damp sponge, then clean everything with a dry cloth and let it dry.
The different types of rugs and how to clean them
To give it a longer life, regular maintenance of your carpet is essential. Dust, mites, mud stains, since they are on the ground, the carpets are very likely to get dirty.
Regular vacuuming removes most of the dust. But it is better to do an annual maintenance of your carpet to remove encrusted stains.
Whether short pile or long pile, if your wool carpet has aged, we give you some tips to give it a new shine. These few simple gestures will make your life easier, but above all, make it easier for you to clean your carpet!
How to clean a wool rug?
Wool is a natural material that has an undeniable charm and bright shine for interior decoration.
In order to maintain your wool rug, vacuum regularly on low power. To sanitize a wool carpet and eliminate any bad smells, you can sprinkle it with baking soda. Leave for 2 hours (or overnight) then vacuum again.
Bacteria and mites will be eliminated!
you can use a mixture of water and white vinegar, to clean a stained wool carpet. Damp stains can be removed with a simple paper towel if it is a recent stain.
For difficult stains, you can replace the vinegar with black soap. What you need to remember is not to apply the product directly to the stain, but rather to “dab” the carpet with a soaked cloth.
How do you care for a shag rug?
When vacuuming shag carpet, be sure to vacuum in the direction of the grain. Indeed, if you vacuum in the opposite direction, it risks damaging the fibers of your carpet, which could be harmful.
It is recommended to maintain a shag carpet once or twice a week. Do not pull on any protruding threads. Simply cut them to make your rug more harmonious.
If it’s an acrylic rug, you can afford to use soapy water. Of course, you should not drown your carpet. Use as little water as possible.
To dry it, hang it on a washing line. If possible, dry it outside. This operation can be done once or twice a year.
How do you clean a short pile carpet?
Generally, a short-pile rug is easier to maintain than a long-pile rug. Again, you can use soapy water (black soap or Marseille soap) for the annual maintenance of your carpet.
If you can’t put your rug outside, dry it with a dry cloth, a towel or even a hair dryer before hanging it.
To clean a really dirty carpet, you can use a mixture of white vinegar and hot water (in the same proportions).
The top of the line for cleaning a short-pile carpet remains the steam cleaner. He will come and thoroughly clean your carpet. If you have a lot of carpets at home, it is also possible to invest in a wet vacuum cleaner, which has the advantage of combining the 3 functions, it vacuums, washes and dries your carpet!
How to clean an old carpet?
Some rugs retain their charm even after years of use. But it is not always easy to clean a carpet that is old!
If it’s a valuable rug, you can dry clean it using baking soda. As for the wool carpet, let it act for at least 2 hours before vacuuming to remove the baking soda which must have absorbed all the dirt.
If you really care about your carpet, do not hesitate to entrust it to a professional. Although this operation is more expensive than a home cleaning, you will obtain an optimal result. It’s a perfect way to give a rug a second life.
If it is a carpet that you do not particularly care about, you can always try to clean it with soda crystals dissolved in hot water or with a mixture of water and ammonia (2/ 3 for 1/3).
How to avoid clogging up your carpet?
The easiest way to maintain a carpet is perhaps to avoid clogging it… although this is not always easy! Regular maintenance remains the most effective way to have a clean carpet. The hairs are straightened and your carpet is dusted!
Before using a product, make sure of the result by testing your cleaning on a small end of the carpet and then start on the whole carpet. Finally, remember that if you clean a task, you will surely have to clean the entirety of your carpet in order to have a harmonious rendering.
