If you are someone who is concerned about the appearance of your carpet, you have possibly looked into different types of ways to clean it. There are different options available to help with carpet cleaning, ranging from store-bought products to DIY mixtures and of course, professional carpet cleaning.
However, cleaning your carpet is not a one-size-fits-all approach. There are ways that you should and should not go about home carpet cleaning. The way that you approach home carpet cleaning should be carefully considered, as the results can greatly vary depending on your cleaning strategy.
Meanwhile, aside from physically cleaning the carpet, there are other ways to help keep your carpet clean. In this blog, we are going to discuss the important do’s and don’ts about home carpet cleaning.
1. DO Begin a Vacuuming Routine
Do you have a regular vacuuming routine that you use at home? If not, one of the first to-do items for home carpet cleaning is beginning a vacuuming routine. Vacuuming your carpet is one essential way to help the carpet stay clean, removing dirt, debris, and even allergens.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that there are ways to vacuum your carpet that are more effective than others. These are some guidelines that you can use in terms of the best way to vacuum your carpet, keeping it the clean as possible:
- Start by vacuuming the room from the outer edge of the carpet farthest from the door
- As you vacuum, you will want to move the cleaners slowly and strategically. When you pull the vacuum back towards you, do so in a slower motion
- Vacuum in a straight line
- As you push and pull the vacuum, aim to overlap each vacuum section by at least 50%. This ensures that you get all of the dirt and debris off of the carpet.
2. DO Clean Your Vacuum Cleaner
Clean your vacuum cleaner? Yes, when it comes to home carpet cleaning, this is another major must do. Your vacuum needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to help make sure it can effectively suck up all the dirt and debris from the carpet.
But how do you clean a vacuum cleaner? The first step is to empty the canister on a regular basis, which helps improve the suction. You will also want to clean the brushes and bristles that can effectively sweep up all of the crumbs on the carpet.
It’s best that you clear out all vacuumed machine bristles after every use. Meanwhile, the canister can be emptied after every two to three uses of the vacuum cleaner.
You will also want to check the condition of your vacuum cleaner filter at least once per month. Be sure to change the filter as necessary.
A little maintenance goes a long way with your vacuum cleaner. Sticking to a cleaning schedule on the actual vacuum can yield better results when it comes to home carpet cleaning and vacuuming.
3. DO Invest in Mats and Rugs
Mats and rugs can be decorative, but they can also provide extra protection to the carpet below.
For this home carpet cleaning tip, you’ll want to invest in mats and rugs. This is especially true for areas of entrance in your home, such as the entry door or the back door. Anywhere that mud and muck may be tracked inside of the house, you want to put a right or wrong in its place.
If you are looking for a heavy-duty doormat to help clean shoes, consider a mat made with coir and PVC backing. Living in the northwest, you want to find a mat that can withstand winter weather, particularly snow. You also need to clean them every now and then, which can be achieved by shaking it out or vacuuming it down.
The purpose of mats and rugs at entry doors is to help keep shoes clean. Better yet, consider having a no-shoes rule inside of the house. By taking off your shoes, you will track much less dirt and grime inside the home. This is especially important when the weather conditions are wet, muddy, and snowy.
4. DO Try DIY Carpet Stain Removal Techniques
While there are many carpet cleaning solutions available on the market, you can get some surprisingly good results with DIY carpet stain removal techniques. The DIY carpet stain removal techniques are used with components that you likely already have on hand in your kitchen.
What are some of the best techniques for DIY carpet stain removal? One surefire carpet cleaning technique to use is one teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide, a little cream of tartar or a dab of non gel toothpaste. Make this into a paste and rub it into the same with a soft cloth. After light rinsing, most stains should disappear with this paste.
Baking soda can also be an effective choice for home carpet cleaning. It is especially good for removing bodily fluids such as urine and vomit. Baking soda cleans, sanitizes and deodorizes the spots on your carpet.
Furthermore, baking soda is also used for releasing grease stains when you combine it with equal parts salt.
Keep in mind that you may have to allow the baking soda to sit for quite a long time, up to four or five hours. You can then vacuum it up to remove the stain.
Carpet Cleaning Don’ts
Now that we have discussed all that there is to do on the positive end of Home carpet cleaning, you’ll want to focus on things that you should not do. Avoiding certain actions and cleaning techniques with your carpet can help save you a lot of hassle, headache, and money in the long run.
1. Don’t Wear Shoes Inside
Does your family typically wear shoes inside? This is a habit that you’ll want to kick to the curb sooner than later. The fact is that wearing shoes inside your home tracks in an incredible amount of dirt. This dirt gets trapped in your carpet, and the worst part is that it can sink way down into the fibers where the house vacuum can’t reach.
This is why professional house cleaning services are so important. When dirt gets deep down inside the carpet fibers, even the best efforts at vacuuming won’t get it out. The best course of action is taking off your shoes and reducing the most amount of dirt as possible from getting into your home.
2. Don’t Allow Stains to Sit
Maybe a bottle of nail polish got knocked over or a little bit of spaghetti sauce got on the floor, lapped up by the dog. One of the worst things that you can do is allow any kind of stain to sit. It’s not convenient to always clean up a potential stain on the spot, but the longer it sits, the more it will settle into the carpet fibers.
What is the best thing to do with spills and messes on the carpet? Clean them up as quickly as possible. When it comes to home carpet cleaning, time is truly of the essence for tackling stains.
How do you tackle carpet stains with home carpet cleaning? Luckily, you have several solutions that you can try, depending on the stain.
- To get rid of a spaghetti stain on the carpet, mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dishwashing detergent and one cup of water. Apply to the carpet with a clean white towel, working a solution into the spot starting from the outer edge and working inward. Blot until dry.
- To get rid of a pet urine stain in the carpet, mix a solution of 2 cups of vinegar, 2 cups of warm water, and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Put the solution into a spray bottle and spray the sword area, allowing it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, blot with a soft cloth.
- To get rid of vomit from the carpet, mix a solution of 2 cups of warm water, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap and a half cup of vinegar. Dip the soft cloth into the mixture and apply to the sore area, blotting lightly.
3. Don’t Forego Pro Carpet Cleaning
It’s great to hear that you were concerned about your carpet and want to keep it as clean as possible. However, one of the major don’ts in terms of home carpet cleaning involves going at it on your own.
Professional carpet cleaning services result in a deeper, extensive clean that you cannot achieve with a vacuum cleaner and DIY cleaning solutions. Our tools allow us to get deep inside of the carpet fibers, removing dirt and debris that is otherwise hard to reach. It can even help with allergy problems all year long!
If it has been more than six months since your last professional carpet cleaning, consider contacting us today to schedule an appointment. We will get your home nice and clean before the holiday season, giving you a carpet to enjoy with friends and family alike.