How would you like to learn how to clean your carpet like the pros? Yeah, okay, you’re right. It’s not the most exciting topic in the world.
But then, maintenance is never fun, is it? It’s just that monotonous burden we must go through to keep our things from deteriorating.
Still, proper maintenance keeps your carpet looking nice and makes it last much longer. And, better yet, it’s not that difficult. Best of all, we’re going to show you how to do it in this guide.
Here are 7 easy steps on how to keep your carpet clean and well-maintained. For your carpet, your guests, and your own peace of mind, read and follow these 7 steps.
1. Vacuum Your Carpet Frequently
Vacuuming is one of those frustrating activities that seems self-defeating. You vacuum your floors only to see them get dirty all over again. For many reasons, though, it’s better to keep your carpet vacuumed regularly.
First, your carpet clings to dirt and dust that would otherwise keep floating around in your air. But the dirtier the carpet gets, the less effectively it traps these airborne pollutants. When this happens, the extra dust floating around decreases your indoor air quality, fills up your HVAC filter faster, and wears out your HVAC.
Also, when the carpet’s extra dirty, it’s harder for the vacuum to clean it. You’ll have to vacuum for longer and empty the dust trap several times per room to really get it clean.
To prevent these problems, vacuum all carpeted areas once a week. And vacuum high-traffic areas like entryways twice per week.
2. Treat Stains Right
All stains are different. So, each type of stain requires a unique cleaning method to properly remove it.
For example, a wine stain can’t be scrubbed out. But it can be drawn out by pouring dry salt on it and then vacuuming it away. The smell of pet urine will never go away except by using specific cleaners.
Now, there are more types of stains/stain removal methods than we have room for in this article. In fact, each one can be an article by itself.
But here’s a general stain removal tip: never scrub stains. Don’t even push towels down hard on top of them to soak them up. This could push the stain deep into the carpet and make it permanent.
Instead, lightly blot the stain with napkins or towels. And do this as quickly as possible. Then, look up and follow the removal method for that particular stain.
3. Treat Stains Fast
In the same way that scrubbing or pressing hard works the stain in deeper, so does leaving it alone. As it sits there, it has only one place to go: deeper into your carpet. And it will absorb as far as it can into the carpet until you give it something else to absorb into, like a towel.
Also, stains dry out as they sit. Many stains become set when they dry and are then much more difficult or even impossible to remove.
4. Use Mats and Rugs
One ingenious way to keep your carpet clean is to prevent it from getting dirty in the first place. Entryway mats will help you do exactly that. As you enter the house, the mat traps a significant amount of dirt that would otherwise end up in your carpet.
Likewise, get area rugs for use in other carpeted areas that get a lot of traffic. For example, hallways, the entrance to the bathroom, and the space in front of the couch always get a lot of foot traffic. Cover these with area rugs to keep them from getting dirty and worn.
5. Use Furniture Sliders
It’s easy to get lazy about vacuuming under the couch and other furniture. It’s not like anyone’s going to see it, right?
Actually, they will eventually. Some day, you’ll buy a new couch or otherwise rearrange your furniture.
Years of under-couch neglect will then be exposed for all to see. And, by that time, the damage might be permanent.
Besides, the collected dust under your couch will spread out from there. And it will attract more filth. Thus, these neglected areas dirty your carpet much faster after each time you vacuum the rest of your floor.
The ridiculously easy solution is using furniture sliders. Slip these under the feet of your couch and then give the couch a gentle push. Then, with very little effort, your couch slides out of the way for easy vacuuming.
6. Keep Your Pets Well-Groomed
Nothing dirties up your floor faster than pet hair. Take your pet in for regular grooming to prevent excess shedding.
Alternatively, brush them yourself. Or, check out vacuum brushes and other easy, DIY tools for deshedding your pets.
7. Have a Professional Clean Your Carpet Annually
None of these steps negate the need to have your carpets professionally cleaned. Pro carpet cleaning should be done every 12-18 months to remove deep dirt buildup that your vacuum leaves behind.
Fortunately, this step is an easy one. First, mark your calendar right now. Then, when that day arrives, look for carpet cleaners in your area, and then schedule a cleaning appointment online.
Keep Your Carpet Clean and Well-Preserved With These Tips
Now that you’re in the know, here are your options. You can clean your carpet according to the tips above for long-lasting carpet that looks clean all year long. Or, you can ignore these tips and have nasty-looking carpet that needs replacing often.
The choice is simple, and so are these tips. Keep this guide and follow these easy steps to clean and preserve your carpet. Also, share these tips with your friends so that they can benefit, too.
What would you like to learn next? We can tell you how a furnace works, the benefits of roller blinds, how to make your home more energy-efficient, and more. Discover all these topics on our Home and Garden Blog.
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