Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Vacuum your carpet
• Method 2 of 4: Remove stains from the carpet
• Method 3 of 4: Cleaning your carpet with a carpet cleaning device
• Method 4 of 4: Avoid spilling on the carpet
• Tips

To keep your house tidy and to ensure that the people who live in it stay healthy, it is important to keep your carpet clean. A dirty floor covering with stains disturbs the calm atmosphere in the house, and allergens and dirt can contribute to respiratory problems. You can clean your carpet in different ways, depending on the type of dirt you want to remove.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Vacuum your carpet

1. Prepare the room for vacuuming. Clear away toys, papers, and any other objects that get in the way of vacuuming.
   • Look for small objects such as coins on the carpet that could damage the vacuum cleaner inside.
   • Don't forget to look under your furniture.
   • First, dust the blinds, furniture, window sills and baseboards. The falling dust can then be vacuumed up with the vacuum cleaner.
2. Use an attachment to clean areas that are hard to reach. Dust often remains along the edges and on the skirting boards. Make sure to vacuum this up first.
   • If you can't move your furniture, use the narrow nooks and crannies to vacuum the areas under your sofas and other furniture and remove dust traps.
3. Vacuum in both horizontal and vertical directions. Vacuum the entire room first forwards and backwards and then from left to right. The fibers in your carpet are usually twisted together, and vacuuming in both directions ensures that the fibers are completely cleaned.
   • This can be especially helpful if you have pets, as it will help you vacuum up dander and hair.
4. Vacuum regularly. How often you need to vacuum depends on a few factors. In general, it is recommended to vacuum at least once a week per family member or approximately 10 kilos of pet. So a couple with two cats should vacuum three times a week, and a single person with a 30 kg dog four times a week. Remember that removing hair and dander is one of the main reasons for vacuuming. A large pet usually sheds more dander and hair than a smaller animal.
   • If your carpet is visibly dirty and your hair is visible but it is not time to vacuum yet, forget this rule of thumb and vacuum your carpet more often.

Method 2 of 4: Remove stains from the carpet

1. Use a clean white cloth. Colored and patterned cloths can stain your carpet and make the problem worse. A good solution is to use paper towels without a pattern.
   • Make sure to dry new stains with a clean white cloth first. Use a Others clean white cloth to treat the stain after dabbing.
   • Do not use brushes as they can damage the carpet fibers and cause them to fray.
   • This stain removal method is intended for removing freshly spilled liquids from a small area of ​​your carpet. It is not part of the normal maintenance of your floor covering.
2. Choose the right carpet cleaner. In the store you can buy different cleaners for cleaning your carpet. They are usually sold in sprays and sprays for easier stain removal. You can choose from many all-purpose cleaners, but do read the packaging to see if a particular cleaner is suitable for your type of stain and carpet. Keep in mind that stains caused by bodily fluids often require extra care.
   • Blot new blood stains with cold water or hydrogen peroxide. Do not use warm water as this will permanently draw blood into the carpet. First dab a dry blood stain with hydrogen peroxide and then treat it with an enzyme cleaner.
   • To remove pet urine, use an enzyme cleaner formulated specifically for this type of stain. If you can't find such a cleaner, dab new stains with dilute ammonia, followed by a mixture of dish soap and warm water. Dry stains can be removed with a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. Just like with new stains, treat the dry stains with washing-up liquid and water.
3. Test the cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area on the carpet. Follow the directions on the package and test the product in an inconspicuous area. Some agents can damage and discolor your carpeting, so it's best to test them first. It's best to test cleaners on a scrap of carpet or an area that is hard to see, such as the inside of a closet.
   • Do not test the product on the stain itself. The purpose of the test is to determine the color fastness of the carpeting To test. If the carpet is staining or the cleaner in question stains, try a different solution.
4. Blot the stained area. Put a small amount of carpet cleaner on a clean white cloth and gently blot the stain. Only use enough of the product to treat the stain.
   • When it comes to carpeting, it is not a good idea to use more of the cleaner. Soap residue that remains in the carpet attracts dirt and leaves a bigger stain than before.
   • Do not scrub the carpet. Applying a lot of pressure and scrubbing hard can cause the stain to penetrate deeper into the fibers.
5. Rinse the carpet. Use a new, clean white cloth and water and soak up the soap residue by dabbing the treated area. Do not soak the floor covering with water as the water can seep into the back of the floor covering and sub-floor. This can cause mold growth.
   • Let the area air dry completely. If it was a large stain and you used a lot of water, place a fan or floor dryer next to the wet area to help the carpet dry faster.

Method 3 of 4: Cleaning your carpet with a carpet cleaning device

1. Prepare the room for cleaning. If possible, remove all furniture. For large and heavy furniture that you cannot move, put plastic under the legs to protect them from water damage.
   • If you don't have good plastic around the house, cut out squares of aluminum foil or waxed paper and slide them under the legs of your furniture.
   • Cleaning your carpet with shampoo is also called steaming. However, this is a misnomer as the devices used for this use hot water and a cleaner instead of steam.
2. Prepare the carpeting. First vacuum the carpet thoroughly forwards and backwards and then from side to side. Do not skip corners and other hard-to-reach places.
   • Remove large stains from the carpet. The carpet cleaning device will remove dirt, but it can also cause stains to penetrate deeper into the carpet.
3. Buy or rent a carpet cleaning device. Many hardware stores and rental companies rent out carpet cleaning equipment. You can buy the right carpet cleaner with it.
   • If you rent a carpet cleaning device, prepare the room in advance so that you don't have to pay a higher amount for renting because you also have to clean up.
   • Ideally, the appliance has a built-in heating element that keeps the water warm. Read the instructions for use or ask an employee before renting or buying a carpet cleaning device.
4. Carefully plan how you will clean the carpet. Once the carpet has been cleaned, no one should walk on it until the carpet is dry. Be careful not to end up in a corner of the room. Start at the spot furthest from the door and then work your way up to the door.
5. Prepare the cleaner according to the directions on the package. Some carpet cleaning devices come with a shampoo or cleaner, and some require a particular product that you can usually buy at the same store. Usually you fill the water tank of the appliance with water and a small amount of carpet cleaner.
   • Do not put too much cleaner in the appliance, as this can damage both the appliance and your carpet. Some professionals even recommend using a little less cleaner than recommended in the directions for use or on the packaging.
6. Take off your shoes. The damp carpet will attract more dirt and your work will be ruined if you wear dirty shoes while cleaning. Instead, walk in socks or wear plastic bags around your feet or shoes. You can also buy special shoe covers to wear around your shoes while cleaning.
   • Some cleaners can be harmful right after you treat the carpet with them. It is not recommended to walk barefoot.
7. Let the squeegee soak up as much water as possible. Typically, water comes out of a carpet cleaning device when you push the device forward, and the device sucks up the water again when you pull it back. Pull the device back very slowly so that it can soak up as much water as possible.
   • Mold growth can occur if the carpet remains too moist or if water soaks into the back of the carpet and sub-floor.
8. Allow the carpet to dry completely by ventilating the room. Leave windows and doors open to ensure good air circulation. Make sure the carpet is completely dry within 24 hours to prevent mold growth.
   • If you can't open the windows, set your air conditioning (if you have one) to a moderate setting (22-25 degrees) and leave the room door open.
   • You can also use a floor dryer, a fan, a compressor, a dehumidifier, an air blower, or a combination of these to dry the carpet quickly.
   • It can dry for 6 to 12 hours for the carpet to dry, during which time you should not walk on the carpet or put the furniture back.
   • You can remove the plastic from under the legs of large furniture when the carpet is completely dry.
9. Consider cleaning the carpet twice. If soap residue remains in the carpet after cleaning, the carpet can attract more dirt. To thoroughly remove the soap residue, put a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in the appliance and clean the carpet completely again. The vinegar will help remove any soap residue.
   • It is recommended to clean high-traffic areas twice a year with a carpet cleaning device. Places that are used less often are best treated once every 18 months. Clean light carpeting that is starting to look dirty sooner.

Method 4 of 4: Avoid spilling on the carpet

1. Keep staining fabrics away from your carpet. Textiles, such as carpets, are generally a lot more difficult to clean than hard surfaces such as tiled floors. Many people therefore choose not to install wall-to-wall carpets in the kitchen and dining room. Eat and drink as much as possible in areas without carpet.
2. Take off your shoes before walking on the carpet. In many countries such as Canada and Japan, it is customary to take off your shoes when entering a house. This way, no dirt is walked in with it. Consider taking off your shoes and putting them in a place in your hallway that is specifically designed for that purpose. This removes one of the main causes of the problem and your floor covering will get dirty a lot less quickly.
3. Train your pets well so they know where to go to the bathroom. Make sure your cat, dog or other small pet does not accidentally pee or poop on your carpet. When your pet relieves himself in a bowl, set the bowl in an area with a floor that is easier to clean, such as a tile or laminate floor. If you do need to place the tray on your carpet, put a rubber mat underneath. With such a mat, the urine and poo will not get onto the carpet and no cat litter will fall on the carpet.
4. Clean up areas with spills immediately. Clean up spills immediately. The longer a stain can penetrate the carpet, the more difficult it will be to remove.
   • If you have spilled a colored liquid, blot the liquid with a clean white cloth. Do not scrub from one side of the stain to the other, but use up and down dabbing movements. Scrubbing will enlarge the stain and make the problem worse.
   • Vacuum up small particles such as dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
   • Scrape up solids like chewing gum and butter with a blunt knife.

Tips

• Choose a day for steaming when you can leave the room alone for 6 to 12 hours.
• If your carpet smells like pets, the heat from the carpet cleaner can actually cause the odor to penetrate into the fibers instead of being removed. Steaming is not a good option for removing urine from pets. Instead, clean the area with a specially formulated enzyme cleaner designed for pet urine.
• When removing stains or steaming the carpet, try not to get the carpet soaking wet. The water can penetrate the back of the carpet and cause mold growth.