The Life of Your Carpet

By: Carol Ortega

If we could live the life of a carpet for just one day, then it would be safe to presume we would all come out of the experience desperately wanting to take a long shower. But for carpet, that’s just another day in the life. Carpet takes a lot of abuse – spilled drinks, ink stains, smelly presents from the animals, dirt, hair, mud, food, just about anything imaginable. However, before going out and hiring an expensive carpet cleaning service, try considering some of the at-home remedies that can be performed in order to remove all of those pesky stains and keep the carpet in our homes feeling clean and happy.

Having carpet in a home is an investment as well as an important decoration. In addition, we as human beings are also part of the picture. It is imperative that, when cleaning carpet, to make sure not to use heavily toxic cleaning agents that produce fumes. These can cause sickness and even death. If it is absolutely necessary to make sure to have the windows open for plenty of ventilation, and if possible, try leaving the house for a couple of hours to let the fumes dissipate.

Vacuuming a carpet regularly is an important carpet cleaning practice that needs to be consistent. Making sure to leave shoes off when entering a home is also a tried and true carpet cleaning technique that prevents a lot of dirt and grime from becoming embedded within a home’s carpet.

Contrary to popular opinion, carpet shampooers should be avoided when carpet cleaning. The reason is that the shampoo can never be completely rinsed out, which causes the left-over shampoo to become a sticky residue. The residue will eventually end up acting like a magnet, which will pull dirt from anything walking over it. Obviously, this is the opposite effect of what is desired when using carpet shampoos. Instead, make sure to use dry carpet cleaners such as steam cleaners – these can be found at most any store that sells vacuum cleaning products.

The first rule of carpet cleaning pertaining to do-it-yourself spot removal is to always refrain from rubbing a stain in order to clean it, no matter how strong the temptation. Rubbing stains breaks down the fibers and spreads the stain even further as well as embeds it even deeper into the fibers.

There are many regular household products that can be used for a variety of stains. For example, shaving cream will remove most food stains. Simply spray on and let sit for 15 minutes, rinse with vinegar and water solution and blot dry.

The age-old club soda remedy is no myth. Club soda can help remove red wine stains quickly and effectively. Other types of red dye stains found in drink mixes, popsicles, dog and cat food and so on can be removed with a 30/70 solution of peroxide to water. Yet, since peroxide is a bleaching agent, it is important to spot test on a small, hidden area of the carpet in order to gauge colorfastness. Once the mixture is applied make sure to wait around 30 minutes and then remove as much moister as possible. Rinse with a vinegar/water solution and blot dry.

Baking soda and peroxide is another at-home method for spot removal, and works especially well on smelly stains. Mix 30/70 solution of peroxide to water, adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of mixture. The bubbles and fizzles of the concoction ensure that the stain and smell is being removed. Also, make sure to spot test for colorfastness when using this method. Blot up with an old rag and rinse well with 1/3-cup vinegar per quart of water.

Carpet cleaning may be a difficult and frustrating endeavor for most people, but the investment of a carpet is invaluable. So, always make sure to use safe, non-toxic carpet cleaning techniques appropriate for the style and fabric of the carpet. After a while it will become obvious that all stains can be removed rather easily using common household products most of us already posses on a regular basis, especially if the cleaning process starts shortly after the spill.

Resource:

Minneapolis Carpet Cleaning can be your reliable carpet cleaning services provider. Our knowledgeable staff can help with carpet and upholstery cleaning, rug and furniture cleaning or window treatments. Satisfaction guaranteed! Just dial - 612-605-4492.