No matter how clean you keep your home, carpets reflect the real level of activity in your home. From spots and stains to full on high traffic ground in dirt, carpets tell all your secrets. Luckily there are lots of little things you can do to keep your carpet looking good for as long as possible. Here we’ll review the Top 10 common, and not so common, tips for keeping your carpet looking new.
10. Move Your Furniture!
Anyone who has had a carpet for a long time knows that if your furniture stays put you end up with a patchwork appearance once you move a large piece of furniture from one place to another. One easy easy to avoid this problem and give your room a new feel is to simply rearrange your furniture. This allows your carpeting to get used uniformly and also allows you to give it a good cleaning in the process.
Vacuum as you go and deal with indentations left by heavy pieces by placing you iron on its steam setting and hold it closely enough to your carpet for the steam to hit it. Do not place your iron directly on your carpet as this could melt the fibers.
Once the steam has fluffed up the fibers which have been depressed, grab a spoon or a coin and fluff them up more by using a gentle scraping action. Make sure to blot the area dry.
9. Tackle Stains and Spills Right Away.
Stains can be no big deal if you get to them right away. In fact, most stains that become a permanent fixture of your carpet do so as a result of being left to sit and really sink in. Vinegar is a simple household item usually found under the sink which can take care of almost anything. From ink to wine, vinegar is able to handle the job. Simply dilute it with some water and keep it in a spray bottle so that you have a handy first stop when it comes to stains.
8. Vacuum Often and Do It Right Once A Week
Vacuuming is typically a part of every home’s weekly cleaning schedule. If you have pets or children then chances are you vacuum even more often. Though you may perform daily vacuuming it is important to really do it fully once a week.
This means moving any furniture or other heavy items in order to clean around, behind and beneath them. Mentally divide your carpet into smaller more manageable areas and move the vacuum slowly over each section before moving on to the next.
7. Repair What You Can.
Some carpet repairs can be easy to clean if you keep a small stash of extra carpeting pieces around. These pieces are usually offcuts from when it was installed and, failing that, you can get a small 1 foot square from a local business for a small fee.
Having this on hand can be useful in repairing small things like burns or other damage with affects the fibers. Carpet fibers are usually made from synthetic materials and, as a result, they can melt when exposed to heat.
This can happen due to knocked over candles, cigarettes and even embers from your fireplace. If a small area has been burned, carefully snip away the melted fibers and put a small amount of glue down. The either replace with a piece of carpeting from your leftover scraps or cut the fibers off the good scrap and “replant” them into the hole left in your carpeting.
6. Learn How to Deal with The Worst Stains
Out of all the stains a carpet can get wax is certainly one of the most intimidating. Immediately cool the wax with an ice cube and scrape up as much as you can with a spoon. Use caution during this process and don’t press too hard when scraping as this can drive the wax particles further into your carpet.
Use an iron on a lower setting and put a piece of brown paper between it and your carpet. Use the steam from your iron to pull the wax into the paper. Cool the area and scrape again and that should be it!
Wax
5. Take Your Shoes Off
Perhaps you haven’t hear this rule since the time you visited an aunt or grandma but it’s a great habit to develop. Shoes are dirty, we all know that, and keeping them off your carpet will prevent a lot of ground in dirt and debris from ever touching your carpeting.
Keep a shoe box or tree near the door along with a welcome mat that can absorb any wet debris. In the winter include a chair or stool right by the door so people can sit down to remove boots.
4. Install Runners
High traffic areas show wear and dirt more quickly than other parts of your run. Stop at a local store or even charity shop and pick up a few runner rugs. These long narrow rugs come in every imaginable style and can be easily washed once they begin to get dirty.
3. Use Gentle Cleaning Products
When addressing stains or marks on your carpet don’t go for the Marks removers first. Try gentler products to see if they can handle the job first. Marks carpet cleaning can break down your carpet fibers while removing the stain. Vinegar water and even laundry detergent diluted with water and used in a spray bottle can handle most organic stains.
2. Keep It Dry.
When you do need to clean your carpet or you just have a spill be sure to dry your carpet thoroughly. Moisture trapped in a carpet can encourage mold and bacteria growth which can spread to your flooring as well as aggravate allergic or asthmatic reactions in household members and guests.
1. Call in the Calvary!
Once a year have your carpet professionally cleaned. A professional carpet cleaning gets rid of dirt and grime your vacuum simply can’t get to and also deodorizes the entire room. Many companies offer special deals so be sure to shop around for the best value.
