A clean carpet is also a hygienic carpet. But carpet cleaning can be quite a daunting task. Here’s how to wash your carpet at home. There’s nothing ...
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A clean carpet is also a hygienic carpet. But carpet cleaning can be quite a daunting task. Here’s how to wash your carpet at home.
There’s nothing quite off-putting in a home than a dirty carpet. A clean carpet doesn’t just significantly enhance the look and feel of your home, it is also an excellent indicator of how hygienic your home is. So, if you’re wondering how to clean your carpet at home, we’ve put together this guide for you.
But before we proceed, here are a couple of frequently asked questions about carpet cleaning:
Regular vacuuming is the cornerstone of effective carpet maintenance. Ideally, you should vacuum your carpet at least once, if not, twice a week. This will help remove surface dirt and allergens, and prevent debris buildup, making your carpet look tidy and last longer.
Beyond the routine vacuuming, you should consider deeper cleaning your carpet at least once every six months. However, factors like the size of your home, whether or not you have pets and/or kids, etc will determine how often you should clean your carpet.
Unlike in the West, rarely do our homes have wall-to-wall carpeting. If anything, our carpets cover a small portion of the room so the task of cleaning these carpets gets significantly easier. That being said, carpet cleaning can be considerably daunting. Unlike bed linen or even curtains, you cannot just throw a carpet into a washing machine. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to clean carpet at home.
The first step to cleaning your carpet at home is to vacuum it. A simple dry vacuum cleaner should do the trick here. The idea behind vacuuming the carpet first is to ensure that all the dirt and grime that tend to settle in the carpet fibres are eliminated. Make use of appropriate attachments to ensure a thorough cleaning, reaching corners and edges that are often overlooked.
To be sure, you must vacuum your carpet every week if not more frequently. This is akin to sweeping and mopping your home every day or brushing your teeth daily. It’s basic hygiene. But it also makes it easier to get to the wet cleaning/shampooing when you go get around to deep cleaning your carpets.
Having a vacuum cleaner can go a long way in cleaning your carpet. It makes the first round of cleaning very easy. Without a vacuum cleaner you likely would have to do it old-school style. Which is to say you hang it on a study clothes drying rod or a pipe on your terrace and literally beat the dust out of it. Obviously, this can be very messy, so you’ll need to do it outdoors and need to cover your mouth and nose while doing the dusting.
Before you get to shampooing the entire carpet, attack the stains. If these are old stains, know that you will most likely be fighting a losing battle against them. So, just embrace the possibility that you will, at best, make the stain weaker.
Vinegar and water solution works wonderfully for removing most stains as does baking soda paste.
Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water, blot it and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, gently scrub the stain in slow circular motion till the stain (or most of the stain) comes off.
You can also mix just enough water to baking soda to make a thick paste which you can apply on the stain and let it sit. Then, scrub using a brush in slow circular motion till you get most of the stain off.
The best way to shampoo a carpet is by calling a professional. Urban Company offers carpet cleaning services that you can avail of here.
But if you’d like to shampoo your carpet at home, sprinkle baking soda on a small section of the carpet. Create a solution of dishwashing soap and warm water and spray it over the same section. Now, using a carpet cleaning brush, gently scrub the area for a few minutes till you’re satisfied with the outcome. Then proceed to the next area and so on.
The correct way to cleaning the carpet is from the top to the bottom. Which is to say you work your way backwards. This way you will ensure you’re not dirtying the carpet as you go about cleaning it.
You can also use a wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner to make this part of the carpet cleaning process easier.
Once you are done cleaning the carpet, it’s important to also let it dry out so as to prevent mould growth and so that it doesn’t smell bad.
Cleaning a carpet is no easy task. Of course, no task is difficult if you put your mind to it. Alternatively, you could simply call in the professionals. Book a carpet cleaning appointment with Urban Company and leave it to the pros.
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