How to Guide for Carpet Cleaning

The lifespan and beauty of your carpet depend on adequate care. A time-to-time thorough cleaning will keep your carpet looking great and improve the indoor air quality at your home. While you can always hire a professional carpet cleaning service, doing it yourself is easier than you imagine.

How to Clean a Polypropylene Carpet

A Reminder – Only use the bleach mix to clean Polypropylene carpet. Check your carpet’s material details before using this method. Using bleach of a cord, wool, or any other carpet type will lift its colour.

• Make a solution with 50% tap water and 50% thin domestic bleach and pour it into a spray bottle.
• Do not forget to wear a mask and rubber gloves when cleaning the carpet.
• Evenly spray the solution on a stain and leave it for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Rinse it thoroughly with clean water.
• Use a brush to remove any stubborn stains and dirt marks.

How to Steam Clean Your Carpet

While you can hire a professional steam cleaning service, here is how to do it yourself.

• Remove all the furniture from the room. If it is too heavy to lift and move, you can place foils, wax paper squares, or wood blocks under the furniture’s legs for protection against moisture.
• Dust skirting boards around the room before vacuuming your carpet.
• If you own a steam cleaning vacuum, that’s excellent. However, if you don’t, you can always hire one from a local DIY shop. Follow the instructions given on your steam cleaner for carpet cleaning.
• Start from the far-end corner of the room, so you do not walk on a damp carpet. Work your way back to the entrance of the room. Do not use short back and forth vacuuming motion like you do when vacuuming the carpet.
• Allow a few hours for the carpet to dry before using the area and placing the furniture back on it. You can leave the window open for ventilation or switch on the Air-conditioning for quicker drying.

How to Clean Pet Stains on a Carpet

Follow this four-step process to remove any pet stains from your carpet.

1. Buy an enzyme-based cleaning solution suitable for the carpet’s material.
2. Test this cleaning solution on a small patch of the carpet to ensure it does not damage the carpet’s colour or texture. If all goes well, apply the product to the pet-stained area.
3. Once you can see that the stain has faded or been removed, you can rinse it with water.
4. If the steps above do not work it may be best to have the carpet cleaned by a professional carpet cleaner.

How to Clean/Remove Pet Hairs from a Carpet

Dealing with pet hairs on the carpet is a constant issue most pet owners struggle with. Carry out the following steps to eliminate any pet hairs on your carpet.

• First, use a lint roller to lift any pet hairs on the surface of the carpet.
• Vacuum the carpet to remove as much pet hair as possible. If that does not help, spray your carpet with a mixture of water and fabric softener. Let it dry and try vacuuming the carpet again to remove any hair.
• Another good trick is to use rubber gloves to remove pet hair. Simply put the gloves on and give your carpet a good rub.
• Using a window squeegee is another effective method to remove pet hairs from the carpet. Dragging the squeegee along your carpet’s length and breadth will easily remove the hair.

How to remove a tea stain from your carpet

Follow this six-step process to remove any tea stains

1. Remove excess stain spill by blotting the stained area using a white cotton towel.
2. Blot until there is no liquid left for the cloth to soak up.
3. Now pour some water on the stained patch and blot the liquid.
4. If it is a stubborn stain, make a diluted white vinegar and water solution with a 1:1 ratio. However, test this solution on a small carpet area to ensure it does not bleach your carpet.
5. Once satisfied, spray it on the stain and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Blot the stain again till it disappears

Removing Wine Stains from Your Carpet

It is a six-step process.

1. Act as fast as you can so the stain does not settle.
2. Use a clean white cloth and blot, not rub the stain. The more the fabric can soak up, the less strain you will have to remove.
3. Once you have finished blotting, pour a small amount of cold water on the wine stain to dilute the remaining stain.
4. Now continue to blot until you remove the remaining stain. Once again, do not rub the stain.
5. Now make a baking soda paste. Mix 3-to-1 ratio of tap water to baking soda.
6. Apply this paste to the stain, let it dry, and vacuum the patch.

If this does not work, you can try an alternate method.

• Both the patch again with a clean cloth
• Now make a mixture of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar in a bowl. It requires 2 cups of warm water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid.
• Take a clean sponge, dip it into the mixture and apply this solution directly to the patch with a wine stain.
• Continue blotting till the stain comes off.

How to Remove a Wax Stain from Your Carpet?

Wax stains require a more careful cleaning approach, so follow these steps.

• Remove a wax stain as soon as you notice it. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to remove it.
• Take a plastic bag, fill it with ice, and lay it directly on the wax stain. Let it freeze the wax for a couple of minutes
• Now remove the bag and use a blunt knife to scrape off the wax.
• Lay a brown paper bag or a clean cloth over the stained area of your carpet
• Use a warm iron and slowly press it on the cloth or paper bag. This should trigger a reaction, and the paper or cloth will start absorbing the remaining wax from the carpet.
• Repeat this process until the wax stain disappears.

How to Remove a Crayon Stain from Your Carpet?

• Apply some mineral or white spirit on a clean cloth, place it over the crayon stain and leave it for 2 minutes.
• Now use the same cloth to blot the stain until it is nothing left to soak.
• Apply a tiny spot of remover to the same cloth and blot more until it cannot absorb any more stain.
• Now use another piece of cloth and clean water to remove the residue.
• Dry the patch with a paper towel or a white cloth.
• The last step is aligning the pile of the carpet. Use a soft brush to groom the carpet and align the pile.

Additional Tips to Clean Your Carpet

Here are some tips for do-it-yourself extraction.

• Follow the instructions on your vacuum machine carefully without adding any chemicals.
• Remove large furniture from the area. If this is not possible, use a plastic film to cover the legs of the furniture.
• Start vacuuming from the farthest point from your doorway. Now work your way backwards to the doorway, as this will help you step out of the carpeted area without contaminating the cleaned area.
• If you are wet-cleaning the carpet, do not over-wet it and extract as much water as possible. Be slow and steady and let the carpet dry before placing the furniture back or walking on it.

If the weather permits, open a window to ventilate the area. You can also put your air-conditioning on using a moderate setting between 72°F and 78°F. It is best not to close the room after wet-cleaning the carpet. Remember, a fast drying time will prevent any mould growth and allow you to use the carpet after a short time.

Now that you know the basics of carpet cleaning, it is time to set up a carpet cleaning regime like a pro. Follow the steps above and make your carpet look brand new every time.