Top 10 carpet cleaning tips – how to clean stains, spills and odors?

Buying a carpet for the home can be a great investment. The carpet adds warmth and walking barefoot is a pleasure. Whether you have a luxurious, expensive carpet or a carpet which you bought at a more reasonable price, the hygiene is of greatest significance for the health and well being of the occupants of the home. For families with small children and pets this problem is well known and we will give you useful carpet cleaning tips. The general rule is that carpet is thoroughly cleaned at least twice a year and at least once a week it needs to be clean with a vacuum cleaner or brushed. Wool carpets should not be cleaned with a damp cloth or brush, as you may pull out the fibers.

Once stained the carpet can be cleaned and there are easy tricks which will help you do that. Many manufacturers do not tolerate such activities, because if you do not know how to clean the carpet properly this can lead to various problems like color fading, for example or mold or mildew. The statistics show that about 50% of people prefer to clean their carpets by themselves instead of hiring cleaning companies.

 

The market offers steam cleaners and cleaning detergents but the two main errors are water logging and excessive use of detergents. Hot steam used for carpet cleaning gives good results depending on the degree of soiling of the carpet. Many people prefer simple methods like dissolving a little soap or detergent in water and use a sponge to clean the carpet.

 

The most important carpet cleaning tips – what to do and what not to do

 

When you know the basic do’s and don’ts you could clean your carpet from general dust and dirt as well as from various stains. Here are some of the most important rules and carpet cleaning tips:

• Clean the stains immediately
• Do not wet the carpet too much while cleaning.
• Never rub, always blot.
• Always test your cleaning solution on a place that is not visible before applying it and treating the stain
• Do not spray cleaning chemicals directly on the stained carpet.
• Dilute the cleaning detergent and use a cloth to dab the stain
• Dry the carpet from excess water. Sometimes even a hairdryer does the trick.

 

Carpet cleaning tips – how to clean the carpet with baking soda and homemade solutions

 

Using baking soda is one of the easiest and efficient carpet cleaning tips. Baking soda has a great advantage as it is a neutral and soft abrasive and has the ability to clean all types of surfaces, without scratching them. This is perhaps the easiest way to clean the carpet and does not require much effort. Baking soda is sprinkled evenly over the surface of the carpet and left to act for a night or day. After that the baking soda is carefully removed with a vacuum cleaner. You could ass a few drops or aroma oil if you wished a better flavor. One of the easiest and safe homemade solutions for carpet cleaning is 50:50 warm water and vinegar in combination with a little baking soda.

 

Carpet cleaning tips – how to clean stains?

 

Now, carpets can be stained from various food, beverages, urine, mud, ink, wax. We shall give you useful carpet cleaning tips for some of the stains that happen frequently. If we spill liquids the result is very likely a stain. Sometimes, besides a stain there is a bad smell so you need to take care of that too.

Stains from red wine can be really severe and the first thing you need to do is spray the stain with cold water or club soda and use a towel to blot. Do not rub! Start from the outside edge towards the center in order to prevent additional spreading.

How to remove a coffee stain from the carpet?

One of the most frequent types of spills is the accidental coffee spill. They leave stains on the carpet and you should immediately blot up as much of the coffee as you can. Make a solution of a tablespoon of liquid dish soap, a table spoon of white vinegar, and two cups of warm water. Use a clean white cloth to apply the solution on the stain. Blot with a dry cloth till the stain is removed and after that use a clean sponge and cold water on the surface. Blot until as dry as possible. Avoid using kitchen roll.

How to remove a grease stain from the carpet?

Immediately scrape off excess grease and sprinkle baking soda, cornstarch, or other absorbent on the stain. Leave the absorbent for 10 to 15 minutes, and then vacuum. Use a clean white cloth, spray a dry-cleaning solvent on it and sponge the stain until the solvent is absorbed. If you cannot remove the stain completely, use a tablespoon of dish washing detergent with a tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of warm water. Use the solution to sponge the stain and bolt until the stain is removed. Finally, sponge with cold water and blot dry.

How to remove stains from ketchup and tomato sauce?

Removing a ketchup stain from the carpet requires an immediate action. First, remove as much of the ketchup with a spatula or a butter knife. Gently blot the stain with a sponge using club soda or cold water and dry it with a white cloth or paper towels. Apply a solution of one tablespoon of liquid dish detergent to two cups of cool water and blot the stain. In case this does not work, mix a tablespoon of ammonia with 1/2 cup cool water. Remember to wear gloves! Apply the solution to the stain and blot up. Remember that you should not soak the carpet. Rinse with cold water and blot up the excess liquid with a paper towel or a clean white cloth.

How to remove a chocolate stain from the carpet?

Remove chocolate stains from the carpet can be a bit tricky as chocolate contains several different ingredients and each ingredient is treated in a different way. There are many different methods but the first thing you need to do is to scrape off as much of the chocolate as you can. Apply dry-cleaning fluid to the stain and blot using a white paper towel or clean cloth. In case the stain is not removed completely mix 1/4 teaspoon mild white detergent and 1 cup room-temperature water. Apply on the stain and remember not to rub! Rinse with clear water.

How to remove mud stains?

Mud stains are one of the easiest stains to clean. Scoop off the larger clumps of mud, pour baking soda or salt onto the remaining mud and let it dry for several hours. Vacuum the mud and the salt. Use a solution of a tablespoon of dish liquid and half a cup of room temperature water, blot the solution on the mud stain with a clean cloth. Finally use plain water to remove any residue from the dish liquid.

Another option – is to mix dish liquid with vinegar instead of water. Foam the solution with an egg beater or a fork and treat the stain. Rinse with clean water and dry the area as much as possible.

How to remove wax stains from the carpet?

The first thing you can do is to freeze the wax with a bag of ice cubes until it is hardened. Then scrape carefully with a spatula or a butter knife. Use a solution of strong detergent for stain and blot the affected area. Rinse with water and blot until dry. If the stain is not removed, mix equal parts of water and alcohol and blot the stain again. Let it dry. The most common way to clean wax from the carpet is using an iron. Put a piece of paper or a paper towel on the stain and start ironing with a hot iron.

How to clean urine stains from the carpet?

Urine can be a common accident when you have small kids or pets. Soak the urine with a clean cloth or paper towels. Mix equal amounts of water and white vinegar and pour on the stain. Blot the urine stain using a paper towel or a clean white cloth. If you have a pet, you know that there are special detergents which clean pet urine and you can find them in a pet store. Apply as per the instructions.

How to clean juice stains from the carpet?

Accidental juice spills happen and you should clean it immediately as some fruit juices leave more aggressive stains. Blot the stain with a paper towel, blotting away as much of the liquid as possible. Spray lukewarm water on the stain or mix one tablespoon of liquid hand dish washing detergent with two cups of warm water. Blot the stain with paper towels or a clean white cloth.

How to clean ice cream from the carpet?

Scoop as much of the ice cream off the carpet as possible. Mix about half a tablespoon of dish liquid in one cup water and sponge the solution on the stain. Use a dry cloth to blot the area.