Eight Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning and Care Hacks
I could go on and on about how important carpets are in a home or office. In fact, I probably have gone on and on about them at some point. However, to reign in my rant and stick to the point, there’s no denying that carpets, no matter how much we enjoy them, get dirty very easily. And smelly.
Here is the place to note that the advice below applies to both carpeting and upholstered furniture like sofas, armchairs etc.
Although the experts recommend that you get your carpets deep cleaned, preferably by a professional company (like https://precisioncarpetcleaning.co.uk or similar reputable business) at least once a year to keep them in good condition, there are tons of things that you can do in between the carpet cleaner’s visits to keep your mats, rugs, carpets and other floor coverings looking their best. Of course, if something drastic happens, you should by all means call for that professional cleaner to deal with it – that’s why we provide emergency stain removal services as part of our business. Spares2You have a brilliant range of parts for Dyson Vacuums and Vax Steam Cleaners, to help keep your carpets in good condition. I find it’s really helpful to have a list where I can find carpet cleaning near me.
The good news is that there are quite a few nifty little tricks and hacks that you can do yourself, using items you probably already own. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
#1: Alcohol Is Your Friend When Your Toddler Draws on The Carpet with Permanent Marker
Sorry – put that wineglass and the bottle of red wine down. For one thing, there’s a chance that if you take a drink to cope with the stress induced by your toddler’s “artwork”, you could end up spilling it and have a second stain to deal with. What’s more, drinking is not the healthiest way to deal with stress. That’s not what I was referring to. Instead, scout through your cupboards for plain vodka or methylated spirits or rubbing alcohol, or even alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You can try other strong spirits, but stay away from the liqueurs because they’re too sticky and syrupy. The alcohol in any of these will break down the ink in the permanent marker and dissolve it so you can blot it up with a paper towel or old rag (never scrub or you risk spreading the stain further than where it was originally).
#2: Tackle Bubble Gum with Ice
Bubble gum and chewing gum are a right &Î&**^^*%$^%# to remove from carpet fibres. Your best bet is to grab some ice. Better still, grab an icepack or frozen peas or something that won’t melt while you use it. Hold this over the offending gum so that it hardens. It will now go brittle and will be easier to chip off with a metal spoon or a table knife (not a sharp knife – you don’t want to cut the carpet). You may need to repeat the freeze and scrape process several times. Any lingering residue (and there will be some) can be removed with a wee spot of WD-40 and lots of blotting. Again, always blot; never scrub.
#3: Mats Are Your Mate
Business premises already know about this hack for keeping carpets clean, especially when lots of muddy feet come indoors all the time. This works at home as well! Having a mat down at the entrance and exits means that a lot of the dirt and damp will get caught on the mat and won’t be tracked all over the rest of the house. It’s a lot easier to clean a mat than it is to clean the whole carpet! You can, of course, have a “shoes off at the door” policy and wear slippers or thick socks inside the house, but there is always that one person who doesn’t take their shoes off when nipping back inside from the car because they just remembered to grab the reusable shopping bags, or the person who walks outside “just for a moment” in their slippers! Pets also can’t take shoes off at the door but they will walk over the mat.
#4: Don’t Forget to Vacuum
It seems like such a simple thing to do, but you’d be surprised about how many people overlook the importance of this household chore. Vacuuming won’t remove the deep-down dirt from the carpets and it can’t remove odours – only deep cleaning will do that – but it will remove the surface dirt and dust, and it will help keep fleas at bay. Vacuuming should be done at least once a week at the bare minimum – or more frequently still, depending on your household and your lifestyle.
When you vacuum, don’t forget to change the bag or empty out the dust compartment regularly (depending on your style of vacuum cleaner). Your vacuum can’t do as good a job if it’s clogged and full of dust – it’s not a black hole! Filters also need changing (or cleaning) fairly regularly as well, though not as often as emptying the dust compartment does. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check the brush part of your vacuum for snagged hairs and other debris.
#5: Designate No-Food Areas
Food and drink are some of the major offenders when it comes to spills and stains on the carpet. Of course, this tip will only work if your lifestyle and your home layout permit it, but you can try confining all the crumbs and spills to one place by restricting eating and drinking to only certain rooms of the house. This certainly isn’t for everyone – who doesn’t like to have a cuppa while working or bring their beloved breakfast in bed? – but it might work for you.
#6: Act Fast to Treat Stains
It doesn’t matter what sort of stain it is, but if you can deal with it while it’s still fresh and wet, there’s a good chance that you can remove it. Once a stain dries, it’s a lot harder to remove.
The Step by Step Guide
To tackle a stain of any sort, follow these steps to avoid problems with accidentally setting a stain:
- Scrape up as much of the substance as you can with a spoon or a dustpan or similar hard item.
2. Blot the spot with a paper towel, sponge or an old cotton towel to absorb as much liquid as possible.
3. Add a little cold water and blot (not scrub) it like anything. Make sure the water is cold, especially in the case of protein stains like egg white and blood.
4. Mix water and white vinegar and apply this to the spot to dissolve other types of stain, and blot again.
If you know some special way to remove a particular stain from the carpet (e.g. the methods for removing permanent marker from carpet described above), then try using that. And don’t forget to shout for a professional spot treatment agent if you’re really stuck!
#7: Steam Out Dents Left by Heavy Furniture
Heavy furniture leaves tell-tale dents in the pile of carpet. If you’ve reshuffled the furniture and now there’s unsightly pits where the sofa used to be, you can spot steam them out. To do this, lay a nice fluffy towel or facecloth down over the spot you want to steam up. Now grab a steam iron and fill it with water. When the iron is steaming nicely, hold the iron over the towel (never directly on the carpet fibres!) and give it a few shots of steam. Don’t press too hard. Lift the towel and check to see what’s happened, maybe fluffing up the squashed fibres a little with a nail brush or and old toothbrush. Repeat until the steam has softened and fluffed up the carpet fibres.
#8: Use A Wet Squeegee to Remove Pet Hair
Pet hair is a pain in the carpets and even regular vacuuming seems to miss quite a bit. However, you can remove quite a lot with a wet squeegee, as pet hair sticks to wet rubber quite nicely. Rinse off the squeegee in a bucket of warm water after each run with the squeegee. You can also use wet rubber gloves if you don’t have a squeegee handy.
