When it comes to cleaning carpets, there has to be hundreds of methods and remedies to get rid of stains, odors, shading, carpet stitch damage and what not. There are also a lot of neat tips and tricks that professional cleaners and housewives have come up with to substitute those “when in doubt, use cleaning solution” remedies. So here’s a run down of some tips and maybe from this list, you can choose what the best carpet cleaning tip is for you.
Carpet Stains
Spills are usually the most common problem encountered in carpet cleaning. Spills can vary from liquids such as lemonade, tea, coffee, milk, sauces and something worse and more sticky such as honey. The key to cleaning a spill is in keeping it from seeping and settling permanently enough to create a stain onto the carpet. The best way, therefore, is to immediately dab the spill with a dry sponge or wool cloth. Wiping it or scrubbing it will only enforce settling of the spill onto the material.
If you need to use carpet soap on the spill, clean and wash the carpet with water first before applying the detergent on the spill. Another important carpet cleaning tip you need to keep in mind is to dilute cleaning liquids such as vinegar, rubbing alcohol, ammonia in water if you use these to clean carpet spills and stains as these may only ruin and damage the texture and color when used directly.
Cleaning Carpet Odors
Spills and stains can not only ruin carpets, it can also develop bad smells and odor which could be hard to remove. Carpets that have long been kept in cool and damp places and have not been aired out for some time can also develop foul odor.
One carpet cleaning tip is to clean the stain first and to get rid of the odor by using a scented detergent. Neutral detergents will not get rid of smells easily. If you don’t want to use a scented detergent, another tip is to buy any kind of air freshening spray. The nice thing about sprays is that they are available with more scents than detergents are and they are easier to apply too.
Dents
Carpets can also acquire dents from heavy furniture. Most likely, you will notice some dents and flattened areas on your carpet where a couch or your grandfather’s clock used to be.
You may need to apply steam iron on those dented areas and brush up its fibers with tough bristles. Be careful, however, to keep the iron from touching the carpet when applying steam. You can also brush those dented areas until the carpet fibers are restored to its original condition and although this may take some time before it is restored, brushing your carpet dents with bristles is actually a good way to maintain your carpet’s look. There are also carpet cleaning professionals and repair experts who will gladly do the repair for you for a certain price.