“Aghh, those spots!” “How will I get them out?” Take a look at your carpet. Does it have spots from when you spilt some of your coffee or other drink as you walked across the room? This happens all the time, and to almost everyone. The problem is, how do you get those stains out? A bit of white distilled vinegar, some warm water and clean rag often does the trick. Let’s look at some other key tips.
First things first:
Don’t get one of those cheap vacuum cleaners, get one with a powerful motor and HEPA filtration technology, The strong suction will get the dirt off the carpet fibers, and the HEPA filtration will trap allergens and keep dust from escaping the vacuum cleaner.
Regular maintenance:
A regular vacuuming with a good vacuum cleaner isn’t going to keep your carpets perfectly clean, but it’s going to help keep dirt from getting ground down into the carpet fibers. If you’re really finicky, you can certainly vacuum every day but, for most people, that’s not practical; however, it’s certainly a good practice (and highly suggested) to vacuum high-traffic areas at least twice a week. For those high traffic areas, vacuum slowly over an area, going back and forth and side to side, overlapping parallel rows and taking about seven strokes.
Food, drink, dirt and other stains:
Shampooing may be necessary once or twice a year to maintain that new look but, what can you do to keep it free of stains once it’s been shampooed? Inadvertently, dirt is going to be tracked in, someone’s going to spill food or drink on the carpet, and so on. When that happens, your chances of keeping the carpet from staining are better if you get whatever has been dropped, out quickly, before it has a chance to set. If you spill something liquid, blot it up immediately (don’t rub, but blot) and get as much of the liquid out as you can. Hard rubbing will weaken the carpet fibers. To get those stains out try club soda; use a clean, dry cloth, and blot the club soda up along with the stain. For an oily stain, try using cornstarch and/or baking soda. For coffee or chocolate stains, try undiluted white vinegar.
Reduce the wear and tear:
There are a number of things you can do to minimize the “wear and tear” on both you and your carpet. For one, try not to wear shoes in your home. Shoes can significantly wear on carpets by flattening the fibers. By the way, though, bare feet can also ruin carpets because they transfer skin oils and grime to carpets. So in addition to having a shoe-free home, make sure you also have a home where you always wear socks and slippers around the house. Having an entrance mat by your front door is a good way to give a hint to your guests to take their shoes off before walking on the carpet.
Proper and timely maintenance of your carpet will ad much life and enjoyment to this major investment.
Linda Short:
A homemaker and Residential Cleaning company owner enjoy sharing the how to’s of cleaning that she’s learned over the years of taking care of her own home and running a cleaning company. For more great cleaning tips on how to keep your home clean and organized Click here.
Linda Short is a cleaning and clutter control expert, has her own cleaning business and is the author of her new book; The Ultimate Book of Fast Easy Green Cleaning Secrets.
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