Carpets are one of the most popular floor coverings in our country together with the floating floor and linoleum. It also has a decorative function, so it is necessary to take good care of it so that it is always in good condition. Topics as tips on how to take good care of the carpets and ways how to gently and effectively remove the most common stains are covered in our article.
It goes without saying that you have to vacuum the carpet regularly to keep dust and mites out of it. In addition to vacuuming it is necessary to occasionally clean and wash the carpet. How to wash the carpet without destroying it? There are several ways, the most suitable one is always chosen according to the material, design, hair length and also according to the type of stains.
Full-area carpet cleaning
Full-area home carpet cleaning is part of a routine maintenance, thanks to which your carpet will be in a good shape and will have its bright colors. A clean carpet not only looks perfect, but it also helps to improve the air in your home. When cleaning carpets, it is not just a matter of getting rid of visible stains, but also of cleaning the carpet in depth.Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is perfect for carpets that are worn out by normal home usage and by the time they are being in use. In the drugstore you can get a special powder for dry carpet cleaning, with excellent absorption features. Pour the powder evenly on the carpet, leave it to react according to the instructions and then vacuum it. Dry cleaning is suitable for carpets with short hair. However, if you have a cotton carpet at home, you will have to choose a different method of cleaning, as dry cleaning is not suitable for them.Wet cleaning
Wet cleaning or also portable wet carpet cleaner are suitable forms for all carpets and these are more effective than dry cleaning because the cleaning detergents get deeper in the carpet. Wet cleaning requires a solution that must be made (one part of a washing detergent special for wool cleaning with fifteen parts of lukewarm water). Apply the prepared solution on the carpet over the entire area. In places where the dirt is heavier, use a damp cloth to remove it. The carpet needs to be dried properly.The disadvantage of wet cleaning is the drying time of the carpet. While dry cleaning requires no time for drying and you can use the carpet immediately, after wet cleaning you have to wait for the carpet to dry completely. This can take up to 24 hours.
Machine wet cleaning
Slightly more effective than manual wet carpet cleaning is machine wet cleaning, in which the cleaning fluid gets into the carpet under pressure. Due to the pressure, the detergents get directly into the fibers, where the impurities dissolve and are sucked out together with the liquid.The advantage of machine wet cleaning is perfect suction of the liquid and therefore a shorter drying time of the carpet. In addition to shortening the drying time, the formation of mold is prevented and the carpet does not harden.
Steam cleaning
You can also clean the carpet with steam. Steam heated to 180° C, at a pressure of 8 Bar, is used for this type of cleaning. The process works the way that hot water with detergent is injected into the carpet and the dirt is being removed by a special vacuum cleaner. Steam carpet cleaning is provided by specialized companies, but you can also rent the device.However, for some types of carpets none of these cleaning methods is suitable. Those carpets need to be approached specifically. They are mainly Persian and wool carpets.
How to clean a Persian carpet
Do not use any chemical products to clean Persian carpets. Bile soap, lukewarm water and a sponge are enough to clean them. Create a foam on the carpet and clean it by smoothing in the direction of the fibers. Then brush it gently and vacuum the carpet.How to clean a wool carpet
Wool carpets are very sensitive to high temperatures. Do not expose them to direct sunlight or hot water. Otherwise the carpet will change its color or shrink. When cleaning the wool carpet, use only cleaning products that are specially designed for wool carpet cleaning. Frequent vacuuming will remove solid dirt and dust and will also extend the interval between wet cleanings.How to remove stains from the carpet?
When an accident happens and you pour something on the carpet or get it dirty other way, it's not the end of the world. In addition to chemical cleaning products, you can help yourself with guaranteed "grandma's advice", which uses the products you have in the kitchen at home. For the cleaning to be successful, you have to hurry - the sooner you do it, the better the result. It is important to prevent stains from soaking up into the carpet.The most common stains that may appear on the carpet are stains from blood, coffee, tea, grease, pet urine or candle wax.
Blood stain
Blood stains should be removed as soon as possible. Remember that you must remove blood from all types of cloth with cold water. When using warm or hot water, the blood would clot and it would be much harder to get rid of it. Soak the bloodstain and salt it after an hour, let it work again for another hour. Repeat until the carpet is clean. It is good to suck up water with special water vacuum cleaner but if you don't have one, use a dry cotton cloth to suck it up. However, you will need to burden it a bit.Coffee and tea stains
Coffee and tea can damage light and dark carpets as well, but they can be reliably cleaned with sparkling water and alcohol. In any case, you need to act quickly. Dry the stain and then drop a little of lemon juice, put some salt or soap on it. When the stain dries, it is necessary to use carpet cleaning detergent.Wine stains
The carpet poured with wine needs to be cleaned quickly. Dry the wine stain with paper towels, then pour sparkling water over the stain and then use soapy water. For example, you can clean red wine from the carpet with salt.Greasy stains
You can get grease from the carpet by letting it soak into something else. Put a napkin on the carpet and iron it. This soaks the grease from the carpet into the napkin. Smooth flour also works on the grease. It absorbs it into itself. Don't forget to vacuum the flour and then clean the carpet with soap and water.How to clean the carpet from urine?
Pets sometimes make a puddle. If it is fresh, dry it with cotton cloths completely. When no more urine is absorbed into the cloth, rinse the carpet with cold water and then vacuum the carpet with a water vacuum cleaner. You can also use an enzymatic cleaner and wet wipes.How to remove wax from carpet?
If you are a lover of soft candle light, then it may happen that it drips on your carpet. Even the wax can be easily removed. Firstly, spread the wax with a piece of ice, which you pack in a plastic bag. Peel and crumble the solid wax thoroughly and extract the small pieces with a vacuum cleaner. Then place a dish-cloth over the stain and run the iron over it until it absorbs all the wax.What is the best way to clean an individual carpet?
You can leave the cleaning of individual carpets to the dry cleaners, where they will deal with the stains for you. However, individual carpet cleaning should be a regular thing for you and not just a random event. This is the only way to keep its perfect color appearance. However, you will have to deal with the big ones yourself or invite a carpet cleaning company to do it for you at home.It doesn't matter what type of a stain you try to remove from the carpet, always make sure you don't rub it and always proceed from the edge to the middle when vacuuming. Do not scrub the carpet too hard as it could change the look forever. Use soapy water or shaving foam to remove stains. Do not use any bleaching products on carpets that could damage the carpet. Even natural carpet cleaners can lighten the carpet, so try the product somewhere where a possible little stain will not be visible.
