Keeping your carpet in the same great shape it was in when you bought it is no small task. It easily collects dirt from the bottoms of shoes, and there’s no hiding a dirty carpet. Here, we’ll offer some suggestions for keeping your carpet clean, as well as some carpet cleaning secrets for those unavoidable accidents that leave you frantically Googling “carpet cleaning trade secrets.”
The number one way to keep your carpets looking fresh and clean is to avoid getting them dirty in the first place. Start by instituting a no-shoes policy. Also try to purchase a carpet that won’t show dirt as readily, like medium-toned, multi-tonal Berber, commercial grade, or low-pile shag carpets. With these types of carpets cleaning can be less frequent because they hide dirt and wear quite easily. It’s also wise to ask your dealer about any stain or protection plans. It’s also advisable to schedule a good steam cleaning two or three times a year to extend your carpet’s life. If you can’t justify calling in a professional, search online for “how to deep clean carpet” for a few DIY solutions.
Unfortunately, no matter what precautions you take against daily dirt, you’re probably going to run into a stain situation somewhere along the line, especially if you’re a parent or pet parent. It’s always best to go green first, and you’ll find some concoctions here that will help you figure out how to clean urine from carpet, along with some other carpet cleaning secrets. If these don’t work, however, you might need to bring in a store-bought cleaner or even a professional cleaner.
If you’ve got stains from one of these…
- Cocktails or beer
- Berries or jelly
- Cola
- Poop
- Ice cream
- Dirt or mud
- Milk or yogurt
- Washable ink or marker
- Wet latex paint
- Blood
- Coffee or tea
- Mustard
- Vomit
- Wine
- Chocolate
- For wax or oil: Place a paper towel or paper bag over the stain and iron on a warm setting. The spill will transfer from the carpet to the paper.
- For glue: Moisten a cotton ball with a little rubbing alcohol and blot the dried glue. Once the residue is saturated, wipe it until it’s gone.
- For gum: Freeze the gum with ice and smash it off with a mallet or butter knife.
- For urine: Absorb as much as you can with towels and then blot with a damp cloth. Spray a solution of one part vinegar to one part water over the area, and then blot with towels until it’s as dry as possible.
Try this:
Mix one part white vinegar with three or four parts water and put it in a squirt bottle. Spray onto the stain and let it get good and saturated before scrubbing with a clean, white rag.
If you’ve got stains from one of these…
Try this:
Mix one tablespoon of ammonia with a cup of water. Apply it with a squirt bottle and remove by wiping with a clean white rag. Don’t use this method on a wool carpet as the ammonia will remove the color.
A few bonus carpet cleaning secrets…
If you’re still left with a stain, don’t hesitate to call a carpet cleaning service. They are often equipped with extra strength solutions that can remove any stain. Check out this site for more: pcstriad.com