Carpets are an increasingly popular piece of furniture. Like sofas, after a long time of use, whether you like it or not, carpets will still be covered with a lot of dirt, worse, dirty water or dirt that is difficult to clean. However, the cost of cleaning carpets or replacing carpets is not small. So “How to clean carpets at a low cost but still maintain durability and safety for users?” Follow this article to learn more!
When to clean carpets
Most people think that carpets are just a moving surface, and many people walk on them every day. Cleaning the carpet every day will cost a lot of money but it won’t help because the carpet will return to its original state.
However, because carpets are a surface for people to walk on, the carpet surface also contains a lot of dirt. Dirt can be pet hair, bacteria, mold or other allergens. Therefore, cleaning the carpet is extremely necessary.
Experts have also agreed and given advice on carpet cleaning time is 3 times/year and vacuuming 2 times/week. This helps limit the accumulation of dirt, pet hair, mold, mildew and other allergens. However, carpet cleaning time may vary depending on the area where the carpet is located. The reason is that each area will be affected differently during use.
Things to do before cleaning carpets
To clean carpets effectively, you need to follow these steps:
Clean around carpet
Cleaning around the carpet is essential before starting to clean the carpet. This will prevent dirt from sticking to other objects and will also prevent the objects from obstructing the vacuum cleaner.
Additionally, dust furniture on carpets, window sills and remove baseboards so that falling dust can be sucked up.
Vacuum carpets
After cleaning around the carpet, start vacuuming. Fabric fibers are often easily twisted, some carpets have overlapping fabric fibers so normal vacuuming cannot clean optimally. You can vacuum the carpet in all 4 directions, then repeat to remove all dirt. This will help the carpet to be cleaned faster.
Regular vacuuming also helps to preserve the quality and texture of the carpet. In addition, it also makes the carpet cleaning process faster and cleaner.
6 simple ways to clean carpets at home
To quickly deal with stains on the carpet surface, you can apply one of the following methods for temporary cleaning:
Baking soda
With the advantages of absorbing moisture, removing stains and effectively deodorizing, baking soda is considered a “multi-purpose savior” in daily life.
Steps to clean carpet with baking soda:
- Apply a generous amount of baking soda to the stains.
- Pour hot water into a spray bottle, then spray it onto the area where baking soda was just poured.
- Keep it like that for 30 minutes – 1 hour (the longer the better).
- Cover the stain with a damp cloth.
- Use the vacuum cleaner to move slowly and in the same direction to ensure that all carpet fibers are cleaned.
Lemon
Lemon is considered a “homemade” cleaner that many people use because the acid content in lemon helps brighten the color of many different materials.
Steps to clean carpet with lemon:
- Squeeze half a lemon into the bowl.
- Add a sufficient amount of salt, then stir well.
- Apply the mixture to the stain on the carpet.
- Leave on for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Use a dry towel to wipe off the mixture.
Hydrogen peroxide
For this method, you need to be careful because hydrogen peroxide is a mild wound disinfectant on the skin, which can deform the properties of the material used to make the product. However, thanks to the principle of releasing oxygen, they are also quite effective in removing organic stains on carpets: fruit stains, blood stains,…
Steps to clean carpet with hydrogen peroxide:
- Spray hydrogen peroxide on the stain.
- Keep it for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Use a soft cloth dipped in water to clean the stained area.
White vinegar
With the main ingredient being acetic acid, white vinegar is often used to clean household appliances in general and carpets in particular.
Steps to clean carpet with white vinegar:
- Mix white vinegar solution with water in a ratio of 1-4.
- Spray on stains such as food stains.
- Leave on for 30 minutes.
- Use a clean dry cloth to clean the carpet surface.
Ice
Chewing gum is one of the toughest stains to remove. The soft texture of chewing gum allows it to easily get into small crevices, forming a strong bond with anything it comes into contact with. Using ice is the most effective method for removing “stubborn” stains.
Steps to clean carpet with ice:
- Put 1 – 2 ice cubes in a plastic bag.
- Rub continuously on the gum residue until it hardens with the coldness of the ice.
- Use a razor blade to gently scrape off the gum.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a common method used to remove stubborn stains, such as nail polish,… However, you need to wait until the nail polish dries before cleaning effectively.
Steps to clean carpet with alcohol:
- Use a clean white towel to absorb a sufficient amount of white wine.
- Rub on the stain, after 1 – 2 minutes the stain will quickly disappear.
Notes when cleaning carpets
In addition to cleaning carpets using the methods, you also need to pay attention to make the carpet cleaning process easy and less labor-intensive. Specifically:
- For new stains, treat immediately to avoid the stain drying and becoming difficult to clean.
- When cleaning the carpet, work from the outside in to avoid spreading more stains.
- Vacuum carpets more often (once a week).
- Rotate the carpet 180 degrees every 6 months to ensure more even color and thickness.
- Carpets are also a “difficult” product, so dilute the cleaning mixture with warm water and rub on the stain, limit the use of strong detergents.
In addition, depending on the carpet material, choose the appropriate cleaning method.