Carpet Care and Cleaning Tips

Carpet care and cleaning tips for the most popular flooring choice in most living areas. The advantages of carpet are that it's warm and soft, making a room feel cozy. 

While carpets are great for sound insulation, they can be challenging to keep clean. However, with the right cleaning tips, you can easily maintain their softness and charm, even in the face of potential stains. 

People with allergies won't be happy campers with carpet because it's a giant dust sponge. These carpet care and cleaning tips can help keep your floors looking good.

The Carpet Care and Cleaning Routine

• Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar at least twice a week, more frequently in heavily trafficked areas. (Sorry!) Vacuum cleaning is essential to any carpet-cleaning routine. Pull the vacuum back and forth for at least 15 seconds (going over the same area) to remove embedded dirt. Change vacuum bags often and keep brushes clean.

• Keep curtains and window blinds closed when you're not in the room to keep the carpet from fading.

• Use coasters under furniture.

How To Remove Carpet Stains

Out, out #&*! spot! If you've got kids, you'll get spills. And invariably those spills will be on white carpet. 

Most manufacturers put a stain-resistant finish on carpets, but it can only do so much. Deal with spills immediately. The longer you wait, the more the rug absorbs them. Then even the most attentive carpet care will only remove them with serious elbow grease.

Scrape up any solids first. Then, blot up stains with a clean white cloth or paper towel. Don't rub. Put a small amount of stain remover on a clean cloth and lay it over the stain for 10 minutes. (See below for appropriate remedies for common stains.) 

Then, begin blotting from the edge of the stain to the center. Rinse the area with cold water and blot dry. Put a stack of clean white towels on the spot and weigh them with a heavy object for six hours to soak up excess moisture.

Caution: If you don't remove all the cleaning agents, a more severe stain may result. Don't skip this last step!

Also, if the stain is severe, call a professional immediately. Home remedies may worsen the problem or even set the stain permanently.

Carpet Care and Cleaning Tips for Removing Stains

Food and beverages are attracted to carpet like magnets. Stains happen. Here are some remedies for the most common carpet stains. Pretest all cleaners in an inconspicuous area before you use them on a carpet.

Ballpoint pen ink: Pour a little rubbing alcohol onto a clean, dry cloth and blot.

Blood: Someone get a boo-boo? After you kit it well (and apply a happy face Band-Aid), go to work on the spot. Rub an ice cube on the stain. As it melts, so will the spot. Don't let the area get too wet, however. Blot up the stain with a clean white towel.

Burns: If a large section of carpet is burned, you will need to patch the carpet. However, minor burns can be disguised by cutting away the burned tips with scissors and trimming the surrounding tufts to hide the cut.

Fingernail polish: Some little lady's in big trouble! Remove the polish with a non-acetate nail polish remover on a clean cloth. Work from the edges to the middle and leave the remover on for a few minutes. Then blot dry. It may take several tries.

Pet accidents: Urine is the worst. And once it soaks into the pad, you've got a big problem. First, blot up as much as you can. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent in 1 cup of lukewarm water, then blot the stain with a clean cloth.

Blot dry using a second cloth. Rinse. Blot dry. Keep repeating those steps until the spot is gone. Then mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1 cup of water and blot again. 

Finally, put a pile of paper towels on the spot and weigh it down with a heavy object until all moisture is absorbed. (Hint: Don't use too much liquid, or you will inadvertently spread the urine into the pad yourself.)