If you’re like most people you’re probably wondering how to keep your carpet looking new as long as possible. Carpet can add a feeling of comfort and warmth to a home, but if it’s damaged and dingy it will quickly detract from the design of the room. Over time, it seems like carpet inevitably picks up spills and messes, but there are things you can do to protect your carpet.
So how can you prevent carpet damage? Invest some time and follow these tips to make sure your carpets stay clean and in good condition.
Vacuum Carpet Regularly
Everyone knows that carpet can start to show signs of being dirty very quickly. Carpet holds onto things like dust and allergens that need to be cleaned before they start to build up. Even when you take proactive measures these particles still tend to find a home in your carpet. If you stay on top of vacuuming, your carpets will look fresher longer. Vacuums won’t suck out everything, but it is a good idea to use it as preventative maintenance.
Keep Food in the Kitchen
The less you bring food and drinks around carpeted areas in your home, the less chance you have for damaging spills. Spilled food and drinks can work their way into the carpet fibers and make a nice incentive for things like dust mites to use your carpeted floors as an all you can eat buffet. Cutting down on the amount of harmful exposure your carpet has can extend the life of your carpet exponentially.
Sticky Situations on Carpet
There are few messes worse to deal with than gum, sticky candy, or sugary drinks on the carpet. Gum is difficult enough just to remove from concrete or the bottom of your shoe, so removing it from handmade rug is understandably hard. Some people instinctively reach for the scissors in a situation like this, but we are here to tell you there’s a much better way. If you want some foolproof cleaning techniques that will remove all those nasty sticky messes, we’ve got some good cleaning tricks for you. It might seem like a nightmare, the sticky substance ground into the carpet fibers. You might even think it’s so bad that the only choice you have is to cover the area up. That won’t be necessary though. You can usually remove these sticky stains with just a few items and a little bit of time.
Removing Sticky Messes
The same rules apply to sticky stains as all the other types, the sooner you act the better. Even when it appears gum and other sticky substances have been removed completely from your carpet, you might notice that it returns afterward if it is given the chance to get into the carpet fibers. If you catch the problem early you have a much better chance of lifting it from the carpet completely. While it may be tempting to pull on chewing gum immediately, this could potentially damage carpet fibers. There are a few common rules to follow in times like this to ensure you don’t accidentally damage your carpet in the process. Here are a few ways to remove sticky messes from your carpet.
You can remove gum by using either a hot method or a cold method. The hot method involves using a hair dryer to heat the gum until it can be blotted up with a towel or sponge. Be prepared to repeat the process multiple times until the gum is removed completely. The cold method includes icing the gum until it hardens and scraping it slowly to lift it from the carpet. Both of these processes may leave behind gum residue, though. If you notice residue is left behind, the best option is to remove it by lightly rubbing with a spray degreaser and warm water.
The Dirtiest Areas
Your carpets do not experience the same amount of soiling everywhere. Some areas continually experience more dirt and traffic and get more wear and tear than other areas, and it’s noticeable. High traffic areas usually appear close to entrances to the exterior of your home or office. Your shoes carry dirt that is transferred to the carpet just like a floor mat outside of your house. The continual layering of dirt day after day will make these areas stick out like a sore thumb.
High traffic areas also take a beating from the wear the carpet fibers endure from the constant compression due to foot traffic. If you clean these areas when they just begin to look soiled you can stop the dirt from spreading to the rest of the house. To help overcome this natural soiling, however, periodic professional cleaning of the carpet is essential.
The most-used areas of the carpet like entrances, doorways, traffic lanes, around the couch, etc., are going to collect dirt much faster that the remainder of the carpet. Many cleaning methods struggle with these types of stains. Carpets that are found in high traffic areas require regular deep cleaning and disinfecting. If high-traffic has damaged your carpets, it's not too late. We have a few tips to give a little extra care to your high traffic lanes.
Even though it may seem simple, one of the most important things that you can do to clean high-traffic areas is to vacuum your carpet frequently. When vacuuming your floors, go a little more slowly over high traffic areas and pass over them twice. This helps to eliminate the dust and debris that builds up inside the carpet fibers. Making it part of your daily cleaning routine to zoom over the high-traffic areas in your house can help reduce surface dirt and dust and grime from being ground into the carpet fibers.
Use Rugs in High Traffic Areas
The biggest damage done to handmade carpet is usually from dirt and soil being ground into high-traffic areas. Dirt is extremely abrasive and can cause your carpet to wear prematurely. If you use rugs or runners in these high traffic areas you can cut down on a lot of this damage. High traffic areas are areas like hallways, entrances to outdoors, around furniture, and up and down stairs. Protecting these areas will go a long way toward extending the life of your carpet.
Cleaning Area Rugs
To make a rug last, you need to take the proper measures to clean and maintain it. A good rug will bring comfort to your home, but if they are placed in high traffic areas they will probably take quite a beating. Most people use an area rug to tie a room together, but it’s not going to do you any good when it starts to look dingy. A big part of area rug maintenance is regular cleaning. Use the following tips to keep your rugs looking and feeling newer longer.
How Often Should I vacuum My Rug?
Rugs are a lot like carpet in this aspect. A good general rule of thumb is to vacuum at least once a week, and twice a week in high traffic areas or areas with pets. Regular vacuuming helps reduce the amount of allergens and pests in your area rugs and can go a long way toward creating a cleaner and healthier living environment. This also helps to ensure that your rugs last longer, as vacuums suck away dirt and debris that can grind down carpet fibers if left untouched. Take the time to really clean your rugs. Spend a few minutes with a vacuum rather than running over the rug as quickly as possible. Don’t neglect the back of the rug either. Many people don’t know that dust and dirt can build up under the rug and grind away at it, which will obviously shorten the life of it.
Can My Rug Be Damaged?
Rugs can be far more delicate and easier to damage than wall to wall carpet, especially around the edges. Unlike carpet, area rugs are usually easy to move, so the construction of the rug can be jeopardized by incorrect cleaning methods. Vacuums are known to pull apart the rug binding around the edges and the fringe on the rug if you aren’t careful. The best practice is to vacuum the center and slowly move toward the edges to be careful.
What Type of Carpet Stains Can You Get Out?
Are you wondering if it’s possible to get a certain type of stain out of carpet? Carpet stains are just a fact of life. If you’re in need of some carpet stain removal tips, you’re probably in a crunch for time too. The number one rule regarding most unwanted spots on your carpet is to get to work immediately. It’s your response that often determines the outcome. If you take action while the stain is still fresh, you’ve got a really good chance of getting it out completely. No carpets are stain proof, although many are stain resistant. With most of the stain resistant technology in carpets these days, treating these problems is easier than ever. Let us teach you how to treat common types of stains so you can save your carpets from ruin.
Which Stains Will Come Out?
No matter what type of stain we’re working with, you always want to start by removing any solids and diluting it with lukewarm water. A good practice is to blot the stain and repeat these actions until you feel you’ve removed a lot. Never scrub the carpet, though, as that will often run the risk of rubbing the stain right into the fibers of the carpet. Many people decide to use spot removers, which can be a smart choice. You need to know for sure that the remover you’re using works with your carpet and won’t discolor or damage it, though. We recommend using our all natural soap free Procyon solution, as it’s completely safe for kids and pets.
Most water soluble stains can be lifted from your carpet without issues. Things like berries, cola, gravy, food dyes, and mud are all fairly simple and straightforward to remove. Using a cleaning solution made of a quarter teaspoon of detergent and 32 ounces of water will usually do the trick. Where the water soluble stains get tricky are with things like blood, vomit, coffee, mustard, chocolate and wine. Removing these stains could be extremely difficult, and sometimes even requires bleach. Bleach is a giant risk for damaging your carpet though, so this method isn’t recommended.
Other types of stains including fats, oils, wax, glue, gum, nail polish, and urine can all be treated as well, but each is a little more difficult and has different methods of removal. The easiest way to remove these quickly and easily is by hiring a professional with truck mounted equipment. Expert carpet cleaning technicians are trained to professionally treat your carpet and remove any unwanted scents, stains, and odors without hassle.
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