Carpet Cleaning Tips

Even if you try to be as clean as you possibly can, even if you always remove your shoes before you walk into your home and you only eat in the kitchen, eventually you will need to reach out for some carpet cleaning tips. Professionals handle carpet cleaning much differently than most people do, so it pays to learn some of the tips of the trade that make them so good at removing stains that were previously thought impossible to remove.

Carpet Cleaning Tips: Removal

Some of the most important tips we have relate back to the motions and movements you make when you are removing the stain. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Do not rub stains. Rubbing stains only make the stain stick to the carpet even more. Even worse, you can break down the carpet fibers and destroy them. Always blot the stain moving from the outside and the lighter parts of the stain to the inside and the darker parts of the stain.

Deep clean regularly. Cleaning your carpet is essential, and you have to do it regularly in order to prevent stains from sticking. Some stains can take a while to show, which is why deep cleaning is necessary.

Weigh down on the cloth. When you think you are done cleaning, put a clean cloth down and weigh it with something heavy, like a bookend. This will help to soak up any remaining water.

Carpet Cleaning Tips: Agents

What are some of the commonly suggested cleaning agents that may actually work for you? Let’s take a look:

Club soda DOES work. Club soda should always be kept on hand, especially if you tend to drink red wine. It only works if you use it correctly, however. Make sure to blot the soda with a cloth and then use the club soda. Always rinse with tepid, not cold and not hot, water. Use a carpet brush to get into the carpet fibers. If club soda doesn’t work, white vinegar with equal parts water might do the same thing.

Try shaving cream. Shaving cream can get some of the most ordinary and common stains out of your carpeting. Make sure it doesn’t have any color in it and be sure to rinse the area thoroughly.

Dishwashing detergent does work on grease. If you have grease on your carpeting – whether it is from cooking or working in a shop – use it to cut through the stain on your carpet. Put a drop or two in a sprayer bottle filled with tepid water and spray it directly on the stain. You’ll have to blot and repeat. It is likely that you will have to repeat this a few times.

Hydrogen peroxide for blood. Cut your finger? Stub your toe? If you get blood on your carpet, it is something you want to try to eliminate as quickly as possible. Hydrogen peroxide works to “cook” out blood from all of the fibers. To make this work, you have to blot out and “scrape” as much of the blood as you can.

Carpet Cleaning Tips: Special Cases

There are some special cases where you will need to go above and beyond in your carpet cleaning process.

Gum stick on carpet. For years, many people just assumed that if they got gum on the carpet, they should just cut it out and put an area rug or a piece of furniture over it. That isn’t the case anymore. If you see gum (or anything of that consistency) on your carpet, grab some ice cubes. Freeze the gum by placing the cubes right on top for about a minute. Then, you should be able to use a spoon to pull the majority of the gum out. You may have to make a few snips to free it – you do not want to pull the fibers too hard.

Use your iron. Candles – whether that you are burning just because or for holidays celebrations – that drip on your carpet can be annoying. If you are looking for a way to remove it, do not pull the dried wax up. Instead, put a piece of cloth over the wax and use your iron to warm up the wax. Then, put down a paper towel to soak up the wax. You may have to do this a few times to get it to work. Just don’t allow your iron to rest on the carpet without something between it and NEVER use the iron for more than 25 seconds at a time.

If you are looking for a way to improve your carpet cleaning and these simple tips aren’t enough – contact us today (585) 481-8605 to get in contact with a professional carpet cleaning company in your area.