Sometimes our carpets need a little more attention than the usual quick run-around with the vacuum. Maybe you’ve had a spillage and need to do some emergency spot cleaning, or maybe there’s been a build-up of daily wear and the entire carpet needs to be refreshed. Whatever the reason is, carpet shampooing and spot removal don’t have to be a difficult task. Read on to find out the best way to shampoo carpet at home, and how to remove those stubborn stains.
Shampoo cleaning a carpet is a great way to brighten it up. There are many different varieties of carpet shampoo in the market, so make sure you read the usage instructions on the label of your product before you get started. It should give you specific directions, but the following steps can be used as a rough guide.
Vacuuming every week, or more frequently in high-traffic areas of the house, will remove dirt and stop it from getting trodden into the carpet. This will help keep your carpet in a good condition for longer, and will reduce the need for regular carpet shampooing.
Step 1:
If you are covering a large area of the carpet then start removing objects or furniture from the area you would like to clean.
Step 2:
Vacuum the area to remove excess dust or debris – this will make the carpet shampooing process easier.
Step 3:
Many varieties of carpet shampoo require you to make up a solution with water. So dilute the cleaner with water as directed.
Step 4:
Apply the carpet cleaner ensuring that just enough is used to cover the area. Take care not to over-saturate the carpet as this will take a long time to dry and could cause damage to the carpet.
Step 5:
Take a hard-bristled brush and scrub any particularly stained areas of the carpet. Take care not to damage the fibres of the carpet by scrubbing too hard.
Step 6:
Leave the carpet to dry as instructed on the product label.
Step 7:
Once the carpet has dried, vacuum the area thoroughly ensuring that the entire carpet shampoo residue is removed.
It’s a good idea to keep the family out of the room where you are shampoo-cleaning the carpet, until you have finished. It’ll make your job easier and will stop them from getting soggy feet!
How to wash carpet stains
Stain accidents on carpets can happen to the best of us, but there’s no need to worry – if they are treated as soon as possible they can usually be removed quickly and easily. It isn't necessary to clean the whole area of the carpet. Only cleaning the stained area is enough.
Step 1:
Blot the excess liquid as soon as your carpet suffers a spillage – don’t rub as this will spread the stain.
Step 2:
Scrape away as much of stain residue as you can. If you’re dealing with sticking of chewing gum on the carpet then try applying an ice cube to harden the gum, so it can be removed easily.
Step 3:
Apply a carpet stain remover or carpet shampoo, before scrubbing with a little water until the stain has disappeared. Make sure you test any stain removal product on a small hidden area of the carpet beforehand.
So there you have it! Carpet stains, no matter how big or small, needn’t be anything to worry about with the right carpet shampooing and spot removal method in place.
Key Steps:
Clear the area of carpet that you will be treating.
Vacuum the carpet thoroughly before you get started.
Be sure not to over-saturate the carpet when carpet shampooing.