Carpets can be a real pain to clean, especially when you’ve got pets in your house. Sometimes there is more dirt on your carpet than a vacuum cleaner can handle, and this is where you might need to introduce other methods of cleaning to keep your carpets looking, and smelling, fresh.
Carpets are an area within your home that can harbour bacteria and germs, and without regular cleaning, the dirt can become ingrained into your floors.
The benefits of keeping your carpet clean
The main benefit of keeping your carpets clean is that you’re reducing the number of germs and bacteria that are festering on your floors. Dust and germs get trapped in your carpets and then make their way into your breathing air. This could result in respiratory problems and is not good for any allergies anyone in your family may have. When cleaning your carpet, particularly with steam, the high temperature of the water kills off any nasty germs.
The life of your carpet can be extended so easily by cleaning it regularly. Debris is more likely to stick to dirty carpets, so by keeping them clean you’re actually lengthening the life of your carpet.
Another obvious benefit is that your home will look (and feel) cleaner. A room can look old and outdated with a dirty carpet.
Deep-cleaning your carpets
Give your carpet the TLC it deserves and deep clean it every so often. This way, germs and bacteria won’t sit in the fibres of your carpet. Here are some easy things you can do to make sure your carpets are not getting neglected.
Prepare your home by clearing away clutter
Clutter is the enemy of progress. It gets in the way and can mean that your carpets aren’t cleaned as thoroughly as they could be.
Declutter your belongings first, this can be a tricky task. But as Marie Kondo says, if something doesn’t spark joy, then throw it out. Through the process of deciding what sparks joy, and what doesn’t, you’re discovering the items that you should love and therefore should keep. Another way of making sure that you’re strict with yourself and aren’t keeping hold of things you don’t need is to really acknowledge what you use. If you haven’t used something in two years, then it’s probably about time that you threw it out.
Once your clutter is gone, then it’s time to move on to the next step.
Move your furniture
Large pieces of furniture are likely to get in the way when you’re attempting to clean your floors. So, when necessary, move them out of the way and clean underneath them too. Heavy items of furniture will leave indents in your carpets, but these can be easily removed with an ice cube.
Vacuum your carpet first
Vacuuming your carpet once probably isn’t that effective in getting rid of dirt and bacteria which may have been there for months and months. However, vacuuming is a good place to start.
Begin at the skirting boards of your room and work inwards. Skirting boards and underneath radiators can easily trap dust, so make sure to start in these areas. Then, continue vacuuming the rest of the carpet.
Use a carpet cleaning solution
If vacuuming your carpet hasn’t got rid of any of those annoying stains, then you might have to purchase something stronger – like a carpet cleaning solution. Depending on what the stain is, and how big it is, stain removers bought in supermarkets or household shops can be effective in getting rid of deep stains.
Some of the best cleaning products include; the Dyson Zorb powder, Ecozone carpet shampoo and Dr Beckman’s carpet stain remover.
Invest in a carpet cleaning machine
Carpet cleaning solutions may work well for carpets that have smaller stains dotted across them. However, for carpets that are dirty all over, carpet cleaning products won’t work. Or you’ll end up spending hours and hours on your knees scrubbing at your carpets. Investing in a carpet cleaning machine might be a good idea if this is the case.
There are things that you should keep in mind if you are looking to invest in a carpet cleaning machine or steam cleaner. One of the things you should know is that these machines are heavy when they are filled with water and cleaning solution. They’re made for industrial and professional cleaning jobs, so you’re going to have to pay a decent price for one which is going to do a good job.
Make sure to dry your carpet thoroughly
The post-cleaning process can be long, so you can use handy tools to help speed up the process. Start by setting out a fan or heater to help dry your carpets quicker. If you don’t have either of these, then you can always turn up your heating for a little bit to help dry your floors out. Warm air tends to hold more moisture than cold air, which means that drawing water out of the carpet will be more effective.
Hire a professional
Sometimes you just can’t be bothered to clean your carpets, so leave it to the professionals. Maybe you’ve got a stain that you’ve tried every single stain remover on and it still just won’t come out. A professional cleaning company will be able to get rid of stubborn stains quickly as they all have industry-standard equipment which will make the job of removing stains so easy.
What are the consequences of not cleaning your carpet?
Over time, not cleaning your carpet can have detrimental effects. As previously mentioned, dirty carpet will just get more filthy, so keeping on top of it is key if you want to maintain your carpets.
Most people admit to walking into their homes with their outdoor shoes on, so one of the easiest things to do is to remove your shoes before you step onto your carpet. This way you’ll spend less time cleaning stubborn stains out of your carpet, and more time doing the things you enjoy.